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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

A Message About Jehoiakim

13 Woe to him who builds his house through unrighteousness
and his roof with injustice,
who makes his neighbors work for nothing
and does not pay them,
14 who says, “I will build a huge mansion for myself
    with spacious upper rooms.”
He makes large windows for it,
panels it with cedar,
and paints it red.

15 Does it make you a king when you are extravagant with cedar?
Didn’t your father eat and drink,
and do what was just and right?
Then it went well for him.
16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy,
and it went well.
Isn’t this what it means to know me? declares the Lord.
17 But your eyes and your heart are greedy for gain,
    for shedding innocent blood,
    for oppression, and committing violence.

18 Therefore this is what the Lord says concerning
Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:
    They will not mourn for him,
“Oh, my brother! Oh, my sister!”
They will not mourn for him,
“Oh, my master! Oh, his glory!”
19 He will be buried with the burial of a donkey—
dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.

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