Jeremiah 34:16

14 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.

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.

17 Therefore this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me; you have not proclaimed freedom, each man for his brother and for his neighbor. So now I proclaim freedom for you, declares the LORD—freedom to fall by sword, by plague, and by famine! I will make you a horror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

18 And those who have transgressed My covenant and have not fulfilled the terms of the covenant they made before Me, I will treat like the calf they cut in two in order to pass between its pieces.

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
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.
KJV
But ye turned and polluted my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.
WEB
but you turned and profaned my name, and every man caused his servant and every man his handmaid, whom you had let go free at their pleasure, to return. You brought them into subjection, to be to you for servants and for handmaids.’”
ASV
but ye turned and profaned my name, and caused every man his servant, and every man his handmaid, whom ye had let go free at their pleasure, to return; and ye brought them into subjection, to be unto you for servants and for handmaids.
DARBY
but ye have turned and profaned my name, and caused every man his bondman, and every man his bondmaid, whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure, to return, and ye have brought them into subjection, to be unto you for bondmen and for bondmaids.
BLB
And you⁺ turned back and profaned My name, and each man his manservant and his maidservant whom he had sent forth free according to their soul, you⁺ made return and subjected them to become for you⁺ as menservants and maidservants.
ÅB
Men så snudde dere om igjen og vanhelliget mitt navn og tok tilbake hver sin slave og hver sin slavekvinne, som dere hadde gitt fri så de kunne råde seg selv, og dere tvang dem til å være deres slaver og slavekvinner igjen.
OTB
Men nå har dere vendt om og vanhelliget mitt navn; hver av dere har tatt tilbake de mannlige og kvinnelige slavene dere hadde satt fri til å gå som de ønsket. Dere har brakt dem tilbake i underkastelse som deres slaver.
B1930
Men så snudde I om igjen og vanhelliget mitt navn og tok tilbake hver sin træl og hver sin trælkvinne, som I hadde gitt fri så de kunde råde sig selv, og I tvang dem til å være eders træler og trælkvinner igjen.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Leviticus 19:12

    You must not swear falsely by My name and so profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.

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  • Ezekiel 18:24

    But if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and practices iniquity, committing the same abominations as the wicked, will he live? None of the righteous acts he did will be remembered. Because of the unfaithfulness and sin he has committed, he will die.

    Read in context
  • Jeremiah 34:11

    but later they changed their minds and took back the menservants and maidservants they had freed, and they forced them to become slaves again.

    Read in context
  • Exodus 20:7

    You shall not take the name of the LORD your God in vain, for the LORD will not leave anyone unpunished who takes His name in vain.

    Read in context
  • Ezekiel 3:20

    Now if a righteous man turns from his righteousness and commits iniquity, and I put a stumbling block before him, he will die. If you did not warn him, he will die in his sin, and the righteous acts he did will not be remembered. And I will hold you responsible for his blood.

    Read in context
  • 1 Samuel 15:11

    “I regret that I have made Saul king, for he has turned away from following Me and has not carried out My instructions.” And Samuel was distressed and cried out to the LORD all that night.

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  • Ezekiel 39:7

    So I will make My holy name known among My people Israel and will no longer allow it to be profaned. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, the Holy One in Israel.

    Read in context
  • Ezekiel 17:16–19

    ‘As surely as I live,’ declares the Lord GOD, ‘he will die in Babylon, in the land of the king who enthroned him, whose oath he despised and whose covenant he broke.

    Read in context