1A mensagem a seguir foi comunicada a Jeremias, da parte do SENHOR, quando Nabucodonozor, rei da Babilónia, com todos os seus exércitos, formados por gente de todos os povos que dominava, vieram combater Jerusalém e as cidades de Judá:2“Vai dizer a Zedequias, rei de Judá, que o SENHOR, o Deus de Israel, lhe comunica o seguinte: Darei esta cidade ao rei da Babilónia e este a queimará.3E tu não escaparás, mas serás capturado e levado à presença dele, que pronunciará a sua sentença contra ti, a tua deportação para a Babilónia.”4Mas ouve bem isto, ó Zedequias, rei de Judá: “O SENHOR diz que não serás morto na batalha durante a peleja.5Morrerás antes sossegadamente, no meio do teu povo, que queimará incenso em memória de ti, tal como fizeram com os teus antepassados. Chorar-te-ão e dirão: ‘Ai de nós, que nos morreu o rei!’ Foi isto mesmo que eu decretei”, diz o SENHOR.6Jeremias entregou esta mensagem ao rei Zedequias em Jerusalém.7Nessa altura, o exército babilónico estava justamente a sitiar Jerusalém, Laquis e Azeca, as únicas povoações muradas de Judá que ainda resistiam.
Liberdade para os escravos
8O SENHOR falou a Jeremias, depois que o rei Zedequias fez um pacto com todo o povo que estava em Jerusalém, a fim de proclamar a libertação dos cativos.9Com efeito, Zedequias tinha dado ordens para que todos os que tivessem escravos hebreus, tanto homens como mulheres, os libertassem, alegando que nenhum judeu deveria ser senhor doutro judeu, porque eram irmãos.10Os grandes senhores, assim como todos os povos, obedeceram à ordem do rei e deram liberdade aos escravos que tinham.11Mas tratou-se de uma iniciativa temporária, porque ao fim de algum tempo tomaram coragem e recuperaram novamente os seus escravos.12Então veio a palavra do SENHOR a Jeremias.13O SENHOR, o Deus de Israel, diz: “Fiz uma aliança com os vossos antepassados, há muito tempo, quando os resgatei da escravidão do Egito.14Disse-lhes então que todo o escravo hebreu deveria ser libertado ao fim de seis anos, mas isso não foi feito.15Recentemente, vocês decidiram atuar com justiça, segundo o meu mandamento, e deram liberdade aos vossos escravos. Fizeram mesmo, solenemente, no meu templo, a promessa de pôr esse plano em execução.16Porém, agora voltaram com a palavra atrás e sujaram o meu nome, tornando-se perjuros e recuperando os escravos que tinham.”17Por isso, o SENHOR vos diz: “Sendo que não querem ouvir-me e libertá-los, entregar-vos-ei ao poder da morte, pela guerra, fome e peste. Espalhar-vos-ei por todo o mundo como exilados.18Visto que recusaram os termos da minha aliança, separar-vos-ei de mim, tal como separam as duas partes em que dividem o bezerro, ao passar entre elas, para formalizar solenemente os vossos votos.19Sim, degolar-vos-ei, sejam quem forem, grandes senhores, altos magistrados, sacerdotes ou simples povo, pois quebraram o vosso juramento.20Entregar-vos-ei aos vossos inimigos que vos liquidarão e darei os vossos cadáveres às aves de rapina e aos animais selvagens.21Farei com que Zedequias, o rei de Judá, assim como os seus chefes militares se rendam ao exército do rei da Babilónia, ainda que este se tenha desviado da cidade por um certo tempo.22Chamarei novamente as tropas da Babilónia, que tornarão a sitiá-la, a combatê-la, e a tomarão, queimando-a. Velarei para que todas as outras povoações de Judá sejam completamente destruídas, deixadas na mais completa desolação, sem vivalma!”
English Standard Version
Zedekiah to Die in Babylon
1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the kingdoms of the earth under his dominion and all the peoples were fighting against Jerusalem and all of its cities:2“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah and say to him, ‘Thus says the Lord: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall burn it with fire.3You shall not escape from his hand but shall surely be captured and delivered into his hand. You shall see the king of Babylon eye to eye and speak with him face to face. And you shall go to Babylon.’4Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you: ‘You shall not die by the sword.5You shall die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so people shall burn spices for you and lament for you, saying, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word, declares the Lord.”6Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah, in Jerusalem,7when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the cities of Judah that were left, Lachish and Azekah, for these were the only fortified cities of Judah that remained.8The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people in Jerusalem to make a proclamation of liberty to them,9that everyone should set free his Hebrew slaves, male and female, so that no one should enslave a Jew, his brother.10And they obeyed, all the officials and all the people who had entered into the covenant that everyone would set free his slave, male or female, so that they would not be enslaved again. They obeyed and set them free.11But afterward they turned around and took back the male and female slaves they had set free, and brought them into subjection as slaves.12The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord:13“Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel: I myself made a covenant with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying,14‘At the end of seven years each of you must set free the fellow Hebrew who has been sold to you and has served you six years; you must set him free from your service.’ But your fathers did not listen to me or incline their ears to me.15You recently repented and did what was right in my eyes by proclaiming liberty, each to his neighbor, and you made a covenant before me in the house that is called by my name,16but then you turned around and profaned my name when each of you took back his male and female slaves, whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your slaves.17“Therefore, thus says the Lord: You have not obeyed me by proclaiming liberty, every one to his brother and to his neighbor; behold, I proclaim to you liberty to the sword, to pestilence, and to famine, declares the Lord. I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.18And the men who transgressed my covenant and did not keep the terms of the covenant that they made before me, I will make them like* the calf that they cut in two and passed between its parts—19the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf.20And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.21And Zedekiah king of Judah and his officials I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives, into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has withdrawn from you.22Behold, I will command, declares the Lord, and will bring them back to this city. And they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire. I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.”
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