Jeremiah’s Land Purchase
1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of King Zedekiah32:1 2Kg 24:17–20; 2Ch 36:10–12; Jr 27:1–11 of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.32:1 Jr 29:1
2At that time, the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem,32:2 Jr 39:1 and the prophet Jeremiah was imprisoned in the guard’s courtyard32:2 Neh 3:25; Jr 33:1; 37:21; 38:6; 39:14 in the palace of the king of Judah.
3King Zedekiah of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why are you prophesying as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: Look, I am about to hand this city over to Babylon’s king, and he will capture it.
6Jeremiah replied, “The word of the Lord came to me:
8“Then, as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to the guard’s courtyard 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.
9So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out the silver to him32:9 Gn 23:16; Zch 11:12 — seventeen shekels32:9 About seven ounces of silver.
10I recorded it on a scroll,32:10 Jr 32:44 sealed it, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales.
11I took the purchase agreement — the sealed copy with its terms and conditions and the open copy —
12and gave the purchase agreement to Baruch32:12 Jr 36:4–32; 43:3,6; 45:1–2 son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah. I did this in the sight of my cousin32:12 Some Hb mss, LXX, Syr; other Hb mss read uncle Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the purchase agreement, and all the Judeans sitting in the guard’s courtyard.
13“I charged Baruch in their sight,
14‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Take these scrolls — this purchase agreement with the sealed copy and this open copy — and put them in an earthen storage jar so they will last a long time.
16“After I had given the purchase agreement to Baruch, son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:32:16 Jr 42:4
17Oh, Lord God! You yourself made the heavens and earth32:17 2Kg 19:15; 2Ch 2:12; Is 37:16 by your great power32:17 Dt 4:37; Neh 1:10; Jr 27:5 and with your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you!32:17 Gn 18:14; Ex 3:20; 15:11; 34:10; Dt 17:8; Ps 40:5; 78:4; Jr 32:27; Zch 8:6; Mt 17:20; 19:26
18You show faithful love to thousands but lay the fathers’ iniquity on their sons’ laps after them,32:18 Ex 20:5–6; 34:7; Nm 14:18; Dt 5:9–10; 7:9 great and mighty God32:18 Neh 9:32 whose name is the Lord of Armies,
19the one great in counsel and powerful in action. Your eyes are on all the ways of the children of men32:19 Or Adam in order to reward each person according to his ways and as the result of his actions.32:19 Jr 4:18; 17:10
20You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt32:20 Ex 1–15; Dt 6:22; Neh 9:10 and still do today, both in Israel and among all mankind. You made a name32:20 Is 63:12,14; Dn 9:15 for yourself, as is the case today.
21You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.32:21 Ex 7:3; Dt 4:34; 6:22; 26:8; 34:11; Ps 78:43; 135:9
22You gave them this land you swore to give to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.32:22 Ex 3:8,17; Lv 20:24; Nm 13:27; Dt 26:9
23They entered and possessed it, but they did not obey you or live according to your instructions.32:23 Nm 14:22; Dt 28:45,62; Jos 5:6; Jdg 6:10; 2Kg 18:12; Ps 78:10; 81:11; Is 42:24; Jr 9:13; 32:23; 44:10 They failed to perform all you commanded them to do,32:23 Jr 11:8 and so you have brought all this disaster on them.
24Look! Siege ramps32:24 2Kg 25:1; Jr 6:6; Ezk 4:2 have come against the city to capture it, and the city, as a result of the sword, famine, and plague, has been handed over to the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you have spoken has happened. Look, you can see it!
25Yet you, Lord God, have said to me, ‘Purchase the field and call in witnesses’ — even though the city has been handed over to the Chaldeans!”
26The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:
27“Look, I am the Lord, the God over every creature.32:27 Nm 16:22; 27:16 Is anything too difficult for me?32:27 Gn 18:4
28Therefore, this is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the Chaldeans,32:28 Jr 32:3 to Babylon’s king Nebuchadnezzar, and he will capture it.
29The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come and set this city on fire. They will burn it, including the houses where incense has been burned to Baal on their rooftops and where drink offerings have been poured out to other gods to anger me.32:29 Jr 11:17; 44:3,8
30From their youth, the Israelites and Judeans have done nothing but what is evil in my sight! They have done nothing but anger me by the work of their hands”32:30 Jr 25:7 — this is the Lord’s declaration —
31“for this city has caused my wrath and fury from the day it was built until now. I will therefore remove it from my presence32:31 2Kg 23:27; 24:3
32because of all the evil the Israelites and Judeans have done to anger me — they, their kings,32:32 Jr 2:26 their officials, their priests, and their prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem.
33They have turned their backs to me and not their faces.32:33 2Ch 29:6; Jr 2:27; 18:17; Ezk 8:16 Though I taught them time and time again,32:33 Lit them, rising up early and teaching32:33 Jr 7:13,25; 11:7; 25:3; 26:5; 29:19; 35:14,15; 44:4 they do not listen and receive discipline.
34They have placed their abhorrent things32:34 Jr 4:1; 7:30; Ezk 5:11 in the house that bears my name and have defiled it.
35They have built the high places of Baal in Ben Hinnom Valley to sacrifice their sons and daughters in the fire32:35 Lit to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech32:35 Lv 18:21; 20:2–5; Dt 18:10; 2Kg 23:10; Jr 7:31; 19:4 — something I had not commanded them. I had never entertained the thought32:35 Lit them, and it did not arise on my heart that they do this detestable act causing Judah to sin!
36“Now therefore, this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says to this city about which you said, ‘It has been handed over to Babylon’s king through sword, famine, and plague’:
37I will certainly gather them from all the lands where I have banished them in my anger, fury, and intense wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them live in safety.32:37 Dt 12:10; Is 11:12; Jr 23:3; 29:14; 30:10; 31:8–14; Ezk 11:17; 28:26; 34:25,28; 36:24
40“I will make a permanent covenant with them:32:40 Gn 17:7,13,19; Is 55:3; 61:8; Jr 50:5; Ezk 16:60; 37:26 I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put fear of me in their hearts so they will never again turn away from me.32:40 Dt 19:20; Is 2:4; 60:18; Jr 3:16; 30:8; 31:34; Ezk 29:16; Jl 2:26–27; Am 9:15; Mc 4:3; Nah 1:15; Zph 3:11; Heb 8:11; 10:17
42“For this is what the Lord says: Just as I have brought all this terrible disaster on these people,32:42 Jr 31:28 so am I about to bring on them all the good I am promising them.
43Fields will be bought in this land about which you are saying,32:43 Jr 32:15 ‘It’s a desolation32:43 Jr 33:10 without people or animals; it has been handed over to the Chaldeans!’
44Fields will be purchased, the transaction written on a scroll and sealed,32:44 Jr 32:10 and witnesses will be called on in the land of Benjamin,32:44 Jr 17:26 in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in Judah’s cities — the cities of the hill country, the cities of the Judean foothills, and the cities of the Negev — because I will restore their fortunes.”32:44 Or will end their captivity
This is the Lord’s declaration.
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