Jeremiah prophesieth the captivity of Zedekiah and the city.

1 ¶ The wordº which² came² unto² Jeremiahº from²² the LORD,º when Nebuchadnezzarº kingº of Babylon,º and all² his army,º and all² the kingdomsº of the earthº of his dominion,ºº² and all² the people,º foughtºª against² Jerusalem,º and against² all² the citiesº thereof, saying,ºª 2 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º the Godº of Israel;º Goºª and speakºª to² Zedekiahº kingº of Judah,º and tellºª² him, Thus² saithºª the LORD;º Behold,² I will giveºª² this² cityº into the handº of the kingº of Babylon,º and he shall burnºª it with fire:º 3 And thou² shalt not² escape² out¹ª of his hand,º² but² shalt surely¹ª be taken,ºª and deliveredºª into his hand;º and thine eyesº shall beholdºª² the eyesº of the kingº of Babylon,º and he shall speakºª with² thee mouthº to mouth,º and thou shalt goºª to Babylon.º 4 Yet² hearºª the wordº of the LORD,º O Zedekiahº kingº of Judah;º Thus² saithºª the LORDº of² thee, Thou shalt not² dieºª by the sword:º 5 [But] thou shalt dieºª in peace:º and with the burningsº of thy fathers,º the formerº kingsº which² were² beforeº thee, so² shall they burnºª [odours] for thee; and they will lamentºª thee, [saying], Ahº lord!º for² I² have pronouncedºª the word,º saithºª the LORD.º 6 Then Jeremiahº the prophetº spakeºª² all² these² wordsº unto² Zedekiahº kingº of Judahº in Jerusalem,º 7 When the kingº of Babylon'sº armyº foughtºª against² Jerusalem,º and against² all² the citiesº of Judahº that were left,ºª against² Lachish,º and against² Azekah:º for² these² defencedº citiesº remainedºª of the citiesº of Judah.º

The princes and the people having dismissed their bondservants, contrary to the Covenant of God, reassume them.

8 ¶ [This is] the wordº that² came² unto² Jeremiahº from²² the LORD,º after¹ that² the kingº Zedekiahº had madeºª a covenantº with² all² the peopleº which² [were] at Jerusalem,º to proclaimºª libertyº unto them; 9 That every manº should let² his manservant,º and every manº² his maidservant,º [being] an Hebrewº or an Hebrewess,º goºª free;º that none²² should serveºª himself of them, [to wit], of a Jewº his brother.º 10 Now when all² the princes,º and all² the people,º which² had enteredºª into the covenant,º heardºª that every oneº should let² his manservant,º and every oneº² his maidservant,º goºª free,º that none² should serveºª themselves of them any more,² then they obeyed,ºª and let [them] go.ºª 11 But afterwardº² they turned,ºª and caused² the servantsº and the handmaids,º whom² they had let goºª free,º to return,ºª and brought them into subjectionºªªª for servantsº and for handmaids.º

Jeremiah, for their disobedience, giveth them and Zedekiah into the hands of their enemies.

12 ¶ Therefore the wordº of the LORDº came² to² Jeremiahº from²² the LORD,º saying,ºª 13 Thus² saithºª the LORD,º the Godº of Israel;º I² madeºª a covenantº with² your fathersº in the dayº that I brought them forthºª² out of the landº² of Egypt,º out of the houseº² of bondmen,º saying,ºª 14 At the endº² of sevenº yearsº let ye goºª every manº² his brotherº an Hebrew,º which² hath been soldºª unto thee; and when he hath servedºª thee sixº years,º thou shalt let him goºª freeº from²² thee: but your fathersº hearkenedºª not² unto² me, neither² inclinedºª² their ear.º 15 And ye² were nowº turned,ºª and had doneºª² rightº in my sight,º in proclaimingºª libertyº every manº to his neighbour;º and ye had madeºª a covenantº beforeº me in the houseº which² is calledºª by² my name:º 16 But ye turnedºª and pollutedºª² my name,º and caused every manº² his servant,º and every manº² his handmaid,º whom² ye had setºª at libertyº at their pleasure,º to return,ºª and brought them into subjection,ºª² to be² unto you for servantsº and for handmaids.º 17 Therefore² thus² saithºª the LORD;º Ye² have not² hearkenedºª unto² me, in proclaimingºª liberty,º every oneº to his brother,º and every manº to his neighbour:º behold,² I proclaimºª a libertyº for you, saithºª the LORD,º to² the sword,º to² the pestilence,º and to² the famine;º and I will makeºª you to be removedºª¹ into all² the kingdomsº of the earth.º 18 And I will giveºª² the men¹² that have transgressedºª² my covenant,º which² have not² performedºª² the wordsº of the covenantº which² they had madeºª beforeº me, when² they cutºª the calfº in twain,º and passedºª between² the partsº thereof, 19 The princesº of Judah,º and the princesº of Jerusalem,º the eunuchs,º and the priests,º and all² the peopleº of the land,º which passedºª between² the partsº of the calf;º 20 I will even giveºª them into the handº of their enemies,ºª and into the handº of them that seekºª their life:º and their dead bodiesº shall be² for meatº unto the fowlsº of the heaven,º and to the beastsº of the earth.º 21 And Zedekiahº kingº of Judahº and his princesº will I giveºª into the handº of their enemies,ºª and into the handº of them that seekºª their life,º and into the handº of the kingº of Babylon'sº army,º which are gone upºª from²² you. 22 Behold,² I will command,ºª saithºª the LORD,º and cause them to returnºª to² this² city;º and they shall fightºª against² it, and takeºª it, and burnºª it with fire:º and I will makeºª the citiesº of Judahº a desolationº without²² an inhabitant.ºª