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Jeremiah 32-34
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jeremiah 32-34
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege
32 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and the prophet Jeremiah was confined in the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah,(A) 3 where King Zedekiah of Judah had confined him. Zedekiah had said, “Why do you prophesy and say: Thus says the Lord: I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;(B) 4 King Zedekiah of Judah shall not escape out of the hands of the Chaldeans but shall surely be given into the hands of the king of Babylon and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye,(C) 5 and he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I attend to him, says the Lord; though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed?”(D)
6 Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: 7 Hanamel son of your uncle Shallum is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field that is at Anathoth, for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ ”(E) 8 Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, “Buy my field that is at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.
9 And I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out the silver to him, seventeen shekels of silver.(F) 10 I signed the deed, sealed it, got witnesses, and weighed the silver on scales.(G) 11 Then I took the sealed deed of purchase containing the terms and conditions and the open copy,(H) 12 and I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin[a] Hanamel, in the presence of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in the court of the guard.(I) 13 In their presence I charged Baruch, saying, 14 “Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, in order that they may last for a long time. 15 For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.”(J)
Jeremiah Prays for Understanding
16 After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: 17 “Ah Lord God! It is you who made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by your outstretched arm! Nothing is too hard for you.(K) 18 You show steadfast love to the thousandth generation[b] but repay the guilt of parents into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the Lord of hosts,(L) 19 great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are open to all the ways of mortals, rewarding all according to their ways and according to the fruit of their doings.(M) 20 You showed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt and to this day in Israel and among all humankind and have made yourself a name that continues to this very day.(N) 21 You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and outstretched arm, and with great terror,(O) 22 and you gave them this land, which you swore to their ancestors to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey,(P) 23 and they entered and took possession of it. But they did not obey your voice or follow your laws; of all you commanded them to do, they did nothing. Therefore you have made all these disasters come upon them.(Q) 24 See, the siege ramps have been cast up against the city to take it, and the city, faced with sword, famine, and pestilence, has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has happened, as you yourself can see.(R) 25 Yet you, O Lord God, have said to me, ‘Buy the field for silver and get witnesses,’ though the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans.”
God’s Assurance of the People’s Return
26 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 See, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh; is anything too hard for me?(S) 28 Therefore, thus says the Lord: I am going to give this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon, and he shall take it.(T) 29 The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city shall come, set this city on fire, and burn it, with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal and libations have been poured out to other gods, to provoke me to anger.(U) 30 For the people of Israel and the people of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; the people of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger by the work of their hands, says the Lord.(V) 31 This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built until this day, so that I will remove it from my sight(W) 32 because of all the evil of the people of Israel and the people of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—they, their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.(X) 33 They have turned their backs to me, not their faces; though I have taught them persistently, they would not listen and accept correction.(Y) 34 They set up their abominations in the house that bears my name and defiled it.(Z) 35 They built the high places of Baal in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, though I did not command them, nor did it enter my mind that they should do this abomination, causing Judah to sin.(AA)
36 Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, “It is being given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, by famine, and by pestilence”: 37 See, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I drove them in my anger and my wrath and in great indignation; I will bring them back to this place, and I will settle them in safety.(AB) 38 They shall be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me for all time, for their own good and the good of their children after them.(AC) 40 I will make an everlasting covenant with them, never to draw back from doing good to them, and I will put the fear of me in their hearts, so that they may not turn from me. 41 I will rejoice in doing good to them, and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.(AD)
42 For thus says the Lord: Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good fortune that I now promise them.(AE) 43 Fields shall be bought in this land of which you are saying, “It is a desolation, without humans or animals; it has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans.” 44 Fields shall be bought for silver, and deeds shall be signed and sealed and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, of the hill country, of the Shephelah, and of the Negeb, for I will restore their fortunes, says the Lord.(AF)
Healing after Punishment
33 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time while he was still confined in the court of the guard:(AG) 2 Thus says the Lord who makes it, the Lord who forms it to establish it—the Lord is his name:(AH) 3 Call to me, and I will answer you and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known.(AI) 4 For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against the siege ramps and before the sword:[c](AJ) 5 They are coming to fight the Chaldeans and to fill them with the dead bodies of those whom I shall strike down in my anger and my wrath, for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their wickedness.(AK) 6 I am going to bring it recovery and healing; I will heal them and reveal to them abundance[d] of prosperity and security.(AL) 7 I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel and rebuild them as they were at first.(AM) 8 I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me.(AN) 9 And this city[e] shall be to me a name of joy, a praise, and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them; they shall fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.(AO)
10 Thus says the Lord: In this place of which you say, “It is a waste without humans or animals,” in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without inhabitants, human or animal, there shall once more be heard 11 the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing as they bring thank offerings to the house of the Lord:
“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts,
for the Lord is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever!”
For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.(AP)
12 Thus says the Lord of hosts: In this place that is waste, without humans or animals, and in all its towns there shall again be pasture for shepherds resting their flocks.(AQ) 13 In the towns of the hill country, of the Shephelah, and of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, the places around Jerusalem, and in the towns of Judah, flocks shall again pass under the hands of the one who counts them, says the Lord.(AR)
The Righteous Branch and the Covenant with David
14 The days are surely coming, says the Lord, when I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah.(AS) 15 In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land.(AT) 16 In those days Judah will be saved, and Jerusalem will live in safety. And this is the name by which it will be called: “The Lord is our righteousness.”(AU)
17 For thus says the Lord: David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel,(AV) 18 and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to make grain offerings, and to make sacrifices for all time.(AW)
19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 Thus says the Lord: If any of you could break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, so that day and night would not come at their appointed time,(AX) 21 only then could my covenant with my servant David be broken, so that he would not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with my ministers the Levites.(AY) 22 Just as the host of heaven cannot be numbered and the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will increase the offspring of my servant David and the Levites who minister to me.(AZ)
23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 Have you not observed how these people say, “The two families that the Lord chose have been rejected by him,” and how they hold my people in such contempt that they no longer regard them as a nation?(BA) 25 Thus says the Lord: Only if I had not established my covenant with day and night and the ordinances of heaven and earth(BB) 26 would I reject the offspring of Jacob and of my servant David and not choose any of his descendants as rulers over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy upon them.(BC)
Death in Captivity Predicted for Zedekiah
34 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth and all the peoples under his dominion were fighting against Jerusalem and all its cities:(BD) 2 Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to King Zedekiah of Judah and say to him: Thus says the Lord: I am going to give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.(BE) 3 And you yourself shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and handed over to him; 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 King Zedekiah of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you: You shall not die by the sword; 5 you shall die in peace. And as spices were burned[f] for your ancestors, the earlier kings who preceded you, so they shall burn spices[g] for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!” For I have spoken the word, says the Lord.(BF)
6 Then the prophet Jeremiah 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, Lachish and Azekah, for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained.(BG)
Treacherous Treatment of Slaves
8 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them,(BH) 9 that all should set free their Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should hold another Judean in slavery.(BI) 10 And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that all would set free their slaves, 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 they had set free and brought them again 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 ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying,(BJ) 14 “Every seventh year each of you must set free any Hebrews who have been sold to you and have served you six years; you must set them free from your service.” But your ancestors did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.(BK) 15 You yourselves recently repented and did what was right in my sight by proclaiming liberty to one another, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name,(BL) 16 but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back your male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them again into subjection to be your slaves.(BM) 17 Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by granting a release to your neighbors and friends; I am going to grant a release to you, says the Lord—a release to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.(BN) 18 And those who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make like[h] the calf when they cut it in two and passed between its parts:(BO) 19 the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf 20 shall be handed over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives. Their corpses shall become food for the birds of the air and the wild animals of the earth.(BP) 21 And as for King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials, I will hand them over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon, which has withdrawn from you.(BQ) 22 I am going to command, says the Lord, and will bring them back to this city, and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. The towns of Judah I will make a desolation without inhabitant.(BR)
Jeremiah 32-34
New International Version
Jeremiah 32-34
New International Version
Jeremiah Buys a Field
32 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth(A) year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth(B) year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2 The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging(C) Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined(D) in the courtyard of the guard(E) in the royal palace of Judah.
3 Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy(F) as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture(G) it. 4 Zedekiah(H) king of Judah will not escape(I) the Babylonians[a](J) but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. 5 He will take(K) Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,(L) declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”(M)
6 Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: 7 Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth,(N) because as nearest relative it is your right and duty(O) to buy it.’
8 “Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field(P) at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’
“I knew that this was the word of the Lord; 9 so I bought the field(Q) at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels[b] of silver.(R) 10 I signed and sealed the deed,(S) had it witnessed,(T) and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— 12 and I gave this deed to Baruch(U) son of Neriah,(V) the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.
13 “In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions: 14 ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed(W) and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. 15 For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’(X)
16 “After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch(Y) son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:
17 “Ah, Sovereign Lord,(Z) you have made the heavens and the earth(AA) by your great power and outstretched arm.(AB) Nothing is too hard(AC) for you. 18 You show love(AD) to thousands but bring the punishment for the parents’ sins into the laps(AE) of their children(AF) after them. Great and mighty God,(AG) whose name is the Lord Almighty,(AH) 19 great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds.(AI) Your eyes are open to the ways of all mankind;(AJ) you reward each person according to their conduct and as their deeds deserve.(AK) 20 You performed signs and wonders(AL) in Egypt(AM) and have continued them to this day, in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown(AN) that is still yours. 21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand(AO) and an outstretched arm(AP) and with great terror.(AQ) 22 You gave them this land you had sworn to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.(AR) 23 They came in and took possession(AS) of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law;(AT) they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster(AU) on them.
24 “See how the siege ramps(AV) are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague,(AW) the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said(AX) has happened,(AY) as you now see. 25 And though the city will be given into the hands of the Babylonians, you, Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field(AZ) with silver and have the transaction witnessed.(BA)’”
26 Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.(BB) Is anything too hard for me?(BC) 28 Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar(BD) king of Babylon, who will capture it.(BE) 29 The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down,(BF) along with the houses(BG) where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings(BH) to other gods.(BI)
30 “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth;(BJ) indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger(BK) with what their hands have made,(BL) declares the Lord. 31 From the day it was built until now, this city(BM) has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove(BN) it from my sight. 32 The people of Israel and Judah have provoked(BO) me by all the evil(BP) they have done—they, their kings and officials,(BQ) their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. 33 They turned their backs(BR) to me and not their faces; though I taught(BS) them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.(BT) 34 They set up their vile images(BU) in the house that bears my Name(BV) and defiled(BW) it. 35 They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom(BX) to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek,(BY) though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind(BZ)—that they should do such a detestable(CA) thing and so make Judah sin.(CB)
36 “You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague(CC) it will be given into the hands of the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: 37 I will surely gather(CD) them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger(CE) and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.(CF) 38 They will be my people,(CG) and I will be their God. 39 I will give them singleness(CH) of heart and action, so that they will always fear(CI) me and that all will then go well for them and for their children after them. 40 I will make an everlasting covenant(CJ) with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire(CK) them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.(CL) 41 I will rejoice(CM) in doing them good(CN) and will assuredly plant(CO) them in this land with all my heart and soul.(CP)
42 “This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity(CQ) on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised(CR) them. 43 Once more fields will be bought(CS) in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate(CT) waste, without people or animals, for it has been given into the hands of the Babylonians.’ 44 Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds(CU) will be signed, sealed and witnessed(CV) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,(CW) because I will restore(CX) their fortunes,[c] declares the Lord.”
Promise of Restoration
33 While Jeremiah was still confined(CY) in the courtyard(CZ) of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him a second time:(DA) 2 “This is what the Lord says, he who made the earth,(DB) the Lord who formed it and established it—the Lord is his name:(DC) 3 ‘Call(DD) to me and I will answer you and tell you great and unsearchable(DE) things you do not know.’ 4 For this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says about the houses in this city and the royal palaces of Judah that have been torn down to be used against the siege(DF) ramps(DG) and the sword 5 in the fight with the Babylonians[d]: ‘They will be filled with the dead bodies of the people I will slay in my anger and wrath.(DH) I will hide my face(DI) from this city because of all its wickedness.
6 “‘Nevertheless, I will bring health and healing to it; I will heal(DJ) my people and will let them enjoy abundant peace(DK) and security. 7 I will bring Judah(DL) and Israel back from captivity[e](DM) and will rebuild(DN) them as they were before.(DO) 8 I will cleanse(DP) them from all the sin they have committed against me and will forgive(DQ) all their sins of rebellion against me. 9 Then this city will bring me renown,(DR) joy, praise(DS) and honor(DT) before all nations on earth that hear of all the good things I do for it; and they will be in awe and will tremble(DU) at the abundant prosperity and peace I provide for it.’
10 “This is what the Lord says: ‘You say about this place, “It is a desolate waste, without people or animals.”(DV) Yet in the towns of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are deserted,(DW) inhabited by neither people nor animals, there will be heard once more 11 the sounds of joy and gladness,(DX) the voices of bride and bridegroom, and the voices of those who bring thank offerings(DY) to the house of the Lord, saying,
For I will restore the fortunes(EB) of the land as they were before,(EC)’ says the Lord.
12 “This is what the Lord Almighty says: ‘In this place, desolate(ED) and without people or animals(EE)—in all its towns there will again be pastures for shepherds to rest their flocks.(EF) 13 In the towns of the hill(EG) country, of the western foothills and of the Negev,(EH) in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem and in the towns of Judah, flocks will again pass under the hand(EI) of the one who counts them,’ says the Lord.
14 “‘The days are coming,’ declares the Lord, ‘when I will fulfill the good promise(EJ) I made to the people of Israel and Judah.
15 “‘In those days and at that time
I will make a righteous(EK) Branch(EL) sprout from David’s line;(EM)
he will do what is just and right in the land.
16 In those days Judah will be saved(EN)
and Jerusalem will live in safety.(EO)
This is the name by which it[f] will be called:(EP)
The Lord Our Righteous Savior.’(EQ)
17 For this is what the Lord says: ‘David will never fail(ER) to have a man to sit on the throne of Israel, 18 nor will the Levitical(ES) priests(ET) ever fail to have a man to stand before me continually to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings and to present sacrifices.(EU)’”
19 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 20 “This is what the Lord says: ‘If you can break my covenant with the day(EV) and my covenant with the night, so that day and night no longer come at their appointed time,(EW) 21 then my covenant(EX) with David my servant—and my covenant with the Levites(EY) who are priests ministering before me—can be broken and David will no longer have a descendant to reign on his throne.(EZ) 22 I will make the descendants of David my servant and the Levites who minister before me as countless(FA) as the stars in the sky and as measureless as the sand on the seashore.’”
23 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 24 “Have you not noticed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two kingdoms[g](FB) he chose’? So they despise(FC) my people and no longer regard them as a nation.(FD) 25 This is what the Lord says: ‘If I have not made my covenant with day and night(FE) and established the laws(FF) of heaven and earth,(FG) 26 then I will reject(FH) the descendants of Jacob(FI) and David my servant and will not choose one of his sons to rule over the descendants of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob. For I will restore their fortunes[h](FJ) and have compassion(FK) on them.’”
Warning to Zedekiah
34 While Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms and peoples(FL) in the empire he ruled were fighting against Jerusalem(FM) 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(FN) 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.(FO) 3 You will not escape from his grasp but will surely be captured and given into his hands.(FP) 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;(FQ) 5 you will die peacefully. As people made a funeral fire(FR) in honor of your predecessors, the kings who ruled before you, so they will make a fire in your honor and lament, “Alas,(FS) 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(FT) and Azekah.(FU) 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(FV) in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom(FW) 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.(FX) 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(FY) 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(FZ) when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.(GA) 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.’[i](GB) Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention(GC) to me. 15 Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people.(GD) You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name.(GE) 16 But now you have turned around(GF) and profaned(GG) 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,(GH) declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plague(GI) and famine.(GJ) I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.(GK) 18 Those who have violated my covenant(GL) 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.(GM) 19 The leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials,(GN) the priests and all the people of the land who walked between the pieces of the calf, 20 I will deliver(GO) into the hands of their enemies who want to kill them.(GP) Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.(GQ)
21 “I will deliver Zedekiah(GR) king of Judah and his officials(GS) into the hands of their enemies(GT) who want to kill them, to the army of the king of Babylon,(GU) which has withdrawn(GV) 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(GW) it and burn(GX) it down. And I will lay waste(GY) the towns of Judah so no one can live there.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 32:4 Or Chaldeans; also in verses 5, 24, 25, 28, 29 and 43
- Jeremiah 32:9 That is, about 7 ounces or about 200 grams
- Jeremiah 32:44 Or will bring them back from captivity
- Jeremiah 33:5 Or Chaldeans
- Jeremiah 33:7 Or will restore the fortunes of Judah and Israel
- Jeremiah 33:16 Or he
- Jeremiah 33:24 Or families
- Jeremiah 33:26 Or will bring them back from captivity
- Jeremiah 34:14 Deut. 15:12
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition (NRSVUE)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
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