Isaiah 22
World English Bible
WEB1The burden of the valley of vision. What ails you now, that you have all gone up to the housetops? 2You that are full of shouting, a tumultuous city, a joyous town, your slain are not slain with the sword, neither are they dead in battle. 3All your rulers fled away together. They were bound by the archers. All who were found by you were bound together. They fled far away. 4Therefore I said, “Look away from me. I will weep bitterly. Don’t labor to comfort me for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 5For it is a day of confusion, and of treading down, and of perplexity from the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, in the valley of vision, a breaking down of the walls, and a crying to the mountains.” 6Elam carried his quiver, with chariots of men and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield. 7Your choicest valleys were full of chariots, and the horsemen set themselves in array at the gate. 8He took away the covering of Judah; and you looked in that day to the armor in the house of the forest. 9You saw the breaches of David’s city, that they were many; and you gathered together the waters of the lower pool. 10You counted the houses of Jerusalem, and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall. 11You also made a reservoir between the two walls for the water of the old pool. But you didn’t look to him who had done this, neither did you have respect for him who planned it long ago. 12In that day, the Lord, Yahweh of Armies, called to weeping, to mourning, to baldness, and to dressing in sackcloth; 13and behold, there is joy and gladness, killing cattle and killing sheep, eating meat and drinking wine: “Let’s eat and drink, for tomorrow we will die.” 14Yahweh of Armies revealed himself in my ears, “Surely this iniquity will not be forgiven you until you die,” says the Lord, Yahweh of Armies. 15The Lord, Yahweh of Armies says, “Go, get yourself to this treasurer, even to Shebna, who is over the house, and say, 16‘What are you doing here? Who has you here, that you have dug out a tomb here?’ Cutting himself out a tomb on high, chiseling a habitation for himself in the rock!” 17Behold, Yahweh will overcome you and hurl you away violently. Yes, he will grasp you firmly. 18He will surely wind you around and around, and throw you like a ball into a large country. There you will die, and there the chariots of your glory will be, you disgrace of your lord’s house. 19I will thrust you from your office. You will be pulled down from your station. 20It will happen in that day that I will call my servant Eliakim the son of Hilkiah, 21and I will clothe him with your robe, and strengthen him with your belt. I will commit your government into his hand; and he will be a father to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, and to the house of Judah. 22I will lay the key of David’s house on his shoulder. He will open, and no one will shut. He will shut, and no one will open. 23I will fasten him like a nail in a sure place. He will be for a throne of glory to his father’s house. 24They will hang on him all the glory of his father’s house, the offspring and the issue, every small vessel, from the cups even to all the pitchers. 25“In that day,” says Yahweh of Armies, “the nail that was fastened in a sure place will give way. It will be cut down and fall. The burden that was on it will be cut off, for Yahweh has spoken it.”
World English Bible, 2020 stable text edition. Public domain; “World English Bible” is a trademark of eBible.org. eBible.org
Overview
Isaiah Chapter 22 presents a vivid prophecy concerning the city of #Jerusalem, specifically addressing the impending judgment and the consequences of the people's unfaithfulness. The chapter begins with a lamentation over the 'Valley of Vision,' a term that symbolizes Jerusalem's spiritual blindness and failure to recognize the seriousness of their situation. The people are depicted as celebrating and feasting, oblivious to the coming destruction, which serves as a stark reminder of their need for repentance and reliance on God rather than their own strength. The prophet Isaiah calls out their misplaced trust in fortifications and alliances instead of turning to the Lord for help.
As the chapter unfolds, we see a specific focus on the leadership of #Shebna, the palace administrator, who is criticized for his pride and self-serving actions. God declares that Shebna will be removed from his position and replaced by #Eliakim, a servant who will be given the authority to govern. This transition signifies a shift from human arrogance to divine appointment, emphasizing that true leadership comes from God. Eliakim is described as a 'peg' in a secure place, symbolizing stability and faithfulness, contrasting with Shebna's eventual downfall. The chapter concludes with a warning about the consequences of unfaithfulness, illustrating that those who do not heed God's call will face judgment, while those who remain faithful will find security in Him.
Referenced by
- Revelation 3:7v22Revelation 3:7 describes Jesus as having the key of David, which opens and no one shuts, and shuts and no one opens. This imagery is drawn from Isaiah 22:22, where the key of the house of David is given to Eliakim, symbolizing authority and control.
Topics in this chapter
- Judgment
- Leadership
- Prophecy
- Repentance
- Jerusalem
- Humility
- Divine Sovereignty
- Eliakim
- Pride
- Sovereignty of God
- Valley of Vision
- Authority
- Faith
- Reliance on God
- Restoration
- Security
- Shebna
- Stability
- Trust
- Trusting God
- Accountability
- Arameans
- Art in the Bible
- Assyrian Empire
- Breaking of Bread
- Burden
- Covenant
- Destruction
- Divine Protection
- Elam
- Faithful Leadership
- God's Plan
- God's Plans
- Holiness
- Human Futility
- Human Strength
- Instability
- Isaiah
- Isaiah 22
- Jesus
- Judah
- Key of David
- Kirk (Church)
- Literature in the Bible
- Messianic Prophecy
- Mourning
- Mourning and Revelry
- Music in the Bible
- Noise
- Prophet
- Reliance on God
- Revelation
- Sin
- Solomon
- Spiritual Awakening
- Spiritual Blindness
- Temple
- The City in Biblical Context
- Vision
- Warnings in the Bible
Related chapters
- Revelation 3Key of DavidMessianic Prophecy
- Isaiah 36EliakimShebnaReliance on God
- 2 Kings 18EliakimShebnaAssyrian Empire
- Isaiah 1VisionIsaiah
- Matthew 23Spiritual BlindnessPride
- Isaiah 28Spiritual BlindnessAssyrian EmpireIsaiah
- Joel 2Spiritual Awakening
- Isaiah 30BurdenIsaiahWarnings in the Bible
- Isaiah 15Kirk (Church)MourningDestruction
- Zechariah 10Messianic Prophecy
- Psalms 127Reliance on GodSecuritySolomon
- Jeremiah 7Warnings in the Bible
Your study
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