The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had (A)made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem, to (B)proclaim [a]release to them: that each person was to set his male servant free and each his female servant, a (C)Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, so that (D)no one would keep them, his Jewish brother or sister, in bondage. 10 And all the (E)officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each person was to set his male servant free and each his female servant, so that no one would keep them in bondage any longer; they obeyed, and set them free. 11 But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male servants and as female servants.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 34:8 Or liberty

Jeremiah received the Lord’s word after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty for their slaves: everyone was to free their male and female Hebrew slaves and no longer hold a Judean brother or sister in bondage. 10 So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed to free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage; they obeyed the king’s command[a] and let them go. 11 But afterward they broke their promise, took back the men and women they had freed, and enslaved them again.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 34:10 Heb lacks the king’s command.