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13 “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,
    and his rooms by injustice;
who uses his neighbor’s service without wages,
    and doesn’t give him his hire;
14 who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house and spacious rooms,’
    and cuts out windows for himself;
with a cedar ceiling,
    and painted with red.

15 “Should you reign, because you strive to excel in cedar?
    Didn’t your father eat and drink,
    and do justice and righteousness?
    Then it was well with him.
16 He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
    so it was well, then.
Wasn’t this to know me?”
    says Yahweh.
17 But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness,
    for shedding innocent blood,
    for oppression, and for doing violence.”

18 Therefore Yahweh says concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah:

“They won’t lament for him,
    saying, ‘Ah my brother!’ or, ‘Ah sister!’
They won’t lament for him,
    saying ‘Ah lord!’ or, ‘Ah his glory!’
19 He will be buried with the burial of a donkey,
    drawn and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

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A Message about Jehoiakim

13 And 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.
14 He 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.’
15 But 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.
16 He 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.”

18 Therefore, 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!’
19 He will be buried like a dead donkey—
    dragged out of Jerusalem and dumped outside the gates!

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Footnotes

  1. 22:13a The brother and successor of the exiled Jehoahaz. See 22:18.
  2. 22:13b Hebrew by unrighteousness.