Jeremiah 34:19

Good News Translation

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf—

Hebrew Names Version
the princes of Yehudah, and the princes of Yerushalayim, the eunuchs, and the Kohanim, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf;

King James Version
The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

English Standard Version
the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf.

New American Standard Bible
the officials of Judah and the officials of Jerusalem, the high officials and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—

New Century Version
These people made the agreement before me by walking between the pieces of the calf: the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the officers of the court, the priests, and all the people of the land.

Amplified Bible
'The princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the high officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf,

World English Bible
the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf;

Geneva Bible (1587)
The princes of Iudah, and the princes of Ierusalem, the Eunuches, and the Priestes, and all the people of the lande, which passed betweene the partes of the calfe,

Legacy Standard Bible
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—

Berean Standard Bible
The officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf,

Contemporary English Version
I will let your enemies take all of you prisoner, including the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the royal officials, the priests, and everyone else who walked between the two parts of the calf. These enemies will kill you and leave your bodies lying on the ground as food for birds and wild animals.

Complete Jewish Bible
the leaders of Y'hudah, the leaders of Yerushalayim, the officials, the cohanim and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf;

Darby Translation
—the princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf;

Easy-to-Read Version
These are the people who walked between the two pieces of the calf when they made the agreement before me: the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the important officials of the court, the priests, and the people of the land.

George Lamsa Translation
The princes of Judah and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf;

Lexham English Bible
the officials of Judah, and the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf—

Literal Translation
the rulers of Judah and the rulers of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf;

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
The prynces of Iuda, the prynces of Ierusalem, the gelded men, the prestes and all the people of the londe (which wete thorow the two sydes of the calfe.)

American Standard Version
the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf;

Bible in Basic English
The rulers of Judah and the rulers of Jerusalem, the unsexed servants and the priests and all the people of the land who went between the parts of the ox,

JPS Old Testament (1917)
the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the officers, and the priests, and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf;

King James Version (1611)
The princes of Iudah and the princes of Ierusalem, the eunuches, and the priests, and all the people of the land which passed betweene the parts of the calfe,

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The princes of Iuda, the princes of Hierusalem, the gelded me, the priestes, and all the people of the lande, whiche went thorowe the two sydes of the calfe:

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And as for the remaining vessels,

English Revised Version
the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, which passed between the parts of the calf;

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
and the princes of Jerusalem, and the onest seruauntis, and preestis yeden bytwixe the partyngis therof, and al the puple of the lond, that yeden bitwixe the departyngis of the calf;

Update Bible Version
the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, that passed between the parts of the calf;

Webster's Bible Translation
The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land, who passed between the parts of the calf;

New English Translation
I will punish the leaders of Judah and Jerusalem, the court officials, the priests, and all the other people of the land who passed between the pieces of the calf.

New King James Version
the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf--

New Living Translation
Yes, I will cut you apart, whether you are officials of Judah or Jerusalem, court officials, priests, or common people—for you have broken your oath.

New Life Bible
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.

New Revised Standard
the officials of Judah, the officials of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
even the princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs and the priests, and all the people of the land, - who passed between the parts of the calf,

Douay-Rheims Bible
The princes of Juda, and the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land that passed between the parts of the calf:

Revised Standard Version
the princes of Judah, the princes of Jerusalem, the eunuchs, the priests, and all the people of the land who passed between the parts of the calf;

Young's Literal Translation
heads of Judah, and heads of Jerusalem, the officers, and the priests, and all the people of the land those passing through between the pieces of the calf --

New American Standard Bible (1995)
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—

Contextual Overview

⁸ King Zedekiah and the people of Jerusalem had made an agreement to set free ⁹ their Hebrew slaves, both male and female, so that no one would have an Israelite as a slave. ¹⁰ All the people and their leaders agreed to free their slaves and never to enslave them again. They did set them free, ¹¹ but later they changed their minds, took them back, and forced them to become slaves again. ¹² Then the Lord , ¹³ the God of Israel, told me to say to the people: "I made a covenant with your ancestors when I rescued them from Egypt and set them free from slavery. I told them that ¹⁴ every seven years they were to set free any Hebrew slave who had served them for six years. But your ancestors would not pay any attention to me or listen to what I said. ¹⁵ Just a few days ago you changed your minds and did what pleased me. All of you agreed to set all Israelites free, and you made a covenant in my presence, in the Temple where I am worshiped. ¹⁶ But then you changed your minds again and dishonored me. All of you took back the slaves whom you had set free as they desired, and you forced them into slavery again. ¹⁷ So now, I, the Lord , say that you have disobeyed me; you have not given all Israelites their freedom. Very well, then, I will give you freedom: the freedom to die by war, disease, and starvation. I will make every nation in the world horrified at what I do to you.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

princes: Jeremiah 34:10, Ezekiel 22:27-31, Daniel 9:6, Daniel 9:8, Daniel 9:12, Micah 7:1-5, Zephaniah 3:3, Zephaniah 3:4

the eunuchs: Jeremiah 29:2, Jeremiah 38:7, 2 Kings 24:12, 2 Kings 24:15, *marg.

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:10 - divided them Genesis 15:17 - passed Nehemiah 9:32 - on our kings Jeremiah 21:7 - I will Jeremiah 26:10 - the princes Jeremiah 38:18 - then Jeremiah 39:6 - slew all

Cross-References

Genesis 29:20
Jacob worked seven years so that he could have Rachel, and the time seemed like only a few days to him, because he loved her.

Genesis 34:3
But he found the young woman so attractive that he fell in love with her and tried to win her affection.

Genesis 34:5
Jacob learned that his daughter had been disgraced, but because his sons were out in the fields with his livestock, he did nothing until they came back.

Genesis 34:8
Hamor said to him, "My son Shechem has fallen in love with your daughter; please let him marry her.

Genesis 34:9
Let us make an agreement that there will be intermarriage between our people and yours.

Genesis 41:20
The thin cows ate up the fat ones,

Numbers 22:15
Then Balak sent a larger number of leaders, who were more important than the first.

1 Samuel 22:14
Ahimelech answered, "David is the most faithful officer you have! He is your own son-in-law, captain of your bodyguard, and highly respected by everyone in the royal court.

2 Kings 5:1
Naaman, the commander of the Syrian army, was highly respected and esteemed by the king of Syria, because through Naaman the Lord had given victory to the Syrian forces. He was a great soldier, but he suffered from a dreaded skin disease.

1 Chronicles 4:9
There was a man named Jabez, who was the most respected member of his family. His mother had given him the name Jabez, because his birth had been very painful.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The princes of Judah, and the princes of Jerusalem,.... Here is a particular enumeration of the persons that had made the covenant, and transgressed it, and that should suffer for so doing; the princes of Judah, distinguished from the princes of Jerusalem, design such princes as lived without Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, and presided over them, though now at Jerusalem, having fled thither, upon the invasion of the king of Babylon, for their safety; as the princes of Jerusalem, or the magistrates of that city, are distinguished from the princes of the blood, and from the courtiers, both in this and

Jeremiah 34:21;

the eunuchs, and the priests, and all the people of the land; that is, as many as had got into Jerusalem to secure themselves from the common enemy: the "priests" also were concerned herein, who had menservants, and maidservants, as well as others; and, besides, were persons doubtless concerned in drawing up the covenant and the form of an oath, as well as in slaying the sacrifice, and cutting it into pieces, and laying the parts in order: it is more surprising that there should be "eunuchs" here; that such should be in the court of the king of Judah, and have offices in it, and preside in them, as among the Gentiles. The Targum renders the word "princes":

which passed between the parts of the calf; signifying their assent to the covenant, and wishing they might be so used if they broke it.

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.