Jeremiah 34:8–16

Treacherous Treatment of Slaves

⁸This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem to proclaim ^kliberty to them: ^9lthat every man should set free his male and female slave—a Hebrew man or woman—^mthat no one should keep a Jewish brother in bondage. ¹⁰Now when all the princes and all the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should set free his male and female slaves, that no one should keep them in bondage anymore, they obeyed and let them go. ¹¹But afterward they changed their minds and made the male and female slaves return, whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection as male and female slaves.

¹²Therefore the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying, ¹³“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: ‘I made a ⁿcovenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying, ¹⁴“At the end of ^oseven years let every man set free his Hebrew brother, who ²has been sold to him; and when he has served you six years, you shall let him go free from you.” But your fathers did not obey Me nor incline their ear. ¹⁵Then you ³recently turned and did what was right in My sight—every man proclaiming liberty to his neighbor; and you ^pmade a covenant before Me ^qin the house which is called by My name. ¹⁶Then you turned around and ^rprofaned My name, and every one of you brought back his male and female slaves, whom you had set at liberty, at their pleasure, and brought them back into subjection, to be your male and female slaves.’