The Oracle concerning the Valley of Vision

221 The burden of the Valley of Vision. What—to thee, now, that thou hast gone up, All of thee—to the roofs? 2 Full of stirs—a noisy city—an exulting city, Thy pierced are not pierced of the sword, Nor dead in battle. 3 All thy rulers fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled. 4 Therefore I said, 'Look ye from me, I am bitter in my weeping, Haste not to comfort me, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.' 5 For a day of noise, and of treading down, And of perplexity, 'is' to the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In the valley of vision, digging down a wall, And crying unto the mountain. 6 And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men—horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield. 7 And it cometh to pass, The choice of thy valleys have been full of chariots, And the horsemen place themselves diligently at the gate.

8 And one removeth the covering of Judah, And thou lookest in that day Unto the armour of the house of the forest, 9 And the breaches of the city of David ye have seen, For they have become many, And ye gather the waters of the lower pool, 10 And the houses of Jerusalem ye did number, And ye break down the houses to fence the wall. 11 And a ditch ye made between the two walls, For the waters of the old pool, And ye have not looked unto its Maker, And its Framer of old ye have not seen. 12 And call doth the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, And to baldness and to girding on of sackcloth, 13 And lo, joy and gladness, slaying of oxen, And slaughtering of sheep, Eating of flesh, and drinking of wine, Eat and drink, for to-morrow we die. 14 And revealed it hath been in mine ears, 'By' Jehovah of Hosts: Not pardoned is this iniquity to you, Till ye die, said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts.

Shebna to Be Replaced by Eliakim

15 Thus said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts: 'Go, enter in unto this steward, Unto Shebna, who 'is' over the house: 16 What—to thee here? And who—to thee here? That thou hast hewn out to thee here—a sepulchre? Hewing on high his sepulchre, Graving in a rock a dwelling for himself. 17 Lo, Jehovah is casting thee up and down, A casting up and down, O mighty one, 18 And thy coverer covering, wrapping round, Wrappeth thee round, O babbler, On a land broad of sides—there thou diest, And there the chariots of thine honour 'Are' the shame of the house of thy lord. 19 And I have thrust thee from thy station, And from thine office he throweth thee down. 20 And it hath come to pass, in that day, That I have called to my servant, To Eliakim son of Hilkiah. 21 And I have clothed him with thy coat, And with thy girdle I strengthen him, And thy garment I give into his hand, And he hath been for a father to the inhabitant of Jerusalem, And to the house of Judah. 22 And I have placed the key Of the house of David on his shoulder, And he hath opened, and none is shutting, And hath shut, and none is opening. 23 And I have fixed him a nail in a stedfast place, And he hath been for a throne of honour To the house of his father. 24 And they have hanged on him All the honour of the house of his father, The offspring and the issue, All vessels of small quality, From vessels of basins to all vessels of flagons. 25 In that day—an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Moved is the nail that is fixed In a stedfast place, Yea, it hath been cut down, and hath fallen, And cut off hath been the burden that 'is' on it, For Jehovah hath spoken!'

The LORD's Judgment on Judah and Jerusalem

31 For, lo, the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, Is turning aside from Jerusalem, And from Judah, stay and staff, Every stay of bread, and every stay of water. 2 Hero and man of war, judge and prophet, And diviner and elder, 3 Head of fifty, and accepted of faces, And counsellor, and the wise of artificers, And the intelligent of charmers. 4 And I have made youths their heads, And sucklings rule over them. 5 And the people hath exacted—man upon man, Even a man on his neighbour, Enlarge themselves do the youths against the aged, And the lightly esteemed against the honoured. 6 When one layeth hold on his brother, 'Of' the house of his father, 'by' the garment, 'Come, a ruler thou art to us, And this ruin 'is' under thy hand.' 7 He lifteth up, in that day, saying: 'I am not a binder up, And in my house is neither bread nor garment, Ye do not make me a ruler of the people.' 8 For stumbled hath Jerusalem, and Judah hath fallen, For their tongue and their doings 'are' against Jehovah, To provoke the eyes of His glory.

9 The appearance of their faces witnessed against them, And their sin, as Sodom, they declared, They have not hidden! Wo to their soul, For they have done to themselves evil. 10 Say ye to the righteous, that 'it is' good, Because the fruit of their doings they eat. 11 Wo to the wicked—evil, Because the deed of his hand is done to him. 12 My people—its exactors 'are' sucklings, And women have ruled over it. My people—thy eulogists are causing to err, And the way of thy paths swallowed up. 13 Jehovah hath stood up to plead, And He is standing to judge the peoples. 14 Jehovah into judgment doth enter With elders of His people, and its heads: 'And ye, ye have consumed the vineyard, Plunder of the poor 'is' in your houses. 15 What—to you? ye bruise My people, And the faces of the poor ye grind.' An affirmation of the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, And Jehovah saith:

Judgment on the Daughters of Zion

16 'Because that daughters of Zion have been haughty, And they walk stretching out the neck, And deceiving 'with' the eyes, Walking and mincing they go, And with their feet they make a tinkling, 17 The Lord also hath scabbed The crown of the head of daughters of Zion, And Jehovah their simplicity exposeth. 18 In that day doth the Lord turn aside The beauty of the tinkling ornaments, And of the embroidered works, And of the round tires like moons, 19 Of the drops, and the bracelets, and the mufflers, 20 Of the bonnets, and the ornaments of the legs, And of the bands, And of the perfume boxes, and the amulets, 21 Of the seals, and of the nose-rings, 22 Of the costly apparel, and of the mantles, And of the coverings, and of the purses, 23 Of the mirrors, and of the linen garments, And of the hoods, and of the vails, 24 And it hath been, instead of spice is muck, And instead of a girdle, a rope, And instead of curled work, baldness, And instead of a stomacher a girdle of sackcloth. 25 For instead of glory, thy men by sword do fall, And thy might in battle. 26 And lamented and mourned have her openings, Yea, she hath been emptied, on the earth she sitteth!