The Valley of Vision
מַשָּׂ֖א גֵּ֣יא חִזָּי֑וֹן מַה־לָּ֣ךְ אֵפ֔וֹא כִּֽי־עָלִ֥ית כֻּלָּ֖ךְ לַגַּגּֽוֹת׃
This is the burden against the Valley of Vision: What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the rooftops,
תְּשֻׁא֣וֹת׀ מְלֵאָ֗ה עִ֚יר הֽוֹמִיָּ֔ה קִרְיָ֖ה עַלִּיזָ֑ה חֲלָלַ֙יִךְ֙ לֹ֣א חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב וְלֹ֖א מֵתֵ֥י מִלְחָמָֽה׃
O city of commotion, O town of revelry? Your slain did not die by the sword, nor were they killed in battle.
כָּל־קְצִינַ֥יִךְ נָֽדְדוּ־יַ֖חַד מִקֶּ֣שֶׁת אֻסָּ֑רוּ כָּל־נִמְצָאַ֙יִךְ֙ אֻסְּר֣וּ יַחְדָּ֔ו מֵרָח֖וֹק בָּרָֽחוּ׃
All your rulers have fled together, captured without a bow. All your fugitives were captured together, having fled to a distant place.
עַל־כֵּ֥ן אָמַ֛רְתִּי שְׁע֥וּ מִנִּ֖י אֲמָרֵ֣ר בַּבֶּ֑כִי אַל־תָּאִ֣יצוּ לְנַֽחֲמֵ֔נִי עַל־שֹׁ֖ד בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃
Therefore I said, “Turn away from me, let me weep bitterly! Do not try to console me over the destruction of the daughter of my people.”
כִּ֣י יוֹם֩ מְהוּמָ֨ה וּמְבוּסָ֜ה וּמְבוּכָ֗ה לַֽאדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֛ה צְבָא֖וֹת בְּגֵ֣יא חִזָּי֑וֹן מְקַרְקַ֥ר קִ֖ר וְשׁ֥וֹעַ אֶל־הָהָֽר׃
For the Lord GOD of Hosts has set a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the Valley of Vision—of breaking down the walls and crying to the mountains.
וְעֵילָם֙ נָשָׂ֣א אַשְׁפָּ֔ה בְּרֶ֥כֶב אָדָ֖ם פָּֽרָשִׁ֑ים וְקִ֥יר עֵרָ֖ה מָגֵֽן׃
Elam takes up a quiver, with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovers the shield.
וַיְהִ֥י מִבְחַר־עֲמָקַ֖יִךְ מָ֣לְאוּ רָ֑כֶב וְהַפָּ֣רָשִׁ֔ים שֹׁ֖ת שָׁ֥תוּ הַשָּֽׁעְרָה׃
Your choicest valleys are full of chariots, and horsemen are posted at the gates.
וַיְגַ֕ל אֵ֖ת מָסַ֣ךְ יְהוּדָ֑ה וַתַּבֵּט֙ בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֔וּא אֶל־נֶ֖שֶׁק בֵּ֥ית הַיָּֽעַר׃
He has uncovered the defenses of Judah. On that day you looked to the weapons in the House of the Forest.
וְאֵ֨ת בְּקִיעֵ֧י עִיר־דָּוִ֛ד רְאִיתֶ֖ם כִּי־רָ֑בּוּ וַֽתְּקַבְּצ֔וּ אֶת־מֵ֥י הַבְּרֵכָ֖ה הַתַּחְתּוֹנָֽה׃
You saw that there were many breaches in the walls of the City of David. You collected water from the lower pool.
וְאֶת־בָּתֵּ֥י יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם סְפַרְתֶּ֑ם וַתִּתְֿצוּ֙ הַבָּ֣תִּ֔ים לְבַצֵּ֖ר הַחוֹמָֽה׃
You counted the houses of Jerusalem and tore them down to strengthen the wall.
וּמִקְוָ֣ה׀ עֲשִׂיתֶ֗ם בֵּ֚ין הַחֹ֣מֹתַ֔יִם לְמֵ֖י הַבְּרֵכָ֣ה הַיְשָׁנָ֑ה וְלֹ֤א הִבַּטְתֶּם֙ אֶל־עֹשֶׂ֔יהָ וְיֹצְרָ֥הּ מֵֽרָח֖וֹק לֹ֥א רְאִיתֶֽם׃
You built a reservoir between the walls for the waters of the ancient pool, but you did not look to the One who made it, or consider Him who planned it long ago.
וַיִּקְרָ֗א אֲדֹנָ֧י יְהוִ֛ה צְבָא֖וֹת בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא לִבְכִי֙ וּלְמִסְפֵּ֔ד וּלְקָרְחָ֖ה וְלַחֲגֹ֥ר שָֽׂק׃
On that day the Lord GOD of Hosts called for weeping and wailing, for shaven heads and the wearing of sackcloth.
וְהִנֵּ֣ה׀ שָׂשׂ֣וֹן וְשִׂמְחָ֗ה הָרֹ֤ג׀ בָּקָר֙ וְשָׁחֹ֣ט צֹ֔אן אָכֹ֥ל בָּשָׂ֖ר וְשָׁת֣וֹת יָ֑יִן אָכ֣וֹל וְשָׁת֔וֹ כִּ֥י מָחָ֖ר נָמֽוּת׃
But look, there is joy and gladness, butchering of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat and drinking of wine: “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!”
וְנִגְלָ֥ה בְאָזְנָ֖י יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֑וֹת אִם־יְ֠כֻפַּר הֶעָוֹ֨ן הַזֶּ֤ה לָכֶם֙ עַד־תְּמֻת֔וּן אָמַ֛ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה צְבָאֽוֹת׃ פ
The LORD of Hosts has revealed in my hearing: “Until your dying day, this sin of yours will never be atoned for,” says the Lord GOD of Hosts.
A Message for Shebna
כֹּ֥ה אָמַ֛ר אֲדֹנָ֥י יְהוִ֖ה צְבָא֑וֹת לֶךְ־בֹּא֙ אֶל־הַסֹּכֵ֣ן הַזֶּ֔ה עַל־שֶׁבְנָ֖א אֲשֶׁ֥ר עַל־הַבָּֽיִת׃
This is what the Lord GOD of Hosts says: “Go, say to Shebna, the steward in charge of the palace:
מַה־לְּךָ֥ פֹה֙ וּמִ֣י לְךָ֣ פֹ֔ה כִּֽי־חָצַ֧בְתָּ לְּךָ֛ פֹּ֖ה קָ֑בֶר חֹצְבִ֤י מָרוֹם֙ קִבְר֔וֹ חֹקְקִ֥י בַסֶּ֖לַע מִשְׁכָּ֥ן לֽוֹ׃
What are you doing here, and who authorized you to carve out a tomb for yourself here—to chisel your tomb in the height and cut your resting place in the rock?
הִנֵּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ מְטַלְטֶלְךָ֔ טַלְטֵלָ֖ה גָּ֑בֶר וְעֹטְךָ֖ עָטֹֽה׃
Look, O mighty man! The LORD is about to shake you violently. He will take hold of you,
צָנ֤וֹף יִצְנָפְךָ֙ צְנֵפָ֔ה כַּדּ֕וּר אֶל־אֶ֖רֶץ רַחֲבַ֣ת יָדָ֑יִם שָׁ֣מָּה תָמ֗וּת וְשָׁ֙מָּה֙ מַרְכְּב֣וֹת כְּבוֹדֶ֔ךָ קְל֖וֹן בֵּ֥ית אֲדֹנֶֽיךָ׃
roll you into a ball, and sling you into a wide land. There you will die, and there your glorious chariots will remain—a disgrace to the house of your master.
וַהֲדַפְתִּ֖יךָ מִמַּצָּבֶ֑ךָ וּמִמַּעֲמָֽדְךָ֖ יֶהֶרְסֶֽךָ׃
I will remove you from office, and you will be ousted from your position.
וְהָיָ֖ה בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֑וּא וְקָרָ֣אתִי לְעַבְדִּ֔י לְאֶלְיָקִ֖ים בֶּן־חִלְקִיָּֽהוּ׃
On that day I will summon My servant, Eliakim son of Hilkiah.
וְהִלְבַּשְׁתִּ֣יו כֻּתָּנְתֶּ֗ךָ וְאַבְנֵֽטְךָ֙ אֲחַזְּקֶ֔נּוּ וּמֶֽמְשֶׁלְתְּךָ֖ אֶתֵּ֣ן בְּיָד֑וֹ וְהָיָ֥ה לְאָ֛ב לְיוֹשֵׁ֥ב יְרוּשָׁלִַ֖ם וּלְבֵ֥ית יְהוּדָֽה׃
I will clothe him with your robe and tie your sash around him. I will put your authority in his hand, and he will be a father to the dwellers of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
וְנָתַתִּ֛י מַפְתֵּ֥חַ בֵּית־דָּוִ֖ד עַל־שִׁכְמ֑וֹ וּפָתַח֙ וְאֵ֣ין סֹגֵ֔ר וְסָגַ֖ר וְאֵ֥ין פֹּתֵֽחַ׃
I will place on his shoulder the key to the house of David. What he opens no one can shut, and what he shuts no one can open.
וּתְקַעְתִּ֥יו יָתֵ֖ד בְּמָק֣וֹם נֶאֱמָ֑ן וְהָיָ֛ה לְכִסֵּ֥א כָב֖וֹד לְבֵ֥ית אָבִֽיו׃
I will drive him like a peg into a firm place, and he will be a throne of glory for the house of his father.
וְתָל֨וּ עָלָ֜יו כֹּ֣ל׀ כְּב֣וֹד בֵּית־אָבִ֗יו הַצֶּֽאֱצָאִים֙ וְהַצְּפִע֔וֹת כֹּ֖ל כְּלֵ֣י הַקָּטָ֑ן מִכְּלֵי֙ הָֽאַגָּנ֔וֹת וְעַ֖ד כָּל־כְּלֵ֥י הַנְּבָלִֽים׃
So they will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house: the descendants and the offshoots—all the lesser vessels, from bowls to every kind of jar.
בַּיּ֣וֹם הַה֗וּא נְאֻם֙ יְהוָ֣ה צְבָא֔וֹת תָּמוּשׁ֙ הַיָּתֵ֔ד הַתְּקוּעָ֖ה בְּמָק֣וֹם נֶאֱמָ֑ן וְנִגְדְּעָ֣ה וְנָפְלָ֗ה וְנִכְרַת֙ הַמַּשָּׂ֣א אֲשֶׁר־עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֥י יְהוָ֖ה דִּבֵּֽר׃ ס
In that day, declares the LORD of Hosts, the peg driven into a firm place will give way; it will be sheared off and fall, and the load upon it will be cut down.” Indeed, the LORD has spoken.