Isaiah 22:1–14

An Oracle Concerning the Valley of Vision

¹The ¹oracle concerning the ^avalley of vision.

What is the matter with you now, that you have all gone up to the ^bhousetops?

²You who were full of noise,

You roaring city, you ^aexultant town;

Your slain were ^bnot slain with the sword,

Nor ¹did they die in battle.

^3aAll your rulers have fled together,

And have been captured ¹without the bow;

All of you who were found were captured together,

²Though they had fled far away.

⁴Therefore I say, “Turn your gaze away from me,

Let me ^aweep bitterly,

Do not insist on comforting me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.”

^5aFor Lord Yahweh of hosts has a ^bday of confusion, ^coppression, and panic

^dIn the valley of vision,

A breaking down of walls

And a crying ¹to the mountain.

^6aNow Elam took up the quiver

With the chariots, ¹infantry, and horsemen;

And ^bKir uncovered the shield.

⁷Then your choicest valleys were full of chariots,

And the horsemen took up fixed positions at the gate.

⁸And He revealed the ¹defense of Judah.

In that day you looked to the weapons of the ^ahouse of the forest,

⁹And you saw that the breaches

In the wall of the city of David were many;

And you ^acollected the waters of the lower pool.

¹⁰Then you counted the houses of Jerusalem

And tore down houses to fortify the wall.

¹¹And you made a reservoir ^abetween the two walls

For the waters of the ^bold pool.

But you did not look to Him who made it,

Nor did you see Him who formed it long ago.

¹²Therefore in that day Lord Yahweh of hosts called you to ^aweeping, to wailing,

To ^bshaving the head, and to wearing sackcloth.

¹³Instead, behold, there is ^ajoy and gladness,

Killing of cattle and slaughtering of sheep,

Eating of meat and drinking of wine:

“^bLet us eat and drink, for tomorrow we may die.”

¹⁴But Yahweh of hosts revealed Himself in my ears,

“Surely this ^ainiquity ^bshall not be atoned for you

^cUntil you die,” says Lord Yahweh of hosts.