Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah Imprisoned

1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the 1tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. 2Now at that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the 2court of the guard, which was in the house of the king of Judah, 3because Zedekiah king of Judah had 3shut him up, saying, “Why do you 4prophesy, saying, ‘5Thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to 6give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it; 4and Zedekiah king of Judah will 7not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will 8speak with him 9face to face and see him eye to eye; 5and he will 10take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” declares the Lord. “If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will 11not succeed”’?”

6And Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me, saying, 7‘Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, “Buy for yourself my field which is at 12Anathoth, for you have the 13right of redemption to buy it.”’ 8Then Hanamel my uncle’s son came to me in the 14court of the guard according to the word of the Lord and said to me, ‘Buy my field, please, that is at 15Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for you have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the 16word of the Lord.

9“I bought the field which was at Anathoth from Hanamel my uncle’s son, and I 17weighed out the silver for him, seventeen 18shekels of silver. 10I 1920signed and 21sealed the deed, and 22called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11Then I took the deeds of purchase, both the sealed copy containing the 23terms and conditions and the open copy; 12and I gave the deed of purchase to 24Baruch the son of 25Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of Hanamel my uncle’s son and in the sight of the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, before all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the guard. 13And I commanded Baruch in their presence, saying, 14‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “Take these deeds, this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware jar, that they may 26last a long time.” 15For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel, “27Houses and fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”’

Jeremiah Prays and God Explains

16“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, then I 28prayed to the Lord, saying, 17‘29Ah Lord 30God! Behold, You have 31made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! 32Nothing is too difficult for You, 18who 33shows lovingkindness to thousands, but 34repays the iniquity of fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O 35great and 36mighty God. The 37Lord of hosts is His name; 1938great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose 39eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, 40giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; 20who has 41set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have 42made a name for Yourself, as at this day. 21You 43brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and with an outstretched arm and with great terror; 22and gave them this land, which You 44swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23They 45came in and took possession of it, but they 46did not obey Your voice or 47walk in Your law; they have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made 48all this calamity come upon them. 24Behold, the 49siege ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city is 50given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the 51sword, the famine and the pestilence; and what You have spoken has 52come to pass; and behold, You see it. 25You have said to me, O Lord 53God, “Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses”--although the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’”

26Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying, 27“Behold, I am the Lord, the 54God of all flesh; is anything 55too difficult for Me?” 28Therefore thus says the Lord, “Behold, I am about to 56give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it. 29The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will enter and 57set this city on fire and burn it, with the 58houses where people have offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods to provoke Me to anger. 30Indeed the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only 59evil in My sight from their youth; for the sons of Israel have been only 60provoking Me to anger by the work of their hands,” declares the Lord. 31“Indeed this city has been to Me a 61provocation of My anger and My wrath from the day that they built it, even to this day, so that it should be 62removed from before My face, 32because of all the evil of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah which they have done to provoke Me to anger--they, their 63kings, their leaders, their priests, their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. 33They have turned their back to Me and not their face; though I taught them, 6465teaching again and again, they would not listen 66and receive instruction. 34But they 67put their detestable things in the house which is called by My name, to defile it. 35They built the 68high places of Baal that are in the valley of Ben-hinnom to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire to 69Molech, which I had not commanded them nor had it 70entered My mind that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

36“Now therefore thus says the Lord God of Israel concerning this city of which you say, ‘It is 71given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine and by pestilence.’ 37Behold, I will 72gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My anger, in My wrath and in great indignation; and I will bring them back to this place and 73make them dwell in safety. 38They shall be 74My people, and I will be their God; 39and I will 75give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own 76good and for the good of their children after them. 40I will make an 77everlasting covenant with them that I will 78not turn away from them, to do them good; and I will 79put the fear of Me in their hearts so that they will not turn away from Me. 41I will 80rejoice over them to do them good and will 81faithfully 82plant them in this land with 83all My heart and with all My soul. 42For thus says the Lord, ‘84Just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I am going to 85bring on them all the good that I am promising them. 4386Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, “87It is a desolation, without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.” 44Men will buy fields for money, 8889sign and seal deeds, and call in witnesses in the 90land of Benjamin, in the environs of 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 91Negev; for I will 92restore their 93fortunes,’ declares the Lord.”