13 (A)“Woe to him who builds his house by (B)unrighteousness,
    and his upper rooms by injustice,
(C)who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing
    and does not give him his wages,
14 who says, ‘I will build myself a great house
    with spacious upper rooms,’
who cuts out windows for it,
    paneling it with cedar
    and (D)painting it with vermilion.
15 Do you think you are a king
    because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
    and (E)do justice and righteousness?
    (F)Then it was well with him.
16 (G)He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
    (H)then it was well.
Is not this (I)to know me?
    declares the Lord.
17 But you have eyes and heart
    only for your dishonest gain,
(J)for shedding innocent blood,
    and for practicing oppression and violence.”

18 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

(K)“They shall not lament for him, saying,
    (L)‘Ah, my brother!’ or ‘Ah, sister!’
They shall not lament for him, saying,
    (M)‘Ah, lord!’ or ‘Ah, his majesty!’
19 With the burial of a donkey (N)he shall be buried,
    dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

20 “Go up to Lebanon, and cry out,
    and lift up your voice in Bashan;
cry out from (O)Abarim,
    for all (P)your lovers are destroyed.
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity,
    but you said, ‘I will not listen.’
(Q)This has been your way from (R)your youth,
    that you have not obeyed my voice.
22 (S)The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,
    and (T)your lovers shall go into captivity;
(U)then you will be ashamed and confounded
    because of all your evil.
23 O inhabitant of (V)Lebanon,
    nested among the cedars,
how you will be pitied when pangs come upon you,
    (W)pain as of a woman in labor!”

Read full chapter

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

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,(G)
    so all went well(H) with him.
16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy,(I)
    and so all went well.
Is that not what it means to know(J) me?”
    declares the Lord.
17 “But your eyes and your heart
    are set only on dishonest gain,(K)
on shedding innocent blood(L)
    and on oppression and extortion.”(M)

18 Therefore this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:

“They will not mourn(N) for him:
    ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’
They will not mourn for him:
    ‘Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!’
19 He will have the burial(O) of a donkey—
    dragged away and thrown(P)
    outside the gates of Jerusalem.”

20 “Go up to Lebanon and cry out,(Q)
    let your voice be heard in Bashan,(R)
cry out from Abarim,(S)
    for all your allies(T) are crushed.
21 I warned you when you felt secure,(U)
    but you said, ‘I will not listen!’
This has been your way from your youth;(V)
    you have not obeyed(W) me.
22 The wind(X) will drive all your shepherds(Y) away,
    and your allies(Z) will go into exile.
Then you will be ashamed and disgraced(AA)
    because of all your wickedness.
23 You who live in ‘Lebanon,[a](AB)
    who are nestled in cedar buildings,
how you will groan when pangs come upon you,
    pain(AC) like that of a woman in labor!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:23 That is, the palace in Jerusalem (see 1 Kings 7:2)