Jeremiah 34:8–16

Freedom for Slaves

⁸The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people^y in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom^z for the slaves. ⁹Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.^{a 10}So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free. ¹¹But afterward they changed their minds^b and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

¹²Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ¹³“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors^c when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery.^d I said, ¹⁴‘Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.’^ae Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention^f to me. ¹⁵Recently you repented and did what is right in my sight: Each of you proclaimed freedom to your own people.^g You even made a covenant before me in the house that bears my Name.^{h 16}But now you have turned aroundⁱ and profaned^j my name; each of you has taken back the male and female slaves you had set free to go where they wished. You have forced them to become your slaves again.