1 T hus saith Jehovah: 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 speak there this word:

2 a nd say, Hear the word of Jehovah, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people who enter in through these gates.

Hear 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.

3 T hus saith Jehovah: Execute judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor; and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place.

Thus 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.

4 F or if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in through the gates of this house kings sitting in the place of David upon his throne, riding in chariots and on horses,—he, and his servants, and his people.

For 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.

5 B ut if ye will not hear these words, I have sworn by myself, saith Jehovah, that this house shall become a waste.

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

6 F or thus saith Jehovah concerning the house of the king of Judah: Thou art a Gilead unto me, the summit of Lebanon: verily I will make thee a wilderness, cities not inhabited.

For 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.

7 A nd I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons; and they shall cut down the choice of thy cedars, and cast into the fire.

And 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.

8 A nd many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath Jehovah done thus unto this great city?

And 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?

9 A nd they shall say, Because they have forsaken the covenant of Jehovah their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.

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

10 W eep not for the dead, neither bemoan him; weep sore for him that goeth away, for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

Weep 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.

11 F or thus saith Jehovah concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went forth out of this place: He shall not return thither any more;

For 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;

12 f or he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.

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

13 W oe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his upper chambers by injustice; that taketh his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not his earning;

Woe 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,

14 t hat saith, I will build me a wide house, and spacious upper chambers; and he cutteth out for himself windows; and it is wainscoted with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

Who 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.

15 S halt thou reign, because thou viest with the cedar? Did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice? Then it was well with him.

Do 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.

16 H e judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Was not this to know me? saith Jehovah.

He 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.

17 B ut thine eyes and thy heart are only on thine extortion, and on the blood of the innocent, to shed it, and on oppression and on violence, to do it.

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

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

Therefore 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!

19 H e shall be buried with the burial of an ass, dragged along and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

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

20 G o up to Lebanon, and cry; and give forth thy voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim: for all thy lovers are destroyed.

Go 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.

21 I spoke unto thee in thy prosperity; thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy way from thy youth, that thou hearkenedst not unto my voice.

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.

22 T he wind shall feed on all thy shepherds, and thy lovers shall go into captivity; surely, then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

The 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.

23 T hou inhabitress of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how pitiful shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, pain as of a woman in travail!

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!

24 I live, saith Jehovah, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet upon my right hand, yet will I pluck thee thence;

As 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.

25 a nd I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them before whom thou art afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

And 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.

26 A nd I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.

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

27 A nd into the land whereunto they lift up their souls to return, thither shall they not return.

But to the land to which they will yearn to return, there they will not return.

28 I s this man Coniah a despised broken vase? a vessel wherein is no delight? Wherefore are they thrown out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?

Is 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?

29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Jehovah!

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

30 T hus saith Jehovah: Write this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days; for no man of his seed shall prosper, 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 no man of his offspring shall succeed in sitting upon the throne of David and ruling any more in Judah.