The Lord Will Punish the King of Judah
1-3 The Lord sent me to the palace of the king of Judah to speak to the king, his officials, and everyone else who was there. The Lord told me to say:
I am the Lord, so pay attention! You have been allowing people to cheat, rob, and take advantage of widows, orphans, and foreigners who live here. Innocent people have become victims of injustice, and some of them have even been killed. But now I command you to do what is right and see that justice is done. Rescue everyone who has suffered from injustice.
4 If you obey me, the kings from David's family will continue to rule Judah from this palace. They and their officials will ride in and out on their horses or in their chariots. 5 But if you ignore me, I promise in my own name that this palace will lie in ruins. 6 Listen to what I think about it:
The palace of Judah's king
is as glorious as Gilead
or Lebanon's highest peaks.
But it will be as empty
as a ghost-town
when I'm through with it.
7 I'll send troops to tear it apart,
and its beautiful cedar beams
will be used for firewood.
8 People from different nations will pass by and ask, “Why did the Lord do this to such a great city as Jerusalem?” 9 Others will answer, “It's because the people worshiped foreign gods and broke the agreement that the Lord their God had made with them.”
King Jehoahaz
The Lord said:
10 King Josiah is dead,
so don't mourn for him.
Instead, mourn for his son
King Jehoahaz,
dragged off to another country,
never to return.
11-12 Jehoahaz became king of Judah after his father King Josiah died. But Jehoahaz was taken as a prisoner to a foreign country. Now I, the Lord, promise that he will die there without ever seeing his own land again.
King Jehoiakim
The Lord told me to say:
* 13 King Jehoiakim, you are doomed!
You built a palace
with large rooms upstairs.
14 You put in big windows
and used cedar paneling
and red paint.
But you were unfair
and forced the builders to work
without pay.
* 15 More cedar in your palace
doesn't make you a better king
than your father Josiah.
He always did right—
he gave justice to the poor
and was honest.
16 That's what it means
to truly know me.
So he lived a comfortable life
and always had enough
to eat and drink.
17 But all you think about
is how to cheat
or abuse or murder
some innocent victim.
18 Jehoiakim, no one will mourn
at your funeral.
They won't turn to each other
and ask,
“Why did our great king
have to die?”
19 You will be given a burial
fit for a donkey;
your body will be dragged
outside the city gates
and tossed in the dirt.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
King Jehoiachin and the People of Jerusalem
The Lord told me to say:
20 People of Jerusalem,
the nations you trusted
have been crushed.
Go to Lebanon and weep;
cry in the land of Bashan
and in Moab.
21 When times were good,
I warned you.
But you ignored me,
just as you have done
since Israel was young.
22 Now you will be disgraced
because of your sins.
Your leaders will be swept away
by the wind,
and the nations you trusted
will be captured and dragged
to a foreign country.
23 Those who live in the palace
paneled with cedar
will groan with pain
like women giving birth.
24 King Jehoiachin, son of Jehoiakim, even if you were the ring I wear as the sign of my royal power, I would still pull you from my finger. 25 I would hand you over to the enemy you fear, to King Nebuchadnezzar and his army, who want to kill you. 26 You and your mother were born in Judah, but I will throw both of you into a foreign country, where you will die, 27 longing to return home.
28 Jehoiachin, you are unwanted
like a broken clay pot.
So you and your children
will be thrown into a country
you know nothing about.
29 Land of Judah, I am the Lord.
Now listen to what I say!
30 Erase the names
of Jehoiachin's children
from the royal records.
He is a complete failure,
and so none of them
will ever be king.
I, the Lord, have spoken.
Vēstījums Jūdas ķēniņiem
1 Tā saka Kungs: “Ej uz Jūdas ķēniņa namu un saki tur šos vārdus: 2 saki: klausies Kunga vārdu, Jūdas ķēniņ, kas sēdi uz Dāvida troņa, tu un tavi kalpi un tava tauta, kas nāk pa šiem vārtiem:
3 tā saka Kungs: dariet tiesu un taisnību un glābiet aplaupīto no apspiedēju rokas, un neapspiediet svešinieku, bāreni un atraitni, nedariet pāri, un neizlejiet šai vietā nevainīgā asinis. 4 Ja jūs tā darīsiet, pa šiem vārtiem nāks ķēniņi, kas sēž uz Dāvida troņa, brauc ratos, jāj zirgos, – viņi un viņu kalpi, un tauta. 5 Bet, ja jūs neklausīsieties šajos vārdos, es zvēru pie sevis, saka Kungs, par drupām kļūs šis nams!”
6 Jo tā saka Kungs Jūdas ķēniņa namam:
“Tu mana Gileāda,
Lebanona virsotne!
Vai lai nepadaru tevi par tuksnesi,
par pilsētu, kur neviens nemīt?
7 Es svētīšu pret tevi postītājus,
katru ar savu ieroci,
tie nocirtīs tavus labākos ciedrus
un iemetīs tos ugunī!
8 Cauri šai pilsētai ies daudzas tautas, un tie teiks viens otram: kādēļ Kungs tā darīja šai lielajai pilsētai? 9 Un atbildēs: tādēļ, ka viņi atmeta sava Kunga Dieva derību – zemojās citiem dieviem un vergoja tiem!”
10 Mirušo neapraudiet
un par to nevaimanājiet!
Raudāt raudiet par to, kurš aiziet,
jo tas vairs atpakaļ nenāks
un neredzēs zemi, kur dzimis!
11 Jo tā saka Kungs par Jūdas ķēniņu Šallūmu, Jošijāhu dēlu, kurš valdīja pēc sava tēva Jošijāhu, – viņš no šejienes aizgāja un vairs neatgriezīsies: 12 “Tajā vietā, kur viņu aizveda trimdā, – tur viņš mirs un šo zemi vairs neredzēs!”
13 Vai! tam, kurš savu namu bez taisnības būvē
un savas jumtistabas bez tiesas!
Tam kaimiņš vergo par velti –
pūles tam neatlīdzina.
14 Tas saka: uzcelšu sev dižu namu
plašām jumtistabām,
izcirtīšu logus,
ar ciedru izklāšu
un sarkanu izmālēšu!
15 Vai tu valdi tādēļ,
ka dižojies ciedros?
Tavs tēvs –
vai viņš neēda un nedzēra?
Vai tiesu un taisnību nedarīja?
Tad viņam klājās labi!
16 Viņš tiesāja
sērdieņa, nabaga tiesu –
tad bija labi! –
“Vai tad tas nenozīmē
pazīt mani?”
saka Kungs.
17 Bet tavas acis un sirds
tik uz netaisnu mantu vien,
tik nevainīga asinis liet,
tik uz spaidiem
un varasdarbiem!
18 Tādēļ tā saka Kungs Jūdas ķēniņam Jehojākīmam, Jošijāhu dēlam:
“Lai tie neraud par viņu:
vai, mans brāli, vai, mana māsa! –
lai tie viņu neapraud:
vai, mans kungs, vai, diženais! –
19 Ēzeļa kapā viņu apraks,
izvazās un izmētās
aiz Jeruzālemes vārtiem!”
20 Ej uz Lebanonu un kliedz,
cel Bāšānā balsi,
un kliedz no Abārīma kalniem,
jo visi tavi mīlnieki noslānīti!
21 Es runāju uz tevi,
kad tev klājās labi,
tu teici: es neklausīšos!
Tas ir ceļš,
ko tu jau kopš jaunības min –
tu neklausies manā balsī!
22 Visus tavus ganus
ganīs vējš,
un tavi mīlnieki
gūstā aizies –
tad tu būsi bez kauna, bez goda!
23 Lebanona iemītniece,
kas ligzdo starp ciedriem! –
kā tu vaidēsi,
kā tevi pārmāks sāpes –
kā radību mokās!
24 “Es dzīvs,” saka Kungs, “kaut Konjāhu, Jehojākīma dēls, būtu gredzens uz manas labās rokas, tik un tā es viņu norautu no turienes! 25 Es atdošu tevi tiem, no kuriem tu baidies, – Bābeles ķēniņam Nebūkadnecaram rokā un kaldiešiem! 26 Es aiztriekšu tevi un tavu māti, kas tevi dzemdējusi, uz citu zemi, kur jūs neesat dzimuši, – un tur jūs mirsiet! 27 Un uz zemi, kur viņi kāros atgriezties, – tur tie neatgriezīsies!”
28 Vai šis vīrs Konjāhu
ir nevērtīgs sasists trauks?
Vai krūka, kas netīk nevienam?
Kādēļ viņš aiztriekts un viņa pēcnācēji
aizvesti uz zemi, ko viņi nepazīst?
29 Zeme, zeme, zeme,
klausies Kunga vārdu!
30 Tā saka Kungs:
“Pierakstiet viņu kā tādu,
kas ir bez bērniem,
kā vīru, kam nesokas viņa dienās, –
nenāks no viņa pēcnācējiem vīrs,
kas sēdētu Dāvida tronī un valdītu Jūdā!”
