1 This is what the Lord says: Go to the palace of the king of Judah, and speak this message there:
2 “Listen to the Lord’s word, you officials, you people who come into these gates, and you, king of Judah, the one sitting on David’s throne.
3 “This is what the Lord says: Judge fairly, and do what is right. Rescue those who have been robbed from those who oppress them. Don’t mistreat foreigners, orphans, or widows, and don’t oppress them. Don’t kill innocent people in this place.
4 If you do what I say, then the kings who sit on David’s throne will ride through the gates of this palace in chariots and on horses along with their officials and their people.
5 But if you don’t do what I say, I will take an oath on myself,” declares the Lord, “that this palace will become a pile of rubble.
6 “This is what the Lord says about the palace of the king of Judah:
7 I will send people to destroy you.
8 “People from many nations will pass by this city and ask each other, ‘Why has the Lord done this to this important city?’
9 The answer will be: ‘They rejected the promise of the Lord their God. They worshiped other gods and served them.’ ”
10 Don’t cry for the dead.
11 This is what the Lord says about King Josiah’s son Shallum, who succeeded his father as king of Judah and left this place: He will never come back here again.
12 He will die in the place where he was taken captive, and he will never see this land again.
13 “How horrible it will be for the person who builds his house dishonestly
14 He says, ‘I will build a large house for myself with big upper rooms.’
15 Do you think you’re a better king than others
16 He defended the cause of the poor and needy.
17 “But your eyes and your mind are set on nothing but dishonest profits.
18 This is what the Lord says about Jehoiakim, son of Judah’s King Josiah:
19 He will receive a donkey’s burial.
20 “Go to Lebanon and cry! Raise your voice in Bashan!
21 I spoke to you when you were prosperous,
22 The wind will blow away all your shepherds,
23 You live in Lebanon and have your nest in the cedars.
24 “As I live,” declares the Lord, “even though you, Jehoiakin, son of Judah’s King Jehoiakim, are the signet ring on my right hand, I will pull you off my hand.
25 I will hand you over to those who want to kill you, those you fear—King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon and the Babylonians.
26 I will throw you and your mother into another land. You weren’t born there, but you will die there.
27 You will want to return to this land, but you won’t be allowed to come home.”
28 This Jehoiakin is like a rejected and broken pot that no one wants.
29 O land, land, land!
30 This is what the Lord says: