The word that came
to Jeremiah
from the LORD
in the atenth
year
of Zedekiah
king
of Judah
, which
was the eighteenth
year
of Nebuchadnezzar
.
Now at that time the army
of the king
of Babylon
was besieging
Jerusalem
, and Jeremiah
the prophet
was shut
up in the acourt
of the guard
, which
was in the house
of the king
of Judah
,
because Zedekiah
king
of Judah
had ashut
him up, saying
, "Why
do you bprophesy
, saying
, ` cThus
says
the LORD
, "Behold
, I am about to dgive
this
city
into the hand
of the king
of Babylon
, and he will take
it;
and Zedekiah king
of Judah
will anot 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 bspeak
with him 1face
to face
and see
him eye
to eye
;
and he will atake Zedekiah
to Babylon
, and he will be there
until
I visit
him," declares
the LORD
. "If
you fight
against
the Chaldeans
, you will bnot succeed
"'?"
And Jeremiah said
, "The word
of the LORD
came
to me, saying
,
`Behold, Hanamel
the son
of Shallum
your uncle
is coming
to you, saying
, "Buy
for yourself my field
which
is at aAnathoth
, for you have the bright
of redemption
to buy
it."'
"Then Hanamel my uncle's
son
came
to me in the acourt
of the guard
according to the word
of the LORD
and said
to me, `Buy
my field
, please
, that is at bAnathoth
, 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 cword
of the LORD
.
"I bought the field
which
was at Anathoth
from Hanamel
my uncle's
son
, and I aweighed
out the silver
for him, seventeen
bshekels
of silver
.
"I 1 asigned and bsealed
the deed
, and ccalled
in witnesses
, and weighed
out the silver
on the scales
.
"Then I took the deeds
of purchase
, both the sealed
copy containing the aterms
and conditions
and the open
copy;
and I gave the deed
of purchase
to aBaruch
the son
of bNeriah
, 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
.
"And I commanded Baruch
in their presence
, saying
,
`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 1last
a long
time
."
`For thus says
the LORD
of hosts
, the God
of Israel
, " aHouses
and fields
and vineyards
will again
be bought
in this
land
."'
"After I had given
the deed
of purchase
to Baruch
the son
of Neriah
, then I aprayed
to the LORD
, saying
,
` aAh Lord
1GOD
! Behold
, You have bmade
the heavens
and the earth
by Your great
power
and by Your outstretched
arm
! cNothing
is too
difficult
for You,
who ashows lovingkindness
to thousands
, but brepays
the iniquity
of fathers
into the bosom
of their children
after
them, O cgreat
and dmighty
God
. The eLORD
of hosts
is His name
;
agreat in counsel
and mighty
in deed
, whose
beyes
are open
to all
the ways
of the sons
of men
, cgiving
to everyone
according to his ways
and according to the fruit
of his deeds
;
who has aset
signs
and wonders
in the land
of Egypt
, and even to this
day
both in Israel
and among mankind
; and You have bmade
a name
for Yourself, as at this
day
.
`You abrought 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
;
and gave them this
land
, which
You aswore
to their forefathers
to give
them, a land
flowing
with milk
and honey
.
`They acame in and took
possession
of it, but they bdid not obey
Your voice
or cwalk
in Your law
; they have done
nothing
of all
that You commanded
them to do
; therefore You have made dall
this
calamity
come
upon them.
`Behold, the asiege
ramps
have reached
the city
to take
it; and the city
is bgiven
into the hand
of the Chaldeans
who fight
against
it, because
of the csword
, the famine
and the pestilence
; and what
You have spoken
has dcome
to pass
; and behold
, You see
it.
`You have said to me, O Lord
1GOD
, "Buy
for yourself the field
with money
and call
in witnesses
"--although the city
is given
into the hand
of the Chaldeans
.' "
Then the word of the LORD
came
to Jeremiah
, saying
,
"Behold, I am the LORD
, the aGod
of all
flesh
; is anything
btoo
difficult
for Me?"
Therefore thus
says
the LORD
, "Behold
, I am about to agive
this
city
into the hand
of the Chaldeans
and into the hand
of Nebuchadnezzar
king
of Babylon
, and he will take
it.
"The Chaldeans who are fighting
against
this
city
will enter
and aset
this
city
on fire
and burn
it, with the bhouses
where
people have offered
incense
to Baal
on their roofs
and poured
out drink
offerings
to other
gods
to provoke
Me to anger
.
"Indeed the sons
of Israel
and the sons
of Judah
have been doing
only
aevil
in My sight
from their youth
; for the sons
of Israel
have been only
bprovoking
Me to anger
by the work
of their hands
," declares
the LORD
.
"Indeed this
city
has been
to Me a aprovocation of My anger
and My wrath
from the day
that they built
it, even to this
day
, so that it should be bremoved
from before
My face
,
because 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 akings
, their leaders
, their priests
, their prophets
, the men
of Judah
and the inhabitants
of Jerusalem
.
"They have turned their back
to Me and not their face
; though I taught
them, 1 ateaching
again
and again
, they would not listen
2and receive
instruction
.
"But they aput their detestable
things
in the house
which
is called
by My name
, to defile
it.
"They built the ahigh
places
of Baal
that are in the valley
of Ben-hinnom
to cause their sons
and their daughters
to pass
through
the fire to bMolech
, which
I had not commanded
them nor
had it 1entered
My mind
that they should do
this
abomination
, to cause Judah
to sin
.
"Now therefore
thus
says
the LORD
God
of Israel
concerning
this
city
of which
you say
, `It is agiven
into the hand
of the king
of Babylon
by sword
, by famine
and by pestilence
.'
"Behold, I will agather
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 bmake them dwell
in safety
.
"They shall be aMy people, and I will be their God
;
and I will agive them one
heart
and one
way
, that they may fear
Me always
, for their own bgood
and for the good of their children
after
them.
"I will make an aeverlasting
covenant
with them that I will bnot turn
away
from them, to do
them good
; and I will cput
the fear
of Me in their hearts
so that they will not turn
away
from Me.
"I will arejoice over
them to do
them good
and will 1faithfully
bplant
them in this
land
with call
My heart
and with all
My soul
.
"For thus says
the LORD
, ` aJust
as I brought
all
this
great
disaster
on this
people
, so
I am going to bbring
on them all
the good
that I am promising
them.
` aFields will be bought
in this
land
of which
you say
, " bIt is a desolation
, without
man
or beast
; it is given
into the hand
of the Chaldeans
."
`Men will buy fields
for money
, 1 asign
and seal
deeds
, and call
in witnesses
in the bland
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 2Negev
; for I will crestore
their 3fortunes
,' declares
the LORD
."