6 Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem 7 When the king of Babylon's army fought against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left against Lachish and against Azekah for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah
8 This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem to proclaim liberty unto them 9 That every man should let his manservant and every man his maidservant being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess go free that none should serve himself of them to wit of a Jew his brother 10 Now when all the princes and all the people which had entered into the covenant heard that every one should let his manservant and every one his maidservant go free that none should serve themselves of them any more then they obeyed and let them go 11 But afterward they turned and caused the servants and the handmaids whom they had let go free to return and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids
12 Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD saying 13 Thus saith the LORD the God of Israel I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt out of the house of bondmen saying 14 At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew which hath been sold unto thee and when he hath served thee six years thou shalt let him go free from thee but your fathers hearkened not unto me neither inclined their ear 15 And ye were now turned and had done right in my sight in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name 16 But ye turned and polluted my name and caused every man his servant and every man his handmaid whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure to return and brought them into subjection to be unto you for servants and for handmaids
17 Therefore thus saith the LORD Ye have not hearkened unto me in proclaiming liberty every one to his brother and every man to his neighbour behold I proclaim a liberty for you saith the LORD to the sword to the pestilence and to the famine and I will make you to be removed __ into all the kingdoms of the earth 18 And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me when they cut the calf in twain and passed between the parts thereof 19 The princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem the eunuchs and the priests and all the people of the land which passed between the parts of the calf 20 I will even give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seek their life and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven and to the beasts of the earth 21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seek their life and into the hand of the king of Babylon's army which are gone up from you 22 Behold I will command saith the LORD and cause them to return to this city and they shall fight against it and take it and burn it with fire and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant
