Jeremiah 32

Jeremiah Buys Hanamel’s Field

1This 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.

1The word that came to be to Jeremiah from YHWH in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighth year and tenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

2At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard, which was in the palace of the king of Judah.

2And then the army of the king of Babylon was pressing upon Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the guard that was in the house of the king of Judah.

3For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying: “Why are you prophesying like this? You claim that the LORD says, ‘Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.

3For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why are you prophesying, saying, thus says YHWH: ‘Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.

4Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye.

4And Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face, and will see him eye to eye;

5He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will stay until I attend to him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.’”

5and he will bring Zedekiah to Babylon and there he will be until I visit him, a declaration of YHWH. If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.’

6Jeremiah replied, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying:

6And Jeremiah said: “The word of YHWH came to me, saying:

7Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’

7Behold, Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is coming to you, saying, ‘Buy for yourself my field that is in Anathoth, for unto you is the right of redemption to buy it.

8Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’”

Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.

8And Hanamel son of my uncle came to me, according to the word of YHWH, in the court of the guard, and he said to me: ‘Buy now my field that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin. For unto you is the right of inheritance, and unto you the redemption; buy it for yourself.’” And I knew that it was the word of YHWH.

9So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver.

9And I bought the field that was in Anathoth from Hanamel son of my uncle, and I weighed out for him the silver, seven shekels and ten of silver.

10I signed and sealed the deed, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales.

10And I wrote in the account and sealed it, and I took witnesses, and weighed out the silver in the scales.

11Then I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy with its terms and conditions, as well as the open copy—

11And I took the account of the purchase—that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open—

12and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who were signing the purchase agreement and all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

12and I gave the account of the purchase to Baruch son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, before Hanamel of my uncle, and before the witnesses having written in the account of the purchase, and before all the Jews sitting in the court of the guard.

13In their sight I instructed Baruch,

13And I commanded Baruch before their eyes, saying:

14“This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Take these deeds—both the sealed copy and the open copy of the deed of purchase—and put them in a clay jar to preserve them for a long time.

14“Thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel: Take these accounts, this account of the purchase—that which is sealed and this account that is open—and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may stand many days.

15For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”

15For thus says YHWH of Hosts, the God of Israel: Again houses and fields and vineyards will be possessed in this land.”

Jeremiah Prays for Understanding

16After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD:

16And I prayed to YHWH after I had delivered the account of the purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, saying:

17“Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!

17“Ah Lord YHWH! Behold, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! There is not anything too difficult for You—

18You show loving devotion to thousands but lay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts,

18showing loving devotion to thousands and recompensing the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them, O God great and Mighty—YHWH of Hosts is His name—

19the One great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are on all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.

19great in counsel and mighty in deed. Your eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men, to give to each man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his deeds.

20You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and You do so to this very day, both in Israel and among all mankind. And You have made a name for Yourself, as is the case to this day.

20You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt to this day, and in Israel, and among men; and You have made for Yourself a name, as at this day.

21You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.

21And You have brought forth Your people Israel from the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a mighty hand, and with an outstretched arm, and with great terror.

22You gave them this land that You had sworn to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

22And You gave to them this land that You swore to their fathers to give to them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

23They came in and possessed it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law. They failed to perform all that You commanded them to do, and so You have brought upon them all this disaster.

23And they came in and possessed it, and they did not listen to Your voice, and in Your law they did not walk. All that You commanded them to do they have not done. And so You made to befall them all this evil.

24See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has happened, as You now see!

24Behold! The siege ramps have come to the city to take it, and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it, by the face of the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence. And that which You have spoken has come to pass—and behold, You are seeing it!

25Yet You, O Lord GOD, have said to me, ‘Buy for yourself the field with silver and call in witnesses, even though the city has been delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans!’”

25And You have said to me, O Lord YHWH, ‘Buy for yourself the field with silver, to testify and cause witnesses—even though the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’”

The LORD Answers Jeremiah

26Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:

26And the word of YHWH came to Jeremiah, saying:

27“Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?

27“Behold, I am YHWH, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?

28Therefore this is what the LORD says: Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it.

28Therefore thus says YHWH: Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it.

29And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come in, set it on fire, and burn it, along with the houses of those who provoked Me to anger by burning incense to Baal on their rooftops and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

29And the Chaldeans fighting against this city will come in, and they will set this city on fire and will burn it, along with the houses on whose roofs they offered incense to Baal and poured out drink offerings to other gods so as to provoke Me to anger.

30For the children of Israel and of Judah have done nothing but evil in My sight from their youth; indeed, they have done nothing but provoke Me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD.

30For the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been only doing evil from their youth in My eyes; for the sons of Israel surely have provoked Me to anger by the work of their hands! A declaration of YHWH.

31For this city has aroused My wrath and fury from the day it was built until now. Therefore I will remove it from My presence

31For upon My anger and My fury this city has been unto Me from the day that they built it even to this day, and I will turn it aside from before My face,

32because of all the evil the children of Israel and of Judah have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem.

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 kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and those dwelling in Jerusalem.

33They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.

33And they have turned to Me the neck and not the face, though I taught them, rising up early and teaching, and they have not listened to receive instruction.

34They have placed their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.

34And they set their abominations in the house upon which My name is called, to defile it.

35They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My mind, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.

35And they built the high places of Baal, that are in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, to make their daughters and their sons pass through unto Molech—which I did not command them, and it did not come upon My heart that they should do this abomination, so as to cause Judah to sin.

A Promise of Restoration

36Now therefore, about this city of which you say, ‘It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword and famine and plague,’ this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:

36And now, therefore, thus says YHWH, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you are saying, ‘It will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence:’

37I will surely gather My people from all the lands to which I have banished them in My furious anger and great wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them dwell in safety.

37Behold, I am going to gather them from all the lands to which I have driven them there in My anger and in My fury and in great wrath, and I will return them to this place, and I will cause them to dwell in safety.

38They will be My people, and I will be their God.

38And they will be unto Me for a people, and I will be unto them God.

39I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

39And I will give to them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me all the days, for the good of them and of their sons after them.

40I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from Me.

40And I will make with them a covenant forever, that I will not turn away from them My doing good, and My fear I will put in their hearts, and that they will not turn aside from Me.

41Yes , I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.

41And I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land in truth, with all My heart and with all My soul.

42For this is what the LORD says: Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I will bring on them all the good I have promised them.

42For thus says YHWH: As I have brought to this people all this great evil, so I am bringing in upon them all the good that I am speaking over them.

43And fields will be bought in this land about which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it has been delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans.’

43And it will be bought—the field in this land of which you say, ‘It is desolate with no man or beast; it has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’

44Fields will be purchased with silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah—the cities of the hill country, the foothills, and the Negev—because I will restore them from captivity, declares the LORD.”

44They will buy fields for money and sign accounts and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places around Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the hill country, and in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negev; for I will turn back their captivity, a declaration of YHWH.”