Jeremiah 34

1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion, and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of it, saying:

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה וּנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל ׀ וְכׇל־חֵילוֹ וְכׇל־מַמְלְכוֹת אֶרֶץ מֶמְשֶׁלֶת יָדוֹ וְכׇל־הָעַמִּים נִלְחָמִים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וְעַל־כׇּל־עָרֶיהָ לֵאמֹֽר׃

2 "Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel, 'Go, and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, "Thus says Jehovah, 'Look, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:

כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל הָלֹךְ וְאָמַרְתָּ אֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה וְאָמַרְתָּ אֵלָיו כֹּה אָמַר יְהֹוָה הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת בְּיַד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וּשְׂרָפָהּ בָּאֵֽשׁ׃

3 and you shall not escape out of his hand, but shall surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and your eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with you mouth to mouth, and you shall go to Babylon.'

וְאַתָּה לֹא תִמָּלֵט מִיָּדוֹ כִּי תָּפֹשׂ תִּתָּפֵשׂ וּבְיָדוֹ תִּנָּתֵן וְֽעֵינֶיךָ אֶת־עֵינֵי מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל תִּרְאֶינָה וּפִיהוּ אֶת־פִּיךָ יְדַבֵּר וּבָבֶל תָּבֽוֹא׃

4 Yet hear the word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah king of Judah: thus says Jehovah concerning you, 'You shall not die by the sword;

אַךְ שְׁמַע דְּבַר־יְהֹוָה צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה עָלֶיךָ לֹא תָמוּת בֶּחָֽרֶב׃

5 you shall die in peace; and with the burnings of your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so shall they make a burning for you; and they shall lament you, saying, "Ah Lord." for I have spoken the word,' says Jehovah."'"

בְּשָׁלוֹם תָּמוּת וּֽכְמִשְׂרְפוֹת אֲבוֹתֶיךָ הַמְּלָכִים הָרִאשֹׁנִים אֲשֶׁר־הָיוּ לְפָנֶיךָ כֵּן יִשְׂרְפוּ־לָךְ וְהוֹי אָדוֹן יִסְפְּדוּ־לָךְ כִּֽי־דָבָר אֲנִֽי־דִבַּרְתִּי נְאֻם־יְהֹוָֽה׃

6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

וַיְדַבֵּר יִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא אֶל־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֵת כׇּל־הַדְּבָרִים הָאֵלֶּה בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

7 when the king of Babylon's army was fighting against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that were left, against Lachish and against Azekah; for these alone remained of the cities of Judah as fortified cities.

וְחֵיל מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל נִלְחָמִים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם וְעַל כׇּל־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה הַנּוֹתָרוֹת אֶל־לָכִישׁ וְאֶל־עֲזֵקָה כִּי הֵנָּה נִשְׁאֲרוּ בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה עָרֵי מִבְצָֽר׃

8 The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them;

הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר־הָיָה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה אַחֲרֵי כְּרֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ צִדְקִיָּהוּ בְּרִית אֶת־כׇּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בִּירוּשָׁלַ͏ִם לִקְרֹא לָהֶם דְּרֽוֹר׃

9 that every man should let his male servant, and every man his female servant, who is a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, go free; that none should keep a fellow Judean in bondage.

לְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתוֹ הָעִבְרִי וְהָעִבְרִיָּה חׇפְשִׁים לְבִלְתִּי עֲבׇד־בָּם בִּיהוּדִי אָחִיהוּ אִֽישׁ׃

10 And all the officials and all the people obeyed, who had entered into the covenant, that everyone should let his male servant, and everyone his female servant, go free, that none should make bondservants of them any more; they obeyed, and let them go:

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ כׇל־הַשָּׂרִים וְכׇל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־בָּאוּ בַבְּרִית לְשַׁלַּח אִישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתוֹ חׇפְשִׁים לְבִלְתִּי עֲבׇד־בָּם עוֹד וַֽיִּשְׁמְעוּ וַיְשַׁלֵּֽחוּ׃

11 but afterwards 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.

וַיָּשׁוּבוּ אַחֲרֵי־כֵן וַיָּשִׁבוּ אֶת־הָֽעֲבָדִים וְאֶת־הַשְּׁפָחוֹת אֲשֶׁר שִׁלְּחוּ חׇפְשִׁים (ויכבישום) [וַֽיִּכְבְּשׁוּם] לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃

12 Therefore the word of Jehovah came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

וַיְהִי דְבַר־יְהֹוָה אֶֽל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת יְהֹוָה לֵאמֹֽר׃

13 "Thus says 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,

כֹּה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אָנֹכִי כָּרַתִּֽי בְרִית אֶת־אֲבוֹתֵיכֶם בְּיוֹם הוֹצִאִי אוֹתָם מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם מִבֵּית עֲבָדִים לֵאמֹֽר׃

14 "At the end of seven years you shall let go every man his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you": but your fathers did not listen to me, neither inclined their ear.

מִקֵּץ שֶׁבַע שָׁנִים תְּֽשַׁלְּחוּ אִישׁ אֶת־אָחִיו הָעִבְרִי אֲשֶֽׁר־יִמָּכֵר לְךָ וַעֲבָֽדְךָ שֵׁשׁ שָׁנִים וְשִׁלַּחְתּוֹ חׇפְשִׁי מֵֽעִמָּךְ וְלֹֽא־שָׁמְעוּ אֲבֽוֹתֵיכֶם אֵלַי וְלֹא הִטּוּ אֶת־אׇזְנָֽם׃

15 You had now turned, and had done that which is right in my eyes, in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbor; and you had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name:

וַתָּשֻׁבוּ אַתֶּם הַיּוֹם וַתַּעֲשׂוּ אֶת־הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינַי לִקְרֹא דְרוֹר אִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ וַתִּכְרְתוּ בְרִית לְפָנַי בַּבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָא שְׁמִי עָלָֽיו׃

16 but you turned and profaned my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return; and you brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.

וַתָּשֻׁבוּ וַתְּחַלְּלוּ אֶת־שְׁמִי וַתָּשִׁבוּ אִישׁ אֶת־עַבְדּוֹ וְאִישׁ אֶת־שִׁפְחָתוֹ אֲשֶׁר־שִׁלַּחְתֶּם חׇפְשִׁים לְנַפְשָׁם וַתִּכְבְּשׁוּ אֹתָם לִֽהְיוֹת לָכֶם לַעֲבָדִים וְלִשְׁפָחֽוֹת׃

17 Therefore thus says Jehovah: "You have not listened to me, to proclaim liberty, every man to his brother, and every man to his neighbor: look, I proclaim to you a liberty, says Jehovah, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will make you to be tossed back and forth among all the kingdoms of the earth.

לָכֵן כֹּֽה־אָמַר יְהֹוָה אַתֶּם לֹא־שְׁמַעְתֶּם אֵלַי לִקְרֹא דְרוֹר אִישׁ לְאָחִיו וְאִישׁ לְרֵעֵהוּ הִנְנִי קֹרֵא לָכֶם דְּרוֹר נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה אֶל־הַחֶרֶב אֶל־הַדֶּבֶר וְאֶל־הָרָעָב וְנָֽתַתִּי אֶתְכֶם (לזועה) [לְזַעֲוָה] לְכֹל מַמְלְכוֹת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

18 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 its parts;

וְנָתַתִּי אֶת־הָאֲנָשִׁים הָעֹֽבְרִים אֶת־בְּרִתִי אֲשֶׁר לֹא־הֵקִימוּ אֶת־דִּבְרֵי הַבְּרִית אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לְפָנָי הָעֵגֶל אֲשֶׁר כָּרְתוּ לִשְׁנַיִם וַיַּעַבְרוּ בֵּין בְּתָרָֽיו׃

19 the officials of Judah, and the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf;

שָׂרֵי יְהוּדָה וְשָׂרֵי יְרוּשָׁלַ͏ִם הַסָּֽרִסִים וְהַכֹּהֲנִים וְכֹל עַם הָאָרֶץ הָעֹבְרִים בֵּין בִּתְרֵי הָעֵֽגֶל׃

20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth.

וְנָתַתִּי אוֹתָם בְּיַד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶם וּבְיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם וְהָיְתָה נִבְלָתָם לְמַֽאֲכָל לְעוֹף הַשָּׁמַיִם וּלְבֶהֱמַת הָאָֽרֶץ׃

21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials will I give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army, who have gone away from you.

וְאֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה וְאֶת־שָׂרָיו אֶתֵּן בְּיַד אֹֽיְבֵיהֶם וּבְיַד מְבַקְשֵׁי נַפְשָׁם וּבְיַד חֵיל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל הָעֹלִים מֵעֲלֵיכֶֽם׃

22 Look, I will command, says Jehovah, 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 inhabitant."'"

הִנְנִי מְצַוֶּה נְאֻם־יְהֹוָה וַהֲשִׁבֹתִים אֶל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְנִלְחֲמוּ עָלֶיהָ וּלְכָדוּהָ וּשְׂרָפֻהָ בָאֵשׁ וְאֶת־עָרֵי יְהוּדָה אֶתֵּן שְׁמָמָה מֵאֵין יֹשֵֽׁב׃