Chapter 22

Thus saith¹ the LORD; Go down³ to the house of the king of Judah, and speak¹⁴ there this word,

And say,¹ Hear³ the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest⁶ upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in⁶ by these gates:

Thus saith¹ the LORD; Execute³ ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver⁵⁴ the spoiled⁷ out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong,⁵⁵ do no violence⁴ to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed⁴ innocent blood in this place.

For if ye do⁴ this thing indeed,² then shall there enter in¹ by the gates of this house kings sitting⁶ upon the throne of David, riding⁶ in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

But if ye will not hear⁴ these words, I swear⁸ by myself, saith⁷ the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

For thus saith¹ the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou [art] Gilead unto me, [and] the head of Lebanon: [yet] surely I will make⁴ thee a wilderness, [and] cities [which] are not inhabited.^{8 3427 12}

And I will prepare¹⁴ destroyers⁵⁶ against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down¹ thy choice cedars, and cast⁵² [them] into the fire.

And many nations shall pass by¹ this city, and they shall say¹ every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done¹ thus unto this great city?

Then they shall answer,¹ Because they have forsaken¹ the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped¹⁰¹ other gods, and served⁴ them.

Weep⁴ ye not for the dead,⁵ neither bemoan⁴ him: [but] weep³ sore² for him that goeth away:⁶ for he shall return⁴ no more, nor see¹ his native country.

For thus saith¹ the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned⁶ instead of Josiah his father, which went forth¹ out of this place; He shall not return⁴ thither any more:

But he shall die⁴ in the place whither they have led him captive,⁵² and shall see⁴ this land no more.

Woe unto him that buildeth⁶ his house by unrighteousness, ⁶⁶⁶⁴ and his chambers by wrong; ⁴⁹⁴¹ [that] useth his neighbour's service⁴ without wages, and giveth⁴ him not for his work;

That saith,⁶ I will build⁴ me a wide house and large³⁰ chambers, and cutteth him out¹ windows; and [it is] cieled⁷ with cedar, and painted² with vermilion.

Shalt thou reign,⁴ because thou closest⁹⁷ [thyself] in cedar? did not thy father eat¹ and drink,¹ and do¹ judgment and justice, [and] then [it was] well with him?

He judged¹ the cause of the poor and needy; then [it was] well [with him: was] not this to know me? saith⁷ the LORD.

But thine eyes and thine heart [are] not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed² innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do² [it].

Therefore thus saith¹ the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament⁴ for him, [saying], Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament⁴ for him, [saying], Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!

He shall be buried¹¹ with the burial of an ass, drawn² and cast forth⁵³ beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

Go up³ to Lebanon, and cry;³ and lift up³ thy voice in Bashan, and cry³ from the passages: ⁵⁶⁸² for all thy lovers¹⁸ are destroyed.⁸

I spake¹⁴ unto thee in thy prosperity; [but] thou saidst,¹ I will not hear.⁴ This [hath been] thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst¹ not my voice.

The wind shall eat up⁴ all thy pastors,⁶ and thy lovers¹⁸ shall go⁴ into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed⁴ and confounded⁸ for all thy wickedness.

O inhabitant⁶ of Lebanon, that makest thy nest³⁰ in the cedars, how gracious⁸ shalt thou be when pangs come² upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!⁶

[As] I live, saith⁷ the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck⁴ thee thence;

And I will give¹ thee into the hand of them that seek¹⁸ thy life, and into the hand [of them] whose face thou fearest,⁵ even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

And I will cast thee out,⁵² and thy mother that bare¹ thee, into another country, where ye were not born;²⁷ and there shall ye die.⁴

But to the land whereunto they desire^{18 5315} to return,² thither shall they not return.⁴

[Is] this man Coniah a despised¹² broken⁷ idol? [is he] a vessel wherein [is] no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out,⁹⁰ he and his seed, and are cast⁹⁰ into a land which they know¹ not?

O earth, earth, earth, hear³ the word of the LORD.

Thus saith¹ the LORD, Write³ ye this man childless, a man [that] shall not prosper⁴ in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper,⁴ sitting⁶ upon the throne of David, and ruling⁶ any more in Judah.