Judgment Against Sinful Kings
1 Thus says the Lord, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and speak this word there:
1 Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
1 Thus says the Lord, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word
1 This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and announce this word there.
1 This is what the LORD says: "Go down to the house of the king of Judah and tell him this:
2 ‘Hear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David—you and your servants and your people who enter by these gates.
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 in by these gates:
2 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.
2 You are to say: Hear the word of the Lord, king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David—you, your officers, and your people who enter these gates.
2 "Listen to this message from the LORD, king of Judah, you who sit on the throne of David you, your officials, and your people who enter these gates.
3 Thus says the Lord, “Execute justice and righteousness, and rescue the one who has been robbed from the hand of his oppressor. And do no wrong; do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place.
3 Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled 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.
3 Thus says the Lord, “(B)Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his (C)oppressor. Also (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.
3 This is what the Lord says: Administer justice and righteousness.(A) Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor.(B) Don’t exploit or brutalize the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Don’t shed innocent blood in this place.
3 This is what the LORD says: "Uphold justice and righteousness. Deliver from their oppressor those who have been robbed. Don't mistreat or do violence to the alien, the orphan, or the widow, or shed the blood of innocent people in this place.
4 For if you will indeed obey this word, then kings will enter through the gates of this palace, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people.
4 For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in 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.
4 For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then (F)kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting (a)in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people.
4 For if you conscientiously carry out this word, then kings sitting on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace(C) riding on chariots and horses—they, their officers, and their people.
4 Rather, carefully obey this message, and then kings sitting for David on his throne and riding in chariots and on horses will enter the gates of this house. The king will enter along with his officials and his people.
5 But if you will not hear and obey these words, I swear [an oath] by Myself,” says the Lord, “that this house will become a desolation.”’”
5 But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation.
5 (G)But if you will not obey these words, I (H)swear by Myself,” declares the Lord, “that this house will become a desolation.”’”
5 But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by Myself”—this is the Lord’s declaration—“that this house will become a ruin.”(D)
5 But if you don't listen to these words, I swear," declares the LORD, "that this house will become a ruin."'"
6 For thus says the Lord in regard to the house of the king of Judah:“You are [as valuable] to Me as [the green pastures of] Gilead [east of the Jordan]Or as the [plentiful] summit of Lebanon [west of the Jordan],Yet most certainly [if you will not listen to Me] I will make you a wilderness,And uninhabited cities.
6 For thus saith the LORD unto the king's house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited.
6 For thus says the Lord 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 like a (J)wilderness,Like cities which are not inhabited.
6 For this is what the Lord says concerning the house of the king of Judah:You are like Gilead to Me,or the summit of Lebanon,but I will certainly turn you into a wilderness,uninhabited cities.
6 For this is what the LORD says about the house of the king of Judah, "You are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon. Yet I'll surely make you a desert, towns where no one lives.
7 “For I will prepare and appoint destroyers [to execute My judgments] against you,Each with his weapons;And they will cut down your [palaces built of] choicest cedarsAnd throw them in the fire.
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.
7 “For I will set apart (K)destroyers against you,Each with his weapons;And they will (L)cut down your choicest cedarsAnd (M)throw them on the fire.
7 I will appoint destroyers against you,each with his weapons.They will cut down the choicest of your cedarsand throw them into the fire.
7 I'll appoint people to destroy you men with their weapons. They'll cut down some of your choice cedars and incinerate them.
8 “Many nations will pass by this city; and each man will say to another, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this great city?’
8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city?
8 “Many nations will pass by this city; and they will (N)say to one another, ‘Why has the Lord done thus to this great city?’
8 “Many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why did the Lord do such a thing to this great city?’
8 "Many nations will pass by this city and say to one another, "Why did the LORD do this to this great city?'
9 Then they will answer, ‘Because the people ignored and abandoned the [solemn] covenant with the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them.’”
9 Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.
9 Then they will (b)answer, ‘Because they (O)forsook the covenant of the Lord their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’”
9 They will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant(E) of Yahweh their God and worshiped and served other gods.’”(F)
9 Then people will respond, "It is because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have bowed down to other gods and served them.'
A Message Concerning Shallum
10 Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him;But weep bitterly for the one who goes away [into exile],For he will never returnAnd see his native country [again].
10 Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country.
10 (P)Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him,But weep continually for the one who goes away;For (Q)he will never returnOr see his native land.
10 Do not weep for the dead;do not mourn for him.Weep bitterly for the one(a) who has gone away,for he will never return againand see his native land.
10 "Don't cry for the dead or grieve for them. Weep bitterly for the one going away, because he won't return again nor see the land of his birth.
Message To The Sons Of Josiah
11 For thus says the Lord in regard to Shallum (Jehoahaz) the [third] son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father and who went from this place, “Shallum will not return here anymore;
11 For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more:
11 For thus says the Lord in regard to (c)(R)Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, “He will never return there;
11 For this is what the Lord says concerning Shallum(G) son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in place of his father Josiah: “He has left this place—he will never return here again,
11 "For this is what the LORD says about Josiah's son Shallum, king of Judah, who reigned in place of his father Josiah: "He went out from this place and won't return to it again.
12 he will die in the place where they led him captive and not see this land again.
12 But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.
12 but he will die in the place where they deported him, never seeing this land again.”
12 He will die in the place where they exiled him, and he won't ever see this land again.'"
A Message Concerning Jehoiakim
13 “Woe (judgment is coming) to him who builds his house by [acts of] unrighteousnessAnd his upper chambers by injustice,Who uses his neighbor’s service without payAnd does not give him wages [for his work],
13 Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour's service without wages, and giveth him not for his work;
13 “Woe to him who builds his house (T)without righteousnessAnd his (d)upper rooms without justice,Who uses his neighbor’s services without payAnd (U)does not give him his wages,
13 Woe for the one who builds his palacethrough unrighteousness,(H)his upper rooms through injustice,who makes his fellow man serve without payand will not give him his wages,(I)
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 Who says, ‘I will build myself a spacious houseWith large upper rooms,And cut out its [wide] windows,And panel it with cedar and paint it vermilion.’
14 That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.
14 Who says, ‘I will (V)build myself a roomy houseWith spacious (e)upper rooms,And cut out its windows,(f)Paneling it with (W)cedar and painting it (g)bright red.’
14 who says, “I will build myself a massive palace,with spacious upper rooms.”He will cut windows(b) in it,and it will be paneled with cedarand painted with vermilion.
14 How terrible for 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 “Do you think that you become a king because you have much more cedar [in your palace than Solomon]?Did not your father [Josiah], as he ate and drank,Do just and righteous acts [being upright and in right standing with God]?Then all was well with him.
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?
15 “Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar?Did not your father eat and drinkAnd (X)do justice and righteousness?Then it was (Y)well with him.
15 Are you a king because you excel in cedar?Didn’t your father eat and drinkand administer justice and righteousness?(J)Then it went well with him.
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 defended the cause of the afflicted and needy;Then all was well.Is that not what it means to know Me?”Says the Lord.
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.
16 “He pled the cause of the (Z)afflicted and needy;Then it was well.(AA)Is not that what it means to know Me?”Declares the Lord.
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.
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 your heartAre only intent on your own dishonest gain,On shedding innocent blood,On oppression and extortion and violence.”
17 But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.
17 “But your eyes and your heartAre intent only upon your own (AB)dishonest gain,And on (AC)shedding innocent bloodAnd on practicing oppression and extortion.”
17 But you have eyes and a heart for nothingexcept your own dishonest profit,shedding innocent bloodand committing extortion and oppression.
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 thus says the Lord in regard to (a)Jehoiakim the [second] son of Josiah, king of Judah,“The relatives will not lament (mourn over with expressions of grief) for him:‘Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister,’ [how great our loss]!The subjects will not lament for him:‘Alas, master!’ or ‘Alas, majesty [how great was his glory]!’
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!
18 Therefore thus says the Lord in regard to (AD)Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah,“They will not (AE)lament for him:‘(AF)Alas, my brother!’ or, ‘Alas, sister!’They will not lament for him:‘Alas for the master!’ or, ‘Alas for his splendor!’
18 Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim(K) 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!”
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: "How terrible, my brother, How terrible, my sister!' They won't lament for him with these words: "How terrible, lord, How terrible, your majesty!'
19 “(b)He shall be buried with the burial of a donkey—Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
19 He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
19 “He will be (AG)buried with a donkey’s burial,Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
19 He will receive a donkey's burial, dragged out and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem."
Jeremiah's Message About The Fate Of Jerusalem
20 “Go up [north] to Lebanon and cry out,And raise your voice in [the hills of] Bashan [across the Jordan];Cry out also from (c)Abarim,For all your lovers (allies) have been destroyed.(A)
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.
20 “Go up to Lebanon and cry out,And lift up your voice in Bashan;Cry out also from (AH)Abarim,For all your (AI)lovers have been crushed.
20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out;raise your voice in Bashan;cry out from Abarim,(M)for all your lovers(c) have been crushed.(N)
20 Go up to Lebanon and cry out, to Bashan and lift up your voice. Cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers have been crushed.
21 “I spoke to you in your [times of] prosperity,But you said, ‘I will not listen!’This has been your attitude and practice from your youth;You have not obeyed My voice.
21 I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.
21 “I spoke to you in your prosperity;But (AJ)you said, ‘I will not listen!’(AK)This has been your practice (AL)from your youth,That you have not obeyed My voice.
21 I spoke to you when you were secure.You said, “I will not listen.”This has been your way since youth;(O)indeed, you have never listened to Me.
21 I spoke to you when you were secure, but you said, "I won't listen!" This has been your way since your youth, for you haven't obeyed me.
22 “The wind [of adversity] will carry away all your shepherds (rulers, statesmen),And your lovers (allies) will go into exile.Surely then you will be ashamed and humiliated and disgracedBecause of all your wickedness.
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.
22 “The wind will sweep away all your (AM)shepherds,And your (AN)lovers will go into captivity;Then you will surely be (AO)ashamed and humiliatedBecause of all your wickedness.
22 The wind will take charge of(d) all your shepherds,and your lovers(e) will go into captivity.Then you will be ashamed and humiliated(P)because of all your evil.
22 The wind will shepherd all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into exile. Indeed, you will then be ashamed and humiliated because of all your wickedness.
23 “O inhabitant of [Jerusalem, whose palaces are made from the cedars of] Lebanon,You who nest in the cedars,How you will groan and how miserable you will be when pains come on you,Pain like a woman in childbirth!(B)
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!
23 “You who dwell in Lebanon,Nested in the cedars,How you will groan when pangs come upon you,(AP)Pain like a woman in childbirth!
23 You residents of Lebanon,nestled among the cedars,how you will groan(f) when labor pains come on you,agony like a woman in labor.(Q)
23 You who live in Lebanon, who build your nest in the cedars, how you will groan when pains come upon you, pain like that of a woman giving birth.
A Message Concerning Coniah
24 “As I live,” says the Lord, “though (d)Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet [ring] on My right hand, yet would I pull you (Coniah) off.
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;
24 “As I live,” declares the Lord, “even though (h)(AQ)Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a (AR)signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull (i)you (j)off;
24 “As I live,” says the Lord, “though you, Coniah(g)(R) son of Jehoiakim, the king of Judah, were a signet ring(S) on My right hand, I would tear you from it.
24 "As certainly as I'm alive and living," declares the LORD, "even if Jehoiakim's son King Jehoiachin of Judah were a signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off
25 And I will place you in the hand of those who seek your life and in the hand of those whom you fear, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the (e)Chaldeans.
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 Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
25 and I will (AS)give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and into the hand of the Chaldeans.
25 In fact, I will hand you over to those you dread,(T) who want to take your life, to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans.
25 and give you to those who are trying to kill you, whom you fear that is, to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Chaldeans.
26 I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another country where you were not born, and there you will die.
26 And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die.
26 I will (AT)hurl you and your (AU)mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die.
26 I will hurl you and the mother who gave birth(U) to you into another land,(V) where neither of you were born, and there you will both die.
26 I'll hurl you and the mother who gave birth to you into another land where you were not born, and there you will die.
27 But as for the land to which they long to return, they will not return to it.
27 But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.
27 But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it.
27 They will never return to the land they long to return to.”
27 As for the land to which you want to return, you won't return there!
28 “Is this man [King] Coniah a despised, broken jar?Is he a vessel in which no one takes pleasure?Why are he and his [royal] descendants hurled outAnd cast into a land which they do not know or understand?
28 Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not?
28 “Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar?Or is he an (AV)undesirable vessel?Why have he and his descendants been (AW)hurled outAnd cast into a (AX)land that they had not known?
28 Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered pot,(W)a jar no one wants?Why are he and his descendants hurled outand cast into a land they have not known?
28 "Is this man Jehoiachin a despised and shattered jar, a vessel no one wants? Why were he and his descendants hurled away, thrown into a land that they didn't know?
30 Thus says the Lord,‘Write this man [Coniah] down as childless,A man who will not prosper (succeed) in his lifetime;For not one of his descendants will succeedIn sitting on the throne of DavidOr ruling again in Judah.’”
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.
30 “Thus says the Lord,‘Write this man down (AZ)childless,A man who will (BA)not prosper in his days;For no man of his (BB)descendants will prosperSitting on the throne of DavidOr ruling again in Judah.’”
30 This is what the Lord says:Record this man as childless,(X)a man who will not be successful in his lifetime.None of his descendants will succeedin sitting on the throne of David(Y)or ruling again in Judah.
30 This is what the LORD says: "Write this man off as childless, a man who does not prosper in his lifetime. None of his descendants will succeed in sitting on the throne of David, or ever ruling in Judah again.'"