Jeremiah:34:8-22

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* The word that came unto Jeremiah from Jehovah , after that king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people that were at Jerusalem , to proclaim liberty unto them : * that every man should let his bondman , and every man his bondmaid , the Hebrew and the Hebrewess , go free , that none should exact service of them , [that is ,] of a Jew his brother . * And all the princes and all the people that had entered into the covenant obeyed , every man letting his bondman and every man his bondmaid go free , that none should exact service of them any more : they obeyed , and let [them ] go . * But afterwards they turned , and caused the bondmen and the bondmaids whom they had let go free , to return , and brought them into subjection for bondmen and for bondmaids . * And the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah , saying , * Thus 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 , * At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother , a Hebrew , who hath sold himself unto thee ; 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 . * And you , ye had this day 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 : * but ye have turned and profaned my name , and caused every man his bondman , and every man his bondmaid , whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure , to return , and ye have brought them into subjection , to be unto you for bondmen and for bondmaids . * Therefore thus saith Jehovah : Ye have not hearkened unto me , in proclaiming liberty , every man to his brother , and every man to his neighbour : behold , I proclaim a liberty for you , saith Jehovah , to the sword , to the pestilence , and to the famine ; and I will give you over to be driven hither and thither among all the kingdoms of the earth . * And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant , who have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me , -- the calf which they cut in twain , and passed between the parts thereof , * -- the 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 ; * them will I give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seek their life ; and their carcases shall be food for the fowl of the heavens and for the beasts of the earth . * And 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 . * Behold , I command , saith Jehovah , and I will 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 .

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