Chapter 23 concludes the message concerning the fate of the kings. It includes three promises about the future of Judah and Israel. The shepherd imagery applies both to the kings and to the LORD. The first is negative, the second positive. The LORD will preserve the promise to David, but none of Jehoiachin’s descendants will rule Jerusalem. These promises make the most sense when viewed through the lens of the events from 597 to 586 and afterward. Judah will be restored, but not as an independent kingdom.