1 T his is the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army and all the nations of the earth that were under his rule, and all the people, were fighting against Jerusalem and all its cities:

La palabra de Jehová que vino a Jeremías, cuando Nabucodonosor, rey de Babilonia, y todo su ejército, y todos los reinos de la tierra bajo el señorío de su mano, y todos los pueblos, peleaban contra Jerusalén y contra todas sus ciudades; la cual dijo:

2 “ The Lord God of Israel says, ‘Go and say to Zedekiah king of Judah, “This is what the Lord says: ‘See, I am giving this city to the king of Babylon, and he will burn it with fire.

Así dice Jehová, el Dios de Israel: Ve y habla a Sedequías rey de Judá, y dile: Así dice Jehová: He aquí que yo entregaré esta ciudad al rey de Babilonia, y la quemará con fuego;

3 A nd you will not get away from him. You will be taken and given into his hand. You will see the king of Babylon eye to eye, and he will speak with you face to face. And you will go to Babylon.’”’

y no escaparás tú de su mano, sino que ciertamente serás apresado, y en su mano serás entregado; y tus ojos verán los ojos del rey de Babilonia, y te hablará boca a boca, y entrarás en Babilonia.

4 Y et hear the Word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! The Lord says this about you: ‘You will not die by the sword.

Con todo eso, oye palabra de Jehová, Sedequías rey de Judá: Así dice Jehová acerca de ti: No morirás a espada.

5 Y ou will die in peace. And as spices were burned for your fathers, the kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you and cry in sorrow for you, “It is bad, lord!”’ I Myself have said this,” says the Lord.

En paz morirás, y así como quemaron especias aromáticas por tus padres, los reyes antepasados que te precedieron, las quemarán por ti, y te endecharán, diciendo: ¡Ay, señor! Porque yo he hablado la palabra, dice Jehová.

6 T hen Jeremiah the man of God told all this to King Zedekiah of Judah in Jerusalem,

Y habló el profeta Jeremías a Sedequías, rey de Judá, todas estas palabras en Jerusalén.

7 w hen the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and all the cities that were left of Judah. These cities were Lachish and Azekah. They were the only strong cities left in Judah that were ready for war. Servants Were to Be Free

Y el ejército del rey de Babilonia peleaba contra Jerusalén, y contra todas las ciudades de Judá que habían quedado, contra Laquís y contra Azecá; porque de las ciudades fortificadas de Judá, éstas solas habían quedado. Liberación de los siervos hebreos

8 T his is the word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after King Zedekiah had made an agreement to set free

La palabra de Jehová que vino a Jeremías, después que el rey Sedequías hizo pacto con todo el pueblo que había en Jerusalén, para promulgarles libertad;

9 t heir Hebrew male and female servants so that no one would have a Hebrew servant work for him.

que cada uno dejase libre a su siervo y a su sierva, siendo hebreo y hebrea; que ninguno usase a los judíos, sus hermanos, como siervos.

10 A nd all the leaders and all the people obeyed, who had joined in the agreement that every man should set his male and female servants free. No one was to keep them working any longer for him. So they obeyed and set them free.

Y cuando oyeron todos los príncipes, y todo el pueblo que había convenido en el pacto de dejar libre cada uno a su siervo y cada uno a su sierva, que ninguno los usase más como siervos, obedecieron, y los dejaron.

11 B ut after this they turned around and took back the male and female servants whom they had set free. They brought them back and made them work for them again as male and female servants.

Pero después se arrepintieron, e hicieron volver a los siervos y a las siervas que habían dejado libres, y los sujetaron como siervos y siervas.

12 T hen the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

Vino, pues, palabra de Jehová a Jeremías, diciendo:

13 “ This is what the Lord God of Israel says: ‘I made an agreement with your fathers when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house where they were made to work. I said to them,

Así dice Jehová, Dios de Israel: Yo hice pacto con vuestros padres el día que los saqué de la tierra de Egipto, de la casa de servidumbre, diciendo:

14 “ At the end of seven years each of you must set free his Hebrew brother, who has been sold to you and has served you for six years. You must send him away from you as a free man.” But your fathers did not obey Me, or listen to Me.

Al cabo de siete años, dejará cada uno a su hermano hebreo que le fuere vendido; le servirá seis años, y lo enviará libre; pero vuestros padres no me oyeron, ni inclinaron su oído.

15 N ot long ago you had turned and done what is right in My eyes. Each man told his neighbor that he was free. And you had made an agreement before Me in the house which is called by My name.

Y vosotros os habíais hoy convertido, y hecho lo recto delante de mis ojos, anunciando cada uno libertad a su prójimo; y habíais hecho pacto en mi presencia, en la casa en la cual es invocado mi nombre.

16 Y et you turned and sinned against My name. Each man took back his male and female servant whom you had set free to go where they wished. And you brought them under your power again to be your male and female servants.’

Pero os habéis vuelto y profanado mi nombre, y habéis vuelto a tomar cada uno a su siervo y cada uno a su sierva, que habíais dejado libre a su voluntad; y los habéis sujetado para que os sean siervos y siervas.

17 “ So the Lord says, ‘You have not obeyed Me. Each man has not set his brother or his neighbor free. So I am letting you free,’ says the Lord, ‘free to fall by the sword, by disease, and by hunger. I will cause you to be hated and feared by all the nations of the earth.

Por tanto, así dice Jehová: Vosotros no me habéis oído para promulgar cada uno libertad a su hermano, y cada uno a su prójimo; he aquí que yo promulgo libertad, dice Jehová, a la espada y a la pestilencia y al hambre; y os pondré por espanto ante todos los reinos de la tierra.

18 I will take the men who have sinned against My agreement, who have not kept the words of the agreement they made before Me when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts.

Y entregaré a los hombres que traspasaron mi pacto, que no han llevado a efecto las palabras del pacto que celebraron en mi presencia, dividiendo en dos partes el becerro y pasando por medio de ellas;

19 I will take these leaders of Judah, and leaders of Jerusalem, the king’s servants, the religious leaders, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf.

a los príncipes de Judá y a los príncipes de Jerusalén, a los oficiales y a los sacerdotes y a todo el pueblo de la tierra, que pasaron entre las partes del becerro,

20 A nd I will give them over to those who hate them and to those who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the wild animals of the earth.

los entregaré en manos de sus enemigos y en manos de los que buscan su vida; y sus cuerpos muertos serán pasto de las aves del cielo, y de las bestias de la tierra.

21 I will give Zedekiah king of Judah and his captains over to those who hate them and to those who want to kill them. I will give them to the army of the king of Babylon which has left from you.

Y a Sedequías, rey de Judá, y a sus príncipes los entregaré en manos de sus enemigos, y en manos de los que buscan su vida, y en manos del ejército del rey de Babilonia, que se ha retirado de vosotros.

22 S ee,’ says the Lord, ‘I will tell them to come 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 waste place where no people live.’”

He aquí, mandaré yo, dice Jehová, y los haré volver a esta ciudad, y pelearán contra ella y la tomarán, y la quemarán con fuego; y reduciré a soledad las ciudades de Judá, hasta dejarlas sin habitantes.