Jeremiah 22

1 Thus said the LORD: "Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,

This is what Yahweh says, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and proclaim this word there.

2 Say, 'Hear the word of the LORD, king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter in by these gates.

Say, 'King of Judah, listen to the word of Yahweh—you who sit on David's throne—you, and your servants, and your people who come through these gates.

3 Thus says the LORD: "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.

Yahweh says this, “Perform justice and righteousness, and anyone who has been robbed—rescue him from the hand of the oppressor. Do not mistreat any foreigner in your land, or any orphan or widow. Do not commit violence or pour out innocent blood in this place.

4 For if you do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

For if you truly do these things, then kings sitting on David's throne will enter the gates of this house riding in a chariot and on horses, he, his servants, and his people!

5 But if you will not hear these words, I swear by myself, says the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation."

But if you do not listen to these words from me that I have announced—this is Yahweh's declaration—then this royal house will become a ruin.”'

6 For thus says the LORD 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.

For Yahweh says this concerning the house of the king of Judah, 'You are like Gilead, or like the summit of Lebanon to me. Yet I will turn you into a wilderness, into cities with no inhabitants.

7 I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons; and they shall cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

For I have designated destroyers to come against you! Men with their weapons will cut off the best of your cedars and let them fall into the fire.

8 Many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?'

Then many nations will pass by this city. Each person will say to the next, “Why has Yahweh acted in this way toward this great city?”

9 Then they shall answer, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshiped other gods, and served them.'

Then the other will answer, “Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh their God and bowed down to other gods and worshiped them.”

10 Do not 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."

Do not weep for the one who is dead or mourn for him; but weep bitterly for him who is about to go away, because he will never return and see his native land again.'

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

For Yahweh says this about Jehoahaz son of Josiah king of Judah, who served as king instead of Josiah his father, 'He has gone from this place and will not come back.

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

He will die there in the place to where they have exiled him, and he will never again see this land.'

13 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;

Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor work for him for nothing, and he does not give him his wages;

14 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.

he says, 'I will build for myself a large house with spacious upper rooms.' So he cuts out large windows for it, and he panels it with cedar, and he paints it red.

15 Shall you reign, because you strive to excel in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink, and do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.

Is this what makes you a good king, that you wanted to have boards of cedar? Did not your father also eat and drink, yet do justice and righteousness? Then things went well for him.

16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well. Wasn't this to know me?' says the LORD.

He judged in favor of the poor and needy. It was good then. Is this not what it means to know me?—this is Yahweh's declaration.

17 "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."

But there is nothing in your eyes and heart except worry for your unjust profit and for pouring out innocent blood, for producing oppression and crushing of others.

18 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 sister.' They shall not lament for him, saying, 'Alas lord.' or, 'Alas his majesty.'

Therefore this is what Yahweh says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: They will not lament for him, saying, 'Woe, my brother!' or 'Woe, my sister!' They will not lament for him, saying, 'Woe, master!' or 'Woe, majesty!'

19 He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

He will be buried with a donkey's burial, dragged away and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

20 Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all your lovers are destroyed.

Go up Lebanon's mountains and shout. Lift your voice in Bashan. Shout from the Abarim mountains, for all of your friends will be destroyed.

21 I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said, 'I will not hear.' This has been your way from your youth, that you did not obey my voice.

I spoke to you when you were safe, but you said, 'I will not listen.' This was your custom since your youth, for you have not listened to my voice.

22 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.

The wind will shepherd away all your shepherds, and your friends will go into captivity. Then you will certainly be ashamed and humiliated by all of your evil deeds.

23 Inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars, how greatly you will groan when pangs come on you, the pain as of a woman in travail.

You who live in 'Lebanon,' who is nestled in cedar buildings, how you will be pitied when the labor pains come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!”

24 As I live," says the LORD, "though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on my right hand, yet would I pluck you there;

“As I live—this is Yahweh's declaration—even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on my right hand, I would tear you off.

25 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.

For I have given you to the hand of the ones seeking your life and to the hand of those before whom you are afraid, even to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans.

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

I will throw you and your mother who bore you into another land, a country where you were not born, and there you will die.

27 But to the land whereunto their soul longs to return, there shall they not return."

About this land to which they will want to return, they will not come back here.

28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken vessel? Is he a vessel in which none delights? Why are they cast out, he and his descendants, and cast into a land that they do not know?

Is this a despised and shattered vessel? Is this man Jehoiachin a pot that pleases no one? Why have they thrown him and his descendants out, and have poured them out into a land that they did not know?

29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

Land, Land, Land! Hear the word of Yahweh!

30 Thus says the LORD, "Write this man down childless, a man who will not succeed in his days; for none of his descendants will succeed in sitting on the throne of David, and ruling in Judah.

Yahweh says this, 'Write about this man Jehoiachin: He will be childless. He will not prosper during his days, and no one among his descendants will achieve success or ever again sit on David's throne and rule over Judah.'”