Jeremiah 34:8–16

THE PEOPLE AND THEIR SLAVES

⁸This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedomⁱ to them. ⁹As a result, each was to let his male and female Hebrew slaves go free, and no one was to enslave his fellow Judean.^{j 10}All the officials and people who entered into covenant to let their male and female slaves go free—in order not to enslave them any longer—obeyed and let them go free. ¹¹Afterward, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had let go free and forced them to become slaves again.

¹²Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ¹³“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant^k with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying, ¹⁴‘At the end of seven years, each of you must let his fellow Hebrew who sold himself^A to you go. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free from your service.’^l But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention. ¹⁵Today you repented and did what pleased me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before me^m at the house that bears my name.^{n 16}But you have changed your minds^o and profaned my name.^p Each has taken back his male and female slaves who had been let go free to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.