1 GLT This is what Yahweh says,“Go down to the house of the king of Judah and proclaim this word there. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there,
2 GLT Say,‘King of Judah, listen to the word of Yahweh— you who sit on David’ s throne— you, and your servants, and your people who come through these gates. BSB BSB: saying, ‘Hear the word of the LORD, O king of Judah, who sits on the throne of David—you and your officials and your people who enter these gates.
3 GLT Yahweh says this,“Perform justice and righteousness, and anyone who has been robbed— rescue him from the hand of the oppressor. Do not mistreat any foreigner in your land, or any orphan or widow. Do not commit violence or pour out innocent blood in this place. BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.
4 GLT For if you truly do these things, then kings sitting on David’ s throne will enter the gates of this house riding in a chariot and on horses, he, his servants, and his people! BSB BSB: For if you will indeed carry out these commands, then kings who sit on David’s throne will enter through the gates of this palace riding on chariots and horses—they and their officials and their people.
5 GLT But if you do not listen to these words from me that I have announced— this is Yahweh’ s declaration— then this royal house will become a ruin.”’ BSB BSB: But if you do not obey these words, then I swear by Myself, declares the LORD, that this house will become a pile of rubble.’”
6 GLT For Yahweh says this concerning the house of the king of Judah,‘You are like Gilead, or like the summit of Lebanon to me. Yet I will turn you into a wilderness, into cities with no inhabitants. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD says concerning the house of the king of Judah: “You are like Gilead to Me, like the summit of Lebanon; but I will surely turn you into a desert, like cities that are uninhabited.
7 GLT For I have designated destroyers to come against you! Men with their weapons will cut off the best of your cedars and let them fall into the fire. BSB BSB: I will appoint destroyers against you, each man with his weapons, and they will cut down the choicest of your cedars and throw them into the fire.
8 GLT Then many nations will pass by this city. Each person will say to the next,“Why has Yahweh acted in this way toward this great city?” BSB BSB: And many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why has the LORD done such a thing to this great city?’
9 GLT Then the other will answer,“Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh their God and bowed down to other gods and worshiped them.” BSB BSB: Then people will reply, ‘Because they have forsaken the covenant of the LORD their God and have worshiped and served other gods.’”
10 GLT Do not weep for the one who is dead or mourn for him; but weep bitterly for him who is about to go away, because he will never return and see his native land again.’ BSB BSB: Do not weep for him who is dead; do not mourn his loss. Weep bitterly for him who is exiled, for he will never return to see his native land.
11 GLT For Yahweh says this about Jehoahaz son of Josiah king of Judah, who served as king instead of Josiah his father,‘He has gone from this place and will not come back. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who succeeded his father Josiah but has gone forth from this place: “He will never return,
12 GLT He will die there in the place to where they have exiled him, and he will never again see this land.’ BSB BSB: but he will die in the place to which he was exiled; he will never see this land again.”
13 GLT Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness, his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor work for him for nothing, and he does not give him his wages; BSB BSB: “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,
14 GLT he says,‘I will build for myself a large house with spacious upper rooms.’ So he cuts out large windows for it, and he panels it with cedar, and he paints it red. BSB BSB: 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.
15 GLT Is this what makes you a good king, that you wanted to have boards of cedar? Did not your father also eat and drink, yet do justice and righteousness? Then things went well for him. BSB BSB: Does 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.
16 GLT He judged in favor of the poor and needy. It was good then. Is this not what it means to know me?— this is Yahweh’ s declaration. BSB BSB: He took up the cause of the poor and needy, and so it went well with him. Is this not what it means to know Me?” declares the LORD.
17 GLT But there is nothing in your eyes and heart except worry for your unjust profit and for pouring out innocent blood, for producing oppression and crushing of others. BSB BSB: “But your eyes and heart are set on nothing except your own dishonest gain, on shedding innocent blood, on practicing extortion and oppression.”
18 GLT Therefore this is what Yahweh says about Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah: They will not lament for him, saying,‘Woe, my brother!’ or‘Woe, my sister!’ They will not lament for him, saying,‘Woe, master!’ or‘Woe, majesty!’ BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the LORD says concerning 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!’
19 GLT He will be buried with a donkey’ s burial, dragged away and thrown out beyond the gates of Jerusalem. BSB BSB: He will be buried like a donkey, dragged away and thrown outside the gates of Jerusalem.
20 GLT Go up Lebanon’ s mountains and shout. Lift your voice in Bashan. Shout from the Abarim mountains, for all of your friends will be destroyed. BSB BSB: Go up to Lebanon and cry out; raise your voice in Bashan; cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers have been crushed.
21 GLT I spoke to you when you were safe, but you said,‘I will not listen.’ This was your custom since your youth, for you have not listened to my voice. BSB BSB: I warned you when you were secure. You said, ‘I will not listen.’ This has been your way from youth, that you have not obeyed My voice.
22 GLT The wind will shepherd away all your shepherds, and your friends will go into captivity. Then you will certainly be ashamed and humiliated by all of your evil deeds. BSB BSB: The wind will drive away all your shepherds, and your lovers will go into captivity. Then you will be ashamed and humiliated because of all your wickedness.
23 GLT You who live in‘Lebanon,’ who is nestled in cedar buildings, how you will be pitied when the labor pains come upon you, pain like that of a woman in labor!” BSB BSB: O inhabitant of Lebanon, nestled in the cedars, how you will groan when pangs of anguish come upon you, agony like a woman in labor.”
24 GLT “As I live— this is Yahweh’ s declaration— even if you, Jehoiachin son of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, were the signet on my right hand, I would tear you off. BSB BSB: “As surely as I live,” declares the LORD, “even if you, Coniah son of Jehoiakim king of Judah, were a signet ring on My right hand, I would pull you off.
25 GLT For I have given you to the hand of the ones seeking your life and to the hand of those before whom you are afraid, even to the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and the Chaldeans. BSB BSB: In fact, I will hand you over to those you dread, who want to take your life—to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and to the Chaldeans.
26 GLT I will throw you and your mother who bore you into another land, a country where you were not born, and there you will die. BSB BSB: I will hurl you and the mother who gave you birth into another land, where neither of you were born—and there you both will die.
27 GLT About this land to which they will want to return, they will not come back here. BSB BSB: You will never return to the land for which you long.”
28 GLT Is this a despised and shattered vessel? Is this man Jehoiachin a pot that pleases no one? Why have they thrown him and his descendants out, and have poured them out into a land that they did not know? BSB BSB: Is this man Coniah a despised and shattered pot, a jar that no one wants? Why are he and his descendants hurled out and cast into a land they do not know?
29 GLT Land, Land, Land! Hear the word of Yahweh! BSB BSB: O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
30 GLT Yahweh says this,‘Write about this man Jehoiachin: He will be childless. He will not prosper during his days, and no one among his descendants will achieve success or ever again sit on David’ s throne and rule over Judah.’” BSB BSB: This is what the LORD says: “Enroll this man as childless, a man who will not prosper in his lifetime. None of his descendants will prosper to sit on the throne of David or to rule again in Judah.”
Select verses for actions: Enter goes to them and Escape comes back.