Study Desk

The burden of the valley of vision: What ails you now, that you have gone up to the housetops?

Crashings fill the noisy city, the joyous city. Your slain ones are not slain by the sword, nor died in battle.

All your rulers fled together; they were bound without the bow; all found in you were bound together; they have fled from afar.

On account of this I said, Look away from me; I will weep bitterly; do not hurry to comfort me over the ruin of the daughter of my people.

for it is a day of trouble, and of trampling down, and of perplexity, by the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, in the valley of vision; digging down a wall, and crying to the mountain.

And Persia lifted the quiver with a chariot of a man and horsemen; and Kir uncovered the shield.

And it happened; your choicest valleys were full of chariots; and the horsemen surely set in order at the gate.

And he removed Judah's covering; and you looked in that day to the armor of the house of the forest.

You have also seen the breaks in the city of David, that they are many; and you gathered the waters of the lower pool.

And you have counted the houses of Jerusalem; and you broke down the houses to fortify the wall.

And you made a reservoir between the walls, for the water of the old pool. But you have not looked to its Maker, nor did you see its Former from long ago.

And in that day the Lord Jehovah of Hosts called to weeping and mourning; and to baldness, and to girding with sackcloth.

Then, lo, joy and gladness, slaying oxen and slaughtering sheep; eating flesh and drinking wine, saying, Eat and drink, for tomorrow we die!

And Jehovah of Hosts revealed in my ears, Surely this iniquity shall not be covered for you until you die, says the Lord Jehovah of Hosts.