7. I will appoint destroyers against you,each with his weapons.They will cut down the choicest of your cedarsand throw them into the fire.
8. “Many nations will pass by this city and ask one another, ‘Why did the Lord do such a thing to this great city? ’
9. They will answer, ‘Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh their God and worshiped and served other gods.’ ”
10. Do not weep for the dead;do not mourn for him.Weep bitterly for the one who has gone away,for he will never return againand see his native land.
11. For this is what the Lord says concerning Shallum son of Josiah, king of Judah, who became king in place of his father Josiah: “He has left this place — he will never return here again,
12. but he will die in the place where they deported him, never seeing this land again.”
13. Woe for the one who builds his palacethrough unrighteousness, his upper rooms through injustice,who makes his fellow man serve without payand will not give him his wages,
14. who says, “I will build myself a massive palace,with spacious upper rooms.”He will cut windows in it,and it will be paneled with cedarand painted with vermilion.
15. Are you a king because you excel in cedar?Didn’t your father eat and drinkand administer justice and righteousness? Then it went well with him.
16. He took up the case of the poor and needy,then it went well.Is this not what it means to know Me?This is the Lord’s declaration.
17. But you have eyes and a heart for nothingexcept your own dishonest profit,shedding innocent bloodand committing extortion and oppression.
18. Therefore, this is what the Lord says concerning Jehoiakim son of Josiah, king of Judah:They will not mourn for him, saying,“Woe, my brother! ” or “Woe, my sister! ”They will not mourn for him, saying,“Woe, lord! Woe, his majesty! ”
19. He will be buried like a donkey, dragged off and thrownoutside the gates of Jerusalem.
20. Go up to Lebanon and cry out;raise your voice in Bashan;cry out from Abarim, for all your lovers have been crushed.
21. I spoke to you when you were secure.You said, “I will not listen.”This has been your way since youth; indeed, you have never listened to Me.
22. The wind will take charge of all your shepherds,and your lovers will go into captivity.Then you will be ashamed and humiliated because of all your evil.
23. You residents of Lebanon,nestled among the cedars,how you will groan when labor pains come on you,agony like a woman in labor.