Jeremiah 34

¹The worde which came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord (when Nebuchad-nezzar King of Babel, and all his hoste, and all the kingdomes of the earth, that were vnder the power of his hand, and all people fought against Ierusalem, and against all the cites thereof) saying,

²Thus sayth the Lord God of Israel, Goe, and speake to Zedekiah King of Iudah, and tell him, Thus sayth the Lord, Beholde, I will giue this citie into the hand of the King of Babel, and he shall burne it with fire,

³And thou shall not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and deliuered into his hand, and thine eyes shall beholde the face of the King of Babel, and he shall speake with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babel.

⁴Yet heare the worde of the Lord, O Zedekiah, King of Iudah: thus sayth the Lord of thee, Thou shalt not dye by the sword,

⁵But thou shalt die in peace: and according to the burning for thy fathers the former Kings which were before thee, so shall they burne odours for thee, and they shall lament thee, saying, Oh lorde: for I haue pronounced the worde, sayth the Lord.

⁶Then Ieremiah the Prophet spake all these words vnto Zedekiah King of Iudah in Ierusalem,

⁷(When the King of Babels hoste fought against Ierusalem, and against all the cities of Iudah, that were left, euen against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these strong cities remained of the cities of Iudah)

⁸This is the worde that came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, after that the King Zedekiah had made a couenant with all the people, which were at Ierusalem, to proclaime libertie vnto them,

⁹That euery man should let his seruant go free, and euery man his handmayde, which was an Ebrue or an Ebruesse, and that none should serue himselfe of them, to wit, of a Iewe his brother.

¹⁰Now when all the princes, and all the people which had agreed to the couenant, heard that euery one should let his seruant go free, and euery one his handmaide, and that none should serue them selues of them any more, they obeyed and let them go.

¹¹But afterwarde they repented and caused the seruants and the handmayds, whom they had let go free, to returne, and helde them in subiection as seruants and handmayds.

¹²Therefore the worde of the Lord came vnto Ieremiah from the Lord, saying,

¹³Thus saith the Lord God of Israel, I made a couenant with your fathers, when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of seruants, saying,

¹⁴At the terme of seuen yeres let ye go, euery man his brother an Ebrewe which hath bene solde vnto thee: and when he hath serued the sixe yeres, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers obeyed me not, neither inclined their eares.

¹⁵And ye were nowe turned, and had done right in my sight in proclayming libertie, euery man to his neighbour, and ye had made a couenant before mee in the house, whereupon my Name is called.

¹⁶But ye repented, and polluted my Name: for ye haue caused euery man his seruant, and euery man his handmayde, whom ye had set at libertie at their pleasure, to returne, and holde them in subiection to bee vnto you as seruantes and as handmaydes.

¹⁷Therefore thus saith the Lord, Ye haue not obeyed mee, in proclayming freedome euery man to his brother, and euery man to his neighbour: beholde, I proclaime a libertie for you, saith the Lord, to the sworde, to the pestilence, and to the famine, and I will make you a terrour to all the kingdomes of the earth.

¹⁸And I will giue those men that haue broken my couenant, and haue not kept the wordes of the couenant, which they had made before me, when they cut the calfe in twaine, and passed betweene the partes thereof:

¹⁹The princes of Iudah, and the princes of Ierusalem, the Eunuches, and the Priestes, and all the people of the lande, which passed betweene the partes of the calfe,

²⁰I wil euen giue them into the hand of their enemies, and into the handes of them that seeke their life: and their dead bodies shalbe for meate vnto the foules of the heauen, and to the beastes of the earth.

²¹And Zedekiah King of Iudah, and his princes will I giue into the hand of their enemies, and into the hande of them that seeke their life, and into the hande of the King of Babels hoste, which are gone vp from you.

²²Beholde, I will commande, saith the Lord, and cause them to returne to this citie, and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burne it with fire: and I will make the cities of Iudah desolate without an inhabitant.

Jeremiah 34

¹The 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, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,

²Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the Lord; 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 the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the Lord of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:

⁵But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the Lord.

⁶Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

⁷When the king of Babylon’s army fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish, and against Azekah: for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah.

⁸This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

⁹That 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.

¹⁰Now 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.

¹¹But 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.

¹²Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

¹³Thus saith 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 bondmen, saying,

¹⁴At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he 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 right in my sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:

¹⁶But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.

¹⁷Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, I proclaim a liberty for you, saith 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.

¹⁸And 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 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, which 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 meat unto the fowls of the heaven, 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, which are gone up from you.

²²Behold, I will command, saith 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.