A Warning to King Zedekiah
Study note
Nebuchadnezzar and his massive army were already attacking Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah. God sent Jeremiah to tell King Zedekiah that the city would be captured and burned. However, God also gave Zedekiah a personal promise: he would not die by the sword but would die peacefully and receive an honorable burial with mourning ceremonies, as was customary for kings. At this point, only the fortified cities of Lachish and Azekah still stood besides Jerusalem.
1 This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. King Nebuchadnezzar and his full army were striking Jerusalem and all its nearby towns. Every kingdom under him joined in the attack. The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion, and all the people, fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities thereof, saying,
2 "The Lord, the God of Israel, says: Go speak to King Zedekiah of Judah. Tell him, 'The Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon. He will burn it down.'" Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah, and tell him, Thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire:
3 "'You will not escape. You will be captured and handed over to him. You will meet the king of Babylon face to face and speak to him in person. Then you will be taken to Babylon.'" And thou shalt not escape out of his hand, but shalt surely be taken, and delivered into his hand; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go to Babylon.
4 "'But listen to the Lord's promise, King Zedekiah of Judah. The Lord says about you: You will not die by the sword.'" Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of thee, Thou shalt not die by the sword:
5 "'You will die peacefully. People will burn spices in your honor, just as they did for your ancestors — the kings who ruled before you. They will mourn for you, crying, "What a loss, your majesty!" I myself make this promise,' says the Lord." But thou shalt die in peace: and with the burnings of thy fathers, the former kings which were before thee, so shall they burn odours for thee; and they will lament thee, saying, Ah lord! for I have pronounced the word, saith the LORD.
6 Jeremiah the prophet told all of this to King Zedekiah of Judah. They were in Jerusalem at the time. Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,
7 At that time, the army of the king of Babylon was attacking Jerusalem and the last strong cities of Judah — Lachish and Azekah. These were the only walled cities in Judah still standing. 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.
The Broken Promise About Freeing Slaves
Study note
The law of Moses required that Hebrew slaves be freed after six years of service. During the siege, King Zedekiah made a covenant with the people to free all Hebrew slaves. At first they obeyed, but then they changed their minds and forced the freed people back into slavery. This may have happened when the Babylonian army temporarily withdrew to deal with an Egyptian threat, making the people think the danger had passed. By breaking this covenant, they showed their promises to God meant nothing.
8 This word came to Jeremiah from the Lord. King Zedekiah had just made a deal with all the people in Jerusalem. The deal was to set their slaves free. 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 Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves — both male and female. No one was to keep a fellow Judean as a slave. 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 All the officials and all the people who entered into this agreement obeyed it. They freed their male and female slaves and no longer held them in slavery. 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 later they changed their minds. They took back the men and women they had freed and forced them into slavery again. 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 So the Lord gave this message to Jeremiah: Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13 "The Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I told them," 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 "'Every seven years, each of you must free any fellow Hebrew who has sold himself to you. After they have served you six years, you must let them go free.' But your ancestors did not listen to me or pay any attention." 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 "Recently, you turned and did what is right in my sight. Each of you declared freedom for your neighbors. You made a solemn agreement right in my Temple." 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 then you turned around and dishonored my name. Each of you took back the slaves you had freed and forced them into slavery again." 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.
God's Judgment for Breaking the Covenant
Study note
God announced a bitter irony: since the people refused to give freedom to their slaves, God would give them 'freedom' to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. The ancient covenant ceremony involved cutting an animal in two and walking between the pieces, symbolizing that whoever broke the covenant deserved the same fate as the animal. God declared that those who broke this covenant would be handed over to their enemies, and the Babylonian army would return to finish the siege.
17 "So the Lord says: You have not obeyed me by granting freedom to your neighbors and relatives. Very well — now I am granting you 'freedom,' " says the Lord, "freedom to be destroyed by war, disease, and famine. I will make you an object of horror to every kingdom on earth." 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 "You broke my covenant. You did not keep the terms of the deal you made before me. I will treat you like the calf you cut in two. You walked between its halves to seal the deal." 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 leaders of Judah and Jerusalem broke this covenant. So did the palace workers, the priests, and all the people. They all walked between the halves of the calf." 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 hand them over to their enemies, to those who want them dead. Their corpses will be food for the birds and wild animals." 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 "I will hand King Zedekiah and his leaders to their foes. I will give them to those who want them dead. Babylon's army has pulled back for now. But they will return." 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 "I will give the order," says the Lord, "and bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. I will turn the towns of Judah into an empty wasteland where nobody lives." 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.