Jeremiah 34:8-22

8The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had 1made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to 2proclaim 3release to them: 9that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a 4Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that 5no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage. 10And all the 6officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free. 11But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants.

12Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 13“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘I 7made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I 8brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying, 14“9At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who 10has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers 11did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me. 15Although recently you had turned and 12done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming 13release to his neighbor, and you had 14made a covenant before Me 15in the house which is called by My name. 16Yet you 16turned and 17profaned My name, and each man 18took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants.”’

17“Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming 19release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am 20proclaiming a 21release to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to the 22sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a 23terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18I will give the men who have 24transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they 25cut the calf in two and passed between its parts-- 19the 26officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf-- 20I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who 27seek their life. And their 28dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth. 2129Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has 30gone away from you. 22Behold, I am going to command,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and 31take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a 32desolation 33without inhabitant.’”