Freedom for Slaves

8 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the peopley in Jerusalem to proclaim freedomz for the slaves. 9 Everyone 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. 11 But afterward they changed their mindsb and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.

12 Then 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 ancestorsc 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.’a e Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attentionf to me. 15 Recently 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 profanedj 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.

17 “Therefore this is what the Lord says: You have not obeyed me; you have not proclaimed freedom to your own people. So I now proclaim ‘freedom’ for you,k declares the Lord—‘freedom’ to fall by the sword, plaguel and famine.m I will make you abhorrent to all the kingdoms of the earth.n