12. Jehoahaz will die in the place where the Egyptians have taken him, and he will not see this land again.”
13. “It will be very bad for King Jehoiakim. He is doing wrong so that he can build his palace. He is cheating people so that he can build rooms upstairs. He is not paying his own people. He is making them work for nothing.
14. “Jehoiakim says, ‘I will build myself a great palace, with huge rooms upstairs.’ So he built it with large windows. He used cedar wood for paneling, and he painted it red.
15. “Jehoiakim, having a lot of cedar in your house does not make you a great king. Your father Josiah was satisfied to have food and drink. He did what was right and fair, so everything went well for him.
16. Josiah helped poor and needy people, so everything went well for him. Jehoiakim, what does it mean “to know God”? It means living right and being fair. That is what it means to know me. This message is from the Lord.
17. “Jehoiakim, your eyes look only for what benefits yourself. You are always thinking about getting more for yourself. You are willing to kill innocent people. You are willing to steal things from other people.”