*Thus saith the Lord; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, 2 And say, aHear the word of the Lord, O king of Judah, bthat sittest upon the throne of David, cthou, and thy servants, and thy people athat enter in by these gates: 3 Thus saith the Lord; dExecute ye judgment and righteousness, dand deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and edo no wrong, do no violence efto the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither fgshed innocent blood in this place. 4 For if ye do this thing indeed, hthen shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings isitting †upon the throne of David, hriding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. 5 But if ye will not hear these words, jI swear by myself, saith the Lord, that this house kshall become a desolation. 6 For thus saith the Lord unto the king’s house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of lLebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and mcities which are not inhabited. 7 And I will nprepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down othy choice cedars, and pcast them into the fire. 8 And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, qWherefore hath the Lord done thus unto this great city? 9 rThen they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God, rand worshipped other gods, and served them.

10  sWeep ye not for tthe dead, neither bemoan him:

But weep sore for uhim that goeth away:

For he shall return no more,

Nor see his native country.

11 For thus saith the Lord touching vShallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, uwwhich went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more: 12 But he shall die win the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.