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

Thus said Yahweh: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there 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.

Say, Hear Yahweh’s word, king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you, and your servants, and your people who enter in by 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.

Yahweh says: Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence, to the foreigner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither 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 do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting on David’s throne, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

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 Yahweh, 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 Yahweh says concerning the house of the king of Judah: You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I 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; and 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?

Many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Why has Yahweh done thus 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 shall answer, Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh 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.

Don’t weep for the dead, neither bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away; for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

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 Yahweh says touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went out of this place: He shall not return there any more.

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

But in the place where they have led him captive, there shall he die, and he 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 rooms by injustice; who uses his neighbor’s service without wages, and doesn’t give him his hire;

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 me a wide house and spacious rooms, and cuts him out windows; and it is ceiling with cedar, and painted 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 strive to excel in cedar? Didn’t 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. Wasn’t this to know me? says Yahweh.

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.

But your eyes and your heart are not but for your covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.

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 Yahweh says concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah: they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! They shall not lament for him, saying Ah lord! or, Ah 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, drawn 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; and lift up your voice in Bashan, and 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 way from your youth, that you didn’t 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 feed all your shepherds, and your lovers shall go into captivity: surely then you will be ashamed and confounded 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!

Inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied you will be when pangs come on you, the pain as of a woman in travail!

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 Yahweh, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck you there;

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 them of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into 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.

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

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

But to the land t which their soul longs to return, there shall they 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 vessel? is he a vessel in which no one delights? why are they cast out, he and his offspring, and are cast into the land which they don’t know?

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

O earth, earth, earth, hear Yahweh’s word.

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.

Yahweh says, Write you this man childless, a man who shall not prosper in his days; for no more shall a man of his offspring prosper, sitting on David’s throne, and ruling in Judah.