Jeremiah 22

Judgment against Sinful Kings

1 This is what the Lord says: "Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and announce this word there. 2 You are to say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David  * 22:2 2Sm 3:10; 1Kg 2:12,24,45; Is 9:7; Jr 17:25; 22:30; 29:16; 36:30  — you, your officers, and your people who enter these gates. 3 This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness.  * 22:3 2Sm 8:15; 1Kg 10:9; 2Ch 9:8; Is 33:5; 59:14; Jr 9:24; 23:5; 33:15; Am 5:7,24 Rescue the victim of robbery from his oppressor.  * 22:3 Dt 28:29; Ps 35:10; Ec 4:1; Jr 21:12 Don’t exploit or brutalize the resident alien, the fatherless, or the widow.  * 22:3 Dt 14:29; 24:17,19–21; 27:19; Ps 146:9; Jr 7:6; Ezk 22:7 Don’t shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace  * 22:4 Jr 17:25 riding on chariots and horses — they, their officers, and their people. 5 But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by myself  * 22:5 Gn 22:16; 1Sm 3:14; Ps 89:3,35; Is 45:23; 54:9; Jr 44:26; 49:13  — this is the Lord’s declaration — that this house will become a ruin.’ "  * 22:5 Jr 17:27

6 For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah:

"You are like Gilead  * 22:6 Sg 4:1; Jr 8:22; 46:11; 50:19; Mc 7:14; Zch 10:10 to me,

or the summit of Lebanon,

but I will certainly turn you into a wilderness,

uninhabited cities.

7 I will set apart destroyers  * 22:7 Ex 12:23; 2Sm 24:16; Is 54:16 against you,

each with his weapons.

They will cut down the choicest of your cedars

and throw them into the fire.

8 "Many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why did the Lord do such a thing to this great city? ’ 9 They will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant  * 22:8–9 Dt 29:24–25; 1Kg 19:10,14 of the Lord their God and bowed in worship to other gods and served them.’ "  * 22:9 Dt 30:17

A Message concerning Shallum

10 Do not weep for the dead;

do not mourn for him.

Weep bitterly for the one who has gone away,

for he will never return again

and see his native land.  * 22:10 2Sm 12:22–23

11 For this is what the Lord says concerning Shallum  * 22:11 2Kg 23:32–35; 1Ch 3:15 son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in place of his father Josiah, and who has left this place: "He will never return here again, 12 but he will die in the place where they deported him, never seeing this land again."

A Message concerning Jehoiakim

13 Woe for the one who builds his palace

through unrighteousness,  * 22:13 Mc 3:10

his upstairs rooms through injustice,

who makes his neighbor serve without pay

and will not give him his wages,  * 22:13 Lv 19:13; Jms 5:4

14 who says, "I will build myself a massive palace,

with spacious upstairs rooms."

He will cut windows  * 22:14 Lit my windows in it,

and it will be paneled with cedar  * 22:14 1Kg 6:9,15,18; 7:3,7

and painted bright red.

15 Are you a king because you excel in cedar?

Didn’t your father eat and drink

and administer justice and righteousness?  * 22:15 Jr 22:3

Then it went well with him.

16 He took up the case of the poor and needy;  * 22:16 Dt 24:14

then it went well.

Is this not what it means to know me?

This is the  Lord’s declaration.

17 But you have eyes and a heart for nothing

except your own dishonest profit,

shedding innocent blood

and committing extortion and oppression.  * 22:17 Is 30:12; 59:9–15; Jr 6:6; Ezk 22:7,12,29; Mc 3:11; Hab 1:3

18 Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim  * 22:18 2Kg 23:34–24:6; 2Ch 36:4–8 son of Josiah, king of Judah:

They will not mourn for him, saying,

"Woe, my brother! " or "Woe, my sister! "

They will not mourn for him, saying,

"Woe, lord! Woe, his majesty! "

19 He will be buried like a donkey,  * 22:19 Jr 36:30

dragged off and thrown

outside Jerusalem’s gates.

20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out;

raise your voice in Bashan;

cry out from Abarim,  * 22:20 Nm 27:12; Dt 32:49

for all your lovers  * 22:20 Or friends, or allies, also in v. 22 have been crushed.  * 22:20 Jr 3:1

21 I spoke to you when you were secure.

You said, "I will not listen."

This has been your way since youth;  * 22:21 Jr 3:25

indeed, you have never listened to me.

22 The wind will take charge of  * 22:22 Lit will shepherd  all your shepherds,

and your lovers will go into captivity.

Then you will be ashamed and humiliated  * 22:22 Is 41:11

because of all your evil.

23 You residents of Lebanon,

nestled among the cedars,

how you will groan  * 22:23 LXX, Syr, Vg; MT reads will be pitied when pains come on you,

agony like a woman in labor.  * 22:23 Ps 48:6; Is 13:8; 21:3; 42:14; Jr 4:31; 6:24; 13:21; 30:6; 50:43; Mc 4:9–10; 1Th 5:3

A Message concerning Coniah

24 "As I live" — this is the Lord’s declaration — "though you, Coniah  * 22:24 = Jehoiachin,* 22:24 2Kg 24:6–17; Jr 37:1; 52:31 son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet ring  * 22:24 Gn 38:18; 1Kg 21:8; Hg 2:23 on my right hand, I would tear you from it. 25 In fact, I will hand you over to those you dread,  * 22:25 Jr 34:20–21 who intend to take your life, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans. 26 I will hurl you and the mother who gave birth  * 22:26 2Kg 24:15 to you into another land,  * 22:26 2Kg 24:8 where neither of you were born, and there you will both die. 27 They will never return to the land they long to return to."

28 Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered pot,  * 22:28 Ps 31:12; Jr 48:38; Hs 8:8

a jar no one wants?

Why are he and his descendants hurled out

and cast into a land they have not known?

29 Earth, earth, earth,

hear the word of the  Lord!

30 This is what the Lord says:

Record this man as childless,  * 22:30 1Ch 3:17; Mt 1:12

a man who will not be successful in his lifetime.

None of his descendants will succeed

in sitting on the throne of David  * 22:30 Jr 36:30

or ruling again in Judah.