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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,(A)
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.(B)
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.(C)
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
    then it was well.
Is not this to know me?
    says the Lord.(D)
17 But your eyes and heart
    are only on your dishonest gain,
for shedding innocent blood,
    and for practicing oppression and violence.(E)

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!”(F)
19 With the burial of a donkey he shall be buried:
    dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.(G)

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Footnotes

  1. 22.14 Gk Vg Syr Tg: MT my windows

An Oracle against Jehoiakim

13 “How terrible for him who builds his house
    without righteousness,
and its upper rooms without justice,
    who makes his neighbor work for nothing,
    and does not pay him his wage.
14 How terrible for[a] him who says, ‘I’ll build a large
    house for myself with spacious upper rooms,
who cuts out windows for it,
    paneling it with cedar and painting it red.’
15 Are you a king because you try to outdo
    everyone with cedar?
Your father ate and drank and upheld
    justice and righteousness, did he not?
        And then it went well for him.
16 He judged the case of the poor and needy.
    And then it went well for him.
        Isn’t this what it means to know me?
17 But your eyes and heart are on nothing but
    your dishonest gain,
shedding the blood of innocent people,
    and practicing oppression and extortion.”

18 Therefore, this is what the Lord says about Josiah’s son Jehoiakim, king of Judah,

“They won’t lament for him with these words:[b]
    ‘How terrible, my brother,
        How terrible, my sister!’
They won’t lament for him with these words:[c]
    ‘How terrible, lord,
        How terrible, your[d] majesty!’
19 He will receive[e] a donkey’s burial,
    dragged out and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:14 The Heb. lacks How terrible for
  2. Jeremiah 22:18 The Heb. lacks with these words
  3. Jeremiah 22:18 The Heb. lacks with these words
  4. Jeremiah 22:18 The Heb. lacks your
  5. Jeremiah 22:19 Lit. be buried with