Jeremiah 22:1-17

New International Version

Judgment Against Wicked Kings

22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king^(A) of Judah and proclaim this message there: ²‘Hear^(B) the word of the Lord to you, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne^(C)—you, your officials and your people who come through these gates.^(D) ³This is what the Lord says: Do what is just^(E) and right. Rescue from the hand of the oppressor^(F) the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow,^(G) and do not shed innocent blood^(H) in this place. ⁴For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings^(I) who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people. ⁵But if you do not obey^(J) these commands, declares the Lord, I swear^(K) by myself that this palace will become a ruin.’”

⁶For this is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:

“Though you are like Gilead^(L) to me,
    like the summit of Lebanon,^(M)
I will surely make you like a wasteland,^(N)
    like towns not inhabited.
⁷I will send destroyers^(O) against you,
    each man with his weapons,
and they will cut^(P) up your fine cedar beams
    and throw them into the fire.^(Q)

⁸“People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’^(R) ⁹And the answer will be: ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and have worshiped and served other gods.^(S)’”

¹⁰Do not weep for the dead^(T) king or mourn^(U) his loss;
rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled,
because he will never return^(V)
nor see his native land again.

¹¹For this is what the Lord says about Shallum^[a]^(W) son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: “He will never return. ¹²He will die^(X) in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again.”

¹³“Woe^(Y) to him who builds^(Z) his palace by unrighteousness,
    his upper rooms by injustice,
making his own people work for nothing,
    not paying^(AA) them for their labor.
¹⁴He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace^(AB)
    with spacious upper rooms.’
So he makes large windows in it,
    panels it with cedar^(AC)
    and decorates it in red.^(AD)

¹⁵“Does it make you a king
    to have more and more cedar?
Did not your father have food and drink?
    He did what was right and just,^(AE)
    so all went well^(AF) with him.
¹⁶He defended the cause of the poor and needy,^(AG)
    and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know^(AH) me?”
    declares the Lord.
¹⁷“But your eyes and your heart
    are set only on dishonest gain,^(AI)
on shedding innocent blood^(AJ)
    and on oppression and extortion.”^(AK)