Dual Panel1In the tenth <06224> year <08141> that Zedekiah <06667> was ruling over <04428> Judah <03063> the Lord <03068> spoke to <0413> Jeremiah <03414>. That <01931> was the same as the eighteenth <06240> <08083> year <08141> of Nebuchadnezzar <05019>.
2Now at that time <0227>, the armies <02428> of the king <04428> of Babylon <0894> were besieging <06696> Jerusalem <03389>. The prophet <05030> Jeremiah <03414> was <01961> confined <03607> in the courtyard <02691> of the guardhouse <04307> attached to the royal <04428> palace <01004> of Judah <03063>.
3For King <04428> Zedekiah <06667> had confined <03607> Jeremiah there after he had reproved him for prophesying as he did. He had asked Jeremiah, “Why <04069> do you <0859> keep prophesying <05012> these things <03541>? Why do you keep saying that the Lord <03068> says <0559>, ‘I will hand <05414> this <02063> city <05892> over to the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>? I will let him capture <03920> it.
4King <04428> Zedekiah <06667> of Judah <03063> will not <03808> escape <04422> from the Babylonians <03778>. He will certainly <05414> <05414> be handed over <03027> <05414> <05414> to the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>. He must answer <01696> personally <06310> <06310> to <05973> the king of Babylon and confront <07200> him face <05869> to face <05869>.
5Zedekiah <06667> will be carried off <01980> to Babylon <0894> and will remain <01961> there <08033> until <05704> I have fully dealt <06485> with him. I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> it! Even if <03588> you continue to fight <03898> against <0854> the Babylonians <03778>, you cannot <03808> win <06743>.’”
6So now, Jeremiah <03414> said <0559>, “The Lord <03068> told <01697> me,
7‘Hanamel <02601>, the son <01121> of your uncle <01730> Shallum <07967>, will come <0935> to <0413> you soon. He will say <0559> to you, “Buy <07069> my field <07704> at Anathoth <06068> because <03588> you are entitled <04941> as my closest relative <01353> to buy <07069> it.”’
8Now it happened just as the Lord <03068> had said! My cousin <01730> <01121> Hanamel <02601> came <0935> to <0413> me in the courtyard <02691> of the guardhouse <04307>. He said <0559> to <0413> me, ‘Buy <07069> my field <07704> which <0834> is at Anathoth <06068> in the territory <0776> of the tribe of Benjamin <01144>. Buy <07069> it for <03588> yourself since you are entitled <04941> as my closest relative <01353> to take possession <03425> of it for yourself.’ When this happened, I recognized <03045> that <01931> the Lord <03068> had indeed <03588> spoken <01697> to me.
9So I bought <07069> the field <07704> at Anathoth <06068> from my cousin <01730> <01121> Hanamel <02601>. I weighed out <08254> seven ounces <03701> <06235> <08255> <07651> of silver <03701> and gave it to him to pay for it.
10I signed <03789> the deed <05612> of purchase, sealed <02856> it, and had some men serve <05749> as witnesses <05707> to the purchase. I weighed <08254> out the silver <03701> for him on a scale <03976>.
11There were two copies of the deed <05612> of purchase <04736>. One was sealed <02856> and contained the order of transfer <04687> and the conditions <02706> of purchase. The other was left unsealed <01540>.
12I took <05414> both copies of the deed <05612> of purchase <04736> and gave them to <0413> Baruch <01263> son <01121> of Neriah <05374>, the son <01121> of Mahseiah <04271>. I gave them to him in the presence <05869> of my cousin <01730> Hanamel <02601>, the witnesses <05707> who had signed <03789> the deed <05612> of purchase <04736>, and all <03605> the Judeans <03064> who were housed in <03427> the courtyard <02691> of the guardhouse <04307>.
13In the presence <05869> of all these people I instructed <06680> Baruch <01263>,
14‘The Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> who rules over all <06635> says <0559>, “Take <03947> these <0428> documents <05612>, both the sealed <02856> copy of the deed of purchase <04736> and the unsealed <01540> copy <05612>. Put <05414> them in a clay <02789> jar <03627> so that <04616> they may be preserved <05975> for a long <07227> time <03117> to come.”’
15For <03588> the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478> who rules over all <06635> says <0559>, “Houses <01004>, fields <07704>, and vineyards <03754> will again <05750> be bought <07069> in this <02063> land <0776>.”’
16“After <0310> I had given <05414> the copies of the deed <05612> of purchase <04736> to <0413> Baruch <01263> son <01121> of Neriah <05374>, I prayed <06419> to <0413> the Lord <03068>,
17‘Oh <0162>, Lord <03068> God <0136>, you <0859> did indeed <02009> make <06213> heaven <08064> and earth <0776> by your mighty <01419> power <03581> and great strength <05186> <02220>. Nothing <01697> <03605> <03808> is too hard <06381> for <04480> you!
18You show <06213> unfailing love <02617> to thousands <0505>. But you also punish <07999> children <01121> for the sins <05771> of their parents <01>. You are the great <01419> and powerful <01368> God <0410> who is known <08034> as the Lord <03068> who rules over all <06635>.
19You plan <06098> great <01419> things <06098> and you do mighty <07227> deeds <05950>. You see <05869> everything <03605> people <0120> do. You reward <05414> each <0376> of them for the way <01870> they live and for the things <06529> they do <04611>.
20You did <07760> miracles <0226> and amazing deeds <04159> in the land <0776> of Egypt <04714> which <0834> have had lasting <03117> <05704> effect. By this <02088> means you gained <06213> both in Israel <03478> and among humankind <0120> a renown <08034> that lasts to this <02088> day <03117>.
21You used your mighty power <03027> and your great <02389> strength <0248> to perform miracles <04159> and amazing deeds <0226> and to bring <05186> great <01419> terror <04172> on the Egyptians. By this means you brought <03318> your people <05971> Israel <03478> out <03318> of the land <0776> of Egypt <04714>.
22You kept <05414> the promise that <0834> you swore <07650> on oath to their ancestors <01>. You gave <05414> them a land <0776> flowing <02100> with milk <02461> and honey <01706>.
23But when they came <0935> in and took possession <03423> of it, they did not <03808> obey <06963> <08085> you or <03808> live <01980> as you had instructed them. They did not <03808> do <06213> anything <03605> that <0834> you commanded <06680> them to do <06213>. So you brought <07122> all <03605> this <02063> disaster <07451> on them.
24Even now <02009> siege ramps <05550> have been built up <0935> around the city <05892> in order to capture <03920> it. War <02719>, starvation <07458>, and disease <01698> are sure to make <05414> the city <05892> fall into <05921> the hands <03027> of the Babylonians <03778> who are attacking <03898> it. Lord, you threatened <01696> that <0834> this would happen <01961>. Now you can see <07200> that it is already taking place.
25The city <05892> is sure to fall <05414> into the hands <03027> of the Babylonians <03778>. Yet, in spite of this, you <0859>, Lord <03069> God <0136>, have said <0559> to <0413> me, “Buy <07069> that field <07704> with silver <03701> and have the transaction <05749> legally witnessed <05707>.”’”
26The Lord <03068> answered <0559> Jeremiah <03414>.
27“I <0589> am the Lord <03068>, the God <0430> of all <03605> humankind <01320>. There is, indeed, nothing <01697> <03605> too <04480> difficult <06381> for me.
28Therefore <03651> I, the Lord <03068>, say <0559>: ‘I will indeed <02005> hand <03027> <05414> this <02063> city <05892> over <03027> <05414> to King <04428> Nebuchadnezzar <05019> of Babylon <0894> and the Babylonian <03778> army. They will capture <03920> it.
29The Babylonian soldiers <03778> that are attacking <03898> this <02063> city <05892> will break <0935> into <05921> it and set <03341> it on fire <0784>. They will burn <08313> it down <08313> along with <0854> the houses <01004> where <0834> people have made <03707> me angry <03707> by <04616> offering sacrifices <06999> to the god Baal <01168> and by pouring out <05258> drink offerings <05262> to other <0312> gods <0430> on <05921> their rooftops <01406>.
30This will happen <01961> because <03588> the people <01121> of Israel <03478> and Judah <03063> have repeatedly <0389> done <06213> what displeases <05869> <07451> me from their earliest history <05271> until now and because <03588> they have repeatedly <0389> made <03707> me angry <03707> by <0854> the things they have done <04639>. I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> it!
31This will happen because <03588> the people of this city <05892> have aroused <01961> my anger <0639> and my wrath <02534> since <04480> the time <03117> they built <01129> it until <05704> now <02088> <03117>. They have made me so angry that I am determined to remove <05493> it from <05921> my sight <06440>.
32I am determined to do so because the people <01121> of Israel <03478> and Judah <03063> have made <03707> me angry <03707> with <05921> all <03605> their wickedness <07451>– they <01992>, their kings <04428>, their officials <08269>, their priests <03548>, their prophets <05030>, and especially the people <0376> of Judah <03063> and the citizens <03427> of Jerusalem <03389> have done this wickedness.
33They have turned away <06437> from <0413> me instead of turning to me. I tried over and over <03925> again <07925> to instruct <03925> them, but they did not <0369> listen <08085> and respond <03947> to correction <04148>.
34They set <07760> up their disgusting idols <08251> in the temple <01004> which <0834> I have claimed <07121> for my own <08034> and defiled <02930> it.
35They built <01129> places of worship <01116> for the god Baal <01168> in the Valley <01516> of Ben <01121> Hinnom <02011> so that they could sacrifice <05674> their sons <01121> and daughters <01323> to the god Molech <04432>. Such <0834> a disgusting practice was not <03808> something I commanded <06680> them to do! It never <03808> even entered <05927> my mind <03820> to command them to do <06213> such a thing <08441>! So <04616> Judah <03063> is certainly liable <02398> for punishment <02398>.’
36“You <0859> and your people are right in saying <0559>, ‘War <02719>, starvation <07458>, and disease <01698> are sure to make <05414> this city fall <05414> into the hands <03027> of the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>.’ But now <06258> I, the Lord <03068> God <0430> of Israel <03478>, have something further to <0413> say <0559> about this <02063> city <05892>:
37‘I will certainly regather <06908> my people from all <03605> the countries <0776> where <0834> I will have exiled <05080> them in my anger <0639>, fury <02534>, and great <01419> wrath <07110>. I will bring them back <07725> to <0413> this <02088> place <04725> and allow them to live <03427> here in safety <0983>.
38They will be <01961> my people <05971>, and I <0589> will be <01961> their God <0430>.
39I will give <05414> them a single-minded purpose <0259> <03820> to live in a <0259> way <01870> that always <03117> <03605> shows respect <03372> for me. They will want to do that for their own good <02896> and the good of the children <01121> who descend <0310> from them.
40I will make <03772> a lasting <05769> covenant <01285> with them that <0834> I will never <03808> stop doing <07725> good <03190> to <0310> them. I will fill <05414> their hearts <03824> and minds with respect <03374> for me so that they will never <01115> again turn away <05493> from <05921> me.
41I will take delight <07797> in <05921> doing good <02895> to them. I will faithfully <0571> and wholeheartedly <03820> <03605> plant <05193> them firmly <05315> <03605> in the land <0776>.’
42“For <03588> I, the Lord <03068>, say <0559>: ‘I <0595> will surely bring <0935> on <05921> these people <05971> all <03605> the good <02896> fortune that <0834> I am hereby promising <01696> them. I <0595> will be just as sure to do that as <0834> I have been in bringing <0935> all <03605> this <02063> great <01419> disaster <07451> on <05921> them.
43You <0859> and your people are saying <0559> that <0834> this land <01931> will become desolate <08077>, uninhabited <0369> by either people <0120> or animals <0929>. You are saying that it will be handed over <05414> to the Babylonians <03778>. But fields <07704> will again be bought <07069> in this <02063> land <0776>.
44Fields <07704> will again be bought <07069> with silver <03701>, and deeds <05612> of purchase signed <03789>, sealed <02856>, and witnessed <05707> <05749>. This will happen in the territory <0776> of Benjamin <01144>, the villages surrounding <05439> Jerusalem <03389>, the towns <05892> in Judah <03063>, the southern hill country <02022>, the western foothills <08219>, and southern <05045> Judah. For <03588> I will restore <07725> them to their land <07622>. I, the Lord <03068>, affirm <05002> it!’”