Jeremiah 34:8-22

8The word that 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 person was to set his male servant free and each his female servant, a 4Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, so that 5no one would keep them, his Jewish brother or sister, in bondage. 10And all the 6officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each person was to set his male servant free and each his female servant, so that no one would keep them in bondage any longer; 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 as male servants and as female servants.

12Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, 13“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel says: ‘I 7made a covenant with your forefathers on 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 for six years, and you shall send him out free from you.” But your forefathers 11did not obey Me nor incline their ear to Me. 15Although recently you had turned and 12done what is right in My sight, each one 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 person 18took back his male servant and each his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male and female servants.’

17“Therefore this is what the Lord says: ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming 19release, each one to his brother and each to his neighbor. Behold, I am 20proclaiming a 21release to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to the 22sword, to the plague, and to the famine; and I will make you a 23terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18I will give the people who have 24violated 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 high officials and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf-- 20I will hand them over to their enemies and to those who 27seek their lives. And their 28dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth. 2129Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will also hand over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives, and to the army of the king of Babylon which has 30withdrawn from you. 22Behold, I am going to give a 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.’”