Jeremiah 22:13–19

A MESSAGE CONCERNING JEHOIAKIM

¹³Woe for the one who builds his palace

through unrighteousness,^k

his upstairs rooms through injustice,

who makes his neighbor serve without pay

and will not give him his wages,^l

¹⁴who says, “I will build myself a massive palace,

with spacious upstairs rooms.”

He will cut windows^A in it,

and it will be paneled with cedar^m

and painted bright red.

¹⁵Are you a king because you excel in cedar?

Didn’t your father eat and drink

and administer justice and righteousness?ⁿ

Then it went well with him.

¹⁶He took up the case of the poor and needy;^o

then it went well.

Is this not what it means to know me?

This is the Lord’s declaration.

¹⁷But you have eyes and a heart for nothing

except your own dishonest profit,

shedding innocent blood

and committing extortion and oppression.^p

¹⁸Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim^q 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!”

¹⁹He will be buried like a donkey,^r

dragged off and thrown

outside Jerusalem’s gates.