Isaiah

The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?

1This is a heavy message about the Valley of Vision. What is wrong with you now? Everyone has gone up on the flat rooftops.

Note"Burden" here means a heavy message about coming trouble, not a load someone carries. "Valley of Vision" is a name for Jerusalem.

2Thou that art full of stirs, a tumultuous city, a joyous city: thy slain men are not slain with the sword, nor dead in battle.

2You are a noisy, crowded city, full of parties. But your dead did not die by the sword or fall in battle.

3All thy rulers are fled together, they are bound by the archers: all that are found in thee are bound together, which have fled from far.

3All your leaders ran away together, and they were captured without a bow being drawn. Everyone found in you was taken, even those who had fled far off.

4Therefore said I, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly, labour not to comfort me, because of the spoiling of the daughter of my people.

4So I said, "Turn away and leave me alone. Let me cry hard. Do not try to comfort me about the ruin of my people."

5For it is a day of trouble, and of treading down, and of perplexity by the Lord GOD of hosts in the valley of vision, breaking down the walls, and of crying to the mountains.

5The Lord GOD of Armies has set a day of panic, trampling, and confusion in the Valley of Vision. Walls come down, and people cry toward the mountains.

6And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.

6The soldiers of Elam pick up their arrows and come with chariots and horsemen. The men of Kir uncover their shields.

7And it shall come to pass, that thy choicest valleys shall be full of chariots, and the horsemen shall set themselves in array at the gate.

7Your best valleys are filled with chariots, and horsemen line up in front of the city gates.

8And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.

8Judah's defenses were stripped away. That day you looked to the weapons stored in the House of the Forest.

NoteThe House of the Forest was a big hall in the palace, named for its rows of cedar pillars. Weapons were stored there.

9Ye have seen also the breaches of the city of David, that they are many: and ye gathered together the waters of the lower pool.

9You also saw that the wall of the City of David had many broken places. So you collected water from the lower pool.

10And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify the wall.

10You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore some of them down to get stone to strengthen the wall.

11Ye made also a ditch between the two walls for the water of the old pool: but ye have not looked unto the maker thereof, neither had respect unto him that fashioned it long ago.

11You built a holding pool between the two walls for water from the old pool. But you did not look to the God who made it and planned it long ago.

12And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth:

12On that day the Lord GOD of Armies called you to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and put on sackcloth.

NoteSackcloth was rough, scratchy cloth. Wearing it and shaving your head were normal ways to show deep sadness.

13And behold joy and gladness, slaying oxen, and killing sheep, eating flesh, and drinking wine: let us eat and drink; for to morrow we shall die.

13But instead there was fun and feasting: killing cattle and sheep, eating meat, drinking wine. "Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"

14And it was revealed in mine ears by the LORD of hosts, Surely this iniquity shall not be purged from you till ye die, saith the Lord GOD of hosts.

14The LORD of Armies told me this plainly: "You will not be forgiven for this sin as long as you live," says the Lord GOD of Armies.

15Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,

15This is what the Lord GOD of Armies says: "Go to Shebna, the man in charge of the palace, and tell him:

16What hast thou here? and whom hast thou here, that thou hast hewed thee out a sepulchre here, as he that heweth him out a sepulchre on high, and that graveth an habitation for himself in a rock?

16What are you doing here? Who gave you the right to cut out a tomb for yourself here, high up, carved into the rock?

17Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.

17Look out, strong man. The LORD is about to grab hold of you and shake you hard.

18He will surely violently turn and toss thee like a ball into a large country: there shalt thou die, and there the chariots of thy glory shall be the shame of thy lord’s house.

18He will roll you up like a ball and throw you into a wide, open land. You will die there, and your fine chariots will stay there. You will be a disgrace to your master's house.

19And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.

19I will remove you from your job, and you will be pulled down from your high position.

20And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah:

20On that day I will call for my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

21And I will clothe him with thy robe, and strengthen him with thy girdle, and I will commit thy government into his hand: and he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.

21I will dress him in your robe and tie your sash around him. I will hand your authority to him. He will be like a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah.

22And the key of the house of David will I lay upon his shoulder; so he shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open.

22I will lay the key of the house of David on his shoulder. What he opens, no one will shut. What he shuts, no one will open.

23And I will fasten him as a nail in a sure place; and he shall be for a glorious throne to his father’s house.

23I will drive him in like a peg into solid wood. He will be a seat of honor for his father's family.

NoteThe King James word "nail" here means a large peg driven into a wall, strong enough to hang heavy things on.

24And they shall hang upon him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, all vessels of small quantity, from the vessels of cups, even to all the vessels of flagons.

24All the weight of his father's family will hang on him: their children and relatives, and every small dish, from cups to big jars.

25In that day, saith the LORD of hosts, shall the nail that is fastened in the sure place be removed, and be cut down, and fall; and the burden that was upon it shall be cut off: for the LORD hath spoken it.

25On that day, says the LORD of Armies, the peg driven into the solid place will give way. It will break off and fall, and the load hanging on it will drop. The LORD has said it.