Jeremiah 22:1-10

YAHWEH spoke these words to Jeremiah: “Go to the palace of the king of Judah and give him my word. Say: ‘Listen to the word of YAHWEH, king of Judah, who occupies the throne of David, your officials, and people who enter these gates! YAHWEH says to you: Be concerned for justice and righteousness. Rescue the one who is robbed from his oppressor. Do not exploit or mistreat the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow. Stop the violence and do not shed the blood of the innocent in this place. For if you fulfill this command, then there will be kings of David’s lineage to pass through the city’s gates. The kings and their officials will be riding in chariots or riding horses and will be accompanied by the people. But I swear by myself as a witness, if you do not obey these commands, then this palace shall become a ruin, declares YAHWEH!’ ” Yes, listen to what YAHWEH thinks about Judah’s royal palace: “You are as glorious as Gilead to me, as beautiful as the summit of Lebanon; but I swear that I will make you as empty as a desert— like a ghost town. I will appoint a wrecking crew to destroy you, each member with his weapons and tools. They will cut down your pillars of choice cedar and set them on fire. “When many foreigners pass by this city and each one asks another, ‘Why did YAHWEH do this to such a great city?’ the reply will be, ‘Because they forsook the covenant with YAHWEH their God and worshiped and served other gods.’ ” Do not weep for King Josiah, who died, and do not mourn for him; rather, weep bitterly for King Jehoahaz, who is carried away as a captive, for he will never return to see the land of his birth.