Jeremiah 34

A Prophecy against Zedekiah

1The wordH1697 that cameH1961 to JeremiahH3414 from the LordH3068, when 1NebuchadnezzarH5019 kingH4428 of BabylonH894 and allH3605 his armyH2428, with 2allH3605 the kingdomsH4467 of the earthH776 that were under his 3controlH4475 and allH3605 the peoplesH5971, were fightingH3898 againstH5921 JerusalemH3389 and allH3605 its citiesH5892, sayingH559, 2“ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478 saysH559: ‘4GoH1980 and speakH559 to ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063 and sayH559 to him, “ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: ‘BeholdH2009, 5I am handingH5414H3027 thisH2088 cityH5892 overH5414 to the kingH4428 of BabylonH894, and 6he will burnH8313 it with fireH784. 3And as for you, 7you will not escapeH4422 from his handH3027, for you will assuredlyH8610 be caughtH8610 and handedH5414H3027 overH5414 to him; and you will 8seeH7200 the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 eyeH5869 to eyeH5869, and he will speakH1696 with you 9faceH6310 to faceH6310, and you will goH935 to BabylonH894.’”’ 4YetH389 hearH8085 the wordH1697 of the LordH3068, ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063! ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559 concerningH5921 you: ‘You will not dieH4191 by the swordH2719. 5You will dieH4191 in peaceH7965; and as spices were burnedH4955 for your fathersH1, the formerH7223 kingsH4428 whoH834 were beforeH6440 you, soH3651 they will 10burnH8313 spices for you; and 11they will mournH5594 for you, crying, “OhH1945, my lordH113!”’ For I have spokenH1696 the wordH1697,” declaresH5002 the LordH3068.

6Then JeremiahH3414 the prophetH5030 spokeH1696 12allH3605 theseH428 wordsH1697 to ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063 in JerusalemH3389 7when the armyH2428 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 was fightingH3898 againstH5921 JerusalemH3389 and allH3605 the remainingH3498 citiesH5892 of JudahH3063, that is, 13LachishH3923 and 14AzekahH5825, for they alone remainedH7604 as 15fortifiedH4013 citiesH5892 among the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063.

8The wordH1697 that cameH1961 to JeremiahH3414 from the LordH3068 afterH310 KingH4428 ZedekiahH6667 had 16madeH3772 a covenantH1285 with allH3605 the peopleH5971 whoH834 were in JerusalemH3389, to 17proclaimH7121 18releaseH1865 to them: 9that eachH376 personH376 was to setH7971 his maleH5650 servantH5650 freeH2670 and eachH376 his femaleH8198 servantH8198, a 19HebrewH5680 manH5680 or a HebrewH5680 womanH5680, so that 20noH1115 oneH376 would keepH5647 them, his JewishH3064 brotherH251 or sister, inH5647 bondageH5647. 10And allH3605 the 21officialsH8269 and allH3605 the peopleH5971 obeyedH8085 whoH834 had enteredH935 into the covenantH1285 that eachH376 personH376 was to setH7971 his maleH5650 servantH5650 freeH2670 and eachH376 his femaleH8198 servantH8198, so that noH1115 oneH1115 would keepH5647 them inH5647 bondageH5647 anyH5750 longerH5750; they obeyedH8085, and setH7971 them free. 11But afterwardH310H3651 they turnedH7725 aroundH7725 and tookH7725 backH7725 the maleH5650 servantsH5650 and the femaleH8198 servantsH8198 whomH834 they had setH7971 freeH2670, and broughtH3533 them intoH3533 subjectionH3533 as maleH5650 servantsH5650 and as femaleH8198 servantsH8198.

12Then the wordH1697 of the LordH3068 cameH1961 to JeremiahH3414 from the LordH3068, sayingH559, 13“ThisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068, the GodH430 of IsraelH3478 saysH559: ‘I 22madeH3772 a covenantH1285 with your forefathersH1 on the dayH3117 that I 23broughtH3318 them outH3318 of the landH776 of EgyptH4714, from the houseH1004 of bondageH5650, sayingH559, 14“24At the endH7093 of sevenH7651 yearsH8141 eachH376 of you shall setH7971 freeH7971 his HebrewH5680 brotherH251 whoH834 25has been soldH4376 to you and has servedH5647 you for sixH8337 yearsH8141, and you shall sendH7971 him outH7971 freeH2670 from you.” But your forefathersH1 26did not obeyH8085 Me nor inclineH5186 their earH241 to Me. 15Although recentlyH3117 you had turnedH7725 and 27doneH6213 whatH3477 isH3477 rightH3477 in My sightH5869, eachH376 oneH376 proclaimingH7121 28releaseH1865 to his neighborH7453, and you had 29madeH3772 a covenantH1285 beforeH6440 Me 30in the houseH1004 whichH834 is calledH7121 by My nameH8034. 16Yet you 31turnedH7725 and 32profanedH2490 My nameH8034, and eachH376 personH376 33tookH7725 backH7725 his maleH5650 servantH5650 and eachH376 his femaleH8198 servantH8198 whomH834 you had setH7971 freeH2670 according to their desireH5315, and you broughtH3533 them intoH3533 subjectionH3533 to be your maleH5650 and femaleH8198 servantsH5650H8198.’

17“ThereforeH3651 thisH3541 isH3541 whatH3541 the LordH3068 saysH559: ‘You have not obeyedH8085 Me in proclaimingH7121 34releaseH1865, eachH376 oneH376 to his brotherH251 and eachH376 to his neighborH7453. BeholdH2009, I am 35proclaimingH7121 a 36releaseH1865 to you,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068, ‘to the 37swordH2719, to the plagueH1698, and to the famineH7458; and I will makeH5414 you a 38terrorH2113 to allH3605 the kingdomsH4467 of the earthH776. 18I will giveH5414 the peopleH376 who have 39violatedH5674 My covenantH1285, whoH834 have not fulfilledH6965 the wordsH1697 of the covenantH1285 whichH834 they madeH3772 beforeH6440 Me, when they 40cutH3772 the calfH5695 in twoH8147 and passedH5674 betweenH996 its partsH1335-- 19the 41officialsH8269 of JudahH3063 and the officialsH8269 of JerusalemH3389, the highH5631 officialsH5631 and the priestsH3548, and allH3605 the peopleH5971 of the landH776 who passedH5674 betweenH996 the partsH1335 of the calfH5695-- 20I will handH5414H3207 them overH5414 to their enemiesH340 and to those who 42seekH1245 their livesH5315. And their 43deadH5038 bodiesH5038 will be foodH3978 for the birdsH5775 of the skyH8064 and the animalsH929 of the earthH776. 2144ZedekiahH6667 kingH4428 of JudahH3063 and his officialsH8269 I will also handH5414H3027 overH5414 to their enemiesH340 and to those who seekH1245 their livesH5315, and to the armyH2428 of the kingH4428 of BabylonH894 which has 45withdrawnH5927 from you. 22BeholdH2009, I am going to giveH6680 aH6680 commandH6680,’ declaresH5002 the LordH3068, ‘and I will bringH7725 them backH7725 to thisH2088 cityH5892, and they will fightH3898 againstH5921 it and 46takeH3920 it and burnH8313 it with fireH784; and I will makeH5414 the citiesH5892 of JudahH3063 a 47desolationH8077 48withoutH369 inhabitantH3427.’”