1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,
2 Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus said the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
3 And you shall not escape out of his hand, but shall surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and your eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with you mouth to mouth, and you shall go to Babylon.
4 Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus said the LORD of you, You shall not die by the sword:
5 But you shall die in peace: and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings which were before you, so shall they burn odors for you; and they will lament you, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, said the LORD.
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
7 When the king of Babylon' army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defended cities remained of the cities of Judah.
8 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;
9 That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
10 Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.
11 But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
12 Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13 Thus said the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves, saying,
14 At the end of seven years let you go every man his brother an Hebrew, which has been sold to you; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you: but your fathers listened not to me, neither inclined their ear.
15 And you were now turned, and had done right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and you had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:
16 But you turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom he had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.
17 Therefore thus said the LORD; You have not listened to me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, said the LORD, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth.
18 And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, when they cut the calf in two, and passed between the parts thereof,
19 The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;
20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat to the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon' army, which are gone up from you.
22 Behold, I will command, said the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.
1 The Word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion, and all the peoples, fought against Jerusalem and against all its cities; saying,
2 Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him, Thus says Jehovah, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.
3 And you shall not escape out of his hand, but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. And your eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with you mouth to mouth, and you shall go to Babylon.
4 Yet hear the Word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah king of Judah, thus says Jehovah concerning you: You shall not die by the sword.
5 You shall die in peace; and as the burnings of incense for your fathers, the former kings which were before you, so they shall burn incense for you. And they shall lament for you, saying, Ah, lord! For I have spoken the Word, says Jehovah.
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
7 when the king of Babylons army fought against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah; against Lachish, and against Azekah; for these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.
8 The Word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;
9 that each man should let his male slave, and each man his female slave, if they were a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, to go free; that no one should keep a Jewish brother enslaved.
10 And all the rulers obeyed, and all the people who had entered into the covenant allowed them to go free, each man his male slave, and each man his female slave, so that no one should be enslaved among them any more; and they obeyed and let them go.
11 But afterward they changed their minds and caused the slaves and slave women whom they had let go free, to return! And they subjected them as slaves and slave women.
12 Therefore the Word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,
13 Thus says Jehovah the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying,
14 At the end of seven years let each man free his brother, a Hebrew, who has been sold to him. And when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you. But your fathers did not heed me, nor extend their ears.
15 And you had turned today, and had done what was right in My eyes proclaiming liberty, each man to his neighbor. And you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.
16 But you turned and violated My name, and each man caused his slave, and each man his slave woman, whom you had set free to do as they pleased, to return. And you brought them back into bondage to be slaves and slave women to you.
17 Therefore thus says Jehovah: You have not heeded Me to proclaim liberty each man to his brother, and each man to his neighbor! Behold, I proclaim liberty for you, says Jehovah, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine. And I will cause you to be an object of horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.
18 And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not done the words of the covenant which they made before Me when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts;
19 the rulers of Judah, and the rulers of Jerusalem, the officials, and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf;
20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the heavens and to the beasts of the earth.
21 And I will give Zedekiah king of Judah, and his rulers, into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylons army, who have withdrawn from you.
22 Behold, I will command, says Jehovah, and cause them to return to this city. And they shall fight against it and capture it, and burn it with fire. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.