This is what the LORD says: “Go down to the palace of the king of Judah and proclaim this message there,
Parallel translations
- WEB Thus said Yahweh: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
- KJV Thus saith the LORD; Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and speak there this word,
- NKJV Thus says the Lord: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah, and there speak this word,
- NASB This is what the Lord says: “Go down to the house of the king of Judah and there speak this word,
- NLT This is what the Lord said to me: “Go over and speak directly to the king of Judah. Say to him,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
God sends Jeremiah to the royal palace to deliver a message to Judah's king. The prophet must confront the throne itself.
Overview
Jeremiah is commanded to go down to the king's house, signaling a direct confrontation with the seat of power. Prophets often had to address rulers face to face, calling them to covenant obedience. This opening frames the chapter's sustained critique of Judah's kings and its appeal to justice, reminding us that no office is above God's word.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Jer 34:2The LORD, the God of Israel, told Jeremiah to go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.
- Amos 7:13But never prophesy at Bethel again, because it is the sanctuary of the king and the temple of the kingdom.”
- Hos 5:1“Hear this, O priests! Take heed, O house of Israel! Give ear, O royal house! For this judgment is against you because you have been a snare at Mizpah, a net spread out on Tabor.
- Jer 21:11Moreover, tell the house of the king of Judah to hear the word of the LORD.
- 2 Sam 12:1Then the LORD sent Nathan to David, and when he arrived, he said, “There were two men in a certain city, one rich and the other poor.
- Mark 6:18For John had been telling Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother’s wife!”
- 1 Kgs 21:18–20“Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has gone to take possession.
- 1 Sam 15:16–23“Stop!” exclaimed Samuel. “Let me tell you what the LORD said to me last night.” “Tell me,” Saul replied.
- 2 Sam 24:11–12When David got up in the morning, a revelation from the LORD had come to Gad the prophet, David’s seer:
- 2 Chr 33:10And the LORD spoke to Manasseh and his people, but they did not listen.
- Luke 3:19–20But when he rebuked Herod the tetrarch regarding his brother’s wife Herodias and all the evils he had done,
- 2 Chr 19:2–3Jehu son of Hanani the seer went out to confront him and said to King Jehoshaphat, “Should you help the wicked and love those who hate the LORD? Because of this, the wrath of the LORD is upon you.
- 2 Chr 25:15–16Therefore the anger of the LORD burned against Amaziah, and He sent him a prophet, who said, “Why have you sought this people’s gods, which could not deliver them from your hand?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Against the failure of false shepherds Jeremiah promises the Righteous Branch, 'The LORD our righteousness,' and the new covenant written on the heart and sealed in the blood of Christ.
How Jeremiah 22:1 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.