Jeremiah 22

Warning of Jerusalem’s Fall

1Thus says the Lord, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word 2and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who 1sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. 3Thus says the Lord, “2Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his 3oppressor. Also 4do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not 5shed innocent blood in this place. 4For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then 6kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting 7in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people. 58But if you will not obey these words, I 9swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that this house will become a desolation.”’” 6For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like 10Gilead to Me, Like the summit of Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make you like a 11wilderness, Like cities which are not inhabited.7For I will set apart 12destroyers against you, Each with his weapons; And they will 13cut down your choicest cedars And 14throw them on the fire.

8“Many nations will pass by this city; and they will 15say to one another, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this great city?’ 9Then they will 16answer, ‘Because they 17forsook the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”

1018Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him, But weep continually for the one who goes away; For 19he will never return Or see his native land.

11For thus says the Lord in regard to 2021Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, “He will never return there; 12but in the place where they led him captive, there he will 22die and not see this land again.

Messages about the Kings

13“Woe to him who builds his house 23without righteousness And his 24upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay And 25does not give him his wages,14Who says, ‘I will 26build myself a roomy house With spacious 27upper rooms, And cut out its windows, 28Paneling it with 29cedar and painting it 30bright red.’15Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink And 31do justice and righteousness? Then it was 32well with him.16He pled the cause of the 33afflicted and needy; Then it was well. 34Is not that what it means to know Me?” Declares the Lord.17“But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own 35dishonest gain, And on 36shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion.”

18Therefore thus says the Lord in regard to 37Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, “They will not 38lament for him: ‘39Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’ They will not lament for him: ‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’19He will be 40buried with a donkey’s burial, Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.20Go up to Lebanon and cry out, And lift up your voice in Bashan; Cry out also from 41Abarim, For all your 42lovers have been crushed.21I spoke to you in your prosperity; But 43you said, ‘I will not listen!’ 44This has been your practice 45from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice.22The wind will sweep away all your 46shepherds, And your 47lovers will go into captivity; Then you will surely be 48ashamed and humiliated Because of all your wickedness.23You who dwell in Lebanon, Nested in the cedars, How you will groan when pangs come upon you, 49Pain like a woman in childbirth!

24“As I live,” declares the Lord, “even though 5051Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a 52signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull 53you 54off; 25and I will 55give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26I will 56hurl you and your 57mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. 27But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it.28Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an 58undesirable vessel? Why have he and his descendants been 59hurled out And cast into a 60land that they had not known?2961O land, land, land, Hear the word of the Lord! 30Thus says the Lord, ‘Write this man down 62childless, A man who will 63not prosper in his days; For no man of his 64descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.’”