rsv Jeremiah:34:8-16 SEEK
Seeker Overlay ON
*
The word which came to Jeremiah from the LORD ,
after King Zedeki '
ah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them ,
*
that every one should set free his Hebrew slaves ,
male and female ,
so that no one should enslave a Jew ,
his brother .
*
And they obeyed ,
all the princes and all the people who had entered into the covenant that every one would set free his slave ,
male or female ,
so that they would not be enslaved again ;
they obeyed and set them free .
*
But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free ,
and brought them into subjection as slaves .
*
The word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD :
* "
Thus says the LORD ,
the God of Israel :
I made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt ,
out of the house of bondage ,
saying ,
* `
At the end of six years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years ;
you must set him free from your service .'
But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me .
*
You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty ,
each to his neighbor ,
and you made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name ;
*
but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves ,
whom you had set free according to their desire ,
and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves .