¹⁵ But when Pharaoh saw that there was ^(A)relief, ^(B)he hardened his heart and did not heed them, as the Lord had said.

^11 (A)Because the sentence against an evil work is not executed speedily, therefore the heart of the sons of men is fully set in them to do evil.

⁴ But ^(A)Pharaoh will not heed you, so ^(B)that I may lay My hand on Egypt and bring My ^[a]armies and My people, the children of Israel, out of the land of Egypt ^(C)by great judgments.

¹⁵ while it is said:

¹¹ “But they refused to heed, ^(A)shrugged^[a] their shoulders, and ^(B)stopped^[b] their ears so that they could not hear. ¹² Yes, they made their ^(C)hearts like flint, ^(D)refusing to hear the law and the words which the Lord of hosts had sent by His Spirit through the former prophets. ^(E)Thus great wrath came from the Lord of hosts.

⁷ 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 ^(A)these fortified cities remained of the cities of Judah.

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 ^(B)liberty to them: ^9 (C)that every man should set free his male and female slave—a Hebrew man or woman—^(D)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.

⁵ Now it was told the king of Egypt that the people had fled, and ^(A)the heart of Pharaoh and his servants was turned against the people; and they said, “Why have we done this, that we have let Israel go from serving us?”