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24 As I live—oracle of the Lord—even if you, Coniah,[a] son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were a signet ring(A) on my right hand, I would snatch you off. 25 I will hand you over to those who seek your life, to those you dread: Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and the Chaldeans.(B) 26 I will cast you out, you and the mother who bore you,[b] into a land different from the land of your birth; and there you will die;(C) 27 Neither shall return to the land for which they yearn.(D)

28 Is this man Coniah a thing despised, to be broken,
    a vessel that no one wants?
Why are he and his offspring cast out?
    why thrown into a land they do not know?
29 O land, land, land,
    hear the word of the Lord
30     Thus says the Lord:
(E) Write this man down as childless,[c]
    a man who will never prosper in his life!
Nor shall any of his descendants prosper,
    to sit upon the throne of David,
    to rule again over Judah.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:24 Coniah: a shortened form of Jeconiah, the name Jeremiah gives King Jehoiachin (cf. 24:1). A signet ring: the seal used by kings and other powerful figures—a symbol of their power and status—mounted in a ring worn constantly on the hand. The Lord says that even were Jehoiachin such a precious possession, he would reject him. Hg 2:23 uses the same imagery to signal the restoration of Zerubbabel. The words in Jer 22:24–30 date from the short three-month reign of Jehoiachin, before he was deported by Nebuchadnezzar.
  2. 22:26 You and the mother who bore you: the queen mother held a special position in the monarchy of Judah, and in the Books of Kings she is invariably mentioned by name along with the king (1 Kgs 15:2; 2 Kgs 18:2). Jehoiachin did indeed die in Babylon.
  3. 22:30 Childless: Jehoiachin is considered childless because none of his seven sons became king. His grandson Zerubbabel presided for a time over the Judahite community after the return from exile, but not as king. According to Ezekiel, whose oracles are dated by Jehoiachin’s fictitious regnal years, the people expected Jehoiachin to return. Jeremiah’s prophecy dispels this hope, despite the words of Hananiah (28:4).

24 “As surely as I live,” declares the Lord, “even if you, Jehoiachin[a](A) son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring(B) on my right hand, I would still pull you off. 25 I will deliver(C) you into the hands of those who want to kill you, those you fear—Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Babylonians.[b] 26 I will hurl(D) you and the mother(E) who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die. 27 You will never come back to the land you long to return(F) to.”

28 Is this man Jehoiachin(G) a despised, broken pot,(H)
    an object no one wants?
Why will he and his children be hurled(I) out,
    cast into a land(J) they do not know?
29 O land,(K) land, land,
    hear the word of the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
“Record this man as if childless,(L)
    a man who will not prosper(M) in his lifetime,
for none of his offspring(N) will prosper,
    none will sit on the throne(O) of David
    or rule anymore in Judah.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:24 Hebrew Koniah, a variant of Jehoiachin; also in verse 28
  2. Jeremiah 22:25 Or Chaldeans

24 As I live, saith the Lord, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;

25 And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

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

27 But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.

28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?

29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the Lord.

30 Thus saith the Lord, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

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Message to Coniah

24 As I live,” says the Lord, (A)“though [a]Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, (B)were the [b]signet on My right hand, yet I would pluck you off; 25 (C)and I will give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of those whose face you fear—the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the hand of the [c]Chaldeans. 26 (D)So I will cast you out, and your mother who bore you, into another country where you were not born; and there you shall die. 27 But to the land to which they desire to return, there they shall not return.

28 “Is this man [d]Coniah a despised, broken idol—
(E)A vessel in which is no pleasure?
Why are they cast out, he and his descendants,
And cast into a land which they do not know?
29 (F)O earth, earth, earth,
Hear the word of the Lord!
30 Thus says the Lord:
‘Write this man down as (G)childless,
A man who shall not prosper in his days;
For (H)none of his descendants shall prosper,
Sitting on the throne of David,
And ruling anymore in Judah.’ ”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:24 Or Jeconiah or Jehoiachin
  2. Jeremiah 22:24 signet ring
  3. Jeremiah 22:25 Or Babylonians
  4. Jeremiah 22:28 See note at v. 24