Isaiah 22
The Lord rebukes Jerusalem for its complacency and lack of faith in the face of impending judgment, as the city's leaders have fled and its people are being taken captive. The Lord calls for mourning and repentance, but instead the people continue to indulge in revelry and ignore the coming destruction. The Lord then addresses Shebna, a corrupt official, condemning his arrogance and announcing his removal from office. In contrast, the Lord promises to establish Eliakim, a faithful servant, as the new leader of Jerusalem, giving him authority and responsibility to care for the city and its people.
1The burden of the valley of vision. What aileth thee now, that thou art wholly gone up to the housetops?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.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.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.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.6And Elam bare the quiver with chariots of men and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield.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.8And he discovered the covering of Judah, and thou didst look in that day to the armour of the house of the forest.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.10And ye have numbered the houses of Jerusalem, and the houses have ye broken down to fortify 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.12And in that day did the Lord GOD of hosts call to weeping, and to mourning, and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth: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.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.15Thus saith the Lord GOD of hosts, Go, get thee unto this treasurer, even unto Shebna, which is over the house, and say,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?17Behold, the LORD will carry thee away with a mighty captivity, and will surely cover thee.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.19And I will drive thee from thy station, and from thy state shall he pull thee down.20And it shall come to pass in that day, that I will call my servant Eliakim the 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.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.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.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.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.
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