^17 (A)Then Jehoiada ^(B)made a covenant between the Lord, the king, and the people, that they should be the Lord’s people, and also ^(C)between the king and the people.

Treacherous Treatment of Slaves

⁸ 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 ^(A)liberty to them: ^9 (B)that every man should set free his male and female slave—a Hebrew man or woman—^(C)that no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage. ¹⁰ 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. ¹¹ 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.

¹² Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ¹³ “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I made a ^(D)covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, ¹⁴ “At the end of ^(E)seven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who ^[a]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. ¹⁵ Then you ^[b]recently turned and did what was right in My sight—every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and you ^(F)made a covenant before Me ^(G)in the house which is called by My name. ¹⁶ Then you turned around and ^(H)profaned My name, and every one of you brought back his male and female slaves, whom you had set at liberty, at their pleasure, and brought them back into subjection, to be your male and female slaves.’

¹⁷ “Therefore thus says the Lord: ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and every one to his neighbor. ^(I)Behold, I proclaim liberty to you,’ says the Lord—^(J)‘to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine! And I will deliver you to ^(K)trouble among all the kingdoms of the earth. ¹⁸ 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 ^(L)they cut the calf in two and passed between the parts of it— ¹⁹ the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the ^[c]eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— ²⁰ I will ^(M)give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their ^(N)dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth. ²¹ 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 ^(O)which has gone back from you. ^22 (P)Behold, I will command,’ says the Lord, ‘and cause them to return to this city. They will fight against it ^(Q)and take it and burn it with fire; and ^(R)I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’ ”

²⁵ “Thus says the Lord: ‘If ^(A)My covenant is not with day and night, and if I have not ^(B)appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth, ^26 (C)then I will ^(D)cast away the descendants of Jacob and David My servant, so that I will not take any of his descendants to be rulers over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will cause their captives to return, and will have mercy on them.’ ”