Chapter 34

The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, ⁴⁴⁷⁵ and all the people, fought¹² against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD, the God of Israel; Go² and speak¹ to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell¹ him, Thus saith¹ the LORD; Behold, I will give⁶ this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn¹ it with fire:

And thou shalt not escape¹¹ out of his hand, but shalt surely² be taken,¹¹ and delivered¹¹ into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold⁴ the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak¹⁷ with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go⁴ to Babylon.

Yet hear³ the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith¹ the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die⁴ by the sword:

[But] thou shalt die⁴ in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn⁴ [odours] for thee; and they will lament⁴ thee, [saying], Ah lord! for I have pronounced¹⁴ the word, saith⁷ the LORD.

Then Jeremiah the prophet spake¹⁷ all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

When the king of Babylon's army fought¹² against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left,¹² against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained⁸ of the cities of Judah.

[This is] the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made² a covenant with all the people which [were] at Jerusalem, to proclaim² liberty unto them;

That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, [being] an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go¹⁵ free; that none should serve² himself of them, [to wit], of a Jew his brother.

Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered¹ into the covenant, heard⁴ that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go¹⁵ free, that none should serve² themselves of them any more, then they obeyed,⁴ and let [them] go.¹⁷

But afterward they turned,⁴ and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go¹⁴ free, to return,⁵⁵ and brought them into subjection^{4 3533 55} for servants and for handmaids.

Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD, the God of Israel; I made¹ a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth⁵³ out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,²

At the end of seven years let ye go¹⁷ every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold¹¹ unto thee; and when he hath served¹ thee six years, thou shalt let him go¹⁴ free from thee: but your fathers hearkened¹ not unto me, neither inclined⁵² their ear.

And ye were now turned,⁴ and had done⁴ right in my sight, in proclaiming² liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made⁴ a covenant before me in the house which is called⁸ by my name:

But ye turned⁴ and polluted¹⁷ my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set¹⁴ at liberty at their pleasure, to return,⁵⁵ and brought them into subjection,⁴ to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

Therefore thus saith¹ the LORD; Ye have not hearkened¹ unto me, in proclaiming² liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim⁶ a liberty for you, saith⁷ the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make¹ you to be removed ²¹¹³ into all the kingdoms of the earth.

And I will give¹ the men that have transgressed⁶ my covenant, which have not performed⁵² the words of the covenant which they had made¹ before me, when they cut¹ the calf in twain, and passed⁴ between the parts thereof,

The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed⁶ between the parts of the calf;

I will even give¹ them into the hand of their enemies,⁶ and into the hand of them that seek¹⁸ their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give⁴ into the hand of their enemies,⁶ and into the hand of them that seek¹⁸ their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, which are gone up⁶ from you.

Behold, I will command,¹⁸ saith⁷ the LORD, and cause them to return⁵² to this city; and they shall fight⁸ against it, and take¹ it, and burn¹ it with fire: and I will make⁴ the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.⁶