Jeremiah 34:20

Christian Standard Bible ®

all these I will hand over to their enemies, to those who intend to take their life. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the sky and for the wild animals of the land.

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the eretz.

King James Version
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.

English Standard Version
And I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

New American Standard Bible
I will hand them over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives. And their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the animals of the earth.

New Century Version
So I will hand them over to their enemies and to everyone who wants to kill them. Their bodies will become food for the birds of the air and for the wild animals of the earth.

Amplified Bible
I will give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. And [like the body of the calf] their dead bodies will be food for the birds of the sky and the beasts of the earth.

World English Bible
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those who seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the sky, and to the animals of the earth.

Geneva Bible (1587)
I wil euen giue them into the hand of their enemies, and into the handes of them that seeke their life: and their dead bodies shalbe for meate vnto the foules of the heauen, and to the beastes of the earth.

Legacy Standard Bible
And 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.

Berean Standard Bible
I will hand over to their enemies who seek their lives. Their corpses will become food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

Complete Jewish Bible
I will hand them over to their enemies, hand them over to those who seek their lives; and their corpses will become food for birds in the air and wild animals.

Darby Translation
them will I give into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of them that seek their life; and their carcases shall be food for the fowl of the heavens and for the beasts of the earth.

Easy-to-Read Version
So I will give them to their enemies and to everyone who wants to kill them. Their bodies will become food for the birds of the air and for the wild animals of the earth.

George Lamsa Translation
And I will deliver them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives; and their dead bodies shall be food for the fowls of the air and for the beasts of the earth.

Good News Translation
I will hand them over to their enemies, who want to kill them, and their corpses will be eaten by birds and wild animals.

Lexham English Bible
and I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of the seekers of their lives, and their dead bodies will become as food for the birds of the heavens and for the animals of the earth.

Literal Translation
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those seeking their life. And their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Those men wil I geue in to the power of their enemies, and in to the hondes of them that folowe vpon their lyues. And their deed bodies shall be meate for the foules of the ayre, and beestes of the felde.

American Standard Version
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 food unto the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth.

Bible in Basic English
Even these I will give up into the hands of their haters and into the hands of those who have designs against their lives: and their dead bodies will become food for the birds of heaven and the beasts of the earth.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
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 food unto the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

King James Version (1611)
I will euen giue them into the hande of their enemies, and into the hand of them that seeke their life, and their dead bodies shall bee for meate vnto the foules of the heauen, and to the beasts of the earth.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Those men will I geue into the power of their enemies, and into the handes of them that folowe vpon their liues: and their dead bodies shalbe meate for the foules of the ayre and beastes of the fielde.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
which the king of Babylon took not, when he carried Jechonias prisoner out of Jerusalem,

English Revised Version
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.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and Y schal yyue hem in to the hond of her enemyes, and in to the hond of hem that seken her lijf; and the deed careyn of hem schal be in to mete to the volatilis of the eir, and to the beestis of erthe.

Update Bible Version
I will even give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those that seek their life; and their dead bodies shall be for food to the birds of the heavens, and to the beasts of the earth.

Webster's Bible Translation
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 food to the fowls of the heaven, and to the beasts of the earth.

New English Translation
I will hand them over to their enemies who want to kill them. Their dead bodies will become food for the birds and the wild animals.

New King James Version
I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their life. Their dead bodies shall be for meat for the birds of the heaven and the beasts of the earth.

New Living Translation
I will give you to your enemies, and they will kill you. Your bodies will be food for the vultures and wild animals.

New Life Bible
And 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.

New Revised Standard
shall be handed over to their enemies and to those who seek their lives. Their corpses shall become food for the birds of the air and the wild animals of the earth.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
yea I will give them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of them who are seeking their life, - and their dead bodies shall become food for the birds of the heavens, and for the beasts of the earth.

Douay-Rheims Bible
And I will give them into the hands of their enemies, and into the hands of them that seek their life: and their dead bodies shall be for meat to the fowls of the air, and to the beasts of the earth.

Revised Standard Version
and I will give them into the hand of their enemies and into the hand of those who seek their lives. Their dead bodies shall be food for the birds of the air and the beasts of the earth.

Young's Literal Translation
yea, I have given them into the hand of their enemies, and into the hand of those seeking their soul, and their carcase hath been for food to the fowl of the heavens, and to the beast of the earth.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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.

Contextual Overview

⁸This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after King Zedekiah made a covenant with all the people who were in Jerusalem to proclaim freedom to them. ⁹As a result, each was to let his male and female Hebrew slaves go free, and no one was to enslave his fellow Judean. ¹⁰All the officials and people who entered into covenant to let their male and female slaves go free—in order not to enslave them any longer—obeyed and let them go free. ¹¹Afterward, however, they changed their minds and took back their male and female slaves they had let go free and forced them to become slaves again. ¹²Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah from the Lord: ¹³“This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says: I made a covenant with your ancestors when I brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery, saying, ¹⁴‘At the end of seven years, each of you must let his fellow Hebrew who sold himself to you go. He may serve you six years, but then you must let him go free from your service.’ But your ancestors did not obey me or pay any attention. ¹⁵Today you repented and did what pleased me, each of you proclaiming freedom for his neighbor. You made a covenant before me at the house that bears my name. ¹⁶But you have changed your minds and profaned my name. Each has taken back his male and female slaves who had been let go free 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 by proclaiming freedom, each for his fellow Hebrew and for his neighbor. I hereby proclaim freedom for you—this is the Lord’s declaration—to the sword, to plague, and to famine! I will make you a horror to all the earth’s kingdoms.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

and into: Jeremiah 4:30, Jeremiah 11:21, Jeremiah 21:7, Jeremiah 22:25, Jeremiah 38:16, Jeremiah 44:30, Jeremiah 49:37

and their: Jeremiah 7:33, Jeremiah 16:4, Jeremiah 19:7, 1 Samuel 17:44, 1 Samuel 17:46, 1 Kings 14:11, 1 Kings 16:4, 1 Kings 21:23, 1 Kings 21:24, 2 Kings 9:34-37, Ezekiel 29:5, Ezekiel 32:4, Ezekiel 39:17-20, Revelation 19:17-21

Reciprocal: Deuteronomy 28:26 - General Psalms 79:2 - General Psalms 79:3 - and there Jeremiah 1:18 - against Lamentations 1:14 - delivered Ezekiel 23:28 - whom thou Revelation 19:18 - ye

Cross-References

Genesis 22:17
I will indeed bless you and make your offspring as numerous as the stars of the sky and the sand on the seashore. Your offspring will possess the city gates of their enemies.

Genesis 23:10
Ephron was sitting among the Hethites. So in the hearing of all the Hethites who came to the gate of his city, Ephron the Hethite answered Abraham:

Deuteronomy 17:5
you are to bring out to your city gates that man or woman who has done this evil thing and stone them to death.

Ruth 4:1
Boaz went to the gate of the town and sat down there. Soon the family redeemer Boaz had spoken about came by. Boaz said, “Come over here and sit down.” So he went over and sat down.

2 Samuel 15:2
He would get up early and stand beside the road leading to the city gate. Whenever anyone had a grievance to bring before the king for settlement, Absalom called out to him and asked, “What city are you from?” If he replied, “Your servant is from one of the tribes of Israel,”

Job 29:7
When I went out to the city gateand took my seat in the town square,

Proverbs 31:23
Her husband is known at the city gates,where he sits among the elders of the land.

Amos 5:10
They hate the one who convicts the guiltyat the city gate,and they despise the one who speaks with integrity.

Amos 5:12
For I know your crimes are manyand your sins innumerable.They oppress the righteous, take a bribe,and deprive the poor of justice at the city gates.

Amos 5:15
Hate evil and love good;establish justice in the city gate.Perhaps the Lord, the God of Armies, will be graciousto the remnant of Joseph.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

I will even give them into the hand of their enemies,.... The Chaldeans, who were the enemies of the Jews, that were come from a far country to invade, dispossess, ravage, and plunder them; and what can be a greater punishment than to be given up into an enemy's hand, to be in his power, and at his mercy?

and into the hand of them that seek their life; not their wealth and substance only, but their lives also; nothing less will content them:

and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven,

and to the beasts of the earth; not only such should be the cruelty of their enemies that sought their lives, that they should slay them with the sword, and give them no quarter; but such their inhumanity, that they should not suffer their carcasses to be buried, but leave them exposed to birds and beasts of prey; of the princes of Judah, see

Jeremiah 52:10.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

It is usual with commentators to say that, the laws dealing with the emancipation of the Hebrew slaves, as also that of the land resting during the sabbatical year, were not observed. The narrative teaches us the exact contrary. The manumission of the slaves on the present occasion was the spontaneous act of Zedekiah and the people. They knew of the law, and acknowledged its obligation. The observance of it was, no doubt, lax: the majority let their own selfish interests prevail; but the minority made might give way to right, and Zedekiah supported their efforts though only in a weak way.

Early in January, in the ninth year of Zedekiah, the Chaldaean army approached Jerusalem. The people made a covenant with the king, who appears as the abettor of the measure, to let their slaves go free. Possibly patriotism had its share in this: and as Jerusalem was strongly fortified, all classes possibly hoped that if the slaves were manumitted, they too would labor with a more hearty good-will in resisting the enemy. In the summer of the same year the Egyptians advanced to the rescue, and Nebuchadnezzar withdrew to meet their attack. The Jews with a strange levity, which sets them before us in a most despicable light, at once forced the manumitted slaves back into bondage. With noble indignation Jeremiah rebukes them for their treachery, assures them that the Chaldaean army will return, and warns them of the certainty of the punishment which they so richly merited.

Jeremiah 34:8

As the Chaldaean army swept over the country the wealthier classes would all flee to Jerusalem, taking with them their households. And as the Mosaic Law was probably more carefully kept there than in the country, the presence in these families of slaves who had grown grey in service may have given offence to the stricter classes at the capital.

To proclaim liberty unto them - The words are those of the proclamation of the year of jubile to the people, whereupon it became their duty to set their slaves free.

Jeremiah 34:9

Should serve himself of them - Should make them serve him (see Jeremiah 25:14).

Jeremiah 34:11

They turned, and caused ... to return - But afterward they again made the slaves return.

Jeremiah 34:13

The house of bondmen - The miserable prison in which, after being worked in the fields all day in gangs, the slaves were shut up at night.

Jeremiah 34:16

At their pleasure - literally, for themselves.

Jeremiah 34:17

I will make you to be removed into - “I will cause you to be a terror unto.” Men would shudder at them.

Jeremiah 34:18

The words ... - The Jews spoke of “cutting” a covenant, because the contracting parties cut a calf in twain and passed between the pieces. Thus cutting a covenant and cutting a calf in twain, meant the same thing.

Jeremiah 34:21

Which are gone up from you - i. e., which have departed for the present, and have raised the siege.