8This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them, 9That any Hebrew men or women that he held as slaves or as his servants should go free; that no Jew should enslave his brother. 10Now when all the officials, and the people, who had entered into the covenant, heard that everyone should let his manservant, and maidservant go free - that none should enslave them anymore, then they obeyed, and let them go. 11But afterward, they changed their minds, and brought the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, back into subjection as servants and handmaids.

12Therefore, this word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, 13“Thus says the LORD, the God of Israel, ‘I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, and out of bondage, saying, 14“At the end of seven years you must free your brother, every Hebrew, who has been sold to you; after he has served you six years. You shall let him go free from you; but your fathers did not listen to nor obey Me. 15And you recently repented and did what was right in My sight, in proclaiming liberty to every man, his neighbor; and you even made a covenant before Me in the house (Temple) which is called by My name: 16But then you turned around and profaned My name, and caused every man his servant, and his handmaid, whom you had set at liberty, to return back into subjection, as your servants and handmaids. 17Therefore thus says the LORD; ‘You have not listened to Me, in proclaiming liberty to everyone, his brother, and his neighbor. Behold, I proclaim a ‘liberty’ for you, says the LORD: ‘liberty’ to fall the sword, pestilence, and famine; and I will scatter you into all the kingdoms of the earth. 18And I will treat the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant they had made before Me, like the calf when they cut it in two, and passed between these parts, 19The officials of Judah, and of Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf; 20I will give them over to their enemies, and to those who seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be food to the birds of the sky, and the beasts of the earth. 21And I will give Zedekiah, king of Judah, and his officials to their enemies, and to those who seek their life, and to the king of Babylon's army, who have withdrawn from you. 22Behold, says the LORD, I will cause them to return to this city; they shall assault and take it, and burn it; and I will make the cities of Judah desolate, without an inhabitant.”