6. Then Jeremiah the prophet told all this to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem,
7. while the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and the other cities of Judah that were still holding out – Lachish and Azekah. These were the only fortified cities left in Judah.
8. The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom for the slaves.
9. Everyone was to free their Hebrew slaves, both male and female; no one was to hold a fellow Hebrew in bondage.
10. So all the officials and people who entered into this covenant agreed that they would free their male and female slaves and no longer hold them in bondage. They agreed, and set them free.
11. But afterwards they changed their minds and took back the slaves they had freed and enslaved them again.
12. Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
13. ‘This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, out of the land of slavery. I said,
14. “Every seventh year each of you must free any fellow Hebrews who have sold themselves to you. After they have served you for six years, you must let them go free.” Your ancestors, however, did not listen to me or pay attention to me.