1 The oracle concerning the 1valley of vision. What is the matter with you now, that you have allgone up to the 2housetops?
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You who were full of noise, You boisteroustown, you 3exultantcity; Your slain were 4not slain with the sword, Nor did they die in battle.
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5All your rulers have fledtogether, And have been capturedwithout the bow; All of you who were found were takencaptivetogether, Though they had fledfar away.
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Therefore* I say, "Turn your eyesaway from me, Let me 6weepbitterly, Do not try to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people."
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7For the LordGOD of hosts has a 8day of panic, 9subjugation and confusion10In the valley of vision, A breakingdown of walls And a crying to the mountain.
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11Elamtook up the quiver With the chariots, infantry and horsemen; And 12Kiruncovered the shield.
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Then your choicestvalleys were full of chariots, And the horsementook up fixedpositions at the gate.
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And He removed the defense of Judah. In that day you depended on the weapons of the 13house of the forest,
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And you saw that the breaches In the wall of the city of David were many; And you 14collected the waters of the lowerpool.
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Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem And toredownhouses to fortify the wall.
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And you made a reservoir15between the twowalls For the waters of the 16oldpool. But you did not depend on Him who made it, Nor did you take into consideration Him who planned it longago.
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Therefore in that day the LordGOD of hostscalled you to 17weeping, to wailing, To 18shaving the head and to wearingsackcloth.
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Instead, there is 19gaiety and gladness, Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep, Eating of meat and drinking of wine: "20Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die."
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But the LORD of hostsrevealed Himself to me, "Surelythis21iniquity22shall not be forgiven you 23Until you die," says the LordGOD of hosts.
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Thussays the LordGOD of hosts, "Come, go to thissteward, To 24Shebna, who is in charge of the royal household,
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'What right do you have here, And whom do you have here, That you have 25hewn a tomb for yourself here, You who hew a tomb on the height, You who carve a restingplace for yourself in the rock?
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'Behold, the LORD is about to hurl you headlong, O man. And He is about to grasp you firmly
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And roll you tightly like a ball, To be 26cast into a vastcountry; There you will die And there your splendidchariots will be, You shame of your master'shouse.'
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"I will 27depose you from your office, And I will pull you down from your station.
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"Then it will come about in that day, That I will summon My servant28Eliakim the son of Hilkiah,
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And I will clothe him with your tunic And tie your sashsecurely about him. I will entrust* him with your authority, And he will become a 29father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah.
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"Then I will set30the key of the 31house of David on his shoulder, When he opensnoone will shut, When he shutsnoone will 32open.
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"I will drive him like a 33peg in a firmplace, And he will become a 34throne of glory to his father'shouse.
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"So they will hang on him all the glory of his father'shouse, offspring and issue, all the least of vessels, from bowls* to all the jars.
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"In that day," declares the LORD of hosts, "the 35pegdriven in a firmplace will giveway; it will even 36breakoff and fall, and the load hanging on it will be cutoff, for the 37LORD has spoken."