Jeremiah 34

haddavar asher-hayah el-yirmeyahu me'et Adonai unevukhadretsar melekh-bavel vekhol-khelo vekhol-mamlekhot erets memshelet yado vekhol-ha'ammim nilkhamim al-yerushalai͏m ve'al-kol-areha lemor

The word that came to Jeremiah from GOD, when King Nebuchadrezzar of Babylon and all his army, and all the kingdoms of the earth and all the peoples under his sway, were waging war against Jerusalem and all its towns:

koh-amar Adonai elohe yisra'el halokh ve'amarta el-tsidqiyyahu melekh yehudah ve'amarta elayw koh amar Adonai hinni noten et-ha'ir hazzot beyad melekh-bavel userafah ba'esh

Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: Go speak to King Zedekiah of Judah, and say to him: “Thus said GOD: I am going to deliver this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will destroy it by fire.

ve'attah lo timmalet miyyado ki tafos tittafes uveyado tinnaten ve'enekha et-ene melekh-bavel tirenah ufihu et-pikha yedabber uvavel tavo

And you will not escape from him; you will be captured and handed over to him. And you will see the king of Babylon face to face and speak to him in person; and you will be brought to Babylon.

akh shema devar-Adonai tsidqiyyahu melekh yehudah koh-amar Adonai alekha lo tamut bekharev

But hear the word of GOD, O King Zedekiah of Judah! Thus said GOD concerning you: You will not die by the sword.

beshalom tamut ukhemisrefot avotekha hammelakhim harishonim asher-hayu lefanekha ken yisrefu-lakh vehoy adon yispedu-lakh ki-davar ani-dibbarti ne'um-Adonai

You will die a peaceful death; and as incense was burned for your ancestors, the earlier kings who preceded you, so they will burn incense for you, and they will lament for you ‘Ah, lord!’ For I Myself have made the promise—declares GOD.”

vayedabber yirmeyahu hannavi el-tsidqiyyahu melekh yehudah et kol-haddevarim ha'elleh birushalai͏m

The prophet Jeremiah spoke all these words to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem,

vekhel melekh-bavel nilkhamim al-yerushalai͏m ve'al kol-are yehudah hannotarot el-lakhish ve'el-azeqah ki hennah nisharu be'are yehudah are mivtsar

when the army of the king of Babylon was waging war against Jerusalem and against the remaining towns of Judah—against Lachish and Azekah, for they were the only fortified towns of Judah that were left.

haddavar asher-hayah el-yirmeyahu me'et Adonai akhare kerot hammelekh tsidqiyyahu berit et-kol-ha'am asher birushalai͏m liqro lahem deror

The word that came to Jeremiah from GOD after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim a release among them—

leshallakh ish et-avdo ve'ish et-shifkhato ha'ivri veha'ivriyyah khofshim levilti avod-bam bihudi akhihu ish

that everyone should set free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female, and that no one should keep their fellow Judean enslaved.

vayyishme'u khol-hassarim vekhol-ha'am asher-ba'u vabberit leshallakh ish et-avdo ve'ish et-shifkhato khofshim levilti avod-bam od vayyishme'u vayeshallekhu

Everyone, officials and people, who had entered into the covenant agreed to set their male and female slaves free and not keep them enslaved any longer; they complied and let them go.

vayyashuvu akhare-khen vayyashivu et-ha'avadim ve'et-hashefakhot asher shillekhu khofshim (vykhvyshvm) [vayyikhbeshum] la'avadim velishfakhot

But afterward they turned about and brought back the men and women they had set free, and forced them into slavery again.

vayehi devar-Adonai el-yirmeyahu me'et Adonai lemor

Then it was that the word of GOD came to Jeremiah from GOD:

koh-amar Adonai elohe yisra'el anokhi karatti verit et-avotekhem beyom hotsi'i otam me'erets mitsrayim mibbet avadim lemor

Thus said the ETERNAL, the God of Israel: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, the house of bondage, saying:

miqqets sheva shanim teshallekhu ish et-akhiv ha'ivri asher-yimmakher lekha va'avadekha shesh shanim veshillakhto khofshi me'immakh velo-shame'u avotekhem elay velo hittu et-oznam

“In the seventh year each of you must let go any fellow Hebrew who may be sold to you; when they have served you six years, you must set them free.” But your ancestors would not obey Me or give ear.

vattashuvu attem hayyom vatta'asu et-hayyashar be'enay liqro deror ish lere'ehu vattikhretu verit lefanay babbayit asher-niqra shemi alayw

Lately you turned about and did what is proper in My sight, and all of you proclaimed a release to your compatriots; and you made a covenant accordingly before Me in the House that bears My name.

vattashuvu vattekhallelu et-shemi vattashivu ish et-avdo ve'ish et-shifkhato asher-shillakhtem khofshim lenafsham vattikhbeshu otam lihyot lakhem la'avadim velishfakhot

But now you have turned back and have profaned My name; each of you has brought back the men and women whom you had given their freedom, and forced them to be your slaves again.

lakhen koh-amar Adonai attem lo-shematem elay liqro deror ish le'akhiv ve'ish lere'ehu hinni qore lakhem deror ne'um-Adonai el-hakherev el-haddever ve'el-hara'av venatatti etkhem (lzvh) [leza'avah] lekhol mamlekhot ha'arets

Assuredly, thus said GOD: You would not obey Me and proclaim a release, each to your kin and neighbor. Lo! I proclaim your release—declares GOD—to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine; and I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

venatatti et-ha'anashim ha'overim et-beriti asher lo-heqimu et-divre habberit asher karetu lefanay ha'egel asher karetu lishnayim vayya'avru ben betarayw

I will make the parties who violated My covenant, who did not fulfill the terms of the covenant that they made before Me, [like] the calf that they cut in two so as to pass between the halves:

sare yehudah vesare yerushalai͏m hassarisim vehakkohanim vekhol am ha'arets ha'overim ben bitre ha'egel

The officers of Judah and Jerusalem, the officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the halves of the calf

venatatti otam beyad oyevehem uveyad mevaqshe nafsham vehayetah nivlatam lema'akhal le'of hashamayim ulevehemat ha'arets

shall be handed over to their enemies, to those who seek to kill them. Their carcasses shall become food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

ve'et-tsidqiyyahu melekh-yehudah ve'et-sarayw etten beyad oyevehem uveyad mevaqshe nafsham uveyad khel melekh bavel ha'olim me'alekhem

I will hand over King Zedekiah of Judah and his officers to their enemies, who seek to kill them—to the army of the king of Babylon that has withdrawn from you.

hinni metsavveh ne'um-Adonai vahashivotim el-ha'ir hazzot venilkhamu aleha ulekhaduha userafuha va'esh ve'et-are yehudah etten shemamah me'en yoshev

I hereby give the command—declares GOD—by which I will bring them back against this city. They shall attack it and capture it, and burn it down. I will make the towns of Judah a desolation, without inhabitant.