10. Don’t cry for the king who has died. Don’t cry loudly for him.But cry painfully for the king who is being taken away from here.Cry for him because he will never come back again.He will never see his homeland again.
11. This is what the Lord says about Jehoahaz son of Josiah. Jehoahaz became king of Judah after his father died. He has left this place. The Lord says, “He will never come back again.
12. He will die where those who captured him have taken him. He will not see this land again.”
13. “How terrible it will be for him who builds his palace by doing evil.He cheats people so he can build its upper rooms.He is making his own people work for nothing.He is not paying them for their work.
14. He says, ‘I will build a great palace for myself.I will have large upper rooms.’So he builds the palace with large windows.He uses cedar wood for the walls.And he paints it red.
15. “Does having a lot of cedar in your housemake you a great king?Your father was satisfied to have food and drink.He did what was right and fair.So everything went well for him.
16. He helped those who were poor and needy.So everything went well for him.That’s what it means to know God,” says the Lord.
17. “But your eyes only look for what you can get dishonestly.You are always thinking about getting more for yourself.You are even willing to kill innocent people to get it.You are making it hard for people.You even steal things from them.”
18. So this is what the Lord says to Jehoiakim son of Josiah king of Judah:“The people of Judah will not cry loudly when Jehoiakim dies.They will not say, ‘Oh, my brother, I am so sad!Oh, my sister, I am so sad!’The people of Judah will not cry for him, saying:‘Oh, master, oh, my king.’
19. The people of Jerusalem will bury him like a donkey.They will just drag his body away.Then they will throw it outside the gates of Jerusalem.
20. “Judah, go up to Lebanon and cry out.Let your voice be heard in Bashan.Cry out from Abarim.All your friends are destroyed!
21. Judah, when you were successful, I warned you.But you refused to listen.You have acted like this since you were young.You have not obeyed me.
22. My punishment will come like a storm.And it will blow all your shepherds away.Your friends will be taken away as captives.Then you will really be ashamed.You will be disgraced because of all the wicked things you did.