Jeremiah 22:1-19

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.

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.