Jeremiah 22

1 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: “Go down [to a lower place, descend] to the palace [house, dwelling place] of the king [royal person, ruler] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and proclaim [speak, communicate, declare] this message [word, thing, affair] there [in that place, at that time], word study 2 saying, ‘Hear [listen and obey] the word [message or declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God], O king [royal ruler] of Judah [the tribe of Judah], who sits [dwells and reigns] on the throne [seat of authority] of David [the ancestral king]—you [as the ruler] and your officials [servants or attendants] and your people [nation or community] who enter [come and go] these gates [entrances to the city]. word study 3 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: Administer [execute, carry out] justice [righteous judgment] and righteousness [moral virtue]. Rescue [deliver, snatch away] the victim of robbery [one who is plundered] from the hand [power or direction] of his oppressor [one who treats others unfairly]. Do no wrong [unjust act, to oppress] or violence [harm, injury] to the foreigner [sojourner], the fatherless [orphan], or the widow [one whose husband has died]. Do not shed [pour out] innocent [guiltless] blood [life-giving fluid] in this place [location]. word study 4 For if you will indeed [carefully, with diligence] carry out these commands [instructions, divine decrees], then kings [rulers, monarchs] who sit [dwell, reside] on David’s [the youngest son of Jesse, a king of Israel] throne [seat of power, authority] will enter [come, approach] through the gates [entrances, doors] of this palace [house, royal residence] riding [mounted, seated] on chariots [vehicles, carriages] and horses [steeds, mounts]—they [the kings, rulers] and their officials [servants, attendants] and their people [nation, subjects]. word study 5 But if you do not [refuse to] obey [listen and respond to] these words, then I swear [make a solemn oath] by Myself, declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], that this house [dwelling place, temple] will become [be turned into] a pile of rubble [desolation, a place laid waste].’” word study 6 For this is what the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] says concerning the house [family, dynasty] of the king [ruler, monarch] of Judah: “You are like Gilead [a rocky region, a place of refuge] to Me, like the summit [head, highest point] of Lebanon [a mountain range]; but I will surely turn you into a desert [wilderness, barren land], like cities [towns, inhabited places] that are uninhabited [not lived in, desolate]. word study 7 I will appoint [assign, prepare] destroyers [those who bring ruin, agents of destruction] against you, each man [individual, person] with his [own, personal] weapons [tools, utensils], and they will cut down [chop, hew] the choicest [best, most excellent] of your cedars [strong and durable trees] and throw [cast, hurl] them into the fire [flames, blaze]. word study 8 And many [numerous, a multitude of] nations [Gentile, non-Hebrew peoples] will pass by [cross over, transition through] this city [a place with walls and a watchman, a settlement] and ask one another [each man to his neighbor, companion to companion], ‘Why [for what reason, on what account] has the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] done [made, brought about] such a thing [thus, in this way] to this great [large, important] city [a city of renown, a prominent town]?’ word study 9 Then people will reply, ‘Because they have [abandoned, stopped obeying] forsaken the covenant [promise, agreement] of the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] their God [Elohim, the one supreme God] and have worshiped [bow down to, serve] and served [given obedience to, worked for] other [different, foreign] gods [Elohim, divine beings].’” word study 10 Do not [refrain from, cease] weep for the dead [deceased, lifeless] king; do not [never, under no circumstances] mourn his loss [departure, death]. Weep bitterly [with intense sorrow, deeply] for the one who is exiled [banished, forced to leave], for he will never [not ever, at no time] return to see [behold, gaze upon] his native [birth, ancestral] land [country, territory]. word study 11 For this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says concerning Shallum [a personal name, meaning peace] son of Josiah [whom Jehovah heals], king [a royal person, ruler] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah], who succeeded [reigned instead of] his father Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] but has gone forth [come out, departed] from this place [a location]: “He will never [not, no] return [turn back, come back], word study 12 but he will die [in exile, as a captive] in the place [where they have led him captive, a foreign land] to which he was exiled [led away, removed]; he will never [not at all, no more] see this land [the promised land, his homeland] again [any more, still].” word study 13 “Woe [a cry of sorrow, a lament] to him who builds [constructs, establishes] his palace [house, dwelling place] by unrighteousness [injustice, wrongdoing], and his upper rooms [lofty chambers, high places] without justice [righteousness, fairness], who makes [uses, exploits] his countrymen [neighbors, fellow citizens] serve [work, labor] without pay [for nothing, freely], and fails [refuses, neglects] to pay [give, provide] their wages [compensation, reward], word study 14 who says, ‘I will build [construct, establish] myself a great [large, spacious] palace, with [having, containing] spacious [wide, airy] upper rooms [lofty chambers, roof chambers].’ So he cuts [tears, makes] windows [openings, apertures] in it, panels [covers, ceils] it with cedar [a strong and durable wood], and paints [anoints, coats] it with vermilion [a bright red color, like crimson]. word study 15 Does it make you a king [to reign, to rule with authority] to excel [strive to surpass, contend with] in cedar [with luxurious buildings, in grandeur]? Did not your father [ancestor, parent] have food [nourishment, sustenance] and drink [beverages, refreshment]? He administered [executed, carried out] justice [righteous judgment, fairness] and righteousness [moral integrity, virtue], and so it went well [was pleasant, prospered] with him. word study 16 He took up [judged, defended] the cause [judgment, plea] of the poor [afflicted, humble] and needy [oppressed, in need of help], and so [then] it went well [was pleasant, prosperous] with him. Is this not [is it not] what it means [the knowledge, understanding] to know [have an intimate relationship with] Me?” declares [says, utters] the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God]. word study 17 “But your eyes [the windows of your soul] and heart [the seat of your emotions and will] are set on nothing except your own [personal, selfish] dishonest gain [unjust profit, covetousness], on shedding [pouring out, taking] innocent [guiltless, morally clean] blood, on practicing [doing, committing] extortion [oppression, violence] and oppression [crushing, overwhelming].” word study 18 Therefore [thus, in this manner] this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says concerning Jehoiakim [Jehovah raises up] son of Josiah [whom Jehovah heals] king [royal ruler] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah]: “They will not mourn [lament, express deep sadness] for him: ‘Alas [woe, oh], my brother [male sibling, close relative]! Alas, my sister [female sibling, close relative]!’ They will not mourn [lament, express deep sadness] for him: ‘Alas, my master [lord, one in authority]! Alas, his splendor [glory, majestic presence]!’ word study 19 He will be buried [with the burial of an ass] like a donkey [a male ass], dragged [pulled out, torn apart] away and thrown [cast forth, discarded] outside [beyond, further than] the gates [city entrances, doors of protection] of Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Palestine]. word study 20 Go up [ascend to a higher place] to Lebanon [a mountain range in Israel] and cry out [shout for help, lament]; raise your voice [sound, utterance] in Bashan [a fertile region east of the Jordan River]; cry out [shout, wail] from Abarim [a mountain range east of the Jordan River], for all [everything, every single one] your lovers [those who have affection for you, romantic or familial] have been crushed [broken, shattered, destroyed]. word study 21 I warned [spoke to, communicated with] you when you were secure [in prosperity, at ease, a state of quietness and ease]. You said [replied, responded with], ‘I will not listen [hear, obey, to hear and listen, often implying attention and obedience].’ This [a pronoun meaning this or that] has been your way [a road or path, and can also mean a way of life or manner of action] from youth [the state of being young, or a group of young people], that you have not obeyed [heard, listened to, to hear and listen, often implying attention and obedience] My voice [a voice or sound, referring to the sound of a person speaking]. word study 22 The wind [a blast of air] will drive away all [every single one] your shepherds [pastors, leaders], and your lovers [those who love you, allies] will go into captivity [exile, imprisonment]. Then [at that time] you will be ashamed [humbled, disgraced] and humiliated [confounded, put to shame] because of all [every aspect of] your wickedness [evil, wrongdoing]. word study 23 O inhabitant [dweller, resident] of Lebanon [a mountain range in Israel], nestled [making your nest, dwelling] in the cedars [strong and durable trees], how you will groan [cry out in pain, lament] when pangs [intense pains, cords] of anguish [agony, intense pain] come upon you, agony [intense pain, sorrow] like a woman [a female, a mother] in labor [childbirth, travail].” word study 24 “As surely as I [the Lord] live,” declares the LORD [the supreme God, Yehovah], “even if you, Coniah [a king of Judah] son of Jehoiakim [meaning Jehovah raises up] king of Judah, were a signet ring [a seal] on My right hand [the hand of power and direction], I would pull you off [tear you away, separate you from Me]. word study 25 In fact, I will hand you over [give into the power of, deliver into the hands of] to those you dread [fear, are afraid of], who want to take your life [soul, living being]—to Nebuchadnezzar [Nebuchadrezzar, king of the Babylonian empire] king of Babylon [Babel, a city of confusion] and to the Chaldeans [inhabitants of Chaldea, a region in Mesopotamia]. word study 26 I will hurl [cast out, throw away] you and the mother [female parent, maternal figure] who gave you birth [bore you, brought you into the world] into another [different, foreign] land [country, territory], where neither of you were born [had your origin, came into existence]—and there [in that place, at that time] you both will die [meet your end, pass away]. word study 27 You will never [not at all, under no circumstances] return to the land [country, territory, or region] for which [that, the place] you long [yearn, have a strong desire, lift up your soul] [with all your heart, deeply].” word study 28 Is this man Coniah [a broken idol, despised and shattered] a despised [held in contempt] and shattered [scattered, dispersed] pot, a jar [vessel, article] that no one wants [in which there is no pleasure, delight]? Why [for what reason, how] are he and his descendants [seed, offspring] hurled out [cast away, thrown] and cast [thrown, tossed] into a land [country, territory] they do not know [are unfamiliar with, have not seen]? word study 29 O land [earth, territory, or region], land [country, or ground], land [soil, or ground], hear [listen and obey, give ear to] the word [message, or thing] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God, or Yehovah]! word study 30 This is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: “Enroll this man as childless [without descendants, barren], a man who will not prosper [succeed, thrive] in his lifetime [days, time on earth]. None of his descendants [seed, offspring] will prosper [flourish, be successful] to sit on the throne [seat of power, royal chair] of David or to rule [have power, govern] again in Judah [the land of the tribe of Judah].” word study