1Thus says the LORD, “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word,
2and say, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on David’s throne, you and your servants and your people who enter these gates.
3‘Thus says the LORD, “Do justice and righteousness, and deliver the one who has been robbed from the power of his oppressor. Also do not mistreat or do violence to the stranger, the orphan, or the widow; and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
4“For if you men will indeed perform this thing, then kings will enter the gates of this house, sitting in David’s place on his throne, riding in chariots and on horses, even the king himself and his servants and his people.
5“But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself,” declares the LORD, “that this house will become a desolation.”’”
6For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: 7“For I shall set apart destroyers against you, 8“And many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, ‘Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?’ 9“Then they will answer, ‘Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.’” 10Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him, 11For thus says the LORD in regard to Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in the place of Josiah his father, who went forth from this place, “He will never return there; 12but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again. Messages about the Kings 13“Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness 14Who says, ‘I will build myself a roomy house 15“Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? 16“He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; 17“But your eyes and your heart
18Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, 19“He will be buried with a donkey’s burial, 20“Go up to Lebanon and cry out, 21“I spoke to you in your prosperity; 22“The wind will sweep away all your shepherds, 23“You who dwell in Lebanon, 24“As I live,” declares the LORD, “even though Coniah the son of Jehoiakim king of Judah were a signet ring on My right hand, yet I would pull you off; 25and I shall give you over into the hand of those who are seeking your life, yes, into the hand of those whom you dread, even into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and into the hand of the Chaldeans. 26“I shall hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die. 27“But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it. 28“Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? 29“O land, land, land, 30“Thus says the LORD, New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit http://www.lockman.org Bible Hub |