Jeremiah:34

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* The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD , when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army , all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion , and all the people , fought against Jerusalem and all its cities , saying , * "Thus says the LORD , the God of Israel : "Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him , "Thus says the LORD : "Behold , I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon , and he shall burn it with fire . * And you shall not escape from his hand , but shall surely be taken and delivered into his hand ; your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon , he shall speak with you face to face , and you shall go to Babylon ."" * Yet hear the word of the LORD , O Zedekiah king of Judah ! Thus says the LORD concerning you : "You shall not die by the sword . * You shall die in peace ; as in the ceremonies of your fathers , the former kings who were before you , so they shall burn incense for you and lament for you , saying , "Alas , lord !" For I have pronounced the word , says the LORD ."' * Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem , * when the king of Babylon 's army fought against Jerusalem and all the cities of Judah that were left , against Lachish and Azekah ; for only these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah . * This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD , after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim liberty to them : * that every man should set free his male and female slave--a Hebrew man or woman--that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage . * Now when all the princes and all the people , who had entered into the covenant , heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves , that no one should keep them in bondage anymore , they obeyed and let them go . * But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return , whom they had set free , and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves . * Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD , saying , * "Thus says the LORD , the God of Israel : "I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt , out of the house of bondage , saying , * "At the end of seven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother , who has been sold to him ; and when he has served you six years , you shall let him go free from you ." But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear . * Then you recently turned and did what was right in My sight--every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor ; and you made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name . * Then you turned around and profaned My name , and every one of you brought back his male and female slaves , whom he had set at liberty , at their pleasure , and brought them back into subjection , to be your male and female slaves .' * "Therefore thus says the LORD : "You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty , every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor . Behold , I proclaim liberty to you ,' says the LORD --"to the sword , to pestilence , and to famine ! And I will deliver you to trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth . * And I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant , who have not performed the words of the covenant which they made before Me , when they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it -- * the princes of Judah , the princes of Jerusalem , the eunuchs , the priests , and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf -- * I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life . Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth . * And I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes into the hand of their enemies , into the hand of those who seek their life , and into the hand of the king of Babylon 's army which has gone back from you . * Behold , I will command ,' says the LORD , "and cause them to return to this city . They will 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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