Jeremiah 34 :: Legacy Standard Bible (LSB)

A Prophecy Against Zedekiah

The word^H1697 which^H834 came^H1961 to Jeremiah^H3414 from Yahweh^H3068, when Nebuchadnezzar^H5019 king^H4428 of Babylon^H894 and all^H3605 his military^H2428 force^H2428, with all^H3605 the kingdoms^H4467 of the earth^H776 that were under his [fn]dominion^H4475 and all^H3605 the peoples^H5971, were fighting^H3898 against^H5921 Jerusalem^H3389 and against^H5921 all^H3605 its cities^H5892, saying^H559,

Jer 34:2

Jer 34:2“Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him: “Thus says Yahweh, ‘Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.

Jer 34:3

Jer 34:3‘And you will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be seized and given into his hand; and you will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you [fn]face to face, and you will go to Babylon.’”’

Jer 34:4

Jer 34:4“Yet hear the word of Yahweh, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says Yahweh concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword.

Jer 34:5

Jer 34:5‘You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word,” declares Yahweh.

Jer 34:6

Then Jeremiah^H3414 the prophet^H5030 spoke^H1696 all^H3605 these^H428 words^H1697 to Zedekiah^H6667 king^H4428 of Judah^H3063 in Jerusalem^H3389

Jer 34:7

Jer 34:7when the military force of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

Jer 34:8

The word^H1697 which^H834 came^H1961 to Jeremiah^H3414 from Yahweh^H3068 after^H310 King^H4428 Zedekiah^H6667 had cut^H3772 a covenant^H1285 with all^H3605 the people^H5971 who^H834 were in Jerusalem^H3389 to proclaim^H7121 [fn]release^H1865 to them:

Jer 34:9

Jer 34:9that each man should let his male slave go free and each man his female slave, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman, so that no one should enslave them, each being a Jew, his brother.

Jer 34:10

Jer 34:10And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should let his male slave go free and each man his female slave, so that no one should enslave them any longer; they obeyed and let them go free.

Jer 34:11

Jer 34:11But afterwards they turned around and returned to themselves the male slaves and the female slaves, whom they had let go as free, and subdued them to be male slaves and female slaves.

Jer 34:12

Then the word^H1697 of Yahweh^H3068 came^H1961 to Jeremiah^H3414 from Yahweh^H3068, saying^H559,

Jer 34:13

Jer 34:13“Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel, ‘I cut a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of slavery, saying,

Jer 34:14

Jer 34:14“At the end of seven years each of you shall let his Hebrew brother go who [fn]has been sold to you and has served you six years, and you shall let him go to be free from you; but your fathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.

Jer 34:15

Jer 34:15“Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming [fn]release to his neighbor, and you had cut a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.

Jer 34:16

Jer 34:16“Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man [fn]returned to themselves his male slave and each man his female slave whom you had let go as free according to their desire, and you subdued them to be your male slaves and female slaves.”’

Jer 34:17

“Therefore^H3651 thus^H3541 says^H559 Yahweh^H3068, ‘You have not obeyed^H8085 Me in proclaiming^H7121 [fn]release^H1865 each^H376 man^H376 to his brother^H251 and each^H376 man^H376 to his neighbor^H7453. Behold^H2009, I am proclaiming^H7121 a [fn]release^H1865 to you,’ declares^H5002 Yahweh^H3068, ‘to the sword^H2719, to the pestilence^H1698, and to the famine^H7458; and I will make^H5414 you a terror^H2113 to all^H3605 the kingdoms^H4467 of the earth^H776.

Jer 34:18

Jer 34:18‘And I will give the men who have trespassed against My covenant, who have not established the words of the covenant which they cut before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts—

Jer 34:19

Jer 34:19the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—

Jer 34:20

Jer 34:20And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

Jer 34:21

Jer 34:21‘And as for Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials, I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life and into the hand of the military force of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you.

Jer 34:22

Jer 34:22‘Behold, I am going to command,’ declares Yahweh, ‘and I will cause them to return to this city; and they will fight against it and capture it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’”