Font Size
Jeremia 34
Het Boek
Jeremia 34
Het Boek
Bevrijding uit slavernij
34 Dit is de boodschap die Jeremia van de Here kreeg op het moment dat koning Nebukadnezar van Babel en alle legers van de koninkrijken die hij regeerde, in de strijd verwikkeld waren tegen Jeruzalem en de steden van Juda:
2 ‘Ga naar koning Zedekia van Juda. Vertel hem dat de Here zegt: “Ik sta op het punt deze stad aan de koning van Babel te geven en hij zal haar platbranden. 3 U kunt niet ontsnappen, want men zal u gevangennemen en voor de koning van Babel leiden. Met uw eigen ogen zult u de koning van Babel zien en hij zal u veroordelen en als balling naar Babel sturen. 4 Maar luister nu, koning Zedekia van Juda: God zegt dat u geen gewelddadige dood zult sterven. 5 Te midden van uw eigen volk zult u een rustige dood sterven en men zal ter nagedachtenis aan u reukwerk verbranden, net zoals ze voor uw voorouders deden. Ze zullen om u huilen en zeggen: ‘Ach, onze koning is dood!’ Dit beloof Ik u,” zegt de Here.’
6 Jeremia gaf deze boodschap aan koning Zedekia door. 7 Op dat moment belegerde het Babylonische leger Jeruzalem, Lachis en Azéka, de enige versterkte steden van Juda die nog niet waren gevallen.
8 Deze boodschap kreeg Jeremia van de Here, nadat koning Zedekia van Juda in overleg met het volk alle slaven in Jeruzalem de vrijheid had gegeven. 9 Want koning Zedekia had iedereen bevolen zijn Hebreeuwse slaven vrij te laten, zowel mannen als vrouwen. De ene Judeeër mocht niet de meester zijn van een andere Judeeër, omdat zij allemaal tot hetzelfde volk behoren. 10 De leiders en andere inwoners die slaven hadden, volgden het koninklijk bevel op en gaven hun slaven de vrijheid. Dit duurde echter niet lang. 11 Zij veranderden al snel van gedachten en maakten de vrijgelatenen weer tot slaven.
12 Daarom gaf de Here Jeruzalem de volgende boodschap: 13 ‘De Here, de God van Israël, zegt: “Lang geleden sloot Ik een verbond met uw voorouders, toen Ik hen uit de slavernij in Egypte bevrijdde. 14 Ik gaf hun de opdracht dat iedere Hebreeuwse slaaf na zes jaar dienst in vrijheid moest worden gesteld. Maar uw voorouders luisterden niet naar mijn voorschriften. 15 Kortgeleden toonde u berouw en begon u het goed te doen, zoals Ik had bevolen en u gaf uw slaven de vrijheid. U had Mij in mijn tempel plechtig beloofd dat u het zou doen. 16 Maar nu bedenkt u zich weer en hebt u mijn naam onteerd door uw eed te breken en hen weer tot slaven te maken. Hoe kunt u dit doen, terwijl u hen eerst hebt vrijgelaten zodat zij konden gaan en staan waar ze wilden? 17 Daarom,” zegt de Here, “omdat u niet naar Mij wilt luisteren en hen niet vrijlaat, zal Ik de dood de vrijheid geven u te vernietigen met oorlog, hongersnood en ziekten. En Ik zal ervoor zorgen dat alle volken van de hele wereld een afkeer van u zullen hebben. 18,19 Diegenen die zich niet aan de voorwaarden van ons verbond hebben gehouden, zal Ik in stukken snijden, zoals u het kalf in stukken sneed en tussen de helften daarvan doorliep om uw verbondseed te bevestigen. Ja, Ik zal u afslachten of u nu bestuurders, raadsheren, priesters of leden van het volk bent, want u hebt uw eed gebroken. 20 Ik zal u aan uw vijanden overgeven en zij zullen u doden. Ik zal uw lijken aan de gieren en de wilde dieren voeren. 21 En Ik zal koning Zedekia van Juda met al zijn raadgevers overgeven aan het leger van de koning van Babel, al heeft dat nu voor een korte tijd het beleg van de stad opgeheven. 22 Ik zal de Babylonische legers terugroepen en zij zullen de stad opnieuw belegeren, haar innemen en platbranden. En Ik zal erop toezien dat de steden van Juda volledig worden verwoest en zonder een levende ziel worden achtergelaten.” ’
Jeremiah 34
English Standard Version
Jeremiah 34
English Standard Version
Zedekiah to Die in Babylon
34 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when (A)Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army (B)and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities: 2 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to (C)Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: (D)Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. 3 (E)You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. (F)You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.’ 4 Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! (G)Thus says the Lord concerning you: (H)‘You shall not die by the sword. 5 You shall die in peace. (I)And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall (J)burn spices for you (K)and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, declares the Lord.”
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, 7 when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, (L)Lachish and (M)Azekah, (N)for these were the only (O)fortified cities of Judah that remained.
8 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah (P)had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem (Q)to make a proclamation of liberty to them, 9 (R)that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, (S)so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. 10 And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free. 11 But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves (T)they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves. 12 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 13 “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when (U)I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying, 14 (V)‘At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; (W)you must set him free from your service.’ But (X)your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me. 15 You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes (Y)by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and (Z)you made a covenant before me in the (AA)house that is called by my name, 16 but then you turned around (AB)and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, (AC)whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves.
17 “Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me (AD)by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; (AE)behold, I proclaim to you liberty (AF)to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the Lord. (AG)I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of (AH)the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like[a] (AI)the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts— 19 the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, (AJ)the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf. 20 And I will give them into the hand of their enemies (AK)and into the hand of those who seek their lives. (AL)Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. 21 And (AM)Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon (AN)which has withdrawn from you. 22 Behold, (AO)I will command, declares the Lord, and will (AP)bring them back to this city. (AQ)And they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. (AR)I will make the cities of Judah a desolation (AS)without inhabitant.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 34:18 Hebrew lacks them like
Jeremiah 34
New International Version
Jeremiah 34
New International Version
Warning to Zedekiah
34 While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples(A) in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem(B) and all its surrounding towns, this word came to Jeremiah from the Lord: 2 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go to Zedekiah(C) king of Judah and tell him, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down.(D) 3 You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands.(E) You will see the king of Babylon with your own eyes, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.
4 “‘Yet hear the Lord’s promise to you, Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the Lord says concerning you: You will not die by the sword;(F) 5 you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire(G) in honor of your predecessors, the kings who ruled before you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, “Alas,(H) master!” I myself make this promise, declares the Lord.’”
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem, 7 while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out—Lachish(I) and Azekah.(J) These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.
Freedom for Slaves
8 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people(K) in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom(L) for the slaves. 9 Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.(M) 10 So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. 11 But afterward they changed their minds(N) and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.
12 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 13 “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors(O) when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.(P) I said, 14 ‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’[a](Q) Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention(R) to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people.(S) You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name.(T) 16 But now you have turned around(U) and profaned(V) my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.
17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you,(W) declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague(X) and famine.(Y) I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.(Z) 18 Those who have violated my covenant(AA) and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two and then walked between its pieces.(AB) 19 The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials,(AC) the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, 20 I will deliver(AD) into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them.(AE) Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.(AF)
21 “I will deliver Zedekiah(AG) king of Judah and his officials(AH) into the hands of their enemies(AI) who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon,(AJ) which has withdrawn(AK) from you. 22 I am going to give the order, declares the Lord, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, take(AL) it and burn(AM) it down. And I will lay waste(AN) the towns of Judah so no one can live there.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 34:14 Deut. 15:12
Het Boek (HTB)
Het Boek Copyright © 1979, 1988, 2007 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
English Standard Version (ESV) 
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.