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

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