Then Jehoiada made a covenant between the LORD, the king, and the people that they would be the LORD's people and [another one] between the king and the people.

Then the king went to the LORD's temple with all the men of Judah and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the prophets-- all the people from the youngest to the oldest. As they listened, he read all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the LORD's temple.

Next, the king stood by the pillar and made a covenant in the presence of the LORD to follow the LORD and to keep His commandments, His decrees, and His statutes with all his mind and with all his heart, and to carry out the words of this covenant that were written in this book; all the people agreed to the covenant.

Then they entered into a covenant to seek the LORD God of their ancestors with all their mind and all their heart.

They took an oath to the LORD in a loud voice, with shouting, with trumpets, and with rams' horns.

Then Jehoiada made a covenant between himself, the king, and the people that they would be the LORD's people.

It is in my heart now to make a covenant with the LORD God of Israel so that His fierce wrath may turn away from us.

Then the king went up to the LORD's temple with all the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem, as well as the priests and the Levites-- all the people from great to small. He read in their hearing all the words of the book of the covenant that had been found in the LORD's temple.

Then he had all those present in Jerusalem and Benjamin enter [the covenant]. So all the inhabitants of Jerusalem carried out the covenant of God, the God of their ancestors.

In view of all this, we are making a binding agreement in writing on a sealed document [containing the names of] our leaders, Levites, and priests.

Those whose seals were [on the document] were: Nehemiah the governor, son of Hacaliah, and Zedekiah,

Pashhur, Amariah, Malchijah,

Harim, Meremoth, Obadiah,

Meshullam, Abijah, Mijamin,

The Levites were: Jeshua son of Azaniah, Binnui of the sons of Henadad, Kadmiel,

Mica, Rehob, Hashabiah,

Hodiah, Bani, and Beninu.

Bunni, Azgad, Bebai,

Ater, Hezekiah, Azzur,

Hariph, Anathoth, Nebai,

Meshezabel, Zadok, Jaddua,

Hoshea, Hananiah, Hasshub,

Rehum, Hashabnah, Maaseiah,

Malluch, Harim, Baanah.

At the end of seven years, each of you must free his Hebrew brother who sold himself to you. He may serve you six years, but then you must send him out free from you. But your ancestors did not obey Me or pay any attention.

"Therefore, this is what the LORD says: You have not obeyed Me by proclaiming freedom, each man for his brother 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.

"When you buy a Hebrew slave, he is to serve for six years; then in the seventh he is to leave as a free man without paying anything.

If his master gives him a wife and she bears him sons or daughters, the wife and her children belong to her master, and the man must leave alone.

"Sow your land for six years and gather its produce.

But during the seventh year you are to let it rest and leave it uncultivated, so that the poor among your people may eat [from it] and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and your olive grove.

You are to consecrate the fiftieth year and proclaim freedom in the land for all its inhabitants. It will be your Jubilee, when each of you are to return to his property and each of you to his clan.

"If your brother among you becomes destitute and sells himself to you, you must not force him to do slave labor.

Then he and his children are to be released from you, and he may return to his clan and his ancestral property.

You are not to rule over them harshly but fear your God.

You may also purchase them from the foreigners staying with you, or from their families living among you-- those born in your land. These may become your property.

"If your fellow Hebrew, a man or woman, is sold to you and serves you six years, you must set him free in the seventh year.

There was a widespread outcry from the people and their wives against their Jewish countrymen.

Others were saying, "We are mortgaging our fields, vineyards, and homes to get grain during the famine."

We and our children are [just] like our countrymen and their children, yet we are subjecting our sons and daughters to slavery. Some of our daughters are already enslaved, but we are powerless because our fields and vineyards belong to others."

After seriously considering the matter, I accused the nobles and officials, saying to them, "Each of you is charging his countrymen interest." So I called a large assembly against them

Then I said, "What you are doing isn't right. Shouldn't you walk in the fear of our God [and not invite] the reproach of our foreign enemies?

Return their fields, vineyards, olive groves, and houses to them immediately, along with the percentage of the money, grain, new wine, and olive oil that you have been assessing them."

I also shook the folds of my robe and said, "May God likewise shake from his house and property everyone who doesn't keep this promise. May he be shaken out and have nothing!" The whole assembly said, " Amen," and they praised the LORD. Then the people did as they had promised.

The Spirit of the Lord God is on Me, because the LORD has anointed Me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and freedom to the prisoners;