221 Thus says the Lord , "Go down to the house of the king of Judah , and there speak this word 2 and say , 'Hear the word of the Lord , O king of Judah , who sits on David's throne , you and your servants and your people who enter these gates . 3 'Thus says the Lord , " Do justice and righteousness , and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor . Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger , the orphan , or the widow ; and do not shed innocent blood in this place . 4 "For if you men will indeed perform this thing , then kings will enter the gates of this house , sitting in David's place on his throne , riding in chariots and on horses , even the king himself and his servants and his people . 5 " But if you will not obey these words , I swear by Myself," declares the Lord , "that this house will become a desolation .""' 6 For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah : "You are like Gilead to Me, Like the summit of Lebanon ; Yet most e assuredly e I will make you like a wilderness , Like cities which are not inhabited . 7 "For I will set apart destroyers against you, Each with his weapons ; And they will cut down your choicest cedars And throw them on the fire . 8 "Many nations will pass by this city ; and they will say to one another , 'Why e has the Lord done thus to this great city ?' 9 "Then they will answer , 'Because e they forsook the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.' "
10 Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him, But weep continually for the one who goes away; For he will never e return Or see his native land . 11 For thus says the Lord in regard to Shallum 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 e return there ; 12 but in the place where e they led him captive , there he will die and not see this land again . 13 "Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice , Who uses his neighbor's services without pay And does not give him his wages , 14 Who says , 'I will build myself a roomy house With spacious upper rooms , And cut out its windows , Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red .' 15 "Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar ? Did not your father eat and drink And do justice and righteousness ? Then it was well with him. 16 "He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy ; Then it was well . Is not that what it means to know Me?" Declares the Lord . 17 "But your eyes and your heart Are intent only e upon your own dishonest gain , And on shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion ." 18 Therefore thus says the Lord in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah , king of Judah , "They will not lament for him: ' Alas , my brother !' or, 'Alas , sister !' They will not lament for him: 'Alas for the master !' or, 'Alas for his splendor !' 19 "He will be buried with a donkey's burial , Dragged off and thrown out beyond e the gates of Jerusalem .
20 "Go up to Lebanon and cry out, And lift up your voice in Bashan ; Cry out also from Abarim , For all your lovers have been crushed . 21 "I spoke to you in your prosperity ; But you said , 'I will not listen !' This has been your practice from your youth , That you have not obeyed My voice . 22 "The wind will sweep away all your shepherds , And your lovers will go into captivity ; Then you will surely be ashamed and humiliated Because of all your wickedness . 23 "You who dwell in Lebanon , Nested in the cedars , How you will groan when pangs come upon you, Pain like a woman in childbirth ! 24 "As I live ," declares the Lord , "even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand , yet I would pull you off ; 25 and I will give 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 . 26 "I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where e you were not born , and there you will die . 27 "But as for the land to which they desire e to return , they will not return to it. 28 "Is this man Coniah a despised , shattered jar ? Or is he an undesirable e vessel ? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out And cast into a land that they had not known ? 29 " O land , land , land , Hear the word of the Lord ! 30 "Thus says the Lord , 'Write this man down childless , A man who will not prosper in his days ; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah .' "
