8 *This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem, oto proclaim liberty unto them; 9 pThat every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, qgo free; rthat none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother. 10 Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, qgo free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go. 11 *But safterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let qgo free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.

12 Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah tfrom the Lord, saying, 13 Thus saith the Lord, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that uI brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying, 14 At vthe end of wxseven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which ||xhath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers yhearkened not unto me, yneither inclined their ear. 15 And ye were †now turned, and had done right in my sight, in oproclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour; and zye had made a covenant before me in the house †which is called by my name: 16 But ye turned and apolluted my name, band caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty cat their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids. 17 Therefore thus saith the Lord; Ye have not hearkened unto me, in oproclaiming liberty, every one to his brother, and every man to his neighbour: behold, dI proclaim ea liberty for you, saith the Lord, fto the sword, fto the pestilence, and fto the famine; and gI will make you †to be removed hinto all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, iwhich have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me, jwhen they cut the calf in twain, and passed between kthe parts thereof, 19 The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, lthe eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, jwhich passed between kthe parts of the calf; 20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and minto the hand of them that seek their life: and ntheir dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth. 21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies, and minto the hand of them that seek their life, and into the hand of the king of Babylon’s army, owhich are gone up from you. 22 Behold, pI will command, saith the Lord, and qcause them to return to this city; and qthey shall fight against it, and qrtake it, and qsburn it with fire: and tI will make the cities of Judah a desolation uwithout an inhabitant.