Jeremiah 22:13-23

New Living Translation

A Message about Jehoiakim

¹³And the Lord says, “What sorrow awaits Jehoiakim,^[a]
    who builds his palace with forced labor.^[b]
He builds injustice into its walls,
    for he makes his neighbors work for nothing.
    He does not pay them for their labor.
¹⁴He says, ‘I will build a magnificent palace
    with huge rooms and many windows.
I will panel it throughout with fragrant cedar
    and paint it a lovely red.’
¹⁵But a beautiful cedar palace does not make a great king!
    Your father, Josiah, also had plenty to eat and drink.
But he was just and right in all his dealings.
    That is why God blessed him.
¹⁶He gave justice and help to the poor and needy,
    and everything went well for him.
Isn’t that what it means to know me?”
    says the Lord.
¹⁷“But you! You have eyes only for greed and dishonesty!
    You murder the innocent,
    oppress the poor, and reign ruthlessly.”

¹⁸Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of King Josiah:

“The people will not mourn for him, crying to one another,
    ‘Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!’
His subjects will not mourn for him, crying,
    ‘Alas, our master is dead! Alas, his splendor is gone!’
¹⁹He will be buried like a dead donkey—
    dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates!
²⁰Weep for your allies in Lebanon.
    Shout for them in Bashan.
Search for them in the regions east of the river.^[c]
    See, they are all destroyed.
    Not one is left to help you.
²¹I warned you when you were prosperous,
    but you replied, ‘Don’t bother me.’
You have been that way since childhood—
    you simply will not obey me!
²²And now the wind will blow away your allies.
    All your friends will be taken away as captives.
    Surely then you will see your wickedness and be ashamed.
²³It may be nice to live in a beautiful palace
    paneled with wood from the cedars of Lebanon,
but soon you will groan with pangs of anguish—
    anguish like that of a woman in labor.