{And} if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

Yet the LORD testified against Israel, and against Judah, by all the prophets, {and by} all the seers, saying, Turn ye from your evil ways, and keep my commandments {and} my statutes, according to all the law which I commanded your fathers, and which I sent to you by my servants the prophets. {by: Heb. by the hand of}

And the LORD said unto Samuel, Hearken unto the voice of the people in all that they say unto thee: for they have not rejected thee, but they have rejected me, that I should not reign over them.

But of the children of Israel did Solomon make no bondmen: but they {were} men of war, and his servants, and his princes, and his captains, and rulers of his chariots, and his horsemen.

But they refused to hearken, and pulled away the shoulder, and stopped their ears, that they should not hear. {pulled...: Heb. they gave a backsliding shoulder} {stopped: Heb. made heavy}

Thus saith the LORD, Where {is} the bill of your mother's divorcement, whom I have put away? or which of my creditors {is it} to whom I have sold you? Behold, for your iniquities have ye sold yourselves, and for your transgressions is your mother put away.

For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.

And now ye purpose to keep under the children of Judah and Jerusalem for bondmen and bondwomen unto you: {but are there} not with you, even with you, sins against the LORD your God?

Yet many years didst thou forbear them, and testifiedst against them by thy spirit in thy prophets: yet would they not give ear: therefore gavest thou them into the hand of the people of the lands. {forbear...: Heb. protract over them} {in thy...: Heb. in the hand of thy prophets}

Yet they obeyed not, nor inclined their ear, but walked every one in the imagination of their evil heart: therefore I will bring upon them all the words of this covenant, which I commanded {them} to do; but they did {them} not. {imagination: or, stubbornness}

{This is} the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which {were} at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

But there was none like unto Ahab, which did sell himself to work wickedness in the sight of the LORD, whom Jezebel his wife stirred up. {stirred...: or, incited}

For we know that the law is spiritual: but I am carnal, sold under sin.

Thus saith the LORD; For three transgressions of Israel, and for four, I will not turn away {the punishment} thereof; because they sold the righteous for silver, and the poor for a pair of shoes;

And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:

But they mocked the messengers of God, and despised his words, and misused his prophets, until the wrath of the LORD arose against his people, till {there was} no remedy. {remedy: Heb. healing}

Since the day that your fathers came forth out of the land of Egypt unto this day I have even sent unto you all my servants the prophets, daily rising up early and sending {them}:

That we may buy the poor for silver, and the needy for a pair of shoes; {yea}, and sell the refuse of the wheat?

{Is} not this the fast that I have chosen? to loose the bands of wickedness, to undo the heavy burdens, and to let the oppressed go free, and that ye break every yoke? {the heavy...: Heb. the bundles of the yoke} {oppressed: Heb. broken}

But they rebelled against me, and would not hearken unto me: they did not every man cast away the abominations of their eyes, neither did they forsake the idols of Egypt: then I said, I will pour out my fury upon them, to accomplish my anger against them in the midst of the land of Egypt.

Now these {are} the judgments which thou shalt set before them.

Wilt thou judge them, son of man, wilt thou judge {them}? cause them to know the abominations of their fathers: {Wilt...: or, Wilt thou plead for them}

O wretched man that I am! who shall deliver me from the body of this death? {the body...: or, this body of death}

{And} if thy brother, an Hebrew man, or an Hebrew woman, be sold unto thee, and serve thee six years; then in the seventh year thou shalt let him go free from thee.

Now there cried a certain woman of the wives of the sons of the prophets unto Elisha, saying, Thy servant my husband is dead; and thou knowest that thy servant did fear the LORD: and the creditor is come to take unto him my two sons to be bondmen.

Now hear me therefore, and deliver the captives again, which ye have taken captive of your brethren: for the fierce wrath of the LORD {is} upon you.

If I did despise the cause of my manservant or of my maidservant, when they contended with me;

Yet they hearkened not unto me, nor inclined their ear, but hardened their neck: they did worse than their fathers.

This evil people, which refuse to hear my words, which walk in the imagination of their heart, and walk after other gods, to serve them, and to worship them, shall even be as this girdle, which is good for nothing. {imagination: or, stubbornness}

Not according to the covenant that I made with their fathers in the day {that} I took them by the hand to bring them out of the land of Egypt; which my covenant they brake, although I was an husband unto them, saith the LORD: {although...: or, should I have continued an husband unto them?}

{This is} the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD, after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which {were} at Jerusalem, to proclaim liberty unto them;

And if thy brother {that dwelleth} by thee be waxen poor, and be sold unto thee; thou shalt not compel him to serve as a bondservant: {compel...: Heb. serve thyself with him with the service, etc}

I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending {them}, saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.