1 T hus says the Lord: Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak there this word:

Thus says the Lord: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word,

2 H ear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit upon the throne of David—you and your servants and your people who enter by these gates.

and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates!

3 T hus says the Lord: Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver out of the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong; do no violence to the stranger or temporary resident, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

Thus says the Lord: “Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.

4 F or if you will indeed obey this word, then will there enter in through the gates of this house kings sitting upon David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses—they and their servants and their people.

For if you indeed do this thing, then shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David.

5 B ut if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself, says the Lord, that this house will become a desolation.

But if you will not hear these words, I swear by Myself,” says the Lord, “that this house shall become a desolation.”’”

6 F or thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah: you are to Me as Gilead or as the summit of Lebanon, yet surely I will make you a wilderness and uninhabited cities.

For thus says the Lord to the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to Me, The head of Lebanon; Yet I surely will make you a wilderness, Cities which are not inhabited.

7 A nd I will prepare, solemnly set apart, and appoint destroyers, each with his weapons, and they will cut down your choicest cedars and cast them into the fire.

I will prepare destroyers against you, Everyone with his weapons; They shall cut down your choice cedars And cast them into the fire.

8 A nd many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, Why has the Lord done this to this great city?

And many nations will pass by this city; and everyone will say to his neighbor, ‘Why has the Lord done so to this great city?’

9 T hen they will answer, Because forsook the covenant or solemn pledge with the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them.

Then they will answer, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods and served them.’”

10 W eep not for him who is dead nor bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he shall return no more nor see his native country.

Weep not for the dead, nor bemoan him; Weep bitterly for him who goes away, For he shall return no more, Nor see his native country. Message to the Sons of Josiah

11 F or thus says the Lord concerning Shallum son of Josiah king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father and who went forth out of this place: shall not return here any more;

For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went from this place: “He shall not return here anymore,

12 B ut he shall die in the place where they have led him captive, and he shall see this land no more.

but he shall die in the place where they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.

13 W oe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness and his chambers by injustice, who uses his neighbor’s service without wages and does not give him his pay,

“Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness And his chambers by injustice, Who uses his neighbor’s service without wages And gives him nothing for his work,

14 W ho says, I will build myself a wide house with large rooms, and he cuts himself out windows, and it is ceiled or paneled with cedar and painted with vermilion.

Who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers, And cut out windows for it, Paneling it with cedar And painting it with vermilion.’

15 D o you think that being a king means vying and striving to excel in cedar ? Did not your father, as he ate and drank, do justice and righteousness ? Then it was well with him.

“Shall you reign because you enclose yourself in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.

16 H e judged and defended the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this to know and recognize Me? says the Lord.

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; Then it was well. Was not this knowing Me?” says the Lord.

17 B ut your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness and dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood, for oppression and doing violence.

“Yet your eyes and your heart are for nothing but your covetousness, For shedding innocent blood, And practicing oppression and violence.”

18 T herefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: shall not lament for him, saying, Ah, my brother! or, Ah, sister, shall not lament for him saying, Ah, lord! or Ah, his majesty! or Ah, his glory!

Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: “They shall not lament for him, Saying, ‘Alas, my brother!’ or ‘Alas, my sister!’ They shall not lament for him, Saying, ‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, his glory!’

19 h e shall be buried with the burial of a donkey—dragged out and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, Dragged and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

20 G o up to Lebanon and cry out, and raise your voice in of Bashan, and cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers (the king’s chosen allies) are destroyed.

“Go up to Lebanon, and cry out, And lift up your voice in Bashan; Cry from Abarim, For all your lovers are destroyed.

21 I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, I will not listen! This has been your attitude from your youth; you have not obeyed My voice.

I spoke to you in your prosperity, But you said, ‘I will not hear.’ This has been your manner from your youth, That you did not obey My voice.

22 T he wind shall pasture upon and consume all your shepherds (your princes and statesmen), and your lovers (allies) shall go into captivity. Surely then shall you be ashamed and confounded and dismayed because of all your wickedness.

The wind shall eat up all your rulers, And your lovers shall go into captivity; Surely then you will be ashamed and humiliated For all your wickedness.

23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, you who make your nest among the cedars, how you will groan and how pitiable you will be when pangs come upon you, pain like that of a woman in childbirth!

O inhabitant of Lebanon, Making your nest in the cedars, How gracious will you be when pangs come upon you, Like the pain of a woman in labor? Message to Coniah

24 A s I live, says the Lord, though Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon My right hand, yet would I tear you off.

“ As I live,” says the Lord, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off;

25 A nd I will give you into the hands of those who seek your life and into the hand of those of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and into the hands of the Chaldeans.

and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear—the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the Chaldeans.

26 A nd I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you will die.

So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die.

27 B ut to the land to which they will yearn to return, there they will not return.

But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return.

28 I s this man Coniah a despised, broken pot? Is he a vessel in which no one takes pleasure? Why are they hurled out, he and his royal offspring, and cast into a land which they do not know, understand, or recognize?

“Is this man Coniah a despised, broken idol— A vessel in which is no pleasure? Why are they cast out, he and his descendants, And cast into a land which they do not know?

29 O land, land, land, hear the word of the Lord!

O earth, earth, earth, Hear the word of the Lord!

30 T hus says the Lord: Write this man down as childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days, for no man of his offspring shall succeed in sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah.

Thus says the Lord: ‘Write this man down as childless, A man who shall not prosper in his days; For none of his descendants shall prosper, Sitting on the throne of David, And ruling anymore in Judah.’”