1 L a 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:

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon and all his army, with all the kingdoms of the earth that were under his dominion and all the peoples, were fighting against Jerusalem and against all its cities, saying,

2 A sí 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;

“Thus says the Lord 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 will burn it with fire.

3 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.

You will not escape from his hand, for you will surely be captured and delivered into his hand; and 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.’”’

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

Yet hear the word of the Lord, O Zedekiah king of Judah! Thus says the Lord concerning you, ‘You will not die by the sword.

5 E n 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.

You will die in peace; and as spices were burned for your fathers, the former kings who were before you, so they will burn spices for you; and they will lament for you, “Alas, lord!”’ For I have spoken the word,” declares the Lord.

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

Then Jeremiah the prophet spoke all these words to Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem

7 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

when the army of the king of Babylon was fighting against Jerusalem and against all the remaining cities of Judah, that is, Lachish and Azekah, for they alone remained as fortified cities among the cities of Judah.

8 L a 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;

The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim release to them:

9 q ue 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.

that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, a Hebrew man or a Hebrew woman; so that no one should keep them, a Jew his brother, in bondage.

10 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.

And all the officials and all the people obeyed who had entered into the covenant that each man should set free his male servant and each man his female servant, so that no one should keep them any longer in bondage; they obeyed, and set them free.

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

But afterward they turned around and took back the male servants and the female servants whom they had set free, and brought them into subjection for male servants and for female servants.

12 V ino, pues, palabra de Jehová a Jeremías, diciendo:

Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord, saying,

13 A sí 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:

“Thus says the Lord God of Israel, ‘I made a covenant with your forefathers in the day that I brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage, saying,

14 A l 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.

“ At the end of seven years each of you shall set free his Hebrew brother who has been sold to you and has served you six years, you shall send him out free from you; but your forefathers did not obey Me or incline their ear to Me.

15 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.

Although recently you had turned and done what is right in My sight, each man proclaiming release to his neighbor, and you had made a covenant before Me in the house which is called by My name.

16 P ero 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.

Yet you turned and profaned My name, and each man took back his male servant and each man his female servant whom you had set free according to their desire, and you brought them into subjection to be your male servants and female servants.”’

17 P or 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.

“Therefore thus says the Lord, ‘You have not obeyed Me in proclaiming release each man to his brother and each man to his neighbor. Behold, I am proclaiming a release to you,’ declares the Lord, ‘to the sword, to the pestilence and to the famine; and I will make you a terror to all the kingdoms of the earth.

18 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;

I will give the men who have transgressed My covenant, who have not fulfilled the words of the covenant which they made before Me, when they cut the calf in two and passed between its parts—

19 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,

the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the court officers and the priests and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—

20 l os 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.

I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

21 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.

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 life, and into the hand of the army of the king of Babylon which has gone away from you.

22 H e 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.

Behold, I am going to command,’ declares the Lord, ‘and I will bring them back to this city; and they will fight against it and take it and burn it with fire; and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without inhabitant.’”