A Prophecy against Zedekiah
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, all his army, all the earthly kingdoms under his control, and all the other nations were fighting against Jerusalem and all its surrounding cities. Dan 2:37-38Jer 1:152Ki 25:1-9Dan 4:1Jer 27:5-7Jer 32:22Ch 36:12-17Dan 4:22 The LORD, the God of Israel, told Jeremiah to go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD says: “Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will burn it down. Jer 21:10Jer 34:222Ch 36:11-12Jer 22:1-2Jer 32:3Jer 37:8-10Jer 21:4Jer 32:28-29 And you yourself will not escape his grasp, but will surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face; and you will go to Babylon. Jer 32:4Jer 21:72Ki 25:4-7Jer 34:21Jer 39:4-7Ezk 12:13Ezk 17:18-20Ezk 21:25
Yet hear the word of the LORD, O Zedekiah king of Judah. This is what the LORD says concerning you: You will not die by the sword; you will die in peace. As spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who preceded you, so people will burn spices for you and lament, ‘Alas, O master!’ For I Myself have spoken this word, declares the LORD.” 2Ch 16:14Jer 22:182Ch 21:19-202Ch 34:282Ki 22:20Dan 2:46Ezk 17:16Lam 4:20
In Jerusalem, then, Jeremiah the prophet relayed all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah 1Sa 15:16-241Sa 3:181Ki 21:191Ki 22:142Sa 12:7-12Act 20:27Ezk 2:7Mat 14:4 as the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the remaining cities of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah. For these were the only fortified cities remaining in Judah. Jos 10:32Ch 11:5-102Ki 18:13-14Jer 4:5Jos 15:352Ch 27:42Ki 19:8Deu 28:52
Freedom for Hebrew Slaves
After King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim liberty, the word came to Jeremiah from the LORD Lev 25:102Ki 11:172Ki 23:2-3Jer 34:17Isa 61:1Lev 25:39-46Neh 5:1-132Ch 15:12-15 that each man should free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and no one should hold his fellow Jew in bondage. 1Co 6:81Sa 14:111Sa 4:61Sa 4:92Co 11:22Deu 15:12Exo 2:6Exo 3:18 So all the officials and all the people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their menservants and maidservants and no longer hold them in bondage. They obeyed and released them, Jer 26:10Jer 26:16Isa 29:13Jer 3:10-11Jer 36:12Jer 36:24-25Jer 38:4Mrk 6:20 but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again. 2Pe 2:20-22Ecc 8:11Mat 12:43-45Pro 26:111Sa 19:6-111Sa 24:191Sa 26:21Exo 10:17-20
Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying: Jdg 6:8Jos 24:17Deu 5:2-3Deu 5:27Exo 24:3Exo 24:7-8Jer 31:32Deu 13:10 Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear. Deu 15:121Ki 9:221Sa 8:7-82Ki 17:13-141Ki 21:252Ch 28:102Ch 36:16Amo 2:6
Recently you repented and did what pleased Me; each of you proclaimed freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me in the house that bears My Name. Jer 34:82Ki 23:3Jer 7:10-11Neh 10:291Ki 21:27-292Ki 10:30-312Ki 12:22Ki 14:3 But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves. Lev 19:12Exo 20:7Ezk 18:24Ezk 3:20Jer 34:111Sa 15:11Ezk 17:16-19Ezk 20:39
Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth. Mat 7:2Deu 28:25Gal 6:7Jer 29:18Dan 6:24Deu 28:64Est 7:10Jas 2:13
And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces. Gen 15:10Deu 17:2Gen 15:17-18Hos 6:7Hos 8:1Jos 23:16Psa 50:1Jos 7:11 The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf, Jer 34:10Zep 3:3-42Ki 24:122Ki 24:15Dan 9:12Dan 9:6Ezk 22:27-31Jer 29:2 I will deliver into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth. Jer 7:33Jer 16:4Jer 19:71Ki 16:4Jer 11:21Rev 19:17-211Ki 14:111Sa 17:44 And I will deliver Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials into the hands of their enemies who seek their lives, to the army of the king of Babylon that had withdrawn from you. Jer 39:6Jer 52:24-272Ki 25:18-21Ezk 17:16Jer 37:5-11Jer 52:10Jer 32:4Jer 34:3-5
Behold, I am going to give the command, declares the LORD, and I will bring them back to this city. They will fight against it, capture it, and burn it down. And I will make the cities of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.” Jer 9:11Jer 39:1-2Jer 39:8Jer 33:10Jer 44:22Jer 52:13Jer 52:72Ch 36:17