Thematic Bible




Thematic Bible



Brothers, I speak like a man speaks: Though it is only a man's covenant, yet when it has been confirmed, no one makes it void, or adds to it.

The children of Israel did not kill them, because the leaders of the congregation had sworn to them by Jehovah God of Israel. The entire congregation murmured against the princes. But all the leaders said to the entire congregation: We have sworn to them by Jehovah the God of Israel: now therefore we may not touch them. This we will do to them. We will even let them live in case we become angry. This is because of the oath we swore to them.

Jehovah spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves. Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was supposed to keep another Jew as a slave. All the officials and all the people agreed and promised to free their male and female slaves and not to keep them as slaves anymore. So they set them free. read more.
Later they changed their minds and took back the men and women they had freed and made them their slaves again. Jehovah continued to speak his word to Jeremiah: This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: 'I put a condition on the covenant I made to your ancestors when I brought them from Egypt, where they were slaves. I said: Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free. But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me. You changed and did what I consider right. You agreed to free your neighbors, and you made a covenant in my presence, in the Temple that is called by my name. Now you have changed again and dishonored me. You brought back the male and females slaves that you had set free to live their own lives. You have forced them to be your male and female slaves again.' This is what Jehovah says: 'You did not obey me. You have not freed your relatives and neighbors. Now I am going to free you,' declares Jehovah. 'I will free you to die in wars, plagues, and famines. I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified at the thought of you. I will hand over the people who have rejected my covenant. They have not kept the terms of the covenant they made in my presence when they cut a calf in two and passed between its pieces. I will hand over the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the palace officials, the priests, and all the common people who passed between the pieces of the calf. I will hand them over to their enemies who want to kill them. Their corpses will be food for birds and wild animals. I will hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them and to the army of the king of Babylon, the army that has withdrawn from you.'

that the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. But he rebelled against him! He sent his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?' As I am alive,' says the Lord Jehovah, 'this king will die in Babylon because he broke his oath and the treaty with the one who put him on the throne the king of Babylon. read more.
Even the powerful army of the king of Egypt will not be able to help him fight when the Babylonians build earthworks and dig trenches in order to kill many people. He broke his oath and the treaty he had made. He did all these things, and now he will not escape.'


There was a famine for three successive years during David's reign. David asked Jehovah for advice about it. Jehovah answered: It is because of Saul and his family. They are guilty of murder because they killed the people of Gibeon. The Gibeonites were not a part of Israel but were left over from the Amorites. The Israelites swore to spare them. Saul, in his eagerness, tried to destroy them for Israel and Judah. The king called the Gibeonites. He asked them: What can I do for you? What shall I give you to make peace with you so that you will bless what belongs to Jehovah? read more.
The Gibeonites responded: Our quarrel with Saul and his family cannot be settled with silver or gold. We do not want to kill any Israelite. What do you want me to do? David asked. They answered: Saul wanted to destroy us and leave none of us alive anywhere in Israel. Hand over seven of his male descendants. We will hang them before Jehovah at Gibeah, the hometown of Saul, Jehovah's chosen king. The king responded: I will hand them over to you.

Jehovah spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves. Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was supposed to keep another Jew as a slave. All the officials and all the people agreed and promised to free their male and female slaves and not to keep them as slaves anymore. So they set them free. read more.
Later they changed their minds and took back the men and women they had freed and made them their slaves again. Jehovah continued to speak his word to Jeremiah: This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: 'I put a condition on the covenant I made to your ancestors when I brought them from Egypt, where they were slaves. I said: Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free. But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me. You changed and did what I consider right. You agreed to free your neighbors, and you made a covenant in my presence, in the Temple that is called by my name. Now you have changed again and dishonored me. You brought back the male and females slaves that you had set free to live their own lives. You have forced them to be your male and female slaves again.' This is what Jehovah says: 'You did not obey me. You have not freed your relatives and neighbors. Now I am going to free you,' declares Jehovah. 'I will free you to die in wars, plagues, and famines. I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified at the thought of you. I will hand over the people who have rejected my covenant. They have not kept the terms of the covenant they made in my presence when they cut a calf in two and passed between its pieces. I will hand over the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the palace officials, the priests, and all the common people who passed between the pieces of the calf. I will hand them over to their enemies who want to kill them. Their corpses will be food for birds and wild animals. I will hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them and to the army of the king of Babylon, the army that has withdrawn from you.' I am going to give a command,' declares Jehovah. 'I will bring that army back to this city to attack it, capture it, and burn it down. I will destroy the cities of Judah so that no one will live there.'

He took one of the royal family and made a covenant with him, putting him under oath. He also took away the mighty of the land, that the kingdom might be in subjection, not exalting itself, but keeping his covenant that it might continue. But he rebelled against him! He sent his envoys to Egypt that they might give him horses and many troops. Will he succeed? Will he who does such things escape? Can he indeed break the covenant and escape?' read more.
As I am alive,' says the Lord Jehovah, 'this king will die in Babylon because he broke his oath and the treaty with the one who put him on the throne the king of Babylon. Even the powerful army of the king of Egypt will not be able to help him fight when the Babylonians build earthworks and dig trenches in order to kill many people. He broke his oath and the treaty he had made. He did all these things, and now he will not escape.' The Lord Jehovah says: As surely as I am the living God, I will punish him for breaking the treaty that he swore in my name to keep.


Let your land rest the seventh year. Do not harvest anything that grows on it. The poor may eat what grows there. The wild animals may have what is left. Do the same with your vineyards and your olive trees.

But the seventh year is to be a sabbath year of complete rest for the land. It is a year dedicated to Jehovah. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards.


Moses commanded them: At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths,

Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free. But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me.


Then the land will enjoy its time to honor Jehovah while it lies deserted. You will be in your enemies' land. Then the land will joyfully celebrate its time to honor Jehovah. All the days it lies deserted, it will celebrate the time to honor Jehovah it never celebrated while you lived there.

I will make your land so deserted that your enemies will be shocked as they settle in it. I will scatter you among the nations. War will follow you. Your country will be in ruins. Your cities will be deserted. Then the land will enjoy its time to honor Jehovah while it lies deserted. You will be in your enemies' land. Then the land will joyfully celebrate its time to honor Jehovah. read more.
All the days it lies deserted, it will celebrate the time to honor Jehovah it never celebrated while you lived there. I will fill those who are left in the land of their enemies with despair. The sound of a windblown leaf will make them run. They will run away and fall, but no one will be chasing them. They will stumble over each other. Yet no one will be after them. They will not be able to stand up to their enemies. They will be destroyed among the nations. The land of their enemies will devour them. Those who are left will waste away in the lands of their enemies because of their sins and the sins of their ancestors. However if they confess their sins and the sins of their ancestors and the treacherous things they did to oppose me, I will oppose them and bring them into the lands of their enemies. Then, if they humble their uncircumcised hearts and accept their guilt,

Jehovah continued to speak his word to Jeremiah: This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: 'I put a condition on the covenant I made to your ancestors when I brought them from Egypt, where they were slaves. I said: Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free. But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me. read more.
You changed and did what I consider right. You agreed to free your neighbors, and you made a covenant in my presence, in the Temple that is called by my name. Now you have changed again and dishonored me. You brought back the male and females slaves that you had set free to live their own lives. You have forced them to be your male and female slaves again.' This is what Jehovah says: 'You did not obey me. You have not freed your relatives and neighbors. Now I am going to free you,' declares Jehovah. 'I will free you to die in wars, plagues, and famines. I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified at the thought of you. I will hand over the people who have rejected my covenant. They have not kept the terms of the covenant they made in my presence when they cut a calf in two and passed between its pieces. I will hand over the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the palace officials, the priests, and all the common people who passed between the pieces of the calf. I will hand them over to their enemies who want to kill them. Their corpses will be food for birds and wild animals. I will hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them and to the army of the king of Babylon, the army that has withdrawn from you.' I am going to give a command,' declares Jehovah. 'I will bring that army back to this city to attack it, capture it, and burn it down. I will destroy the cities of Judah so that no one will live there.'


When you buy a Hebrew slave he will be your slave for six years. In the seventh year he may leave as a free man without paying for his freedom.

If you buy Israelites (your own brothers) as slaves, you must set them free after six years.

Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free. But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me.



Jehovah spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves. Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was supposed to keep another Jew as a slave. All the officials and all the people agreed and promised to free their male and female slaves and not to keep them as slaves anymore. So they set them free. read more.
Later they changed their minds and took back the men and women they had freed and made them their slaves again. Jehovah continued to speak his word to Jeremiah: This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: 'I put a condition on the covenant I made to your ancestors when I brought them from Egypt, where they were slaves. I said: Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free. But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me. You changed and did what I consider right. You agreed to free your neighbors, and you made a covenant in my presence, in the Temple that is called by my name. Now you have changed again and dishonored me. You brought back the male and females slaves that you had set free to live their own lives. You have forced them to be your male and female slaves again.' This is what Jehovah says: 'You did not obey me. You have not freed your relatives and neighbors. Now I am going to free you,' declares Jehovah. 'I will free you to die in wars, plagues, and famines. I will make all the kingdoms of the world horrified at the thought of you. I will hand over the people who have rejected my covenant. They have not kept the terms of the covenant they made in my presence when they cut a calf in two and passed between its pieces. I will hand over the officials of Judah and Jerusalem, the palace officials, the priests, and all the common people who passed between the pieces of the calf. I will hand them over to their enemies who want to kill them. Their corpses will be food for birds and wild animals. I will hand King Zedekiah of Judah and his officials over to their enemies who want to kill them and to the army of the king of Babylon, the army that has withdrawn from you.' I am going to give a command,' declares Jehovah. 'I will bring that army back to this city to attack it, capture it, and burn it down. I will destroy the cities of Judah so that no one will live there.'

It was the first year of Cyrus, king of Persia. In order that the word of Jehovah (YHWH) given by the mouth of Jeremiah might come true, Jehovah moved the spirit of Cyrus, king of Persia. He made a public statement through all his kingdom, and put it in writing, saying: These are the words of Cyrus, king of Persia: 'Jehovah the God of heaven has given me all the kingdoms of the earth. He has made me responsible for building a house for him in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. May your God be with you and let you go up to Jerusalem, which is in Judah. There you are to build the house of Jehovah the God of Israel. He is the God who is in Jerusalem. read more.
If any of his people in exile need help to return, their neighbors should give them help. They are to provide them with silver and gold, supplies and pack animals, as well as offerings to present in the Temple of God in Jerusalem.'


Jehovah spoke his word to Jeremiah after King Zedekiah and all the people in Jerusalem promised to free their slaves. Everyone was supposed to free his Hebrew slaves, both male and female. No one was supposed to keep another Jew as a slave. All the officials and all the people agreed and promised to free their male and female slaves and not to keep them as slaves anymore. So they set them free. read more.
Later they changed their minds and took back the men and women they had freed and made them their slaves again. Jehovah continued to speak his word to Jeremiah: This is what Jehovah the God of Israel says: 'I put a condition on the covenant I made to your ancestors when I brought them from Egypt, where they were slaves. I said: Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free. But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me. You changed and did what I consider right. You agreed to free your neighbors, and you made a covenant in my presence, in the Temple that is called by my name. Now you have changed again and dishonored me. You brought back the male and females slaves that you had set free to live their own lives. You have forced them to be your male and female slaves again.'


Let your land rest the seventh year. Do not harvest anything that grows on it. The poor may eat what grows there. The wild animals may have what is left. Do the same with your vineyards and your olive trees.

But the seventh year is to be a sabbath year of complete rest for the land. It is a year dedicated to Jehovah. Do not plant your fields or prune your vineyards.


Moses commanded them: At the end of every seven years, at the time of the year of remission of debts, at the Feast of Booths,

Every seven years each of you must free any Hebrews who sold themselves to you. When they have served you for six years, you must set them free. But your ancestors refused to obey me or listen to me.