Isaiah 22

A Message About Jerusalem

This message came to me concerning Jerusalem, the Valley of Vision
What is happening? Why is everyone running to the rooftops? The
Whole city is in a terrible uproar. What do I see in this reveling
City? Bodies are lying everywhere — killed not in battle but by
Famine and disease. All your leaders have fled
They surrendered without resistance. The people
Tried to slip away, but they were captured too

That's why I said: Leave me alone to weep; do not try to comfort me
Let me cry for my people as I watch them being destroyed. Oh, what
A day of crushing defeat! What a day of confusion and terror, brought
By the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, upon the Valley of Vision!
The walls of Jerusalem have been broken, and cries of death
Echo from the mountainsides. Elamites are the archers, with
Their chariots and charioteers; the men of Kir hold up the
Shields. Chariots fill your beautiful valleys, and charioteers
Storm your gates. Judah's defenses have been stripped away

You run to the armory for your weapons. You inspect the breaks in the
Walls of Jerusalem. You store up water in the lower pool. You survey
The houses and tear some down for stone to strengthen the walls
Between the city walls, you build a
Reservoir for water from the old pool

But you never ask for help from the one who did all this!
You never consider the one who planned this long ago! At that
Time the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, called you to
Weep and mourn. He told you to shave your heads in sorrow for
Your sins and to wear clothes of burlap to show your remorse

But instead, you dance and play. You slaughter cattle and kill sheep
You feast on meat and drink wine. You say: "Let's feast and drink
For tomorrow we die." The Lord of Heaven's Armies has revealed this
To me: To the day you die, you will never be forgiven for this sin
That is the judgment of the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies

A Message for Shebna

This is what the Lord, the Lord of Heaven's Armies, said to me: "
Confront Shebna, the palace administrator, and give him this message
Who do you think you are, and what are you doing here? Building
A beautiful tomb for yourself? A monument high up in the rock?
For the Lord is about to hurl you away, mighty man. He is going
To grab you, crumple you into a ball and toss you away into a
Distant, barren land. There you will die, and your glorious chariots
Will be broken and useless. You are a disgrace to your master!

Yes, I will drive you out of office, says the Lord. I will pull
You down from your high position, and then I will call my servant
Eliakim son of Hilkiah to replace you. I will dress him in your
Royal robes and will give him your title and your authority
And he will be a father to the people of Jerusalem and Judah

I will give him the key to the house of David, the highest position in
The royal court. When he opens the doors, no one will be able to
Close them. When he closes the doors, no one will be able
To open them. He will bring honor to his family name
For I will drive him firmly in place, like a nail in the
Wall. They will give him great responsibility, and he will
Bring honor to even the lowliest members of his family

But the Lord of Heaven's Armies also says: 'The time will
Come when I will pull out the nail that seems so firm
It will come out and fall to the ground. Everything it
Supports will fall with it.' I, the Lord, have spoken."