Treacherous Treatment of Slaves
8This 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; agreement
9That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, that is, 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 says the Lord, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with yourp 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 youp go every man his brother a Hebrew, which has been sold to you; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you: but yourp fathers hearkened not to Me, neither inclined their ear. sold himself; listened; listened
15And youp were now turned, and had done right in My sight, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and youp had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name:
16But youp turned and polluted My name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom youp had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be to youp for servants and for handmaids.
17Therefore thus says the Lord; Youp have not hearkened to Me, in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim a liberty for youp, says the Lord, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make youp to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth. disease
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 two, and passed between the parts thereof, violated
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; castrated court officials
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 to 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 youp.
22Behold, I will command, says 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. ruin
