警告猶大的王
1耶和華對我說：「你下到猶大王的宮殿，這樣宣告， 2『坐在大衛寶座上的猶大王啊，你和你的臣僕以及進出這城門的百姓都要聽耶和華的話。 3耶和華說，你們為人要公義正直，要從欺壓者手中解救受剝削的人。不要欺凌、虐待異鄉人和孤兒寡婦，不可在這地方濫殺無辜。 4如果你們遵守我的命令，大衛的子孫必繼續做王，並乘車、騎馬率領臣民進出王宮。 5但如果你們不遵守我的命令，我憑自己起誓，這王宮必淪為廢墟。這是耶和華說的。』」
6論到猶大王的宮殿，耶和華說：
「雖然它在我眼中美如基列，
又像黎巴嫩的山峰，
但我必使它變成不毛之地，
變成杳無人煙的城邑。
7我要派人拿著兵器來摧毀它，
他們要砍下它最好的香柏木，
扔進火裡。
8「各國的人經過這城時都會彼此議論說，『為什麼耶和華這樣對待這座大城？』 9有人會回答，『因為城裡的人背棄了他們的上帝耶和華的約，供奉、祭拜其他神明。』」
10你們不要為死去的王哀哭，
要為被擄走的王哀哭，
因為他必一去不返，
再也看不到自己的家園。
11論到接替父親約西亞做猶大王、後來被擄走的沙龍22·11 「沙龍」也叫「約哈斯」。，耶和華說：「他必一去不返， 12客死異鄉，永別故土。」
對約雅敬的審判
13耶和華說：
「約西亞的兒子猶大王約雅敬啊，你有禍了！
你以不公不義的手段建造宮廷殿宇，
不給工人發工錢。
14你說要為自己建造宏偉的宮殿、寬敞的房間。
你安上窗戶，
鑲上香柏木，
塗上紅漆。
15難道你大肆使用香柏木就能顯出你做王的氣派嗎？
你父親也吃也喝，
但他秉公行義，
所以他凡事順利；
16他為困苦和貧窮的人伸冤，
所以他凡事順利。
這才是真正認識我。
這是耶和華說的。
17可是，你一心貪圖不義之財，
濫殺無辜，橫徵暴斂。」
18因此，論到猶大王約西亞的兒子約雅敬，耶和華說：
「沒有人會為他哀悼說，
『唉，我的弟兄啊！
唉，我的姊妹啊！』
沒有人會為他哀悼說，
『唉，主人啊！
唉，他的尊榮！』
19你必像死驢一樣被拖到耶路撒冷的城門外，曝屍荒野。」
對耶路撒冷的警告
20「耶路撒冷人啊，
你們要上黎巴嫩大聲哭喊，
在巴珊哀號，
在亞巴琳痛哭，
因為你們的盟友被消滅了。
21在你們興盛的時候，
我曾警告過你們，
你們卻不聽。
你們從小就叛逆，
不聽我的話。
22你們的首領都要被風捲去，
你們的盟友都要被擄走，
你們必因自己的惡行而蒙羞受辱。
23住在黎巴嫩、安居在香柏木宮殿中的人啊，
當婦人分娩般的痛苦臨到你們的時候，
你們將怎樣呻吟呢！」
對哥尼雅的審判
24耶和華說：「猶大王約雅敬的兒子哥尼雅22·24 「哥尼雅」即「耶哥尼雅」，又叫「約雅斤」。啊，我憑我的永恆起誓，即使你是我右手上蓋章的戒指，我也要把你摘下來， 25交給那些想殺你的人，交給你所懼怕的人，就是巴比倫王尼布甲尼撒和他的迦勒底軍隊。 26我要把你和你母親趕到異鄉，那裡不是你們的出生之地，卻是葬身之處。 27你們渴望回到故鄉，卻不能如願以償。」
28難道哥尼雅是個被人鄙視、無人理睬的破瓶子嗎？
為什麼他和他的子孫被趕到陌生之地？
29大地啊，大地啊，大地啊，
要聽耶和華的話！
30耶和華說：
「你要把這人作為無兒無女、
一生失敗的人記錄下來，
因為他的後裔中無一人能成功地繼承大衛的寶座，
統治猶大。」
The Lord Judges Evil Kings
1The Lord said to Jeremiah, “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah. Announce my message there. Tell him, 2‘King of Judah, listen to the Lord’s message. You are sitting on David’s throne. You and your officials and your people come through these gates. 3The Lord says, “Do what is fair and right. Save those who have been robbed. Set them free from the people who have treated them badly. Do not do anything wrong to outsiders or widows in this place. Do not harm children whose fathers have died. Do not kill those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. 4Be careful to obey these commands. Then kings who sit on David’s throne will come through the gates of this palace. They will come riding in chariots and on horses. Their officials and their people will come along with them. 5But suppose you do not obey these commands,” announces the Lord. “Then I promise you that this palace will be destroyed. You can be as sure of this promise as you are sure that I live.” ’ ”
6The Lord speaks about the palace of the king of Judah. He says,
“You are like the land of Gilead to me.
You are like the highest mountain in Lebanon.
But I will make you like a desert.
You will become like towns that no one lives in.
7I will send destroyers against you.
All of them will come with their weapons.
They will cut up your fine cedar beams.
They will throw them into the fire.
8“People from many nations will pass by this city. They will ask one another, ‘Why has the Lord done such a thing to this great city?’ 9And the answer will be, ‘This happened because of what its people have done. They have turned away from the covenant the Lord their God made with them. They have worshiped other gods. And they have served them.’ ”
10Don’t weep over dead King Josiah.
Don’t be sad because he’s gone.
Instead, weep bitterly over King Jehoahaz.
He was forced to leave his country.
He will never return.
He’ll never see his own land again.
11Jehoahaz became king of Judah after his father Josiah. But he has gone away from this place. That’s because the Lord says about him, “He will never return. 12He will die in Egypt. That is where he was taken as a prisoner. He will not see this land again.”
13The Lord says, “How terrible it will be for King Jehoiakim!
He builds his palace
by mistreating his people.
He builds its upstairs rooms
with money gained by sinning.
He makes his own people work for nothing.
He does not pay them for what they do.
14He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace.
It will have large rooms upstairs.’
So he makes big windows in it.
He covers its walls with cedar boards.
He decorates it with red paint.
15“Jehoiakim, does having more and more cedar boards
make you a king?
Your father Josiah had enough to eat and drink.
He did what was right and fair.
So everything went well with him.
16He stood up for those who were poor or needy.
So everything went well with him.
That is what it means to know me,”
announces the Lord.
17“Jehoiakim, the only thing on your mind
is to get rich by cheating others.
You would even kill people who are not guilty
of doing anything wrong.
You would mistreat them.
You would take everything they own.”
18So the Lord speaks about King Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah. He says,
“His people will not mourn for him.
They will not say,
‘My poor brother! My poor sister!’
They will not mourn for him.
They will not say,
‘My poor master! How sad that his glory is gone!’
19In fact, he will be buried like a donkey.
His body will be dragged away and thrown
outside the gates of Jerusalem.”
20The Lord says, “People of Jerusalem, go up to Lebanon.
Cry out for help.
Let your voice be heard in the land of Bashan.
Cry out from the mountains of Abarim.
All those who were going to help you are crushed.
21When you felt secure, I warned you.
But you said, ‘I won’t listen!’
You have acted like that ever since you were young.
You have not obeyed me.
22The wind will drive away all your shepherds.
All those who were going to help you will be carried off as prisoners.
Then you will be dishonored and put to shame.
That will happen because you have been so sinful.
23Some of you live in Jerusalem in the Palace of the Forest of Lebanon.
You are comfortable in your cedar buildings.
But you will groan when pain comes on you.
It will be like the pain of a woman having a baby.
24“King Jehoiachin, you are the son of Jehoiakim,” announces the Lord. “Suppose you were a ring on my right hand. And suppose the ring even had my royal mark on it. Then I would still pull you off my finger. And that is just as sure as I am alive. 25I will hand you over to those who want to kill you. I will hand you over to people you are afraid of. I will give you to Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon. I will hand you over to his armies. 26I will throw you out into another country. I will throw your mother out. Neither of you was born in that country. But both of you will die there. 27You will never come back to the land you long to return to.”
28This man Jehoiachin is like a broken pot.
Everyone hates him. No one wants him.
Why will he and his children be thrown out of this land?
Why will they be sent to a land
they don’t know about?
29Land, land, land,
listen to the Lord’s message!
30The Lord says,
“Let the record say that this man did not have any children.
Let it report that he did not have any success in life.
None of his children will have success either.
None of them will sit on David’s throne.
None of them will ever rule over Judah.
