Jeremiah 22:14
New International Version
He says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’ So he makes large windows in it, panels it with cedar and decorates it in red.

New Living Translation
He says, ‘I will build a magnificent palace with huge rooms and many windows. I will panel it throughout with fragrant cedar and paint it a lovely red.’

English Standard Version
who says, ‘I will build myself a great house with spacious upper rooms,’ who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it with vermilion.

Berean Standard Bible
who says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with spacious upper rooms.’ So he cuts windows in it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion.

King James Bible
That 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.

New King James Version
Who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house with spacious chambers, And cut out windows for it, Paneling it with cedar And painting it with vermilion.’

New American Standard Bible
Who says, ‘I will build myself a large house With spacious upstairs rooms, And cut out its windows, Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’

NASB 1995
Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house With spacious upper rooms, And cut out its windows, Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’

NASB 1977
Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house With spacious upper rooms, And cut out its windows, Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’

Legacy Standard Bible
Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house With spacious upper rooms And cut out its windows, Paneling it with cedar and painting it bright red.’

Amplified Bible
Who says, ‘I will build myself a spacious house With large upper rooms, And cut out its [wide] windows, And panel it with cedar and paint it vermilion.’

Christian Standard Bible
who says, “I will build myself a massive palace, with spacious upstairs rooms.” He will cut windows in it, and it will be paneled with cedar and painted bright red.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
who says, “I will build myself a massive palace, with spacious upper rooms.” He will cut windows in it, and it will be paneled with cedar and painted with vermilion.

American Standard Version
that saith, I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

Contemporary English Version
You put in big windows and used cedar paneling and red paint. But you were unfair and forced the builders to work without pay. *

English Revised Version
that saith, I will build me a wide house and spacious chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is cieled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
He says, 'I will build a large house for myself with big upper rooms.' He cuts out windows in it, panels the rooms with cedar, and paints them red.

Good News Translation
Doomed is the one who says, "I will build myself a mansion with spacious rooms upstairs." So he puts windows in his house, panels it with cedar, and paints it red.

International Standard Version
How terrible for him who says, 'I'll build a large house for myself with spacious upper rooms, who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar and painting it red.'

Majority Standard Bible
who says, ?I will build myself a great palace, with spacious upper rooms.? So he cuts windows in it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion.

NET Bible
He says, "I will build myself a large palace with spacious upper rooms." He cuts windows in its walls, panels it with cedar, and paints its rooms red.

New Heart English Bible
who says, "I will build me a wide house and spacious rooms," and cuts him out windows; and it is ceiling with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

Webster's Bible Translation
That saith, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

World English Bible
who says, ‘I will build myself a wide house and spacious rooms,’ and cuts out windows for himself, with a cedar ceiling, and painted with red.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
Who is saying, "" I build a large house for myself, "" And airy upper chambers, "" And he has cut out its windows for himself, "" Covered with cedar, and painted with vermillion.

Young's Literal Translation
Who is saying, 'I build for myself a large house, And airy upper chambers,' And he hath cut out for himself its windows, Ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

Smith's Literal Translation
Saying, I will build to me a house of extension, and airy upper chambers, and he rent to himself windows; and covered with cedar, and painted with red.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Who saith: I will build me a wide house and large chambers: who openeth to himself windows, and maketh roofs of cedar, and painteth them with vermilion.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And he says: ‘I will build a broad house for myself, with spacious upper rooms.’ He makes windows for himself, and he builds the roof out of cedar, and he paints it with red ocher.

New American Bible
Who says, “I will build myself a spacious house, with airy rooms,” Who cuts out windows for it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion.

New Revised Standard Version
who says, “I will build myself a spacious house with large upper rooms,” and who cuts out windows for it, paneling it with cedar, and painting it with vermilion.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Who says, I will build for myself wide houses with spacious upper rooms; and cuts out windows for them and covers them with cedar and paints them with vermilion.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Who says, ‘I shall build myself houses of dimensions and spacious upper rooms’, and opens windows and covers them in cedar and fashions images for them
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
That saith: 'I will build me a wide house And spacious chambers', And cutteth him out windows, And it is ceiled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou hast built for thyself a well-proportioned house, airy chambers, fitted with windows, and wainscoted with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
A Warning about Jehoiakim
13“Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, and his upper rooms without justice, who makes his countrymen serve without pay, and fails to pay their wages, 14who says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with spacious upper rooms.’ So he cuts windows in it, panels it with cedar, and paints it with vermilion. 15Does it make you a king to excel in cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He administered justice and righteousness, and so it went well with him.…

Cross References
Isaiah 5:8-9
Woe to you who add house to house and join field to field until no place is left and you live alone in the land. / I heard the LORD of Hosts declare: “Surely many houses will become desolate, great mansions left unoccupied.

Amos 6:4-6
You lie on beds inlaid with ivory, and lounge upon your couches. You dine on lambs from the flock and calves from the stall. / You improvise songs on the harp like David and invent your own musical instruments. / You drink wine by the bowlful and anoint yourselves with the finest oils, but you fail to grieve over the ruin of Joseph.

Micah 2:1-2
Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds! At morning’s light they accomplish it because the power is in their hands. / They covet fields and seize them; they take away houses. They deprive a man of his home, a fellow man of his inheritance.

Habakkuk 2:9-11
Woe to him who builds his house by unjust gain, to place his nest on high and escape the hand of disaster! / You have plotted shame for your house by cutting off many peoples and forfeiting your life. / For the stones will cry out from the wall, and the rafters will echo it from the woodwork.

1 Kings 7:2-3
He built the House of the Forest of Lebanon a hundred cubits long, fifty cubits wide, and thirty cubits high, with four rows of cedar pillars supporting the cedar beams. / The house was roofed with cedar above the beams that rested on the pillars—forty-five beams, fifteen per row.

1 Kings 10:21
All King Solomon’s drinking cups were gold, and all the utensils of the House of the Forest of Lebanon were pure gold. There was no silver, because it was accounted as nothing in the days of Solomon.

1 Kings 22:39
As for the rest of the acts of Ahab, along with all his accomplishments and the ivory palace and all the cities he built, are they not written in the Book of the Chronicles of the Kings of Israel?

Psalm 49:11-12
Their graves are their eternal homes—their dwellings for endless generations—even though their lands were their namesakes. / But a man, despite his wealth, cannot endure; he is like the beasts that perish.

Ezekiel 13:10-15
Because they have led My people astray, saying, ‘Peace,’ when there is no peace, and whitewashing any flimsy wall that is built, / tell those whitewashing the wall that it will fall. Rain will come in torrents, I will send hailstones plunging down, and a windstorm will burst forth. / Surely when the wall has fallen, you will not be asked, ‘Where is the whitewash with which you covered it?’ ...

Haggai 1:4
“Is it a time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses, while this house lies in ruins?”

Matthew 6:19-21
Do not store up for yourselves treasures on earth, where moth and rust destroy, and where thieves break in and steal. / But store up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where moth and rust do not destroy, and where thieves do not break in and steal. / For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also.

Luke 12:16-21
Then He told them a parable: “The ground of a certain rich man produced an abundance. / So he thought to himself, ‘What shall I do, since I have nowhere to store my crops?’ / Then he said, ‘This is what I will do: I will tear down my barns and will build bigger ones, and there I will store up all my grain and my goods. ...

Luke 16:19-31
Now there was a rich man dressed in purple and fine linen, who lived each day in joyous splendor. / And a beggar named Lazarus lay at his gate, covered with sores / and longing to be fed with the crumbs that fell from the rich man’s table. Even the dogs came and licked his sores. ...

James 5:1-3
Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days.

1 Timothy 6:9-10
Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction. / For the love of money is the root of all kinds of evil. By craving it, some have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many sorrows.


Treasury of Scripture

That said, I will build me a wide house and large chambers, and cuts him out windows; and it is paneled with cedar, and painted with vermilion.

I will.

Proverbs 17:19
He loveth transgression that loveth strife: and he that exalteth his gate seeketh destruction.

Proverbs 24:27
Prepare thy work without, and make it fit for thyself in the field; and afterwards build thine house.

Isaiah 5:8,9
Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! …

large.

2 Samuel 7:2
That the king said unto Nathan the prophet, See now, I dwell in an house of cedar, but the ark of God dwelleth within curtains.

2 Chronicles 3:5
And the greater house he cieled with fir tree, which he overlaid with fine gold, and set thereon palm trees and chains.

Song of Solomon 1:17
The beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir.

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Bright Build Cedar Ceiled Ceiling Chambers Cieled Cut Cuts Cutteth Great House Large Makes Painted Painting Palace Paneling Panels Red Roofed Rooms Roomy Spacious Upper Vermilion Wide Windows
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Jeremiah 22
1. He exhorts to repentance, with promises and threats.
10. The judgment of Shallum;
13. of Jehoiakim;
20. and of Coniah.














who says, ‘I will build myself a great palace with spacious upper rooms.’
who says
This phrase introduces the speaker, who is characterized by a sense of self-importance and ambition. In the context of Jeremiah 22, the speaker is likely one of the kings of Judah, possibly Jehoiakim, who is criticized for his pride and oppressive practices. The Hebrew root for "says" (אָמַר, 'amar) often conveys not just speech but intention and determination, indicating a deliberate plan to pursue personal glory.

‘I will build myself
The focus here is on self-centered ambition. The Hebrew verb for "build" (בָּנָה, banah) implies construction and establishment, often used in the context of building a legacy or a name. The addition of "myself" underscores the selfish motivation, contrasting with the Biblical ideal of building for God's glory or the community's benefit. This reflects a heart turned inward, prioritizing personal gain over divine purpose.

a great palace
The term "great" (גָּדוֹל, gadol) signifies not just size but also grandeur and magnificence. A "palace" (בֵּית, bayith) in ancient Near Eastern culture was a symbol of power, wealth, and security. Historically, kings built palaces to demonstrate their dominance and to leave a lasting legacy. However, in the prophetic context, such endeavors are often critiqued as vain and transient, especially when they come at the expense of justice and righteousness.

with spacious upper rooms
"Spacious" (רָחָב, rachab) conveys a sense of luxury and abundance, while "upper rooms" (עֲלִיָּה, aliyah) were typically reserved for the most important and private areas of a house, often used for leisure or special gatherings. This architectural detail highlights the king's desire for comfort and status. In the historical context, such expansions were often achieved through exploitation and oppression, which the prophets, including Jeremiah, vehemently opposed. The critique here is not against wealth per se, but against the misuse of power and resources for self-indulgence rather than serving God's people.

(14) Large chambers.--As before, "upper storeys or chambers."

Cutteth him out windows.--The verb is the same as that used in Jeremiah 4:30 for dilating the eyes by the use of antimony, and implies accordingly the construction of windows of unusual width. These, after the Eastern fashion, were fitted with lattice-work, or shielded by curtains.

Vermilion.--Probably the red pigment (sulphuret of mercury?) still conspicuous in the buildings of Egypt. The word meets us again in Ezekiel 23:14. The king was probably impelled by a vainglorious desire to imitate the magnificence of the Egyptian king (Pharaoh-nechoh) who had placed him on the throne.

Verse 14. - A wide house; literally, a house of extensions. Large chambers. The Hebrew specifies "upper chambers " - the principal rooms in ancient houses. Cutteth him out windows; and it is ceiled with cedar; rather... his windows, roofing it with cedar. (This involves no change of letters, but a very slight rearrangement, and the alteration of one point; grammar gains greatly by the change.) "Cutteth out" is, literally, rend-eth; it is the word used in Jeremiah 4:30 of the apparent enlargement of the eyes by putting powdered antimony upon the eyelids. Windows are, as it were, the eyes of a building (Graf compares Ecclesiastes 12:3). Beams of cedar wood were used for the roof of the palace, as being the most costly and durable (comp. Isaiah 9:10). And painted - rather, and painting it - with vermilion; a taste derived from the Egyptians rather than the Babylonians, who seem to have had a difficulty in procuring red.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
who says,
הָאֹמֵ֗ר (hā·’ō·mêr)
Article | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

‘I will build
אֶבְנֶה־ (’eḇ·neh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1129: To build

myself
לִּי֙ (lî)
Preposition | first person common singular
Strong's Hebrew

a great
מִדּ֔וֹת (mid·dō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 4060: Extension, height, breadth, a measure, a portion, a vestment, tribute

palace,
בֵּ֣ית (bêṯ)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 1004: A house

with spacious
מְרֻוָּחִ֑ים (mə·ruw·wā·ḥîm)
Verb - Pual - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7304: To breathe freely, revive, to have ample room

upper rooms.’
וַעֲלִיּ֖וֹת (wa·‘ă·lî·yō·wṯ)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 5944: Something lofty, a stair-way, a second-story room, the sky

So he cuts
וְקָ֤רַֽע (wə·qā·ra‘)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 7167: To rend

windows in it,
חַלּוֹנָ֔י (ḥal·lō·w·nāy)
Noun - common plural construct
Strong's 2474: A window

panels it
וְסָפ֣וּן (wə·sā·p̄ūn)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - QalPassParticiple - masculine singular
Strong's 5603: To hide by covering, to roof, wainscot, to reserve

with cedar,
בָּאָ֔רֶז (bā·’ā·rez)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 730: A cedar tree

and paints it
וּמָשׁ֖וֹחַ (ū·mā·šō·w·aḥ)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 4886: To rub with oil, to anoint, to consecrate, to paint

with vermilion.
בַּשָּׁשַֽׁר׃ (baš·šā·šar)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 8350: Red color, vermilion


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OT Prophets: Jeremiah 22:14 Who says I will build me (Jer.)
Jeremiah 22:13
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