A Message concerning Jehoiakim

13 Woe for the one who builds his palace
through unrighteousness,(A)
his upstairs rooms through injustice,
who makes his neighbor serve without pay
and will not give him his wages,(B)
14 who says, “I will build myself a massive palace,
with spacious upstairs rooms.”
He will cut windows[a] in it,
and it will be paneled with cedar(C)
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?(D)
Then it went well with him.
16 He took up the case of the poor and needy;(E)
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.(F)

18 Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim(G) 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,(H)
dragged off and thrown
outside Jerusalem’s gates.

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Footnotes

  1. 22:14 Lit my windows

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.”

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