Jer 34 | ABEn | STEP | The word coming to Jeremiah from the lord when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his encamped army, and to all the kingdoms of the earth, to the ones under the dominion of his hand, all the peoples waged war against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah, saying,

‏ Jeremiah 34

CHAPTER 34 Warning to Zedekiah

1 The word coming to Jeremiah from the lord when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his encamped army, and to all the kingdoms of the earth, to the ones under the dominion of his hand, all the peoples waged war against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah, saying, 2 Thus said the lord, the God of Israel, Proceed to Zedekiah king of Judah! and you shall say to him, Thus said the lord, In delivering up, I shall deliver up this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall seize it, and shall burn it with fire. 3 And you in no way shall be delivered from out of his hand; and by seizure you shall be seized, and into his hands you shall be given; and your eyes [²his eyes ¹shall see] and his mouth [²with ³your mouth ¹shall speak], and into Babylon you shall enter. 4 But hear the word of the lord, Zedekiah, O king of Judah! Thus says the lord to you, you shall not die by the broadsword. 5 In peace you shall die, and as they burned odors for your fathers reigning prior of you, so they shall burn also for you, saying, O Lord. And they shall lament you, for [³the word ¹I ²spoke], said the lord. 6 And Jeremiah spoke to king Zedekiah all these words in Jerusalem. 7 And the force of the king of Babylon waged war against Jerusalem, and against the cities of Judah, the ones remaining, and against Lachish, and against Azekah, for these were left among the cities of Judah -- [²cities ¹fortified].

Freedom for Hebrew Slaves

8 The word coming to Jeremiah by the lord, after the completing by king Zedekiah the covenant with the people, the one in Jerusalem, to call indeed for a release; 9 [²to send out ¹for each] his manservant, and each his maidservant, the Hebrew man and the Hebrew woman free, so that no [⁴should slave ¹man ²from ³Judah]. 10 And [⁴heeded ¹all ²the ³great men], and all the people, the ones entering into the covenant to send each his manservant and each his maidservant free, to not serve any more to them. And they heeded, and let them go. 11 And they were turned after these things, and they led the bondmen and the maidservants whom they sent free, and they subjected them again as manservants and maidservants. 12 And came to pass the word of the lord to Jeremiah, saying, 13 Thus said the lord God of Israel, I ordained a covenant with your fathers in the day in which I rescued them from out of the land of Egypt, from out of the house of slavery, saying, 14 Whenever [³should be fulfilled ¹six ²years], you shall send free [³brother ¹your ²Hebrew], who shall be sold to you; and he shall work for you six years, and then you shall send him out free. And they did not hear me, and did not lean their ear. 15 And they turned today to do the right thing before my eyes, [²to call ³for a release ¹for each] for his neighbor; and they completed a covenant in front of me, in the house of which [³is called ²name ¹my] upon in it. 16 And you turned and profaned my covenant, to return each his manservant, and each his maidservant, whom you sent out as ones free in their soul, and you subjected them again to be to you for manservants and maidservants. 17 On account of this, thus said the lord, You hearkened not to me to call a release -- each for his brother, and each for his neighbor. Behold, I call a release to you -- to the sword, and to the plague, and to the famine; and I will give you for dispersion unto all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 And I will give the men, the ones passing my covenant, the ones not establishing my covenant, which they made in front of me, the calf which they cut in two parts, and I went through in the midst of its parts, 19 of the rulers of Judah, and rulers of Jerusalem, and mighty ones, and priests, and all the people of the land; 20 and I will give them to their enemies, and into the hand of ones seeking their life. And [²will be ¹their decaying flesh] food to the winged creatures of the heaven, and to the wild beasts of the earth. 21 And Zedekiah king of Judea, and his rulers I will give into the hands of their enemies, and into the hands of ones seeking their life, and into the hands of the force of the king of Babylon -- to the ones running from them. 22 Behold, I order it, says the lord; and I will return them into this city. And they shall wage war against her, and shall take her, and shall incinerate her in fire; and the cities of Judah -- I will make them for untrodden of ones dwelling.