Jeremiah 22:1–8

22Thus says the Lord: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word, ²and say, ^a‘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 these gates! ³Thus says the Lord: ^b“Execute ¹judgment and righteousness, and deliver the plundered out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong and do no violence to the stranger, the ^cfatherless, or the widow, nor shed innocent blood in this place. ⁴For if you indeed do this thing, ^dthen shall enter the gates of this house, riding on horses and in chariots, accompanied by servants and people, kings who sit on the throne of David. ⁵But if you will not ²hear these words, ^eI swear by Myself,” says the Lord, “that this house shall become a desolation.” ’ ”

⁶For thus says the Lord to the house of the king of Judah:

“You are ^fGilead to Me,

The head of Lebanon;

Yet I surely will make you a wilderness,

Cities which are not inhabited.

⁷I will prepare destroyers against you,

Everyone with his weapons;

They shall cut down ^gyour choice cedars

^hAnd cast them into the fire.

⁸And many nations will pass by this city; and everyone will say to his neighbor, ⁱ‘Why has the Lord done so to this great city?’