Jeremiah 34
Revised Standard Version
Death in Captivity Predicted for Zedekiah
34 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadrez′zar king of Babylon and all his army 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 Zedeki′ah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire. 3 You shall not escape from his hand, but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand; 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 Zedeki′ah king 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 for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so men shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, says the Lord.”
6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedeki′ah 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 Aze′kah; for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained.
Treacherous Treatment of Slaves
8 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedeki′ah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them, 9 that every one should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother. 10 And they obeyed, all the princes and all the people who had entered into the covenant that every one 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 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 made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, 14 ‘At the end of six[a] years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.’ But 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 by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name; 16 but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, 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 by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, says the Lord. 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 the covenant which they made before me, I will make like[b] the calf which they cut in two and passed between its parts— 19 the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, 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 and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. 21 And Zedeki′ah king of Judah, and his princes 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 which has withdrawn from you. 22 Behold, I will 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. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 34:14 Gk: Heb seven
- Jeremiah 34:18 Cn: Heb lacks like
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
Jeremia 34
Svenska Folkbibeln 2015
Varning till Sidkia
34 (A) Detta ord kom till Jeremia från Herren när Babels kung Nebukadressar angrep Jerusalem[a] och alla dess lydstäder, med hela sin här och med alla riken på jorden som lydde under hans välde och med alla folk. Han sade: 2 (B) Så säger Herren, Israels Gud: Gå till Juda kung Sidkia och säg till honom: Så säger Herren: Se, jag ger denna stad i den babyloniske kungens hand och han ska bränna upp den i eld. 3 (C) Själv ska du inte komma undan hans hand, utan du ska gripas och lämnas i hans hand och stå inför Babels kung öga mot öga. Han ska tala med dig ansikte mot ansikte, och du ska komma till Babel.
4 Men hör Herrens ord, du Juda kung Sidkia: Så säger Herren om dig: Du ska inte dö genom svärd. 5 (D) I frid ska du dö. Och liksom man har tänt eldar[b] för dina fäder, kungarna som har varit före dig, så ska man också tända eldar för dig och ropa: ”Ack, ve, herre!” och hålla dödsklagan över dig. För detta har jag talat, säger Herren.
6 Profeten Jeremia sade allt detta till Juda kung Sidkia i Jerusalem, 7 (E) medan den babyloniske kungens här belägrade Jerusalem och de städer som ännu var kvar i Juda – Lakish och Aseka[c]. De var de enda av Juda städer som fortfarande fanns kvar och var befästa.
Brott mot avtalet om att frige slavar
8 Detta ord kom till Jeremia från Herren när kung Sidkia hade slutit ett förbund med allt folket i Jerusalem att de skulle utropa frihet, 9 (F) så att var och en skulle frige sin hebreiske slav och sin hebreiska slavinna och inte ha sin judiske broder till slav. 10 Alla furstarna och allt folket lydde detta, de som hade gått med i förbundet, att var och en skulle frige sin slav och sin slavinna och inte mer ha dem som slavar. De rättade sig efter det och frigav dem. 11 Men efteråt ändrade de sig och tog tillbaka de slavar och slavinnor som de hade frigett och tvingade dem på nytt att bli slavar och slavinnor.
12 Då kom Herrens ord till Jeremia. Han sade: 13 Så säger Herren, Israels Gud: Jag slöt ett förbund med era fäder när jag förde dem ut ur Egyptens land, ut ur träldomshuset. Jag sade: 14 (G) När det har gått sju år ska var och en av er frige sin hebreiske broder[d], som har sålt sig åt dig och tjänat dig i sex år. Du ska då släppa honom fri ur din tjänst.
Men era fäder lyssnade inte på mig och vände inte sina öron till mig. 15 Ni har nyligen vänt om och gjort det som är rätt i mina ögon, när ni utropade frihet, var och en för sin broder. Ni slöt ett förbund om detta inför mig i det hus som är uppkallat efter mitt namn. 16 Men ni har ändrat er och vanhelgat mitt namn. Var och en har tagit tillbaka sin slav och sin slavinna som ni hade släppt fria enligt deras önskan. Nu har ni tvingat dem att bli era slavar och slavinnor igen.
17 Därför säger Herren så: Ni har inte lyssnat på mig och utropat frihet var och en för sin broder och sin nästa. Så nu utropar jag frihet för er, säger Herren, att utlämnas åt svärd, pest och svält. Jag ska göra er till ett avskräckande exempel för alla riken på jorden. 18 (H) Jag ska utlämna de män som har överträtt mitt förbund och inte hållit orden i det förbund de slöt inför mig, när de delade kalven i två stycken[e] och gick mellan dem. 19 Juda furstar och Jerusalems furstar, hovmännen och prästerna och allt folket i landet som gick mellan styckena av kalven, 20 (I) dem ska jag utlämna åt deras fiender, till dem som vill ta deras liv. Och deras döda kroppar ska bli till föda åt himlens fåglar och markens djur. 21 (J) Jag ska utlämna Juda kung Sidkia och hans furstar i deras fienders hand, till dem som vill ta deras liv, och till den babyloniske kungens här som nu har dragit bort[f] ifrån er. 22 (K) Se, jag ska befalla dem, säger Herren, att de vänder tillbaka till denna stad. De ska belägra den, inta den och bränna ner den. Jag ska göra Juda städer till en ödemark där ingen bor.
Footnotes
- 34:1 när Babels kung … angrep Jerusalem Troligen på våren 588 f Kr (jfr 2 Kung 25:1).
- 34:5 tänt eldar Hedersbetygelse känd från Assyrien (inte kremering). Jfr 2 Krön 16:14.
- 34:7 Lakish och Aseka Befästa städer ca 5 och 3 mil sydväst om Jerusalem. I Lakish har hittats brev skrivna på krukskärvor där soldater rapporterar att Asekas signaleld har slocknat.
- 34:14 frige sin hebreiske broder Se budet i 5 Mos 15:12.
- 34:18 delade kalven i två stycken Jfr 1 Mos 15:9f. Troligen en symbol för det straff som skulle drabba den som bryter det ingångna förbundet.
- 34:21 dragit bort För att möta en egyptisk undsättningsexpedition sommaren 588 f Kr (37:5f).
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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Svenska Folkbibeln 2015, Copyright © 2015 by Svenska Folkbibeln Foundation