Jeremiah 22

1 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,

The LORD said, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak this word there:

2 And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter by these gates:

‘Hear the LORD’s word, king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne—you, your servants, and your people who enter in by these gates.

3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver him that is laid waste out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.

The LORD says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place.

4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter, by the gates of this house, kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.

For if you do this thing indeed, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter in by the gates of this house, riding in chariots and on horses—they, their servants, and their people.

5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.

But if you will not hear these words, I swear by myself,” says the LORD, “that this house will become a desolation.”’”

6 For thus saith the LORD to the king's house of Judah; Thou [art] Gilead to me, [and] the head of Lebanon; [yet] surely I will make thee a wilderness, [and] cities [which] are not inhabited.

For the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are Gilead to me, the head of Lebanon. Yet surely I will make you a wilderness, cities which are not inhabited.

7 And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast [them] into the fire.

I will prepare destroyers against you, everyone with his weapons, and they will cut down your choice cedars, and cast them into the fire.

8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbor, Why hath the LORD done thus to this great city?

“Many nations will pass by this city, and they will each ask his neighbor, ‘Why has the LORD done this to this great city?’

9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshiped other gods, and served them.

Then they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of the LORD their God, worshiped other gods, and served them.’”

10 Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: [but] weep bitterly for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.

Don’t weep for the dead. Don’t bemoan him; but weep bitterly for him who goes away, for he will return no more, and not see his native country.

11 For thus saith the LORD concerning Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place; He shall not return thither any more:

For the LORD says touching Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went out of this place: “He won’t return there any more.

12 But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.

But he will die in the place where they have led him captive. He will see this land no more.”

13 Woe to him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; [that] useth his neighbor's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;

“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 That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and [it is] ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

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 Shalt thou reign, because thou closest [thyself] in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, [and] then [it was] well with him?

“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; then [it was] well [with him]: [was] not this to know me? saith the LORD.

He judged the cause of the poor and needy; so then it was well. Wasn’t this to know me?” says the LORD.

17 But thy eyes and thy heart [are] only for thy covetousness, and for shedding innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do [it].

But your eyes and your heart are only for your covetousness, for shedding innocent blood, for oppression, and for doing violence.”

18 Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, [saying], Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, [saying], Ah lord! or, Ah his glory!

Therefore the LORD 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 shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.

He will be buried with the burial of a donkey, drawn and cast out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.”

20 Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed.

“Go up to Lebanon, and cry out. Lift up your voice in Bashan, and cry from Abarim; for all your lovers have been destroyed.

21 I spoke to thee in thy prosperity; [but] thou saidest, I will not hear. This [hath been] thy manner from thy youth, that thou hast not obeyed my voice.

I spoke to you in your prosperity, but you said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice.

22 The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness.

The wind will feed all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Surely then you will be ashamed and confounded for all your wickedness.

23 O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!

Inhabitant of Lebanon, who makes your nest in the cedars, how greatly to be pitied you will be when pangs come on you, the pain as of a woman in travail!

24 [As] I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence;

“As I live,” says the LORD, “though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet on my right hand, I would still pluck you from there.

25 And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand [of them] whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.

I would give you into the hand of those who seek your life, and into the hand of them of whom you are afraid, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Kasdim.

26 And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bore thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.

I will cast you out with your mother who bore you into another country, where you were not born; and there you will die.

27 But to the land to which they desire to return, thither shall they not return.

But to the land to which their soul longs to return, there they will not return.”

28 [Is] this man Coniah a despised broken idol? [is he] a vessel in which [is] no pleasure? why are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?

Is this man Coniah a despised broken vessel? Is he a vessel in which no one delights? Why are they cast out, he and his offspring, and cast into a land which they don’t know?

29 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD.

O earth, earth, earth, hear the LORD’s word!

30 Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man [that] shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.

The LORD says, “Record this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his days; for no more will a man of his offspring prosper, sitting on David’s throne and ruling in Judah.”