A Series of Messages for the House of the King of Judah

11 “And to the house of the king of Judah, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, 12 O house of David, thus says Yahweh,

“Execute judgment in the morning, justice,

and deliver the one who has been seized

from the hand of the oppressor,

lest my wrath goes forth like the fire and it burns,

and there is no one who quenches itj

because of the evil of your deeds.

13 Look, I am against you,

O inhabitantsk of the valley,

O rock of the plain,” ⌊declares⌋l Yahweh;

“you who say, ‘Who can descend against us,

or who can enter into our hiding place?’

14 And I will punish you

according to the fruit of your deeds,” ⌊declares⌋m Yahweh,

“And I will kindle a fire in its forest,

and it will devour all its surroundings.” ’ ”

22 Thus says Yahweh: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and you must speak this word there. 2 And you must say, ‘Hear the word of Yahweh, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David, you, and your servants, and your people who enter through these gates. 3 Thus says Yahweh, “Act with justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been seized from the hand of the oppressor. And you must not oppress or treat violently the immigrant, the orphan, and the widow. And you must not shed innocent blood in this place. 4 And if you indeed obey this word, then kings who sit for David on his throne will enter through the gates of this house, riding in chariotsa and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people. 5 But if you do not obey these words, I swear by myself,” ⌊declares⌋b Yahweh, “that this house will become a site of ruins.” ’ ”

6 For thus says Yahweh concerning the house of the king of Judah,

“You are like Gilead to me,

like the head of the Lebanon.

⌊Surely⌋c I will make you a desert,d

like cities that are not inhabited.

7 And I will consecrate against you destroyers,

everyone with his weapons,

and they will cut down ⌊your choicest cedars⌋,e

and cast themf on the fire.

8 And many nations will pass by this city and they will say each one to his neighbor, ‘⌊Why⌋g has Yahweh done in this manner to this great city?’ 9 Then they will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh their God, and bowed down in worship to other gods, and served them.’ ”

10 You must not weep for the dead person,

and you must not show sympathy for him.

Weep bitterly for the one who goes away,

for he will not return, or see the land of his birth again.