Jeremiah 22:1-19

1This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and announce this word there.

2You are to say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David  — you, your officers, and your people who enter these gates.

3This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor. Don’t exploit or brutalize the resident alien, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place.

4For if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace riding on chariots and horses — they, their officers, and their people.

5But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by myself  — this is the Lord’s declaration — that this house will become a ruin.’”

6For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to me, or the summit of Lebanon, but I will certainly turn you into a wilderness, uninhabited cities.

7I will set apart destroyers against you, each with his weapons. They will cut down the choicest of your cedars and throw them into the fire.

8“Many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why did the Lord do such a thing to this great city?’

9They will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed in worship to other gods and served them.’”

10Do not weep for the dead; do not mourn for him. Weep bitterly for the one who has gone away, for he will never return again and see his native land.

11For this is what the Lord says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in place of his father Josiah, and who has left this place: “He will never return here again,

12but he will die in the place where they deported him, never seeing this land again.”

13Woe for the one who builds his palace through unrighteousness, his upstairs rooms through injustice, who makes his neighbor serve without pay and will not give him his wages,

14who says, “I will build myself a massive palace, with spacious upstairs rooms.” He will cut windows in it, and it will be paneled with cedar and painted bright red.

15Are you a king because you excel in cedar? Didn’t your father eat and drink and administer justice and righteousness? Then it went well with him.

16He took up the case of the poor and needy; then it went well. Is this not what it means to know me? This is the Lord’s declaration.

17But you have eyes and a heart for nothing except your own dishonest profit, shedding innocent blood and committing extortion and oppression.

18Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: They will not mourn for him, saying, “Woe, my brother!” or “Woe, my sister!” They will not mourn for him, saying, “Woe, lord! Woe, his majesty!”

19He will be buried like a donkey, dragged off and thrown outside Jerusalem’s gates.