32
1 This
is the word
that came to
Jeremiah from the
LORD in the
tenth year of
Zedekiah king of
Judah, which was
the eighteenth
year of
Nebuchadnezzar.
2 Now
at that time
the king
of Babylon’s army
was besieging
Jerusalem. Jeremiah
the prophet was
shut up in
the court of
the guard, which
was in the
king of Judah’s
house.
3 For
Zedekiah king of
Judah had shut
him up, saying, “Why
do you prophesy,
and say, ‘The LORD
says, “Behold, I
will give this
city into the
hand of the
king of Babylon,
and he will
take it;
4 and
Zedekiah king of
Judah won’t escape
out of the
hand of the
Chaldeans, but
will surely be
delivered into the
hand of the
king of Babylon,
and will speak
with him mouth
to mouth, and
his eyes will
see his eyes;
5 and
he will bring
Zedekiah to Babylon,
and he will
be there until
I visit him,”
says the LORD, “though
you fight with
the Chaldeans, you
will not
prosper” ’?”
6 Jeremiah
said, “The LORD’s
word came to
me, saying,
7 ‘Behold,
Hanamel the son
of Shallum your
uncle will come
to you, saying, “Buy
my field that
is in Anathoth;
for the right
of redemption
is yours to buy
it.” ’ ”
8 “So
Hanamel my uncle’s
son came to
me in the
court of the
guard according to
the LORD’s word,
and said to
me, ‘Please buy
my field that
is in Anathoth,
which is in
the land of
Benjamin; for the
right of
inheritance is yours,
and the redemption
is yours. Buy it
for yourself.’
“Then I knew
that this was
the LORD’s word.
9 I
bought the field
that was in
Anathoth of
Hanamel my uncle’s
son, and weighed
him the money,
even seventeen
shekels
of silver.
10 I signed
the deed, sealed
it, called
witnesses, and
weighed the money
in the balances
to him.
11 So I
took the deed
of the purchase,
both that which was
sealed, containing the
terms and
conditions, and
that which was
open;
12 and
I delivered the
deed of the
purchase to Baruch
the son of
Neriah, the son
of Mahseiah, in
the presence of
Hanamel my uncle’s
son, and in
the presence of
the witnesses who
signed the deed
of the purchase,
before all the
Jews who sat
in the court
of the guard.
13 “I
commanded Baruch
before them, saying,
14 the
LORD of Armies,
the God of
Israel, says: ‘Take
these deeds, this
deed of the
purchase which is
sealed, and this
deed which is
open, and put
them in an
earthen vessel,
that they may
last many days.’
15 For
the LORD of
Armies, the God
of Israel says: ‘Houses
and fields and
vineyards will yet
again be bought
in this land.’
16 Now after
I had delivered
the deed of
the purchase to
Baruch the son
of Neriah, I
prayed to the
LORD, saying,
17 “Ah Lord
GOD! Behold, you
have made the
heavens and the
earth by your
great power and
by your
outstretched arm.
There is nothing
too hard for
you.
18 You
show loving kindness
to thousands, and
repay the iniquity
of the fathers
into the bosom
of their children
after them. The
great, the mighty
God, the LORD
of Armies is
your name:
19 great
in counsel, and
mighty in work;
whose eyes are
open to all
the ways of
the children of
men, to give
everyone according
to his ways,
and according to
the fruit of
his doings;
20 who
performed signs and
wonders in the land
of Egypt, even
to this day, both
in Israel and
among other men;
and made yourself
a name, as
it is today;
21 and
brought your
people Israel out
of the land of
Egypt with signs,
with wonders, with
a strong hand,
with an
outstretched arm,
and with great
terror;
22 and
gave them
this land, which you
swore to
their fathers to
give them, a land
flowing with milk
and honey.
23 They
came in and
possessed it, but
they didn’t obey
your voice
and didn’t walk in
your law. They
have done nothing
of all that
you commanded them
to do. Therefore
you have caused
all this evil
to come upon
them.
24 “Behold,
siege ramps have
been built against
the city to
take it. The
city is given
into the hand
of the Chaldeans
who fight against
it, because of
the sword, of
the famine, and
of the pestilence.
What you have
spoken has
happened. Behold,
you see it.
25 You
have said to me,
Lord GOD, ‘Buy
the field for
money, and call
witnesses;’ whereas the
city is given
into the hand
of the Chaldeans.”
26 Then
the LORD’s word
came to Jeremiah,
saying,
27 “Behold,
I am the
LORD, the God
of all flesh.
Is there anything
too hard for
me?
28 Therefore
the LORD says:
Behold, I will
give this city
into the hand
of the Chaldeans,
and into the
hand of
Nebuchadnezzar king
of Babylon, and he
will take it.
29 The
Chaldeans, who
fight against this
city, will come
and set this
city on fire,
and burn it
with the houses
on whose roofs
they have offered
incense to Baal,
and poured out
drink offerings to
other gods, to
provoke me to
anger.
30 “For
the children of
Israel and the
children of Judah
have done only
that which was
evil in my
sight from their
youth; for the
children of Israel
have only provoked
me to anger
with the work
of their hands,
says the LORD.
31 For
this city has
been to me
a provocation of
my anger and
of my wrath
from the day
that they built
it even to
this day, so
that I should
remove it from
before my face,
32 because
of all the
evil of the
children of Israel
and of the
children of Judah,
which they have
done to provoke
me to anger—they, their kings,
their princes,
their priests,
their prophets,
the men of
Judah, and the
inhabitants of
Jerusalem.
33 They
have turned their
backs to me,
and not their
faces. Although I
taught them,
rising up early
and teaching them,
yet they have
not listened to
receive instruction.
34 But
they set their
abominations in
the house which
is called by
my name, to
defile it.
35 They
built the high
places of Baal,
which are in
the valley of
the son of
Hinnom, to cause
their sons and
their daughters to
pass through fire
to Molech, which
I didn’t command
them. It didn’t
even come into
my mind, that
they should do
this abomination,
to cause Judah
to sin.”
36 Now
therefore the LORD,
the God of
Israel, says
concerning this
city, about which
you say, “It
is given into
the hand of
the king of Babylon
by the sword,
by the famine,
and by the
pestilence:”
37 “Behold,
I will gather
them out of
all the countries
where I have
driven them in
my anger, and
in my wrath,
and in great
indignation; and I
will bring them
again to this
place. I will
cause them to
dwell safely.
38 Then
they will be
my people, and
I will be
their God.
39 I
will give them
one heart and
one way, that
they may fear
me forever, for
their good and
the good of
their children
after them.
40 I
will make an
everlasting covenant
with them, that
I will not
turn away
from following them,
to do them
good. I will
put my fear
in their hearts,
that they may
not depart from
me.
41 Yes, I
will rejoice over
them to do
them good, and
I will plant
them in this land
assuredly with my
whole heart and
with my whole
soul.”
42 For
the LORD says: “Just
as I have
brought all this
great evil on
this people, so
I will bring
on them all
the good that
I have promised
them.
43 Fields
will be bought
in this land,
about which
you say, ‘It is
desolate, without man
or animal. It is
given into the
hand of the
Chaldeans.’
44 Men will
buy fields for
money, sign the
deeds, seal them,
and call witnesses,
in the land
of Benjamin, and
in the places
around Jerusalem,
in the cities
of Judah, in
the cities of
the hill country,
in the cities
of the lowland,
and in the
cities of the
South; for I
will cause their
captivity to
be reversed,” says
the LORD.