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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 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.