Jeremiah 34

1 This is the word [message from God, divine communication] that came to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] from the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] when Nebuchadnezzar [a powerful king of Babylon] king of Babylon, all his army [military force], all the earthly kingdoms [nations under his control] under his control, and all the other nations [peoples, countries] were fighting [waging war, battling] against Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah] and all its surrounding cities [towns, villages]. word study 2 The LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], the God [Elohim, the supreme deity] of Israel, told Jeremiah to go [to walk, to proceed] and speak to Zedekiah king [a royal person, a ruler] of Judah and tell him that this is what the LORD [Yehovah, the covenant God] says: “Behold [look, see], I am about [on the point of, ready] to deliver [to give, to hand over] this city into the hand [the power, the control] of the king of Babylon, and he will burn [set on fire, kindle flames] it down [completely, utterly]. word study 3 And you yourself [as an individual, personally] will not escape [slip away, be delivered] his grasp [power, control], but will surely be captured [taken, seized] and delivered [handed over, given] into his hand [power, authority]. You will see [behold, look upon] the king of Babylon [the ruler of Babylon] eye to eye [face to face, in person] and speak with him [communicate, converse] face to face [personally, intimately]; and you will go [journey, travel] to Babylon [a place of exile, captivity]. word study 4 Yet hear [listen and obey] the word [divine message, declaration] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God], O Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous] king [royal ruler, sovereign] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah]. This is what the LORD [the supreme God] says [declares, speaks] concerning [about, regarding] you: You will not [by no means] die [meet your end, perish] by the sword [a cutting instrument, violence]; word study 5 you will die [in a state of completeness and wellness, peacefully] in peace [a state of wellness and friendship]. As spices were burned [with intense heat, as an act of honor] for your fathers [ancestors, those who came before you], the former kings [rulers, leaders] who preceded [came before] you, so people will burn spices [with fragrant incense] for you and lament [express deep sadness, mourn], ‘Alas [woe, a cry of sorrow], O master [lord, one in authority]!’ For I Myself [the first person singular] have spoken [communicated, declared] this word [message, declaration], declares the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God].” word study 6 In Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah], then, Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] the prophet [one who speaks for God] relayed [spoke, communicated] all these words [things, matters] to Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous] king [ruler, monarch] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] word study 7 as the army [forces, military might] of the king [royal ruler, sovereign] of Babylon [Babel, a city of confusion] was fighting [waging war, battling] against Jerusalem [the city of peace, capital of Judah] and the remaining [left, spared] cities of Judah—against Lachish [a fortified city, stronghold] and Azekah [a town, fortified place]. For these [only, alone] were the only fortified [strong, walled] cities remaining [left, spared] in Judah [the tribe, region]. word study 8 After King [the ruler, monarch] Zedekiah [Jehovah is righteous] had made [established, ratified] a covenant [agreement, promise] with all [every single one] the people [nation, community] in Jerusalem [the city of peace] to proclaim [declare, announce] liberty [freedom, release], the word [message, revelation] came to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] from the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] word study 9 that each man [every individual, male person] should free [release, set at liberty] his Hebrew [a descendant of Eber] slaves, both male [man-servant] and female [maidservant], and no one [not a single person] should hold [make a servant of, enslave] his fellow Jew [brother, close relative] in bondage [a state of servitude, slavery]. word study 10 So all [every single one] the officials [rulers, leaders] and all [every] the people [nation, community] who entered [came into, agreed to] into this [the] covenant [promise, agreement] agreed [consented, promised] that they would free [liberate, set at liberty] their menservants [male slaves, servants] and maidservants [female slaves, servants] and no longer [not anymore, never again] hold them in bondage [keep them as slaves, oppress them]. They obeyed [listened, followed] and released [sent away, set free] them, word study 11 but later [afterward, afterwards] they changed their minds [repented, turned] and took back the menservants [servants, male slaves] and maidservants [handmaids, female slaves] they had freed [let go free, sent forth as free], and they forced them to become slaves [servants, bondslaves] again [once more, into subjection]. word study 12 Then the word [message from God, divine communication] of the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] came [was given, revealed] to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] from the LORD [Yehovah], saying [to speak, command, or proclaim], word study 13 “This is what the LORD [Yehovah, the God of Israel’s covenant], the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant [agreement, promise] with your forefathers [ancestors, fathers] when I brought them out of the land [country, territory] of Egypt [a place of bondage], out of the house [place, dwelling] of slavery [bondage, servitude], saying [speaking, commanding]: word study 14 Every seventh year [at the end of seven years, after a complete cycle], each of you must free [release, set at liberty] his Hebrew brother [a fellow Israelite, a descendant of Eber] who has sold [given himself up, surrendered] himself to you [as a servant, a bondservant]. He may serve [work, labor] you six years [a period of time, a term of service], but then you must let him go free [send him away, release him from bondage]. But your fathers [ancestors, forefathers] did not listen [hear, obey] or incline [turn, bend] their ear [to hear, to obey]. word study 15 Recently you repented [turned away from evil, had a change of heart] and did what pleased Me [what is right in My sight]; each of you proclaimed [publicly declared, announced] freedom [liberty, release from bondage] for his neighbor [fellow, companion]. You made a covenant [promise, agreement] before Me in the house [temple, place of worship] that bears [is called by, named after] My Name [My identity, character]. word study 16 But now you have changed your minds [repented, turned back] and profaned [polluted, dishonored] My name [My identity, honor, and character]. Each of you has taken back [caused to return] the menservants [male slaves, servants] and maidservants [female slaves, servants] whom you had set at liberty [freed, released] to go wherever they wanted [at their pleasure], and you have again forced [subdued, brought into subjection] them to be your slaves [servants, bondslaves]. word study 17 Therefore this is what the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] says: You have not obeyed [hearkened unto, listened to] Me; you have not proclaimed [to call out, announce] freedom [liberty, a state of being free], each man [individual, person] for his brother [male sibling, close relative] and for his neighbor [one who lives nearby, a friend]. So now I proclaim [declare, announce] freedom [a state of being free, release from bondage] for you, declares the LORD [the supreme Ruler]—freedom [liberty, exemption from external control] to fall by sword [a cutting instrument], by plague [a disease, pestilence], and by famine [a lack of food, hunger]! I will make you a horror [a thing of dread, a terrifying sight] to all the kingdoms [dominions, territories] of the earth [the land, the world]. word study 18 And those who have transgressed [broken, violated] My covenant [agreement, promise] and have not fulfilled [kept, performed] the terms [words, conditions] of the covenant [promise, treaty] they made [agreed to, established] before Me, I will treat [give, punish] like the calf [young bull, sacrifice] they cut [divided, severed] in two [into halves, in pieces] in order to pass [walk, transition] between its pieces [parts, sections]. word study 19 The officials [rulers, princes] of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] and Jerusalem [the city of peace], the court officials [eunuchs, high-ranking servants], the priests [spiritual leaders, mediators], and all [every single one] the people [nation, community] of the land [earth, territory] who passed [crossed over, transitioned] between [in the midst of] the pieces [parts, sections] of the calf [young male, sacrifice], word study 20 I will deliver [give over, hand over] into the hands [power, control] of their enemies [adversaries, those who hate them] who seek [search for, pursue] their lives [souls, very existence]. Their corpses [dead bodies, carcasses] will become [be given as] food [meat, sustenance] for the birds [fowl, winged creatures] of the air [heaven, sky] and the beasts [animals, wild creatures] of the earth [land, ground]. word study 21 And I will deliver Zedekiah [the king of Judah, Jehovah is righteous] king of Judah [the tribe descended from Judah, the son of Jacob] and his officials [rulers, leaders] into the hands [power, control] of their enemies [those who hate, oppose] who seek [search, pursue] their lives [souls, living beings], to the army [forces, strength] of the king of Babylon [the city and empire of confusion] that had withdrawn [gone away, ascended] from you. word study 22 Behold [look, take notice], I am going to give the command [issue a decree, appoint], declares the LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God], and I will bring them back [return, turn back] to this city [Jerusalem, the capital]. They will fight against it [wage war, battle], capture it [seize, take control], and burn it down [with fire, utterly destroy]. And I will make the cities of Judah [the region, the tribe] a desolation [a waste, a ruin], without inhabitant [no one dwelling, empty].” word study