13 (A)“Woe to him who builds his house by (B)unrighteousness,
    and his upper rooms by injustice,
(C)who makes his neighbor serve him for nothing
    and does not give him his wages,
14 who says, ‘I will build myself a great house
    with spacious upper rooms,’
who cuts out windows for it,
    paneling it with cedar
    and (D)painting it with vermilion.
15 Do you think you are a king
    because you compete in cedar?
Did not your father eat and drink
    and (E)do justice and righteousness?
    (F)Then it was well with him.
16 (G)He judged the cause of the poor and needy;
    (H)then it was well.
Is not this (I)to know me?
    declares the Lord.
17 But you have eyes and heart
    only for your dishonest gain,
(J)for shedding innocent blood,
    and for practicing oppression and violence.”

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

(K)“They shall not lament for him, saying,
    (L)‘Ah, my brother!’ or ‘Ah, sister!’
They shall not lament for him, saying,
    (M)‘Ah, lord!’ or ‘Ah, his majesty!’
19 With the burial of a donkey (N)he shall be buried,
    dragged and dumped beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

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A Message concerning Jehoiakim

13 Woe for the one who builds his palace
through unrighteousness,(A)
his upper rooms through injustice,
who makes his fellow man serve without pay
and will not give him his wages,(B)
14 who says, “I will build myself a massive palace,
with spacious upper rooms.”
He will cut windows[a] in it,
and it will be paneled with cedar
and painted with vermilion.
15 Are you a king because you excel in cedar?
Didn’t your father eat and drink
and administer justice and righteousness?(C)
Then it went well with him.
16 He took up the case of the poor and needy,
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.

18 Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim(D) 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,(E)
dragged off and thrown
outside the gates of Jerusalem.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 22:14 Lit My windows