1The word which came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah , when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army , and all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion , and all the peoples , were fighting against Jerusalem , and against all the cities thereof , saying : 2Thus saith Jehovah , the God of Israel , Go , and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah , and tell him , Thus saith Jehovah , Behold , I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire: 3and thou shalt not escape out of his hand , but shalt surely be taken , and delivered into his hand ; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth , and thou shalt go to Babylon. 4Yet hear the word of Jehovah , O Zedekiah king of Judah : thus saith Jehovah concerning thee , Thou shalt not die by the sword ; 5thou shalt die in peace ; and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings that were before thee , so shall they make a burning for thee ; and they shall lament thee , saying , Ah Lord ! for I have spoken the word , saith Jehovah . 6Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem , 7when the king of Babylon’s army was fighting against Jerusalem , and against all the cities of Judah that were left , against Lachish and against Azekah ; for these alone remained of the cities of Judah as fortified cities .
The Reversal of Freedom
8The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah , after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem , to proclaim liberty unto them ; 9that every man should let his man-servant, and every man his maid-servant, that is a Hebrew or a Hebrewess , go free ; that none should make bondmen of them , to wit , of a Jew his brother. 10And all the princes and all the people obeyed , that had entered into the covenant , that every one should let his man-servant, and every one his maid-servant, go free , that none should make bondmen of them any more ; they obeyed , and let them go : 11but afterwards 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 .
God's Judgment Declared
12Therefore the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah , saying , 13Thus saith 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 bondage , saying, 14At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew , that hath been sold unto thee , and hath served thee six years , thou shalt let him go free from thee : but your fathers hearkened not unto me , neither inclined their ear . 15And ye were now turned , and had done that which is right in mine eyes , in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor ; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name : 16but ye turned and profaned my name , and caused every man his servant , and every man his handmaid , whom ye had let go free at their pleasure , to return ; and ye brought them into subjection , to be unto you for servants and for handmaids . 17Therefore thus saith Jehovah : Ye have not hearkened unto me , to proclaim liberty , every man to his brother , and every man to his neighbor : behold , I proclaim unto you a liberty , saith Jehovah , to the sword , to the pestilence , and to the famine ; and I will make you to be tossed to and fro among all the kingdoms of the earth. 18And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant , that have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before me , when they cut the calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof ; 19the princes of Judah , and the princes of Jerusalem , the eunuchs , and the priests , and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf ; 20I 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 food unto the birds of the heavens , and to the beasts of the earth . 21And 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’s army , that are gone away from you . 22Behold , I will command , saith Jehovah , 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 inhabitant .