13 The king[fn] who built his house by doing what’s not right

≈ and built his upper rooms by unjustly forcing people to work,

→ won’t end well.

He forced the citizens to work without getting paid—

≈ not giving them their wages.

14 He’d decided to build himself a large house with spacious upper rooms,

so he cut out large windows for it, and panelled it with cedar,

and painted it with red ochre.

15 Does having the best cedar make you a better king?

Didn’t (Yoshiyah/Josiah) your father eat and drink well?

However, he administered justice and did what was right

→ so things went well for him.

16 He took up the cause of the poor and needy,

→ so things went well for him.

Yahweh declares that that’s what it means to know me,

17 but your desires and motives are only focussed on your dishonest gain,

on shedding innocent blood,

and on oppression and practicing extortion.

18 Therefore this is what Yahweh says about Yehoyakim (Jehoiakim), son of Yehudah’s King Yoshiyah (Josiah):

They won’t mourn for him saying, ‘Oh no, my brother! Oh no, my sister!’

≈ They won’t mourn for him saying, ‘Oh no, my master! Oh no, his splendour!’[ref]

19 He’ll be buried just like a donkey would be—

dragged away and thrown somewhere outside Yerushalem’s gates.