Jeremiah's Message to the Royal House of Judah
1-2 The Lord told me to go to the palace of the king of Judah, the descendant of David, and there tell the king, his officials, and the people of Jerusalem to listen to what the Lord had said: 3 “I, the Lord, command you to do what is just and right. Protect the person who is being cheated from the one who is cheating him. Do not mistreat or oppress aliens, orphans, or widows; and do not kill innocent people in this holy place. 4 If you really do as I have commanded, then David's descendants will continue to be kings. And they, together with their officials and their people, will continue to pass through the gates of this palace in chariots and on horses. 5 But if you do not obey my commands, then I swear to you that this palace will fall into ruins. I, the Lord, have spoken.
6 “To me, Judah's royal palace is as beautiful as the land of Gilead and as the Lebanon Mountains; but I will make it a desolate place where no one lives. 7 I am sending men to destroy it. They will all bring their axes, cut down its beautiful cedar pillars, and throw them into the fire.
8 “Afterward many foreigners will pass by and ask one another why I, the Lord, have done such a thing to this great city. 9 Then they will answer that it is because you have abandoned your covenant with me, your God, and have worshiped and served other gods.”
Jeremiah's Message concerning Joahaz
10 People of Judah, do not weep for King Josiah;
do not mourn his death.
But weep bitterly for Joahaz, his son;
they are taking him away, never to return,
never again to see the land where he was born.
11 The Lord says concerning Josiah's son Joahaz, who succeeded his father as king of Judah, “He has gone away from here, never to return. 12 He will die in the country where they have taken him, and he will never again see this land.”
Jeremiah's Message concerning Jehoiakim
13 Doomed is the one who builds his house by injustice
and enlarges it by dishonesty;
who makes his people work for nothing
and does not pay their wages.
14 Doomed is the one who says,
“I will build myself a mansion
with spacious rooms upstairs.”
So he puts windows in his house,
panels it with cedar,
and paints it red.
15 Does it make you a better king
if you build houses of cedar,
finer than those of others?
Your father enjoyed a full life.
He was always just and fair,
and he prospered in everything he did.
16 He gave the poor a fair trial,
and all went well with him.
That is what it means to know the Lord.
17 But you can only see your selfish interests;
you kill the innocent
and violently oppress your people.
The Lord has spoken.
18 So then, the Lord says about Josiah's son Jehoiakim, king of Judah,
“No one will mourn his death or say,
‘How terrible, my friend, how terrible!’
No one will weep for him or cry,
‘My lord! My king!’
19 With the funeral honors of a donkey,
he will be dragged away
and thrown outside Jerusalem's gates.”
Jeremiah's Message about the Fate of Jerusalem
20 People of Jerusalem, go to Lebanon and shout,
go to the land of Bashan and cry;
call out from the mountains of Moab,
because all your allies have been defeated.
21 The Lord spoke to you when you were prosperous,
but you refused to listen.
That is what you've done all your life;
you never would obey the Lord.
22 Your leaders will be blown away by the wind,
your allies taken as prisoners of war,
your city disgraced and put to shame
because of all the evil you have done.
23 You rest secure among the cedars brought from Lebanon;
but how pitiful you'll be when pains strike you,
pains like those of a woman in labor.
God's Judgment on Jehoiachin
24 The Lord said to King Jehoiachin, son of King Jehoiakim of Judah, “As surely as I am the living God, even if you were the signet ring on my right hand, I would pull you off 25 and give you to people you are afraid of, people who want to kill you. I will give you to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his soldiers. 26 I am going to force you and your mother into exile. You will go to a country where neither of you was born, and both of you will die there. 27 You will long to see this country again, but you will never return.”
28 I said, “Has King Jehoiachin become like a broken jar that is thrown away and that no one wants? Is that why he and his children have been taken into exile to a land they know nothing about?”
29 O land, land, land!
Listen to what the Lord has said:
30 “This man is condemned to lose his children,
to be a man who will never succeed.
He will have no descendants
who will rule in Judah
as David's successors.
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!”
