6 For thus says the Lord to the house of the king of Judah:
“You are ^aGilead to Me,
The head of Lebanon;
Yet I surely will make you a wilderness,
Cities which are not inhabited. ‡

7 I will prepare destroyers against you,
Everyone with his weapons;
They shall cut down ^ayour choice cedars
^bAnd cast them into the fire.  ‡

10 Weep not for ^athe dead, nor bemoan him;
Weep bitterly for him ^bwho goes away,
For he shall return no more,
Nor see his native country.  ‡

11 For thus says the Lord concerning ^aShallum the son of Josiah, king of Judah, who reigned instead of Josiah his father, ^bwho went from this place: “He shall not return here anymore,  ‡