Warning of Jerusalem’s Fall

22 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and there speak this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, who (A)sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates. This is what the Lord says: “(B)Do justice and righteousness, and save one who has been robbed from the power of his (C)oppressor. And (D)do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not (E)shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed perform this [a]instruction, then (F)kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting [b]in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, the king himself, his servants, and his people. (G)But if you will not obey these words, I (H)swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that this house will become a place of ruins.”’” For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah:

“You are like (I)Gilead to Me,
Like the summit of Lebanon;
Yet most assuredly I will make you a (J)wilderness,
Cities that are not inhabited.
For I will set apart (K)destroyers against you,
Each with his weapons;
And they will (L)cut down your choicest cedars
And (M)throw them on the fire.

“Many nations will pass by this city; and they will (N)say to one another, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this great city?’ Then they will [c]answer, ‘Because they (O)abandoned the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:4 Lit word
  2. Jeremiah 22:4 Lit for David
  3. Jeremiah 22:9 Lit say

Exhortation to Repent

22 Thus says the Lord: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, and say, ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O King of Judah, who sit on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter these gates. Thus says the Lord: Do justice and righteousness, and deliver from the hand of the oppressor him who has been robbed. And do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless, and the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. For if you will indeed obey this word, then there shall enter the gates of this house kings who sit on the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, they, and their servants, and their people. But if you will not heed these words, I swear by myself, says the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation. For thus says the Lord concerning the house of the king of Judah:

“‘You are as Gilead to me,
    as the summit of Lebanon,
yet surely I will make you a desert,
    an uninhabited city.[a]
I will prepare destroyers against you,
    each with his weapons;
and they shall cut down your choicest cedars,
    and cast them into the fire.

“‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this great city?” And they will answer, “Because they forsook the covenant of the Lord their God, and worshiped other gods and served them.”’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:6 Cn: Heb cities