Invaders at the gates
1A message about Jerusalem, the valley of vision. [1]What’s going on?
Why is everyone up on their rooftops?
What’s the panic?
I see bodies, but no sword wounds.
These people didn’t die in battle. [2]
3The leaders tried to run away.
But they got caught and gave up without a fight.
None of your people escaped.
Everyone got caught,
Even those who made it a long way off.
4So, I said, “Don’t look at me now.
Leave me alone. Let me cry.
Don’t try to comfort me.
These are my people dying.”
Attacked
5What a day in vision valley!
A day of panic and confusion
Brought here by the God of everyone.
City walls are collapsing under the attack.
People cry to distant hills for help.
Chariots, and cavalry.
Warriors of Kir [4] protect them
Behind a wall of shields.
7Your beautiful valleys are traffic jams,
Chariots and calvary
Stacked up to the city gates.
8Judah’s defenses are failing. Your brains were working. That’s obvious because you thought about your stash of weapons in the Forest House Armory. 9You counted the number of breaches in the walls. You thought to collect water for the coming siege. You pulled it from the lower pools. 10You thought to repair the broken parts of the city walls by using material from nearby houses. 11You thought ahead and built a reservoir to hold water from the other pool. You thought about this stuff. But you didn’t bother to think about God, who caused all of this to happen to you. 12
The Lord, God of all,
Ordered you to weep and mourn,
To show your regrets by shaving your heads
And wearing scratchy mourning clothes.
You threw a party.
You laughed and had fun.
You slaughtered oxen and sheep
For a barbecue with wine.
You said,
“Let’s and eat and drink
‘cause tomorrow we die.”
14The LORD of all spoke to me:
“You’re not going to live long enough to see me forgive these people.”
Message for a palace official
15The Lord, God of everyone, told me, “Go and talk to Shebna, the official who runs the palace. 16Deliver this message to him:‘What are you doing?
Who said you could chisel this cliff into a tomb
Here on this very hill?
The LORD is about to demote you.
He has got you where he wants you.
18In the palm of his hand.
He’s going to throw you like a ball
Into someone’s left field in a different ballgame.
You’ll die in another land.
Chariots will dispose of your body,
To your master’s disgrace.
19I’m gonna get you fired.
You won’t work here anymore.’”
