1 The Lord proclaims: Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and declare this message:
2 Listen to the Lord’s word, king of Judah, you who sit on David’s throne—you and your attendants, and all those who go through these gates.
3 The Lord proclaims: Do what is just and right; rescue the oppressed from the power of the oppressor. Don’t exploit or mistreat the refugee, the orphan, and the widow. Don’t spill the blood of the innocent in this place.
4 If you obey this command, then through the gates of this palace will come kings who occupy the throne of David, riding on chariots and horses along with their entourage and subjects.
5 But if you ignore these words, I swear by myself, declares the Lord, that this palace will become a ruin.
6 The Lord proclaims concerning the palace of the king of Judah:Though you are like Gilead to me,like the summit of Lebanon,I will turn you into a desert—uninhabited cities.
7 I will summon destroyers against you,who will use their weaponsto cut down your finest cedarsand hurl them into the fire.