Jeremiah 34:14
12 Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
13 “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your forefathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery, saying:
Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.
15 Recently you repented and did what pleased Me; each of you proclaimed freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before Me in the house that bears My Name.
16 But now you have changed your minds and profaned My name. Each of you has taken back the menservants and maidservants whom you had set at liberty to go wherever they wanted, and you have again forced them to be your slaves.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- Every seventh year, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who has sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free. But your fathers did not listen or incline their ear.
- KJV
- At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew, which hath been sold unto thee; and when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
- WEB
- At the end of seven years, every man of you shall release his brother who is a Hebrew, who has been sold to you, and has served you six years. You shall let him go free from you. But your fathers didn’t listen to me, and didn’t incline their ear.
- ASV
- At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother that is a Hebrew, that hath been sold unto thee, and hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee: but your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
- DARBY
- At the end of seven years ye shall let go every man his brother, a Hebrew, who hath sold himself unto thee; when he hath served thee six years, thou shalt let him go free from thee. But your fathers hearkened not unto me, neither inclined their ear.
- BLB
- At the end of seven years you⁺ will send forth each man his brother, the Hebrew who has been sold to him. When he has served you six years, then you will send him forth free from you. Your⁺ fathers did not listen to Me and they did not incline their ear.
- ÅB
- I det syvende år skal dere gi fri hver sin bror som har solgt seg til deg, om han er hebreer; han skal tjene deg i seks år, og så skal du la ham gå fri fra deg. Men deres fedre hørte ikke på meg og vendte ikke sitt øre til.
- OTB
- ‘Ved slutten av syv år skal hver av dere frigjøre enhver medhebraer som har solgt seg til dere. Etter at de har tjent dere i seks år, må dere frigjøre dem.’ Men deres forfedre lyttet ikke til meg eller tok hensyn.
- B1930
- I det syvende år skal I gi fri hver sin bror som har solgt sig til dig, om han er hebreer; han skal tjene dig i seks år, og så skal du la ham gå fri fra dig. Men eders fedre hørte ikke på mig og vendte ikke sitt øre til.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 15:12
If a fellow Hebrew, a man or a woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, then in the seventh year you must set him free.
Read in context1 Samuel 8:7–8
And the LORD said to Samuel, “Listen to the voice of the people in all that they say to you. For it is not you they have rejected, but they have rejected Me as their king.
Read in context2 Kings 17:13–14
Yet through all His prophets and seers, the LORD warned Israel and Judah, saying, “Turn from your wicked ways and keep My commandments and statutes, according to the entire Law that I commanded your fathers and delivered to you through My servants the prophets.”
Read in context1 Kings 9:22
But Solomon did not consign any of the Israelites to slavery, because they were his men of war, his servants, his officers, his captains, and the commanders of his chariots and cavalry.
Read in contextRomans 7:14–17
We know that the law is spiritual; but I am unspiritual, sold as a slave to sin.
Read in contextAmos 8:6
Let us buy the poor with silver and the needy for a pair of sandals, selling even the chaff with the wheat!”
Read in contextExodus 21:1–4
“These are the ordinances that you are to set before them:
Read in contextNehemiah 9:30
You were patient with them for many years, and Your Spirit admonished them through Your prophets. Yet they would not listen, so You gave them into the hands of the neighboring peoples.
Read in context