New Living Translation NLT
The Complete Jewish Bible CJB
1 This message came to me concerning Jerusalem—the Valley of Vision : What is happening? Why is everyone running to the rooftops?
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A prophecy about the Valley of Vision: Tell me what is wrong with you, that you have all gone up on the roofs.
2 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.
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You city full of noise, confusion and boisterous excitement, your slain did not fall to the sword, nor did they die in battle.
3 All your leaders have fled. They surrendered without resistance. The people tried to slip away, but they were captured, too.
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All your leaders fled together and were captured without the use of a bow; all from you who were found were captured, even though they had fled far away.
4 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.”
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This is why I said, "Don't look at me, leave me alone to weep bitterly, don't try to comfort me over the destruction of my people."
5 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.
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For it is a day of panic, trampling and confusion from Adonai ELOHIM-Tzva'ot in the Valley of Vision. With walls crashing down, they cry for help to the mountains.
6 Elamites are the archers, with their chariots and charioteers. The men of Kir hold up the shields.
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'Eilam picks up the quivers, with cavalry and horsemen, and Kir uncovers the shields.
7 Chariots fill your beautiful valleys, and charioteers storm your gates.
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In time, your choicest valleys are overrun by chariots, and the cavalry take their posts by the gate;
8 Judah’s defenses have been stripped away. You run to the armory for your weapons.
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thus is Y'hudah's protection removed. That day you looked for the armor in the House of the Forest.
9 You inspect the breaks in the walls of Jerusalem. You store up water in the lower pool.
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You saw how many breaches there were in the City of David, you collected water from the lower pool,
10 You survey the houses and tear some down for stone to strengthen the walls.
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you surveyed the houses in Yerushalayim, tearing some down to fortify the wall.
11 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 considered the One who planned this long ago.
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You also built a reservoir between the two walls for the water from the Old Pool; but you didn't look to Him who made these things; you had no respect for Him who fashioned them long ago.
12 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.
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That day Adonai ELOHIM-Tzva'ot called on you to weep and mourn, to shave your heads and wear sackcloth;
13 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!”
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but instead, one sees joy and celebrating, killing of oxen, slaughtering of sheep, eating of meat, drinking of wine "Let's eat and drink now, because tomorrow we'll be dead!"
14 The LORD of Heaven’s Armies has revealed this to me: “Till 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.
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Then ADONAI-Tzva'ot revealed himself in my ears: "You will not atone for this iniquity until you die." This is what Adonai ELOHIM-Tzva'ot says.
15 This is what the Lord, the LORD of Heaven’s Armies, said to me: “Confront Shebna, the palace administrator, and give him this message:
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Thus says Adonai ELOHIM-Tzva'ot: "Go and find that steward, Shevna, administrator of the palace, and ask him:
16 “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?
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'What do you own here, and who gave you the right to cut yourself a tomb here? Why do you get such an eminent tomb? Why are you carving a resting-place for yourself in the rock?'"
17 For the LORD is about to hurl you away, mighty man. He is going to grab you,
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Look, strong man! ADONAI is about to throw you out! He will grab you,
18 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!
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roll you up, and toss you around like a ball in the open country. There you will die, with your fancy chariots, you disgrace to your master's palace!
19 “Yes, I will drive you out of office,” says the LORD . “I will pull you down from your high position.
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"I will remove you from your office, I will snatch you from your post.
20 And then I will call my servant Eliakim son of Hilkiah to replace you.
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When that day comes, I will summon my servant Elyakim the son of Hilkiyahu.
21 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.
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I will dress him in your robe, gird him with your sash of office, and invest him with your authority. He will be a father to the people living in Yerushalayim and to the house of Y'hudah.
22 I will give him the key to the house of David—the highest position in the royal court. When he opens doors, no one will be able to close them; when he closes doors, no one will be able to open them.
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I will place the key of David's house on his shoulder; no one will shut what he opens; no one will open what he shuts.
23 He will bring honor to his family name, for I will drive him firmly in place like a nail in the wall.
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"I will fasten him firmly in place like a peg, so that he will become a seat of honor for his clan.
24 They will give him great responsibility, and he will bring honor to even the lowliest members of his family. ”
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They will hang on him all the weight of his clan, descendants and offspring, as well as all the vessels of small capacity, from pitchers to cups.
25 But the LORD of Heaven’s Armies also says: “The time will come when I will pull out the nail that seemed so firm. It will come out and fall to the ground. Everything it supports will fall with it. I, the LORD, have spoken!”
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When that day comes, the peg fastened firmly in place will give way; it will be cut down and fall, and the weight that was on it will be cut off." For ADONAI has said it.
Holy Bible. New Living Translation copyright© 1996, 2004, 2007, 2013 by
Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission.