Episode 195: Setting the slaves free

Jeremiah 32-36

Jeremiah in prison

32 ^1-2 When the Babylonians were attacking Jerusalem, Jeremiah was in prison at King Zedekiah’s house. ²⁶ While there, the word of God came to him and said,

²⁷ I'm the God of all flesh. Is there anything too hard for me?

²⁸ I'll give this city to the Babylonians.

³³ Its people have shown me their back, not their face.

³⁶ So I’ll deliver it to the sword, famine, and pestilence.

⁴² I've brought great evil on these people.

The word of God comes to Jeremiah a second time

33 ¹ The word of God came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still in prison, saying,

⁵ I’ll fill the houses of Jerusalem with the dead bodies of those I have killed in my anger and fury.

God tells Zedekiah about his death

34 ¹ The word of God came upon Jeremiah while Babylon and all the kingdoms of the world were attacking Jerusalem, saying,

Go say this to Zedekiah:

² This is what God says,

I'm giving this city to Babylon, and they'll burn it with fire. ³ You will be captured and taken to Babylon, where you will see its king. ⁴ But you won't die by the sword. ⁵ You'll die in peace.

Zedekiah and the slaves

^8-9 King Zedekiah made a liberty proclamation, commanding everyone to free their Hebrew slaves. ¹⁰ So everyone freed their slaves.

¹¹ But later, they enslaved them again. ¹² So the word of God came on Jeremiah again, and said,

¹³ I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, saying, ¹⁴ "After seven years, let your Hebrew slaves go free."

¹⁵ And you did what is right by letting your slaves go free. ¹⁶ But then, you enslaved them again.

¹⁷ So now I'll set you all free by killing you with the sword, pestilence, and famine. ²⁰ Your dead bodies will be food for the birds and beasts. ²¹ I'll give Zedekiah to the Babylonians. ²² And I'll command them to burn the city of Jerusalem and make all the cities of Judah desolate.

The Rechabites refuse to drink wine in God's house

35 ¹ During the reign of Jehoiakim of Judah, the word of God came to Jeremiah and said,

² Go to the house of the Rechabites, bring them into my house, and give them wine to drink.

^3-5 So I went to their house, brought them into God's house, set cups and pots of wine in front of them, and said, "Drink the wine."

⁶ But they said,

We won't drink the wine because Jonadab commanded us, saying,

⁷ Don't drink wine, build houses, or plant crops. Live in tents.

⁸ So we don't drink wine, build houses, or plant crops. We live in tents.

God will do all the evil things that he said he'd do

¹² The word of God came to Jeremiah and said,

^14-16 Because Jonadab commanded his sons not to drink wine and they obeyed him, but you didn't obey me, ¹⁷ I will do all the evil things I said I'd do to you. ¹⁹ And Jonadab will have a man standing in front of me forever.

Jeremiah's scroll

36 ¹ The word of God came to Jeremiah in the fourth year of Jehoiakim, king of Judah, saying,

² Write down everything I've said to you against Israel, Judah, and all nations. ³ Maybe if Judah hears about all the evil that I plan to do to them, they'll repent, and I'll forgive them.

⁴ So Jeremiah called Baruch, who wrote down all the words that God said to Jeremiah.

^5-6 Then Jeremiah said to Baruch, "I am not allowed to enter God's house, so go there for me and read the book to everyone in Judah."

⁸ So Baruch read the book to the people in God's house.

⁹ In the fifth year of Jehoiakim, the people fasted.

¹⁰ And Baruch read Jeremiah's book (again) in God's house.

^14-15 Then the princes asked Baruch to read it again.

¹⁵ So Baruch read it to the princes.

Jehoiakim burns Jeremiah's scroll

²¹ King Jehoiakim had Jeremiah's scroll read to him.

³² The king burned the scroll after it was read.

Jeremiah's second scroll

²⁷ After the king burned the scroll, the work of God came to Jeremiah and said,

²⁸ Write another scroll with the same words as were on the first scroll.

³⁰ Then say this to King Jehoiakim,

None of your descendants will be king of Judah.

Your dead body will not be buried.

³¹And I'll punish you, your descendants, and all the people of Judah with all of the disasters with which I've threatened them.

³² Then Jeremiah took another scroll and gave it to Baruch, who wrote down all the words that Jehoiakim burned in the fire. (Along with even more, but similar words.)