The Hebrew Prophets

All thy rulers fled together from the bow, Bound have been all found of thee, They have been kept bound together, Afar off they have fled.

Therefore I said, `Look ye from me, I am bitter in my weeping, Haste not to comfort me, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.'

For a day of noise, and of treading down, And of perplexity, is to the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In the valley of vision, digging down a wall, And crying unto the mountain.

And Elam hath borne a quiver, In a chariot of men--horsemen, And Kir hath exposed a shield.

And it cometh to pass, The choice of thy valleys have been full of chariots, And the horsemen place themselves diligently at the gate.

And one removeth the covering of Judah, And thou lookest in that day Unto the armour of the house of the forest,

And the breaches of the city of David ye have seen, For they have become many, And ye gather the waters of the lower pool,

And the houses of Jerusalem ye did number, And ye break down the houses to fence the wall.

And a ditch ye made between the two walls, For the waters of the old pool, And ye have not looked unto its Maker, And its Framer of old ye have not seen.

And call doth the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts, In that day, to weeping and to lamentation, And to baldness and to girding on of sackcloth,

And lo, joy and gladness, slaying of oxen, And slaughtering of sheep, Eating of flesh, and drinking of wine, Eat and drink, for to-morrow we die.

And revealed it hath been in mine ears, By Jehovah of Hosts: Not pardoned is this iniquity to you, Till ye die, said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts.

Thus said the Lord, Jehovah of Hosts: `Go, enter in unto this steward, Unto Shebna, who is over the house:

What--to thee here? And who--to thee here? That thou hast hewn out to thee here--a sepulchre? Hewing on high his sepulchre, Graving in a rock a dwelling for himself.

Lo, Jehovah is casting thee up and down, A casting up and down, O mighty one,

And thy coverer covering, wrapping round, Wrappeth thee round, O babbler, On a land broad of sides--there thou diest, And there the chariots of thine honour Are the shame of the house of thy lord.

And I have thrust thee from thy station, And from thine office he throweth thee down.

And it hath come to pass, in that day, That I have called to my servant, To Eliakim son of Hilkiah.

And I have clothed him with thy coat, And with thy girdle I strengthen him, And thy garment I give into his hand, And he hath been for a father to the inhabitant of Jerusalem, And to the house of Judah.

And I have placed the key Of the house of David on his shoulder, And he hath opened, and none is shutting, And hath shut, and none is opening.

And I have fixed him a nail in a stedfast place, And he hath been for a throne of honour To the house of his father.

And they have hanged on him All the honour of the house of his father, The offspring and the issue, All vessels of small quality, From vessels of basins to all vessels of flagons.

In that day--an affirmation of Jehovah of Hosts, Moved is the nail that is fixed In a stedfast place, Yea, it hath been cut down, and hath fallen, And cut off hath been the burden that is on it, For Jehovah hath spoken!'

The Burden of Tyre. Howl, ye ships of Tarshish, For it hath been destroyed, Without house, without entrance, From the land of Chittim it was revealed to them.

Be silent, ye inhabitants of the isle, Trader of Zidon, passing the sea, they filled thee.