Jeremiah 34 – New American Standard Bible 2020 (NASB20)

A Prophecy against Zedekiah

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

2 “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478 says ^H559: ‘Go ^H1980 and speak ^H559 to Zedekiah ^H6667 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 and say ^H559 to him, “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559: ‘Behold ^H2009, I am handing ^H5414 H3027 this ^H2088 city ^H5892 over ^H5414 to the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894, and he will burn ^H8313 it with fire ^H784. 3 And as for you, you will not escape ^H4422 from his hand ^H3027, for you will assuredly ^H8610 be caught ^H8610 and handed ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to him; and you will see ^H7200 the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 eye ^H5869 to eye ^H5869, and he will speak ^H1696 with you [fn]face ^H6310 to face ^H6310, and you will go ^H935 to Babylon ^H894.’”’ 4 Yet ^H389 hear ^H8085 the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068, Zedekiah ^H6667 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063! This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559 concerning ^H5921 you: ‘You will not die ^H4191 by the sword ^H2719. 5 You will die ^H4191 in peace ^H7965; and as spices were burned ^H4955 for your fathers ^H1, the former ^H7223 kings ^H4428 who ^H834 were before ^H6440 you, so ^H3651 they will burn ^H8313 spices for you; and they will mourn ^H5594 for you, crying, “Oh ^H1945, my lord ^H113!”’ For I have spoken ^H1696 the word ^H1697,” declares ^H5002 the LORD ^H3068.

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 7 when the army ^H2428 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 was fighting ^H3898 against ^H5921 Jerusalem ^H3389 and all ^H3605 the remaining ^H3498 cities ^H5892 of Judah ^H3063, that is, Lachish ^H3923 and Azekah ^H5825, for they alone remained ^H7604 as fortified ^H4013 cities ^H5892 among the cities ^H5892 of Judah ^H3063.

8 The word ^H1697 that came ^H1961 to Jeremiah ^H3414 from the LORD ^H3068 after ^H310 King ^H4428 Zedekiah ^H6667 had made ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 with all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 who ^H834 were in Jerusalem ^H3389, to proclaim ^H7121 [fn]release ^H1865 to them: 9 that each ^H376 person ^H376 was to set ^H7971 his male ^H5650 servant ^H5650 free ^H2670 and each ^H376 his female ^H8198 servant ^H8198, a Hebrew ^H5680 man ^H5680 or a Hebrew ^H5680 woman ^H5680, so that no ^H1115 one ^H376 would keep ^H5647 them, his Jewish ^H3064 brother ^H251 or sister, in ^H5647 bondage ^H5647. 10 And all ^H3605 the officials ^H8269 and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 obeyed ^H8085 who ^H834 had entered ^H935 into the covenant ^H1285 that each ^H376 person ^H376 was to set ^H7971 his male ^H5650 servant ^H5650 free ^H2670 and each ^H376 his female ^H8198 servant ^H8198, so that no ^H1115 one ^H1115 would keep ^H5647 them in ^H5647 bondage ^H5647 any ^H5750 longer ^H5750; they obeyed ^H8085, and set ^H7971 them free. 11 But afterward ^H310 H3651 they turned ^H7725 around ^H7725 and took ^H7725 back ^H7725 the male ^H5650 servants ^H5650 and the female ^H8198 servants ^H8198 whom ^H834 they had set ^H7971 free ^H2670, and brought ^H3533 them into ^H3533 subjection ^H3533 as male ^H5650 servants ^H5650 and as female ^H8198 servants ^H8198.

12 Then the word ^H1697 of the LORD ^H3068 came ^H1961 to Jeremiah ^H3414 from the LORD ^H3068, saying ^H559, 13 “This ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068, the God ^H430 of Israel ^H3478 says ^H559: ‘I made ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 with your forefathers ^H1 on the day ^H3117 that I brought ^H3318 them out ^H3318 of the land ^H776 of Egypt ^H4714, from the house ^H1004 of bondage ^H5650, saying ^H559, 14 “At the end ^H7093 of seven ^H7651 years ^H8141 each ^H376 of you shall set ^H7971 free ^H7971 his Hebrew ^H5680 brother ^H251 who ^H834 [fn]has been sold ^H4376 to you and has served ^H5647 you for six ^H8337 years ^H8141, and you shall send ^H7971 him out ^H7971 free ^H2670 from you.” But your forefathers ^H1 did not obey ^H8085 Me nor incline ^H5186 their ear ^H241 to Me. 15 Although recently ^H3117 you had turned ^H7725 and done ^H6213 what ^H3477 is ^H3477 right ^H3477 in My sight ^H5869, each ^H376 one ^H376 proclaiming ^H7121 [fn]release ^H1865 to his neighbor ^H7453, and you had made ^H3772 a covenant ^H1285 before ^H6440 Me in the house ^H1004 which ^H834 is called ^H7121 by My name ^H8034. 16 Yet you turned ^H7725 and profaned ^H2490 My name ^H8034, and each ^H376 person ^H376 [fn]took ^H7725 back ^H7725 his male ^H5650 servant ^H5650 and each ^H376 his female ^H8198 servant ^H8198 whom ^H834 you had set ^H7971 free ^H2670 according to their desire ^H5315, and you brought ^H3533 them into ^H3533 subjection ^H3533 to be your male ^H5650 and female ^H8198 servants ^H5650 H8198.’

17 “Therefore ^H3651 this ^H3541 is ^H3541 what ^H3541 the LORD ^H3068 says ^H559: ‘You have not obeyed ^H8085 Me in proclaiming ^H7121 [fn]release ^H1865, each ^H376 one ^H376 to his brother ^H251 and each ^H376 to his neighbor ^H7453. Behold ^H2009, I am proclaiming ^H7121 a [fn]release ^H1865 to you,’ declares ^H5002 the LORD ^H3068, ‘to the sword ^H2719, to the plague ^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. 18 I will give ^H5414 the people ^H376 who have violated ^H5674 My covenant ^H1285, who ^H834 have not fulfilled ^H6965 the words ^H1697 of the covenant ^H1285 which ^H834 they made ^H3772 before ^H6440 Me, when they cut ^H3772 the calf ^H5695 in two ^H8147 and passed ^H5674 between ^H996 its parts ^H1335— 19 the officials ^H8269 of Judah ^H3063 and the officials ^H8269 of Jerusalem ^H3389, the high ^H5631 officials ^H5631 and the priests ^H3548, and all ^H3605 the people ^H5971 of the land ^H776 who passed ^H5674 between ^H996 the parts ^H1335 of the calf ^H5695— 20 I will hand ^H5414 H3027 them over ^H5414 to their enemies ^H340 and to those who seek ^H1245 their lives ^H5315. And their dead ^H5038 bodies ^H5038 will be food ^H3978 for the birds ^H5775 of the sky ^H8064 and the animals ^H929 of the earth ^H776. 21 Zedekiah ^H6667 king ^H4428 of Judah ^H3063 and his officials ^H8269 I will also hand ^H5414 H3027 over ^H5414 to their enemies ^H340 and to those who seek ^H1245 their lives ^H5315, and to the army ^H2428 of the king ^H4428 of Babylon ^H894 which has withdrawn ^H5927 from you. 22 Behold ^H2009, I am going to give ^H6680 a ^H6680 command ^H6680,’ declares ^H5002 the LORD ^H3068, ‘and I will bring ^H7725 them back ^H7725 to this ^H2088 city ^H5892, and they will fight ^H3898 against ^H5921 it and take ^H3920 it and burn ^H8313 it with fire ^H784; and I will make ^H5414 the cities ^H5892 of Judah ^H3063 a desolation ^H8077 without ^H369 inhabitant ^H3427.’”