Zedekiah’s Covenant Concerning Slaves

8 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after king Zedekiah ⌊made⌋g a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them, 9 to let go each one his male slave and each one his female slave, the Hebrew and the free Hebrew, so that no one among the Judeansh should enslave his fellow countryman. 10 And all the officials and all the people obeyed, who had entered into the covenant to let go each one his male slave and each one his female slave, not enslaving them again, and they obeyed and they let themi go. 11 But ⌊afterward⌋j they turned back and they brought back the male slaves and the female slaves whom they had let go free, and they subdued them as male slaves and female slaves.

12 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, ⌊saying⌋,k 13 “Thus says Yahweh, the God of Israel: ‘I ⌊made⌋l a covenant with your ancestorsm on the day of my bringing them out from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves, ⌊saying⌋,n 14 “At the end of seven years you must let go each one his fellow countryman, the Hebrew who has been sold to you and who has served you six years, and you must let him go free from you.” But your ancestorso did not listen to me, and they did not incline their ears.p 15 And you turned back ⌊recently⌋q and you did right in my eyes, to proclaim release each one to his neighbor, and you ⌊made⌋r a covenant ⌊before me⌋s in the house that is called ⌊by⌋t my name. 16 But you turned back and you profaned my name when you brought back each one his male slave and each one his female slave, whom you had let go free according to their desire, and you subdued them to be to you as male slaves and as female slaves.’

17 “⌊Therefore⌋u thus says Yahweh, ‘You have not listened to me to proclaim release each one to his fellow countryman and each one to his neighbor. Look, I am going to proclaim to you a release,’ ⌊declares⌋v Yahweh, ‘to the sword, to the plague, and to the famine, and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth. 18 And I will make the men who transgressed my covenant, who have not kept the words of the covenant that they ⌊made⌋w ⌊before me⌋,x like the calf which they cut in two and they passed between its parts— 19 the officials of Judah, and the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf— 20 and I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of the seekers of their lives, and their dead bodiesy will become as food for the birdsz of the heavensa and for the animalsb of the earth. 21 And Zedekiah the king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of the seekers of their lives, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon, who retreated from you. 22 Look, I am going to command,’ ⌊declares⌋c Yahweh, ‘and I will bring them back to this city, and they will fight against it, and they will capture it, and they will burn it with fire, and the towns of Judah I will make a desolation ⌊without⌋d an inhabitant.’ ”

The Faithfulness of the Rechabites

35 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the days of Jehoiakim, the son of Josiah, the king of Judah, ⌊saying⌋,a 2 “Go to the house of the Rechabites, and speak with them, and bring them to the house of Yahweh into one of the chambers, and give them wine to drink.” 3 So I took Jaazaniah, the son of Jeremiah, the son of Habazziniah, and his brothers, and all his sons, and the whole of the house of the Rechabites, 4 and I brought them to the house of Yahweh, into the chamber of the sons of Hanan, the son of Igdaliah, the man of God, which was beside the chamber of the officials, which was above the chamber of Maaseiah, the son of Shallum, the keeper of the threshold.

5 Then I ⌊set⌋b ⌊before⌋c the house of the Rechabites bowls full of wine and cups, and I said to them, “Drink wine.” 6 But they answered, “We will not drink wine, for Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our ancestor,d commanded us, ⌊saying⌋,e ‘You shall not drink wine, you or your children, ⌊forever⌋.f 7 And you shall not build a house, and you shall not sow seed, and you shall not plant a vineyard, and it shall not be for you, but in tents you shall live all your days, so that you may live many days on the surface of the land where you are dwelling as aliens.’ 8 And we obeyed the voice of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, our ancestor,g in all that he commanded us, not to drink wine all our days, ourselves, our wives, our sons, or our daughters, 9 and not to build houses for our living, and there is not vineyard, or field, or seed for us. 10 But we have lived in tents, and we have obeyed, and we have done all that Jehonadab, our ancestor,h commanded us. 11 ⌊But then⌋i at the coming up against the land of Nebuchadnezzar the king of Babylon, then we said, ‘Come and let us go to Jerusalem ⌊before⌋j the army of the Chaldeans, and ⌊before⌋k the army of the Arameans.’l That is why we are living in Jerusalem.”

12 And the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah, ⌊saying⌋,m 13 “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘Go and say to the people of Judah and to the inhabitants of Jerusalem, “Can you not learn a lesson to listen to my words?” ⌊declares⌋n Yahweh. 14 “The words of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, that he commanded his descendantso to not drink, have been carried out, and they have not drunk until this day, for they have obeyed the command of their ancestor.p But ⌊I have spoken to you over and over again⌋,q and you have not listened to me. 15 And I have sent to you all my servants the prophets, ⌊I have sent them over and over again⌋,r ⌊saying⌋,s ‘Turn back please each one from his evil way, and amend your deeds, and you must not go after other gods to serve them, ⌊so that you may live⌋t on the land that I gave to you and to your ancestors.’u But you did not incline your ear and you did not listen to me. 16 For the descendantsv of Jonadab, the son of Rechab, have carried out the command of their ancestorw that he commanded them, but this people did not listen to me.”

17 ⌊Therefore⌋x thus says Yahweh, the God of hosts, the God of Israel, “Look, I am going to bring to Judah and to all the inhabitants of Jerusalem every disaster that I have spoken against them, because I have spoken to them and they have not listened, and I have called to them and they have not answered.” ’ ” 18 But to the house of the Rechabites Jeremiah said, “Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, ‘Because you have listened to the command of Jonadab your ancestor,y and you have kept all his commands, and you have done all that he commanded you,’ 19 ⌊therefore⌋z thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel: ‘A man will not be cut off for Jonadab, the son of Rechab, to stand ⌊before me⌋a ⌊always⌋.’ ”b