Chapter 32

The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which [was] the eighteenth ⁶²⁴⁰ year of Nebuchadrezzar.

For then the king of Babylon's army besieged⁶ Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up⁷ in the court of the prison, which [was] in the king of Judah's house.

For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up,¹ saying,² Wherefore dost thou prophesy,¹² and say,² Thus saith¹ the LORD, Behold, I will give⁶ this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take¹ it;

And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape¹¹ out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely⁹ be delivered¹¹ into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak¹⁴ with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold⁴ his eyes;

And he shall lead⁵⁵ Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit² him, saith⁷ the LORD: though ye fight¹¹ with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.⁵⁵

And Jeremiah said,⁴ The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,²

Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come⁶ unto thee, saying,² Buy³ thee my field that [is] in Anathoth: for the right of redemption [is] thine to buy² [it].

So Hanameel mine uncle's son came⁴ to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said⁴ unto me, Buy³ my field, I pray thee, that [is] in Anathoth, which [is] in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance [is] thine, and the redemption [is] thine; buy³ [it] for thyself. Then I knew⁴ that this [was] the word of the LORD.

And I bought⁴ the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that [was] in Anathoth, and weighed⁴ him the money, [even] seventeen ⁶²³⁵ shekels of silver.

And I subscribed⁴ the evidence, and sealed⁴ [it], and took⁵⁵ witnesses, and weighed⁴ [him] the money in the balances.

So I took⁴ the evidence of the purchase, [both] that which was sealed⁷ [according] to the law and custom, and that which was open:⁷

And I gave⁴ the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's [son], and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed⁶ the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat⁶ in the court of the prison.

And I charged¹⁷ Baruch before them, saying,²

Thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take² these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed,⁷ and this evidence which is open;⁷ and put¹ them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue⁴ many days.

For thus saith¹ the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed¹¹ again in this land.

Now when I had delivered² the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed¹⁰¹ unto the LORD, saying,²

Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made¹ the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out⁷ arm, [and] there is nothing too hard¹¹ for thee:

Thou shewest⁶ lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest¹⁸ the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, [is] his name,

Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes [are] open⁷ upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give² every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

Which hast set¹ signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, [even] unto this day, and in Israel, and among [other] men; and hast made⁴ thee a name, as at this day;

And hast brought forth⁵⁵ thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out⁷ arm, and with great terror;

And hast given⁴ them this land, which thou didst swear⁸ to their fathers to give² them, a land flowing⁶ with milk and honey;

And they came in,⁴ and possessed⁴ it; but they obeyed¹ not thy voice, neither walked¹ in thy law; they have done¹ nothing of all that thou commandedst¹⁴ them to do:² therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come⁵⁵ upon them:

Behold the mounts, they are come¹ unto the city to take² it; and the city is given⁸ into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight¹² against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken¹⁴ is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest⁶ [it].

And thou hast said¹ unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy³ thee the field for money, and take⁵⁴ witnesses; for the city is given⁸ into the hand of the Chaldeans.

Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,²

Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard¹¹ for me?

Therefore thus saith¹ the LORD; Behold, I will give⁶ this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take¹ it:

And the Chaldeans, that fight¹² against this city, shall come¹ and set⁵² fire on this city, and burn¹ it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense¹⁴ unto Baal, and poured out⁵² drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.⁵³

For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done⁶ evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger⁵⁶ with the work of their hands, saith⁷ the LORD.

For this city hath been to me [as] a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built¹ it even unto this day; that I should remove⁵³ it from before my face,

Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done¹ to provoke me to anger,⁵³ they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants⁶ of Jerusalem.

And they have turned⁴ unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught¹⁵ them, rising up early⁵³ and teaching¹⁵ [them], yet they have not hearkened⁶ to receive² instruction.

But they set⁴ their abominations in the house, which is called⁸ by my name, to defile¹⁵ it.

And they built⁴ the high places of Baal, which [are] in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass⁵³ through [the fire] unto Molech; which I commanded¹⁴ them not, neither came¹ it into my mind, that they should do² this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.⁵³

And now therefore thus saith¹ the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say,⁶ It shall be delivered⁸ into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;

Behold, I will gather¹⁸ them out of all countries, whither I have driven⁵² them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again⁵² unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell⁵² safely:

And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

And I will give¹ them one heart, and one way, that they may fear² me for ever, ³¹¹⁷ for the good of them, and of their children after them:

And I will make¹ an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away⁴ from them, to do them good;⁵³ but I will put⁴ my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart² from me.

Yea, I will rejoice¹ over them to do them good,⁵³ and I will plant¹ them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

For thus saith¹ the LORD; Like as I have brought⁵² all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring⁵⁶ upon them all the good that I have promised⁶ them.

And fields shall be bought⁸ in this land, whereof ye say,⁶ [It is] desolate without man or beast; it is given⁸ into the hand of the Chaldeans.

Men shall buy⁴ fields for money, and subscribe² evidences, and seal² [them], and take⁵³ witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return,⁵⁵ saith⁷ the LORD.