1Et budskab om Zions dal:[1] Hvorfor samles folk på hustagene?2Hvorfor er der fest og ballade i byen?[2] De, som før eller siden døde, blev ikke dræbt med sværd eller fældet i kamp.3Alle lederne flygtede, men blev fanget uden at gøre modstand. Alle, som blev i byen, blev taget til fange, selv om de ønskede at flygte langt væk.4Derfor sagde jeg: „Lad mig være i fred med mine bitre tårer. Prøv ikke at trøste mig, men lad mig græde over mit folks undergang.”5Herren, den Almægtige, har beredt en frygtelig trængselsdag for dem i Zions dal. Jerusalems mur brydes ned, og der lyder råb mod bjerget[3] om hjælp.6Der er bueskytter fra Elam, kavaleri fra Aram og fodfolk fra Kir med løftede skjolde.7De dejlige dale fyldes med stridsvogne, og rytterne presser sig på ved portene.8Men Judas skæbne blev afgjort allerede dengang, I løb til det kongelige rustkammer efter våben.9-11I så, at Jerusalems mur var fuld af revner. I undersøgte husene og rev nogle af dem ned for at få sten til at udbedre muren. I samlede vand i den nedre dam mellem de to mure ved at udgrave den gamle dam. Men I satte ikke jeres lid til Herren, som skabte det alt sammen, ham, som står bag det hele.12Herren, den Almægtige, kaldte jer til at græde og sørge. Han bad jer rage håret af som tegn på, at I sørgede over jeres synder, og til at klæde jer i sæk og aske for at vise jeres anger.13Men I holdt gilde og morede jer, I sang, dansede og lo, I slagtede okser og får, spiste kød og drak vin. „Lad os spise og drikke,” råbte I, „for I morgen skal vi dø!”14Men Herren, den Almægtige, har fortalt mig, at den synd ikke skal tilgives jer, så længe I lever. Det er Herrens egne ord.
En advarsel til Shebna og senere Eljakim
15Herren, den Almægtige, sendte mig til kongens slotsforvalter, Shebna, med følgende besked:16„Hvem tror du, du er? Hvorfor udhugger du dig et fornemt gravkammer her i byen, en smuk bolig højt oppe på klippevæggen?17Herren vil slynge dig langt bort, du stolte mand.18Han vil rulle dig sammen som en bold og kaste dig bort til et vidtstrakt land. Både du og dine smukke vogne skal føres bort, og du skal dø i det fremmede, for du har bragt skam over din herre.19Men først vil jeg tage din stilling fra dig20og i stedet udnævne min tjener Eljakim, Hilkijas søn, som din efterfølger.21Han skal overtage din embedsdragt, din titel og din autoritet. Han vil være en omsorgsfuld far for Jerusalem og Judas folk.22Jeg gør ham til kongens øverste embedsmand. Hans ord skal være lov, og ingen vil turde modsætte sig hans vilje.23-24Jeg slår hans myndighed fast som et syvtommersøm i en solid mur. Fordi han lever op til sit ansvar, vil folk have stor respekt for ham og hans familie.”25„Men engang vil selv det syvtommersøm blive revet løs,” siger Herren, den Almægtige. „Selv om det var banket godt fast i den solide mur, vil det blive revet ud af muren og falde til jorden. Og alt, hvad der var afhængigt af det søm, vil falde til jorden og blive knust.” Det er Herrens ord.
1The oracle concerning the valley of vision. What do you mean that you have gone up, all of you, to the housetops, (Es 13,1; Es 22,5; Jer 21,13; Joel 3,12; Joel 3,14)2you who are full of shoutings, tumultuous city, exultant town? Your slain are not slain with the sword or dead in battle. (Es 32,13; Klag 4,9)3All your leaders have fled together; without the bow they were captured. All of you who were found were captured, though they had fled far away. (Es 1,10)4Therefore I said: “Look away from me; let me weep bitter tears; do not labor to comfort me concerning the destruction of the daughter of my people.” (Jer 9,1; Mika 1,8)5For the Lord God of hosts has a day of tumult and trampling and confusion in the valley of vision, a battering down of walls and a shouting to the mountains. (Es 2,12; Es 10,6; Es 18,2; Es 22,1; Es 37,3; Mika 7,4)6And Elam bore the quiver with chariots and horsemen, and Kir uncovered the shield. (2.Kong 16,9; Es 11,11)7Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen took their stand at the gates.8He has taken away the covering of Judah. In that day you looked to the weapons of the House of the Forest, (1.Kong 10,17; Es 30,1)9and you saw that the breaches of the city of David were many. You collected the waters of the lower pool, (2.Krøn 32,5; Neh 3,16; Es 22,5; Es 22,10)10and you counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.11You made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you did not look to him who did it, or see him who planned it long ago. (2.Kong 20,20; 2.Kong 25,4; 2.Krøn 32,3; Es 5,12; Es 7,3; Es 22,9)12In that day the Lord God of hosts called for weeping and mourning, for baldness and wearing sackcloth; (2.Sam 3,31; Es 3,24; Joel 2,17)13and behold, joy and gladness, killing oxen and slaughtering sheep, eating flesh and drinking wine. “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” (Es 56,12; 1.Kor 15,32)14The Lord of hosts has revealed himself in my ears: “Surely this iniquity will not be atoned for you until you die,” says the Lord God of hosts. (1.Sam 3,14; Es 5,9; Es 22,13; Es 27,9)15Thus says the Lord God of hosts, “Come, go to this steward, to Shebna, who is over the household, and say to him: (2.Kong 18,18; 2.Kong 18,26; 2.Kong 18,37; 2.Kong 19,2; Es 36,3; Es 36,11; Es 36,22; Es 37,2)16What have you to do here, and whom have you here, that you have cut out here a tomb for yourself, you who cut out a tomb on the height and carve a dwelling for yourself in the rock? (2.Krøn 16,14; Matt 27,60)17Behold, the Lord will hurl you away violently, O you strong man. He will seize firm hold on you (Dan 3,21)18and whirl you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a wide land. There you shall die, and there shall be your glorious chariots, you shame of your master’s house. (Es 36,9)19I will thrust you from your office, and you will be pulled down from your station. (Es 22,25)20In that day I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, (2.Kong 18,18; 2.Kong 18,26; 2.Kong 18,37; 2.Kong 19,2; Es 36,3; Es 37,2)21and I will clothe him with your robe, and will bind your sash on him, and will commit your authority to his hand. And he shall be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem and to the house of Judah. (1.Mos 45,8; Es 22,20)22And I will place on his shoulder the key of the house of David. He shall open, and none shall shut; and he shall shut, and none shall open. (Job 12,14; Es 9,6; Åb 3,7)23And I will fasten him like a peg in a secure place, and he will become a throne of honor to his father’s house. (Præd 12,11; Es 33,20; Es 54,2; Åb 3,21)24And they will hang on him the whole honor of his father’s house, the offspring and issue, every small vessel, from the cups to all the flagons.25In that day, declares the Lord of hosts, the peg that was fastened in a secure place will give way, and it will be cut down and fall, and the load that was on it will be cut off, for the Lord has spoken.” (Es 22,23)