Jeremiah 34

1This is the wordH1697 thatH834 cameH1961 toH413 JeremiahH3414 from the LORDH3068 when NebuchadnezzarH5019 kingH4428 of BabylonH894, allH3605 his armyH2428, allH3605 the earthlyH776 kingdomsH4467 under his controlH4475H3027, and allH3605 the other nationsH5971 were fightingH3898 againstH5921 JerusalemH3389H5921 and allH3605 its surrounding citiesH5892H559. 2The LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, toldH559 Jeremiah to goH1980 and speakH559 toH413 ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063 and tellH559 himH413 that this is whatH3541 the LORDH3068 saysH559: “BeholdH2005, I am about to deliverH5414 thisH2063 cityH5892 into the handH3027 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894, and he will burn it downH8313H784. 3And you yourselfH859 will notH3808 escapeH4422 his graspH3027, butH3588 will surely be capturedH8610 and deliveredH5414 into his handH3027. You will seeH7200 the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 eyeH5869 to eyeH5869 and speak with himH1696 faceH6310 toH854 faceH6310; and you will goH935 to BabylonH894.

4YetH389 hearH8085 the wordH1697 of the LORDH3068, O ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063. This is whatH3541 the LORDH3068 saysH559 concerning youH5921: You will notH3808 dieH4191 by the swordH2719; 5you will dieH4191 in peaceH7965. As spices were burnedH4955 for your fathersH1, the formerH7223 kingsH4428 whoH834 precededH1961 youH6440, soH3651 people will burnH8313 spices for you and lamentH5594, ‘AlasH1945, O masterH113!’ ForH3588 I MyselfH589 have spokenH1696 this wordH1697, declaresH5002 the LORDH3068.”

6In Jerusalem, thenH3389, JeremiahH3414 the prophetH5030 relayedH1696 allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697 toH413 ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063 7as the armyH2428 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 was fightingH3898 againstH5921 JerusalemH3389H5921 and the remainingH3605H3498 citiesH5892 of JudahH3063—againstH413 LachishH3923H413 and AzekahH5825. ForH3588 these were the onlyH2007 fortifiedH4013 citiesH5892 remainingH7604 in JudahH3063.

Freedom for Hebrew Slaves

8AfterH310 KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 had madeH3772 a covenantH1285 withH854 allH3605 the peopleH5971 in JerusalemH3389 to proclaimH7121 libertyH1865, the wordH1697 cameH1961 toH413 JeremiahH3414 fromH854 the LORDH3068 9that each manH376 should freeH7971H2670 his HebrewH5680 slavesH5650, both male and femaleH5680H8198, and noH1115 oneH376 should holdH5647 his fellowH251 Jew in bondageH3064. 10So allH3605 the officialsH8269 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 enteredH935 into this covenantH1285 agreedH8085 that they would freeH7971H376 their menservantsH5650H376 and maidservantsH8198 and no longerH1115 hold them in bondageH5647. They obeyedH8085 and released themH7971, 11but laterH310 they changed their mindsH7725 and took backH7725 the menservantsH5650 andH853 maidservantsH8198 they had freedH7971H2670, and they forced themH3533 to become slavesH5650 againH8198.

12Then the wordH1697 of the LORDH3068 cameH1961 toH413 JeremiahH3414 from the LORDH3068, sayingH559, 13“This is whatH3541 the LORDH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478, saysH559: IH595 madeH3772 a covenantH1285 withH854 your forefathersH1 whenH3117 I brought them outH3318 of the landH776 of EgyptH4714, out of the houseH1004 of slaveryH5650, sayingH559: 14EveryH7093 seventhH7651 yearH8141, eachH376 of you must freeH7971 his HebrewH5680 brotherH251 whoH834 has sold himselfH4376 to you. He may serveH5647 you sixH8337 yearsH8141, but then you must let him goH7971 freeH2670. But your fathersH1H413H3808 did notH3808 listenH8085 or inclineH5186 their earH241.

15RecentlyH3117 youH859 repentedH7725 and didH6213 what pleasedH3477 MeH5869; eachH376 of you proclaimedH7121 freedomH1865 for his neighborH7453. You madeH3772 a covenantH1285 before MeH6440 in the houseH1004 thatH834 bearsH7121 My NameH8034H5921. 16But now you have changed your mindsH7725 and profanedH2490 My nameH8034. Each of youH376 has taken backH7725 the menservants and maidservantsH5650H376 whomH834 you had setH7971 at libertyH2670 to go wherever they wantedH5315, and you have again forcedH3533 themH853 to beH1961 your slavesH5650H8198.

17ThereforeH3651 this is whatH3541 the LORDH3068 saysH559: YouH859 have notH3808 obeyedH8085 MeH413; you have not proclaimedH7121 freedomH1865, each manH376 for his brotherH251H376 and for his neighborH7453. So nowH2005 I proclaimH7121 freedomH1865 for you, declaresH5002 the LORDH3068—freedom toH413 fall by swordH2719, byH413 plagueH1698, and byH413 famineH7458! I will make youH5414 a horrorH2113 to allH3605 the kingdomsH4467 of the earthH776.

18And those who have transgressedH5674 My covenantH1285 and have notH3808 fulfilledH6965 the termsH1697 of the covenantH1285 they madeH3772 before MeH6440, I will treatH5414 like the calfH5695 they cutH3772 in twoH8147 in order to passH5674 betweenH996 its piecesH1335. 19The officialsH8269 of JudahH3063H8269 and JerusalemH3389, the court officialsH5631, the priestsH3548, and allH3605 the peopleH5971 of the landH776 who passedH5674 betweenH996 the piecesH1335 of the calfH5695, 20I will deliverH5414 into the handsH3027 of their enemiesH341H3027 who seekH1245 their livesH5315. Their corpsesH5038 will becomeH1961 foodH3978 for the birdsH5775 of the airH8064 and the beastsH929 of the earthH776. 21AndH853 I will deliverH5414 ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063 and his officialsH8269 into the handsH3027 of their enemiesH341 who seekH1245 their livesH5315H3027, to the armyH2428 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 that had withdrawnH5927 from youH5921.

22BeholdH2005, I am going to give the commandH6680, declaresH5002 the LORDH3068, and I will bring them backH7725 toH413 thisH2063 cityH5892. They will fightH3898 against itH5921, capture itH3920, and burn it downH8313H784. AndH853 I will makeH5414 the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063 a desolationH8077, withoutH369 inhabitantH3427.”