Jeremiah 34
1 This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, along with troops from all the countries he ruled and other nations were attacking Jerusalem and all its nearby towns:
The word which came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, —when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his force and all the kingdoms of the earth the dominion of his hand, and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and against all her cities, saying:
2 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go and talk to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the Lord says: Listen! I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he is going to burn it down.
Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, Go and speak unto Zedekiah king of Judah, —and say unto him—Thus, saith Yahweh, Behold me! giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire;
3 You yourself won't escape being captured by him. You will certainly be taken prisoner and brought before him to speak with him personally and see him face to face. You will be taken to Babylon.
And, thou, shalt not escape out of his hand, For thou shalt be, taken, And into his hand, shalt thou be delivered, —And, thine own eyes, into the eyes of the king of Babylon, shall look, And his mouth, with thy mouth, shall speak And Babylon, shalt thou enter.
4 Listen to what the Lord is telling you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says about you: You won't be killed;
Nevertheless, hear the word of Yahweh, O Zedekiah, king of Judah, —Thus, saith Yahweh Concerning thee, Thou shalt not die, by the sword;
5 you will die in peace. You will have a proper funeral with incense burned for you as they did for your forefathers, the kings who ruled before you. They will weep for you, crying, “The king is dead.” I myself am telling you this, declares the Lord.
In peace, shalt thou die, And with the burnings made for thy fathers the former kings who were before thee, so, shall they make a burning unto thee, And, with an, Alas lord! shall they lament thee, —Because of the word, I, have spoken, Declareth Yahweh.
6 Jeremiah the prophet told Zedekiah king of Judah all this there in Jerusalem.
Then spake Jeremiah the prophet, unto Zedekiah king of Judah all these words in Jerusalem;
7 At this time the king of Babylon's army was attacking the city and the Judean towns of Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities that had not yet been conquered in Judah.
when, the force of the king of Babylon, was fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, —against Lachish and against Azekah, for they, remained among the cities of Judah as fortified cities.
8 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah had made a agreement with everyone in Jerusalem to announce a proclamation of freedom.
The word which came unto Jeremiah, from Yahweh, —after that King Zedekiah had solemnised a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem, proclaiming unto them liberty:
9 This meant that every slave owner should free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was to force their fellow citizens to remain slaves any longer.
that every man should let his servant and every man his handmaid, being a Hebrew or a Hebrewess, go free, —so that no man should use them as slaves, to wit a Jew his brother;
10 All the officials and all the people who accepted this agreement did what they said. They freed their male and female slaves, not forcing them to remain slaves any longer. They obeyed and let them go free.
so then they hearkened—even all the princes and all the people who had entered into the covenant that every man should let his servant and every man his handmaid, go free, so as not to use them as slaves, any longer, —yea they hearkened, and let them go,
11 However, later on they changed their minds and took back the male and female slaves they'd freed, forcing them back into slavery.
howbeit they turned after that, and brought back the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go, free, and brought them into subjection as servants and as handmaids,
12 A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,
So then the word of Yahweh came unto Jeremiah from Yahweh, saying:
13 This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a agreement with your forefathers when I led them out of Egypt, out of the prison-house of slavery, saying:
Thus, saith Yahweh God of Israel, —I myself, solemnised a covenant with your fathers, in the day when I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slaves saying:
14 Every seventh year, each of you are to set free all fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. They can serve you for six years, but then you must set them free. But your forefathers didn't pay attention and didn't obey what I told them.
At the end of seven years, shall ye let go every man his brother, being a Hebrew, who shall sell himself unto thee and serve thee, six years, then shalt thou let him go, free, from thee, Howbeit your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their ear.
15 A little while ago you decided to do what's right, which made me happy. You all announced that you would free your slaves. You made a agreement before me in my Temple.
And, though, ye, just now turned and did that which was right in mine eyes, by proclaiming liberty, every man to his neighbour, —and solemnised a covenant before me, in the house on which my Name hath been called,
16 But now you've changed your minds and dishonored me. Each of you took back the male and female slaves you'd set free to do whatever they wanted. You forced them to become your slaves again.
yet have ye turned and profaned my Name, and brought back, every man his servant and every man his hand-maid, whom ye had let go, free, at their own desire, —and have brought them into subjection, to become your servants and handmaids.
17 So this is what the Lord says: You haven't obeyed me. You haven't announced freedom for your slaves, your own people. So now I announce “freedom” for you, declares the Lord: Freedom to be killed by war, by disease, and by famine! I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified by you.
Therefore—Thus, saith Yahweh, Ye, have not hearkened unto me, in proclaiming liberty, every man to his brother and every man to his neighbour: Behold me! proclaiming, to you, a liberty: Declareth Yahweh unto the sword, unto the pestilence, and unto the famine, so will I make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth;
18 They have broken my agreement, and have not kept the terms of the agreement they promised before me. So I'm going to cut them up just like the calf they cut in half to pass between its two pieces.
and will give the men who are transgressing my covenant, in that they have not confirmed the words of the covenant, which they solemnised, before me, when they cut the calf, in twain, and passed between the parts thereof;
19 I will hand them over to their enemies who are trying to kill them. This includes the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and everyone else who passed between the pieces of the calf.
even the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land, —who passed between the parts of the calf,
20 Their dead bodies will become food for birds of prey and wild animals.
yea I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them who are seeking their life, —and their dead bodies shall become food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth.
21 I will hand over Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials to their enemies who are trying to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon which had paused its attack on you.
Zedekiah king of Judah also with his princes, will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them who are seeking their life, —even into the hand of the force of the king of Babylon, who are going up from you.
22 Listen! I will give the order, declares the Lord, and bring them back to Jerusalem. They will attack it, capture it, and burn it. I'm going to destroy the towns of Judah so nobody will live there.
Behold me! giving command, Declareth Yahweh, and I will bring them back unto this city, and they will fight against it and capture it, and consume it with fire, —and, the cities of Judah, will I make too desolate to have an inhabitant.
