Jeremiah 22
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Exhortation to Repent
22 Thus says the Lord: Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,(A) 2 and say: Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah sitting on the throne of David—you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates.(B) 3 Thus says the Lord: Act with justice and righteousness and deliver from the hand of the oppressor anyone who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the orphan, and the widow, or shed innocent blood in this place.(C) 4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then through the gates of this house shall enter kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses—they, their servants, and their people. 5 But if you will not heed these words, I swear by myself, says the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.(D) 6 For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah:
You are like Gilead to me,
like the summit of Lebanon,
but I swear that I will make you a desert,
uninhabited cities.(E)
7 I will prepare destroyers against you,
all with their weapons;
they shall cut down your choicest cedars
and cast them into the fire.(F)
8 And many nations will pass by this city, and all of them will say one to another, “Why has the Lord dealt in this way with that great city?”(G) 9 And they will answer, “Because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”(H)
10 Do not weep for him who is dead,
nor bemoan him;
weep rather for him who goes away,
for he shall return no more
to see his native land.(I)
Message to the Sons of Josiah
11 For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum son of King Josiah of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah and who went away from this place: He shall return here no more, 12 but in the place where they have carried him captive he shall die, and he shall never see this land again.
13 Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness
and his upper rooms by injustice,
who makes his neighbors work for nothing
and does not give them their wages,(J)
14 who says, “I will build myself a spacious house
with large upper rooms,”
and who cuts out windows[a] for it,
paneling it with cedar
and painting it with vermilion.(K)
15 Are you a king
because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
and do justice and righteousness?
Then it was well with him.(L)
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
says the Lord.(M)
17 But your eyes and heart
are only on your dishonest gain,
for shedding innocent blood,
and for practicing oppression and violence.(N)
18 Therefore thus says the Lord concerning King Jehoiakim son of Josiah of Judah:
They shall not lament for him, saying,
“Alas, my brother!” or “Alas, sister!”
They shall not lament for him, saying,
“Alas, lord!” or “Alas, his majesty!”(O)
19 With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried:
dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.(P)
20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
and lift up your voice in Bashan;
cry out from Abarim,
for all your lovers are crushed.(Q)
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity,
but you said, “I will not listen.”
This has been your way from your youth,
for you have not obeyed my voice.(R)
22 The wind shall shepherd all your shepherds,
and your lovers shall go into captivity;
then you will be ashamed and dismayed
because of all your wickedness.(S)
23 O inhabitant of Lebanon,
nested among the cedars,
how you will groan[b] when pangs come upon you,
pain as of a woman in labor!
Judgment on Coniah (Jehoiachin)
24 As I live, says the Lord, even if King Coniah son of Jehoiakim of Judah were the signet ring on my right hand, even from there I would tear you off(T) 25 and give you into the hands of those who seek your life, into the hands of those whom you fear, even into the hands of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and into the hands of the Chaldeans.(U) 26 I will hurl you and the mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born, and there you shall die.(V) 27 But they shall not return to the land to which they long to return.
28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken pot,
a vessel no one wants?
Why are he and his offspring hurled out
and cast away in a land that they do not know?
29 O land, land, land,
hear the word of the Lord!(W)
30 Thus says the Lord:
Record this man as childless,
a man who shall not succeed in his days,
for none of his offspring shall succeed
in sitting on the throne of David
and ruling again in Judah.(X)
Jeremiah 22
New American Standard Bible
Warning of Jerusalem’s Fall
22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and there speak this word, 2 and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who (A)sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. 3 This is what the Lord says: “(B)Do justice and righteousness, and save one who has been robbed from the power of his (C)oppressor. And (D)do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not (E)shed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if you will indeed perform this [a]instruction, then (F)kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting [b]in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, the king himself, his servants, and his people. 5 (G)But if you will not obey these words, I (H)swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that this house will become a place of ruins.”’” 6 For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah:
“You are like (I)Gilead to Me,
Like the summit of Lebanon;
Yet most assuredly I will make you a (J)wilderness,
Cities that are not inhabited.
7 For I will set apart (K)destroyers against you,
Each with his weapons;
And they will (L)cut down your choicest cedars
And (M)throw them on the fire.
8 “Many nations will pass by this city; and they will (N)say to one another, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this great city?’ 9 Then they will [c]answer, ‘Because they (O)abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”
10 (P)Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him,
But weep deeply for the one who goes away;
For (Q)he will never return
Or see his native land.
11 For this is what the Lord says regarding [d](R)Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of his father Josiah, who went out from this place: “He will never return there; 12 but in the place where they took him into exile, there he will (S)die and he will not see this land again.
Messages about the Kings
13 “Woe to him who builds his house (T)without righteousness,
And his upstairs rooms without justice,
Who uses his neighbor’s services without pay
And (U)does not give him his wages,
14 Who says, ‘I will (V)build myself a large house
With spacious upstairs rooms,
And cut out its windows,
[e]Paneling it with (W)cedar and painting it [f]bright red.’
15 Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar?
Did your father not eat and drink
And (X)do justice and righteousness?
Then it was (Y)well for him.
16 He pled the cause of the (Z)afflicted and the poor,
Then it was well.
(AA)Is that not what it means to know Me?”
Declares the Lord.
17 “But your eyes and your heart
Are intent only upon your own (AB)dishonest gain,
And on (AC)shedding innocent blood,
And on practicing oppression and extortion.”
18 Therefore this is what the Lord says regarding (AD)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:
“They will not (AE)mourn for him:
‘(AF)Oh, my brother!’ or, ‘Oh, sister!’
They will not mourn for him:
‘Oh, for the master!’ or, ‘Oh, for his splendor!’
19 He will be (AG)buried with a donkey’s burial,
Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out,
And raise your voice in Bashan;
Cry out also from (AH)Abarim,
For all your (AI)lovers have been crushed.
21 I spoke to you in your prosperity;
But (AJ)you said, ‘I will not listen!’
(AK)This has been your way (AL)from your youth,
That you have not obeyed My voice.
22 The wind will sweep away all your (AM)shepherds,
And your (AN)lovers will go into captivity;
Then you will certainly be (AO)ashamed and humiliated
Because of all your wickedness.
23 You who live in Lebanon,
Nested in the cedars,
How you will groan when sharp pains come on you,
(AP)Pain like a woman in childbirth!
24 “As I live,” declares the Lord, “even if [g](AQ)Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a (AR)signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull [h]you [i]off; 25 and I will (AS)hand you over to those who are seeking your life, yes, to those of whom you are frightened, that is, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans. 26 I will (AT)hurl you and your (AU)mother who gave birth to you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. 27 But as for the land to which they long to return, they will not return to it.
28 Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar?
Or is he an (AV)undesirable vessel?
Why have he and his descendants been (AW)hurled out
And cast into a (AX)land that they had not known?
29 (AY)O land, land, land,
Hear the word of the Lord!
30 This is what the Lord says:
‘Write this man down as (AZ)childless,
A man who will (BA)not prosper in his days;
For no man among his (BB)descendants will prosper
Sitting on the throne of David
Or ruling again in Judah.’”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 22:4 Lit word
- Jeremiah 22:4 Lit for David
- Jeremiah 22:9 Lit say
- Jeremiah 22:11 I.e., Jehoahaz
- Jeremiah 22:14 Or Paneled
- Jeremiah 22:14 Or vermilion
- Jeremiah 22:24 I.e., Jehoiachin
- Jeremiah 22:24 I.e., Jehoiachin
- Jeremiah 22:24 Lit off from there
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.
