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 freedom ^xto them, ⁹so each man would free his male and female Hebrew slaves and no one would enslave his Judean brother. ^y10All the officials and people who entered into covenant to free their male and female slaves—in order not to enslave them any longer—obeyed and freed them. ¹¹Afterward, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had freed 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 ^zwith your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying: ¹⁴At the end of seven years, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who sold himself ^ato you. He may serve you six years, but then you must send him out free from you. ^bBut 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 ^cat the temple called by My name. ^d16But you have changed your minds ^eand profaned My name. ^fEach has taken back his male and female slaves who had been freed to go wherever they wanted, and you have again subjugated them to be your slaves.