1
The word[H1697] which came unto Jeremiah[H3414] from the LORD[H3068], when Nebuchadnezzar[H5019]king[H4428] of Babylon[H894], and all his army[H2428], and all the kingdoms[H4467] of the earth[H776] of his dominion[H3027], and all the people[H5971], fought[H3898] against Jerusalem[H3389], and against all the cities[H5892] thereof, saying[H559],
2
Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], the God[H430] of Israel[H3478]; Go[H1980] and speak[H559] to Zedekiah[H6667]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063], and tell[H559] him, Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068]; Behold, I will give[H5414] this city[H5892] into the hand[H3027] of the king[H4428] of Babylon[H894], and he shall burn[H8313] it with fire[H784]:
3
And thou shalt not escape out[H4422] of his hand[H3027], but shalt surely[H8610] be taken[H8610], and delivered[H5414] into his hand[H3027]; and thine eyes[H5869] shall behold[H7200] the eyes[H5869] of the king[H4428] of Babylon[H894], and he shall speak[H1696] with thee mouth[H6310] to mouth[H6310], and thou shalt go[H935] to Babylon[H894].
4
Yet hear[H8085] the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068], O Zedekiah[H6667]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063]; Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068] of thee, Thou shalt not die[H4191] by the sword[H2719]:
5
But thou shalt die[H4191] in peace[H7965]: and with the burnings[H4955] of thy fathers[H1], the former[H7223]kings[H4428] which were before[H6440] thee, so shall they burn[H8313] odours for thee; and they will lament[H5594] thee, saying, Ah[H1945]lord[H113]! for I have pronounced[H1696] the word[H1697], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068].
6
Then Jeremiah[H3414] the prophet[H5030]spake[H1696] all these words[H1697] unto Zedekiah[H6667]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063] in Jerusalem[H3389],
7
When the king[H4428] of Babylon's army[H2428]fought[H3898] against Jerusalem[H3389], and against all the cities[H5892] of Judah[H3063] that were left[H3498], against Lachish[H3923], and against Azekah[H5825]: for these defenced[H4013]cities[H5892]remained[H7604] of the cities[H5892] of Judah[H3063].
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This is the word[H1697] that came unto Jeremiah[H3414] from the LORD[H3068], after[H310] that the king[H4428]Zedekiah[H6667] had made[H3772] a covenant[H1285] with all the people[H5971] which were at Jerusalem[H3389], to proclaim[H7121]liberty[H1865] unto them;
9
That every man[H376] should let his manservant[H5650], and every man[H376] his maidservant[H8198], being an Hebrew[H5680] or an Hebrewess[H5680], go[H7971]free[H2670]; that none should serve[H5647] himself of them, to wit, of a Jew[H3064] his brother[H251].
10
Now when all the princes[H8269], and all the people[H5971], which had entered[H935] into the covenant[H1285], heard[H8085] that every one[H376] should let his manservant[H5650], and every one[H376] his maidservant[H8198], go[H7971]free[H2670], that none should serve[H5647] themselves of them any more, then they obeyed[H8085], and let them go[H7971].
11
But afterward[H310] they turned[H7725], and caused the servants[H5650] and the handmaids[H8198], whom they had let go[H7971]free[H2670], to return[H7725], and brought them into subjection[H3533] for servants[H5650] and for handmaids[H8198].
12
Therefore the word[H1697] of the LORD[H3068] came to Jeremiah[H3414] from the LORD[H3068], saying[H559],
13
Thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068], the God[H430] of Israel[H3478]; I made[H3772] a covenant[H1285] with your fathers[H1] in the day[H3117] that I brought them forth[H3318] out of the land[H776] of Egypt[H4714], out of the house[H1004] of bondmen[H5650], saying[H559],
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At the end[H7093] of seven[H7651]years[H8141] let ye go[H7971] every man[H376] his brother[H251] an Hebrew[H5680], which hath been sold[H4376] unto thee; and when he hath served[H5647] thee six[H8337]years[H8141], thou shalt let him go[H7971]free[H2670] from thee: but your fathers[H1]hearkened[H8085] not unto me, neither inclined[H5186] their ear[H241].
15
And ye were now[H3117]turned[H7725], and had done[H6213]right[H3477] in my sight[H5869], in proclaiming[H7121]liberty[H1865] every man[H376] to his neighbour[H7453]; and ye had made[H3772] a covenant[H1285]before[H6440] me in the house[H1004] which is called[H7121] by my name[H8034]:
16
But ye turned[H7725] and polluted[H2490] my name[H8034], and caused every man[H376] his servant[H5650], and every man[H376] his handmaid[H8198], whom ye had set[H7971] at liberty[H2670] at their pleasure[H5315], to return[H7725], and brought them into subjection[H3533], to be unto you for servants[H5650] and for handmaids[H8198].
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Therefore thus saith[H559] the LORD[H3068]; Ye have not hearkened[H8085] unto me, in proclaiming[H7121]liberty[H1865], every one[H376] to his brother[H251], and every man[H376] to his neighbour[H7453]: behold, I proclaim[H7121] a liberty[H1865] for you, saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068], to the sword[H2719], to the pestilence[H1698], and to the famine[H7458]; and I will make[H5414] you to be removed[H2189] into all the kingdoms[H4467] of the earth[H776].
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And I will give[H5414] the men[H582] that have transgressed[H5674] my covenant[H1285], which have not performed[H6965] the words[H1697] of the covenant[H1285] which they had made[H3772]before[H6440] me, when they cut[H3772] the calf[H5695] in twain[H8147], and passed[H5674] between the parts[H1335] thereof,
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The princes[H8269] of Judah[H3063], and the princes[H8269] of Jerusalem[H3389], the eunuchs[H5631], and the priests[H3548], and all the people[H5971] of the land[H776], which passed[H5674] between the parts[H1335] of the calf[H5695];
20
I will even give[H5414] them into the hand[H3027] of their enemies[H341], and into the hand[H3027] of them that seek[H1245] their life[H5315]: and their dead bodies[H5038] shall be for meat[H3978] unto the fowls[H5775] of the heaven[H8064], and to the beasts[H929] of the earth[H776].
21
And Zedekiah[H6667]king[H4428] of Judah[H3063] and his princes[H8269] will I give[H5414] into the hand[H3027] of their enemies[H341], and into the hand[H3027] of them that seek[H1245] their life[H5315], and into the hand[H3027] of the king[H4428] of Babylon's army[H2428], which are gone up[H5927] from you.
22
Behold, I will command[H6680], saith[H5002] the LORD[H3068], and cause them to return[H7725] to this city[H5892]; and they shall fight[H3898] against it, and take[H3920] it, and burn[H8313] it with fire[H784]: and I will make[H5414] the cities[H5892] of Judah[H3063] a desolation[H8077] without an inhabitant[H3427].