34
1 The
word which came
to Jeremiah from
the LORD, when
Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon, with
all his army,
all the kingdoms
of the earth that
were under his
dominion, and all
the peoples, were
fighting against
Jerusalem and
against all its
cities, saying:
2 “The
LORD, the God
of Israel, says,
‘Go, and speak to
Zedekiah king of
Judah, and tell
him, the LORD
says, “Behold, I
will give this
city into the
hand of the
king of Babylon
and he will
burn it with fire.
3 You won’t
escape out of
his hand, but
will surely be
taken and
delivered into his
hand. Your eyes
will see the
eyes of the
king of Babylon,
and he will
speak with you
mouth to mouth.
You will go
to Babylon.” ’
4 “Yet
hear the LORD’s
word, O Zedekiah
king of Judah.
The LORD says
concerning you, ‘You
won’t die by the
sword.
5 You
will die in
peace; and with
the burnings of
your fathers, the
former kings who
were before you,
so they will
make a burning
for you. They
will lament you,
saying, “Ah Lord!”
for I have
spoken the word,’
says the LORD.”
6 Then
Jeremiah the
prophet spoke all
these words to
Zedekiah king of
Judah in Jerusalem,
7 when
the king
of Babylon’s army
was fighting
against Jerusalem
and against all
the cities of
Judah that were
left, against
Lachish and
against Azekah;
for these alone
remained of the
cities of Judah
as fortified
cities.
8 The
word came to
Jeremiah from the
LORD, after King
Zedekiah had made
a covenant with
all the people
who were at
Jerusalem, to
proclaim liberty
to them,
9 that
every man should
let his male
servant, and every
man his female
servant, who is
a Hebrew or
a Hebrewess, go
free, that no one
should make bondservants
of them, of
a Jew his brother.
10 All
the princes and
all the people
obeyed who
had entered into the
covenant, that
everyone should
let his male
servant and
everyone his
female servant go
free, that no
one should
make bondservants of
them any more.
They obeyed and
let them go,
11 but afterwards they
turned, and caused
the servants and
the handmaids whom
they had let
go free to
return, and
brought them into
subjection for
servants and for
handmaids.
12 Therefore
the LORD’s word
came to Jeremiah
from the LORD,
saying,
13 “The
LORD, the God
of Israel, says:
‘I made a
covenant with
your fathers in
the day that
I brought them
out of the land
of Egypt, out
of the house
of bondage, saying:
14 At
the end of
seven years, every
man of you
shall release
his brother who is
a Hebrew, who
has been sold
to you, and
has served you
six years. You
shall let him
go free from
you. But
your fathers didn’t listen
to me, and didn’t
incline their ear.
15 You
had now turned,
and had done
that which is
right in my
eyes, in every
man proclaiming
liberty to his
neighbor. You had
made a covenant
before me in
the house which
is called by
my name;
16 but
you turned and
profaned my name,
and every man
caused his servant
and every man
his handmaid, whom
you had let
go free at
their pleasure, to
return. You
brought them into
subjection, to be
to you for
servants and for
handmaids.’ ”
17 Therefore
the LORD says: “You
have not listened
to me, to
proclaim liberty,
every man to
his brother, and
every man to
his neighbor.
Behold, I proclaim
to you a
liberty,” says the
LORD, “to the
sword, to the
pestilence, and to
the famine. I
will make you
be tossed back and
forth among all
the kingdoms of
the earth.
18 I
will give the
men who have
transgressed my
covenant, who have
not performed the
words of the
covenant which
they made before
me when they
cut the calf
in two and
passed between its
parts:
19 the
princes of Judah,
the princes of
Jerusalem, the
eunuchs, the
priests, and all
the people of
the land, who
passed between the
parts of the
calf.
20 I
will even give
them into the
hand of their
enemies and into
the hand of
those who seek
their life. Their
dead bodies will
be food for
the birds of
the sky and
for the animals
of the earth.
21 “I
will give Zedekiah
king of Judah
and his princes
into the hands
of their enemies,
into the hands
of those who
seek their life
and into the
hands of the
king of Babylon’s
army, who has
gone away from
you.
22 Behold,
I will command,”
says the LORD, “and
cause them to
return to this
city. They will
fight against it,
take it, and
burn it with fire.
I will make
the cities of
Judah a desolation,
without inhabitant.”