Bible

 

Jeremiah 34

Studie

   

1 The word that was to Jeremiah from Jehovah (while Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and all his forces, and all the kingdoms of the land which he rules with his hand, and all the people, were fighting against Jerusalem, and against all her cities), saying,

2 Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: Go and say to Zedekiah king of Judah, and say to him, Thus says Jehovah: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn· her ·up with fire.

3 And thou shalt not escape out·​·of his hand, but being caught thou shalt be caught, and given into his hand; and thine eyes shall see the eyes of the king of Babylon, and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth, and thou shalt go·​·in to Babylon.

4 Surely hear the word of Jehovah, O Zedekiah king of Judah; Thus says Jehovah concerning thee, Thou shalt· not ·die by the sword,

5 but thou shalt·​·die in peace; and with the burnings on account of thy fathers, the first kings who were before thee, so shall they burn· it* ·up for thee*, O Jerusalem, and they will wail for thee, saying, Woe, lord! For I have spoken the word, says Jehovah.

6 And Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem,

7 and the host of the king of Babylon fought against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Judah that remained, against Lachish, and against Azekah; for these fortified cities were left of the cities of Judah.

8 This is the word that was to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after the king Zedekiah had cut a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty to them,

9 that each·​·man should send free his manservant, and each·​·man his handmaid, a Hebrew or a Hebrew·​·woman; that none should serve among them, a Jew his brother.

10 And when all the princes, and all the people, who had come into the covenant, heard that each·​·man should send free his manservant and each·​·man his handmaid, that none should serve themselves by them any·​·more, then they hearkened, and sent· them ·out.

11 But afterwards they turned·​·back, and made the servants and the handmaids return, whom they had sent·​·out free, and subdued them for servants and for handmaids.

12 And the word of Jehovah was to Jeremiah from Jehovah, saying,

13 Thus says Jehovah, the God of Israel: I cut a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought· them ·out from the land of Egypt, from the house of servitude*, saying,

14 At the end of seven years send· ye ·out every man his brother a Hebrew, who has been sold unto thee; and when he has served thee six years, thou shalt let· him ·go free from thee; but your fathers hearkened not to Me, neither inclined their ear.

15 And you had returned today, and had done what is upright in My eyes, in proclaiming liberty, a man to his companion; and you had cut a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.

16 But you returned and profaned My name, and caused to return, each·​·man his servant, and each·​·man his handmaid, whom you had sent·​·away free as to their soul, and subdued them, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.

17 Therefore thus says Jehovah, You have not hearkened to Me, to proclaim liberty, a man to his brother, and a man to his companion; behold, I am proclaiming liberty for you, says Jehovah, to the sword, to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will put you in turmoil before all the kingdoms of the earth.

18 And I will give the men who have passed·​·by My covenant, who have not raised·​·up the words of the covenant which they had cut before Me, when they cut the calf in two, and passed between its parts,

19 the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs*, and the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf;

20 and I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their soul; and their carcasses shall be for food to the fowl of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth.

21 And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes I will give into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their soul, and into the hand of the host of the king of Babylon, who have gone·​·up from upon you.

22 Behold, I will command, says Jehovah, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against her, and capture her, and burn· her ·up with fire; and I will put the cities of Judah as a desolation with no·​·one dwelling there.

   


Thanks to the Kempton Project for the permission to use this New Church translation of the Word.

Komentář

 

Eyes

  
Photo courtesy of [http://www.flickr.com/people/14541549@N06 couscouschocolat]

It's common to say “I see” when we understand something. And indeed, “seeing” in the Bible represents grasping and understanding spiritual things. So it makes sense that the eyes, which allow us to see, represent the intellect, which allows us to understand spiritual things. This can also be used in the negative, of course; the Bible speaks of people having eyes and refusing to see, and the Lord when He was in the world advised plucking out an offending eye. These represent a refusal to acknowledge truth, or being misled by falsity.