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- This is what the LORD says: "Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there:
- 'Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, you who sit on David's throne--you, your officials and your people who come through these gates.
- This is what the LORD says: Do what is just and right. Rescue from the hand of his oppressor the one who has been robbed. Do no wrong or violence to the alien, the fatherless or the widow, and do not shed innocent blood in this place.
- For if you are careful to carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David's throne will come through the gates of this palace, riding in chariots and on horses, accompanied by their officials and their people.
- But if you do not obey these commands, declares the LORD, I swear by myself that this palace will become a ruin.' "
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- Thus says the LORD, "Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word
- and 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.
- '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.
- "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.
- "But if you will not obey these words, I swear by Myself," declares the LORD, "that this house will become a desolation."'"
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- For this is what the LORD says about the palace of the king of Judah: "Though you are like Gilead to me, like the summit of Lebanon, I will surely make you like a desert, like towns not inhabited.
- I will send destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut up your fine cedar beams and throw them into the fire.
- "People from many nations will pass by this city and will ask one another, 'Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?'
- And the answer will be: 'Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.' "
- Do not weep for the dead king or mourn his loss; rather, weep bitterly for him who is exiled, because he will never return nor see his native land again.
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- For thus says the LORD concerning the house of the king of Judah: "You are like Gilead to Me, Like the summit of Lebanon; Yet most assuredly I will make you like a wilderness, Like cities which are not inhabited.
- "For I will set apart destroyers against you, Each with his weapons; And they will cut down your choicest cedars And throw them on the fire.
- "Many nations will pass by this city; and they will say to one another, 'Why has the LORD done thus to this great city?'
- "Then they will answer, 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD their God and bowed down to other gods and served them.'"
- Do not weep for the dead or mourn for him, But weep continually for the one who goes away; For he will never return Or see his native land.
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- For this is what the LORD says about Shallum son of Josiah, who succeeded his father as king of Judah but has gone from this place: "He will never return.
- He will die in the place where they have led him captive; he will not see this land again."
- "Woe to him who builds his palace by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, making his countrymen work for nothing, not paying them for their labor.
- 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.
- "Does it make you a king to have more and more cedar? Did not your father have food and drink? He did what was right and just, so all went well with him.
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- For 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;
- but in the place where they led him captive, there he will die and not see this land again.
- "Woe to him who builds his house without righteousness And his upper rooms without justice, Who uses his neighbor's services without pay And does not give him his wages,
- 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.'
- "Do you become a king because you are competing in cedar? Did not your father eat and drink And do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
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- He defended the cause of the poor and needy, and so all went well. Is that not what it means to know me?" declares the LORD.
- "But your eyes and your heart are set only on dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood and on oppression and extortion."
- Therefore this is what the LORD says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah: "They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my brother! Alas, my sister!' They will not mourn for him: 'Alas, my master! Alas, his splendor!'
- He will have the burial of a donkey-- dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem."
- "Go up to Lebanon and cry out, let your voice be heard in Bashan, cry out from Abarim, for all your allies are crushed.
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- "He pled the cause of the afflicted and needy; Then it was well Is not that what it means to know Me?" Declares the LORD.
- "But your eyes and your heart Are intent only upon your own dishonest gain, And on shedding innocent blood And on practicing oppression and extortion."
- Therefore thus says the LORD in regard to Jehoiakim the son of Josiah, king of Judah, "They will not lament for him: 'Alas, my brother!' or, 'Alas, sister!' They will not lament for him: 'Alas for the master!' or, 'Alas for his splendor!'
- "He will be buried with a donkey's burial, Dragged off and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem.
- "Go up to Lebanon and cry out, And lift up your voice in Bashan; Cry out also from Abarim, For all your lovers have been crushed.
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- I warned you when you felt secure, but you said, 'I will not listen!' This has been your way from your youth; you have not obeyed me.
- The wind will drive all your shepherds away, and your allies will go into exile. Then you will be ashamed and disgraced because of all your wickedness.
- You who live in 'Lebanon, ' who are nestled in cedar buildings, how you will groan when pangs come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!
- "As surely as I live," declares the LORD, "even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on my right hand, I would still pull you off.
- I will hand you over to those who seek your life, those you fear--to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to the Babylonians.
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- "I spoke to you in your prosperity; But you said, 'I will not listen!' This has been your practice from your youth, That you have not obeyed My voice.
- "The wind will sweep away all your shepherds, And your lovers will go into captivity; Then you will surely be ashamed and humiliated Because of all your wickedness.
- "You who dwell in Lebanon, Nested in the cedars, How you will groan when pangs come upon you, Pain like a woman in childbirth!
- "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;
- and I will 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.
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- I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another country, where neither of you was born, and there you both will die.
- You will never come back to the land you long to return to."
- Is this man Jehoiachin a despised, broken pot, an object no one wants? Why will he and his children be hurled out, cast into a land they do not know?
- O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
- This is what the LORD says: "Record this man as if childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime, for none of his offspring will prosper, none will sit on the throne of David or rule anymore in Judah."
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- "I will hurl you and your mother who bore you into another country where you were not born, and there you will die.
- "But as for the land to which they desire to return, they will not return to it.
- "Is this man Coniah a despised, shattered jar? Or is he an undesirable vessel? Why have he and his descendants been hurled out And cast into a land that they had not known?
- "O land, land, land, Hear the word of the LORD!
- "Thus says the LORD, 'Write this man down childless, A man who will not prosper in his days; For no man of his descendants will prosper Sitting on the throne of David Or ruling again in Judah.'"
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