1Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word, 2And say, Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, that sittest upon the throne of David, thou, and thy servants, and thy people that enter in by these gates: 3Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place. 4For if ye do this thing indeed, then shall there enter in by the gates of this house kings sitting upon the throne of David, riding in chariots and on horses, he, and his servants, and his people.22.4 upon…: Heb. for David upon his throne 5But if ye will not hear these words, I swear by myself, saith the LORD, that this house shall become a desolation. 6For thus saith the LORD unto the king’s house of Judah; Thou art Gilead unto me, and the head of Lebanon: yet surely I will make thee a wilderness, and cities which are not inhabited. 7And I will prepare destroyers against thee, every one with his weapons: and they shall cut down thy choice cedars, and cast them into the fire. 8And many nations shall pass by this city, and they shall say every man to his neighbour, Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this great city? 9Then they shall answer, Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God, and worshipped other gods, and served them.
10¶ Weep ye not for the dead, neither bemoan him: but weep sore for him that goeth away: for he shall return no more, nor see his native country. 11For thus saith the LORD touching Shallum the son of Josiah king of Judah, which reigned instead of Josiah his father, which went forth out of this place; He shall not return thither any more: 12But he shall die in the place whither they have led him captive, and shall see this land no more.
13¶ Woe unto him that buildeth his house by unrighteousness, and his chambers by wrong; that useth his neighbour’s service without wages, and giveth him not for his work; 14That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.22.14 large: Heb. through-aired22.14 windows: or, my windows 15Shalt thou reign, because thou closest thyself in cedar? did not thy father eat and drink, and do judgment and justice, and then it was well with him? 16He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well with him: was not this to know me? saith the LORD. 17But thine eyes and thine heart are not but for thy covetousness, and for to shed innocent blood, and for oppression, and for violence, to do it.22.17 violence: or, incursion 18Therefore thus saith the LORD concerning Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah; They shall not lament for him, saying, Ah my brother! or, Ah sister! they shall not lament for him, saying, Ah lord! or, Ah his glory! 19He shall be buried with the burial of an ass, drawn and cast forth beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
20¶ Go up to Lebanon, and cry; and lift up thy voice in Bashan, and cry from the passages: for all thy lovers are destroyed. 21I spake unto thee in thy prosperity; but thou saidst, I will not hear. This hath been thy manner from thy youth, that thou obeyedst not my voice.22.21 prosperity: Heb. prosperities 22The wind shall eat up all thy pastors, and thy lovers shall go into captivity: surely then shalt thou be ashamed and confounded for all thy wickedness. 23O inhabitant of Lebanon, that makest thy nest in the cedars, how gracious shalt thou be when pangs come upon thee, the pain as of a woman in travail!22.23 inhabitant: Heb. inhabitress 24As I live, saith the LORD, though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were the signet upon my right hand, yet would I pluck thee thence; 25And I will give thee into the hand of them that seek thy life, and into the hand of them whose face thou fearest, even into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26And I will cast thee out, and thy mother that bare thee, into another country, where ye were not born; and there shall ye die. 27But to the land whereunto they desire to return, thither shall they not return.22.27 desire: Heb. lift up their mind 28Is this man Coniah a despised broken idol? is he a vessel wherein is no pleasure? wherefore are they cast out, he and his seed, and are cast into a land which they know not? 29O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of the LORD. 30Thus saith the LORD, Write ye this man childless, a man that shall not prosper in his days: for no man of his seed shall prosper, sitting upon the throne of David, and ruling any more in Judah.
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。」
