*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;
西底家王与耶路撒冷的众民立约，要向他们宣告自由，叫各人任他希伯来的仆人和婢女自由出去，谁也不可使他的一个犹大弟兄作奴仆。（此后，有耶和华的话临到耶利米。）
That every man should let his manservant, and every man his maidservant, being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess, go free; that none should serve himself of them, to wit, of a Jew his brother.
所有立约的首领和众民就任他的仆人婢女自由出去，谁也不再叫他们作奴仆。大家都顺从，将他们释放了。
Now when all the princes, and all the people, which had entered into the covenant, heard that every one should let his manservant, and every one his maidservant, go free, that none should serve themselves of them any more, then they obeyed, and let them go.
后来却又反悔，叫所任去自由的仆人婢女回来，勉强他们仍为仆婢。
But afterward they turned, and caused the servants and the handmaids, whom they had let go free, to return, and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids.
因此耶和华的话临到耶利米说，
Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD, saying,
耶和华以色列的神如此说，我将你们的列祖从埃及地为奴之家领出来的时候，与他们立约说，
Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondmen, saying,
我必将他们交在仇敌和寻索其命的人手中。他们的尸首必给空中的飞鸟和地上的野兽作食物。
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.
耶和华说，我必吩咐他们回到这城，攻打这城，将城攻取，用火焚烧。我也要使犹大的城邑变为荒场，无人居住。
Behold, I will command, saith the LORD, and cause them to return to this city; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire: and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant.
人子阿，你要向以色列的牧人发预言，攻击他们，说，主耶和华如此说，祸哉。以色列的牧人只知牧养自己。牧人岂不当牧养群羊吗。
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel, prophesy, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord GOD unto the shepherds; Woe be to the shepherds of Israel that do feed themselves! should not the shepherds feed the flocks?
因无牧人，羊就分散。既分散，便作了一切野兽的食物。
And they were scattered, because there is no shepherd: and they became meat to all the beasts of the field, when they were scattered.