Isaiah 22 · The Lantern

The burden of the Valley of Vision. What--to thee, now, that thou hast gone up, All of thee--to the roofs?

Full of stirs--a noisy city--an exulting city, Thy pierced are not pierced of the sword, Nor dead in battle.

Now is the time to utter aloud those words of the prophet who said, "Who will give water to my head and a fountain of tears to my eyes, and I will weep for the slain of the daughters of my people?" For, even if deep silence enfolds them and they lie dispossessed once and for all of their senses by the horrible deed (for by the deadly blow they have been deprived already of the…

(Version 2.) Full of cries, a bustling city, a rejoicing community. The city is filled with those crying out, the bustling city is rejoicing. The teaching of the heretics is not in meaning, but in many words and clamor. Therefore, because of the multitude of the deceived, the city is called bustling and rejoicing, because of their pride.

And the sin of strife: full of clamor, above: I looked that it should bring forth grapes, and it brought forth wild grapes (Isa 5:2).

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.'

Remember the compassion of God, how he heals with olive oil and wine. Do not despair of salvation. Recall the memory of what has been written, how he that falls rises again, and he that is turned away turns again, he that has been smitten is healed, he that is caught by wild beasts escapes, and he that confesses is not rejected.

(Verse 4.) Therefore I said: Depart from me, I will weep bitterly: labour not to comfort me, for the devastation of the daughter of my people. LXX: Therefore I said: Let me alone, I will weep bitterly: labour not to comfort me, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Second, he sets out the inconsolable compassion of the prophet: depart, you who console the prophet, labor not, in the manner of those who console: who will give water to my head, and a fountain of tears to my eyes that I may weep for the slain of my people (Jer 9:1).

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.

Now if Christ be preached that he rose from the dead, how say some among you that there is no resurrection of the dead? But if there be no resurrection of the dead, then is Christ not risen: And if Christ be not risen, then is our preaching vain, and your faith is also vain.

Now we say that the wicked are dead, but not in an ascetic life opposed to sin; nor do they, like the saints, bear about dying in their bodies. But it is the soul which they bury in sins and follies, drawing near to the dead and satisfying it with dead nourishment.

Second, he sets out their contempt for this counsel: and behold joy, above: the harp, and the lyre are in your feasts (Isa 5:12). Third, the intention to hold it in contempt: let us eat and drink, 1 Corinthians 15:32, Wisdom 2:5: our time is as the passing of a shadow.

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 to the angel of the church in Philadelphia write; These things saith he that is holy, he that is true, he that hath the key of David, he that openeth, and no man shutteth; and shutteth, and no man openeth; [Isaiah 22:22] I know thy works: behold, I have set before thee an open door, and no man can shut it: for thou hast a little strength, and hast kept my word, and hast not…

Second, as to the power which he had regarding the temple: and I will lay the key, which was of gold, of the house of David, that is, of the temple, for the building of which David prepared the materials, as is evident from 1 Chronicles 29, upon his shoulder, that is, his government, or because the key was used as a kind of adornment; he shall open, for it was allowed to him to…

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!'

Isaiah22