1Thus said YHWH: “Go down [to] the house of the king of Judah, and you have spoken this word there, and have said,

2Hear a word of YHWH, O king of Judah, who are sitting on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people, who are coming in at these gates,”

3Thus said YHWH: “Do judgment and righteousness, || And deliver the plundered from the hand of the oppressor, || And sojourner, orphan, and widow, you do not oppress nor wrong, || And innocent blood you do not shed in this place.

4For if you certainly do this thing, || Then kings sitting for David on his throne || Have come in by the gates of this house, || Riding on chariot, and on horses, || He, and his servants, and his people.

5And if you do not hear these words, || I have sworn by Myself,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “That this house is for a desolation.”

6For thus said YHWH concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You [are] Gilead to Me—head of Lebanon, || If not—I make you a wilderness, || Cities [that] are not inhabited.

7And I have separated destroyers for you, || Each with his weapons, || And they have cut down the choice of your cedars, || And have cast them on the fire.”

8And many nations have passed by this city, || And they have each said to his neighbor, “Why has YHWH done thus to this great city?”

9And they have said, “Because that they have forsaken || The covenant of their God YHWH, || And bow themselves to other gods, and serve them.”

10You do not weep for the dead, nor bemoan for him, || Weep severely for the traveler, || For he does not return again, || Nor has he seen the land of his birth.

11For thus said YHWH concerning Shallum son of Josiah king of Judah, who is reigning instead of his father Josiah, who has gone forth from this place: “He does not return here again;

12For he dies in the place to where they have removed him, || And he does not see this land again.

13Woe to him who is building his house by unrighteousness, || And his upper chambers by injustice, || He lays service on his neighbor for nothing, || And he does not give his wage to him.

14Who is saying, || I build a large house for myself, || And airy upper chambers, || And he has cut out its windows for himself, || Covered with cedar, and painted with vermillion.

15Do you reign, because you are fretting yourself in cedar? Your father—did he not eat and drink? Indeed, he did judgment and righteousness, || Then [it is] well with him.

16He decided the cause of the poor and needy, || Then [it is] well—is it not to know Me?” A declaration of YHWH.

17“But your eyes and your heart are not, || Except on your dishonest gain, || And on shedding of innocent blood, || And on oppression, and on doing of violence.”

18Therefore, thus said YHWH concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: “They do not lament for him, || Oh, my brother! And, Oh, my sister! They do not lament for him, || Oh, lord! And, Oh, his splendor!

19He is buried [with] the burial of a donkey, || Dragged and cast out there to the gates of Jerusalem.

20Go up to Lebanon, and cry, || And give forth your voice in Bashan, || And cry from Abarim, || For all loving you have been destroyed.

21I have spoken to you in your ease, || You have said, I do not listen, || This [is] your way from your youth, || For you have not listened to My voice.

22Wind consumes all your friends, || And your lovers go into captivity, || Surely then you are ashamed, || And have blushed for all your wickedness.

23O dweller in Lebanon, making a nest among cedars, || How gracious have you been when pangs come to you, || Pain—as of a travailing woman.”

24“[As] I live,” || A declaration of YHWH, || “Though Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah was a seal on My right hand, surely there I draw you away,

25And I have given you into the hand of those seeking your life, || And into hands of which you are afraid, || Into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, || And into the hand of the Chaldeans.

26And I have cast you, || And your mother who bore you, to another country, || Where you were not born, and you die there.

27And to the land to where they are lifting up their soul to return, || They do not return there.”

28A grief—a despised broken thing—is this man Coniah? A vessel in which there is no pleasure? Why have they been cast up and down, || He and his seed, || Indeed, were they cast on to a land that they did not know?

29Earth, earth, earth, hear a word of YHWH!

30Thus said YHWH: “Write this man down [as] childless, || A man—he does not prosper in his days, || For none of his seed prospers, || Sitting on the throne of David, || And ruling in Judah again!”