Isaiah 22

NEW JERUSALEM	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 Prophecy on the Valley of Vision: Now what is the matter with you for you al to be up on thehousetops,	1 Oracle of the Valley of Vision: What is the matter with you now, that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops,
2 ful of excitement, boisterous town, joyful city? Your slain have not fal en to the sword nor died in battle.	2 O city full of noise and chaos, O wanton town! Your slain are not slain with the sword, nor killed in battle.
3 Your leaders have al fled together, captured without a bow between them, al who could be found havebeen captured at a blow, far though they had fled.	3 All your leaders fled away together, fled afar off; All who were in you were captured together, captured without the use of a bow.
4 That is why I said, 'Turn your eyes away from me, let me weep bitterly; do not try to comfort me overthe ruin of the daughter of my people.'	4 At this I say: Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly; Do not try to comfort me for the ruin of the daughter of my people.
5 For this is a day of rout, panic and confusion, the work of the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth in the Val ey ofVision. The wal is sapped, cries for help ring out to the mountains.	5 It is a day of panic, rout and confusion, from the Lord, the GOD of hosts, in the Valley of Vision. Walls crash; they cry for help to the mountains.
6 Elam has picked up his quiver, with manned chariots and horsemen, and Kir has bared his shield.	6 Elam takes up the quivers, Aram mounts the horses, and Kir uncovers the shields.
7 Your fairest val eys are full of chariots and the horsemen take up positions at the gates;	7 Your choice valleys are filled with chariots, and horses are posted at the gates,
8 thus falls the defence of Judah. That day you turned your gaze to the weapons in the House of theForest.	8 and shelter over Judah is removed. On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest;
9 You saw how many breaches there were in the City of David. You col ected the waters of the lowerpool.	9 you saw that the breaches in the City of David were many; you collected the water of the lower pool.
10 You surveyed the houses in Jerusalem and pul ed houses down to strengthen the wal .	10 You numbered the houses of Jerusalem, tearing some down to strengthen the wall;
11 Between the two wal s you made a reservoir for the waters of the old pool. But you did not look to theCreator of these things, you did not look to the One who fashioned them long ago.	11 you made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to the city's Maker, nor did you consider him who built it long ago.
12 That day the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth cal ed on you to weep and mourn, to shave your heads, to put onsackcloth.	12 On that day the Lord, the GOD of hosts, called on you To weep and mourn, to shave your head and put on sackcloth.
13 But instead there is joy and merriment, killing of oxen, slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat, drinkingof wine, 'Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we shal be dead.'	13 But look! you feast and celebrate, you slaughter oxen and butcher sheep, You eat meat and drink wine: "Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!"
14 Then Yahweh Sabaoth revealed this to my ears, 'This guilt wil never be forgiven you, until you aredead,' says the Lord Yahweh Sabaoth.	14 This reaches the ears of the LORD of hosts-- You shall not be pardoned this wickedness till you die, says the Lord, the GOD of hosts.
15 The Lord Yahweh Sabaoth says this: Go and find that steward, Shebna, the master of the palace:	15 Thus says the Lord, the GOD of hosts: Up, go to that official, Shebna, master of the palace,
16 'What do you own here, who gave you the right for you to hew yourself a tomb here?' He is hewinghimself a tomb, is digging a resting-place for himself in the rock.	16 Who has hewn for himself a sepulcher on a height and carved his tomb in the rock: "What are you doing here, and what people have you here, that here you have hewn for yourself a tomb?"
17 But Yahweh wil throw you away, strong as you are, wil grasp you in his grip,	17 The LORD shall hurl you down headlong, mortal man! He shall grip you firmly
18 will screw you up into a bal , a ball thrown into a vast space. There you will die, with your splendidchariots, disgrace to your master's palace!	18 And roll you up and toss you like a ball into an open land To perish there, you and the chariots you glory in, you disgrace to your master's house!
19 I shal hound you from your office, I shal snatch you from your post	19 I will thrust you from your office and pull you down from your station.
20 and, when that day comes, I shal summon my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah.	20 On that day I will summon my servant Eliakim, son of Hilkiah;
21 I shal dress him in your tunic, I shal put your sash round his waist, I shall invest him with yourauthority; and he wil be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the House of Judah.	21 I will clothe him with your robe, and gird him with your sash, and give over to him your authority. He shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah.
22 I shal place the key of David's palace on his shoulder; when he opens, no one will close, when hecloses, no one wil open.	22 I will place the key of the House of David on his shoulder; when he opens, no one shall shut, when he shuts, no one shall open.
23 I shal drive him like a nail into a firm place; and he wil become a throne of glory for his family.	23 I will fix him like a peg in a sure spot, to be a place of honor for his family;
24 'On him wil depend al the glory of his family, the descendants and offspring, al the vessels of smalcapacity too, from cups to pitchers.	24 On him shall hang all the glory of his family: descendants and offspring, all the little dishes, from bowls to jugs.
25 That day, declares Yahweh Sabaoth, the nail driven into a firm place wil give way, wil be torn out andfal . And the whole load hanging on it will be lost. For Yahweh has spoken.'	25 On that day, says the LORD of hosts, the peg fixed in a sure spot shall give way, break off and fall, and the weight that hung on it shall be done away with; for the LORD has spoken.