5. But if you will not obey these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this house shall become a desolation.
6. 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 surely I will make you a desert, an uninhabited city.
7. I will prepare destroyers against you,each with his weapons, and they shall cut down your choicest cedarsand cast them into the fire.
8. “‘And many nations will pass by this city, and every man will say to his neighbor, “Why has the Lord dealt thus with this great city?”
9. And they will answer, “Because they have forsaken the covenant of the Lord their God and worshiped other gods and served them.”’”
10. Weep not for him who is dead,nor grieve for him, but weep bitterly for him who goes away,for he shall return no moreto see his native land.
11. For thus says the Lord concerning Shallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, and who went away from this place: “He shall return here no more,
12. but in the place where they have carried him captive, there shall he die, and he shall never see this land again.”
13. “Woe to him who builds his house by unrighteousness,and his upper rooms by injustice, who makes his neighbor serve him for nothingand does not give him his wages,
14. who says, ‘I will build myself a great housewith spacious upper rooms,’who cuts out windows for it,paneling it with cedarand painting it with vermilion.
15. Do you think you are a kingbecause you compete in cedar?Did not your father eat and drinkand do justice and righteousness? Then it was well with him.
16. He judged the cause of the poor and needy; then it was well.Is not this to know me?declares the Lord.
17. But you have eyes and heartonly for your dishonest gain, for shedding innocent blood,and for practicing oppression and violence.”
18. Therefore thus says 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 majesty!’