Isaiah

¹ The oracle concerning the valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops?

² You roaring city, you exultant town; Your slain were not slain with the sword, Nor did they die in battle.

³ And have been captured without the bow; All of you who were found were captured together, Though they had fled far away.

⁴ Let me weep bitterly, Do not insist on comforting me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

⁵ In the valley of vision, A breaking down of walls And a crying to the mountain.

⁶ With the chariots, infantry, and horsemen; And Kir uncovered the shield.

⁷ And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.

⁸ In that day you looked to the weapons of the house of the forest,

⁹ In the wall of the city of David were many; And you collected the waters of the lower pool.

¹⁰ And tore down houses to fortify the wall.

¹¹ For the waters of the old pool. But you did not look to Him who made it, Nor did you see Him who formed it long ago.

¹² To shaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.

¹³ Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”

¹⁴ “Surely this iniquity shall not be atoned for you Until you die,” says Lord Yahweh of hosts.

¹⁵ To Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household,

¹⁶ And whom do you have here, That you have hewn a tomb for yourself here, You who hew a tomb on the height, You who carve a dwelling place for yourself in the cliff?

¹⁷ And He is about to grasp you firmly

¹⁸ To be cast into a vast country; There you will die, And there your glorious chariots will be, You disgrace of your master’s house.’

¹⁹ And I will pull you down from your station.

²⁰ That I will summon My servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,

²¹ And tie your sash securely about him. I will give your authority into his hand, And he will become a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.

²² When he opens no one will shut, When he shuts no one will open.

²³ And he will become a throne of glory to his father’s house.

²⁴ So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls to all the jars.

²⁵ In that day,” declares Yahweh of hosts, “the peg driven in a firm place will give way; it will even break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken.”