Jeremiah 32

2when the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremias was confined in the court of the prison which is in the king’s house (

3to which king Sedekias had confined him) saying, Why dost thou prophesy and say, Thus said the Lord: Behold I deliver this city into the hands of the king of Babylon and he shall take it;

4and Sedekias shall not escape out of the hands of the Chaldeans, for he shall assuredly be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon who shall speak to him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall see his eyes;

5and Sedekias shall go to Babylon.

7Behold Anameel son of Salom thy father’s brother is coming to thee and will say, Buy thee my field which is at Anathoth, for the right of purchase is in thee.

9so I bought the field of Anameel, my father’s brother’s son and paid him seventeen shekels of silver.

10And when I had signed the writing and sealed it and had it witnessed and had paid the money by weight,

11I took the deed of possession which was sealed and gave it to Baruch, son of Nerias son of Maasias in the presence of Anameel my father’s brother’s son,

12and in the presence of the bystanders who had signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of the Jews who were in the court of the prison.

13And in their presence I gave a charge to Baruch, saying,

14Thus said the Lord Almighty: Take this deed of possession, even this deed which hath been read, and put it in an earthen vessel that it may remain there many days.

15For thus said the Lord, Fields and houses and vineyards shall again be possessed in this land.

16And after I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Nerias, I prayed to the Lord, saying:

17O self-existent Lord, Thou hast made the heaven and the earth by Thy great power and by Thy high and exalted arm. From Thee nothing can be hid.

18Thou shewest mercy to thousands and retributest the sins of fathers into the bosoms of their children after them.

19Thou art the God, the Great, the Mighty One, the Lord of great counsel and mighty in works, the Mighty Omnipotent God, and the Lord of great renown. Thine eyes are on the ways of the children of men to give to every one according to his way.

20Thou hast done signs and wonders in the land of Egypt which continue even to this day; and in Israef and among the inhabitants of the earth; and hast made Thyself a name as at this day.

21Thou didst bring Thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders and with a strong hand and an outstretched arm and with stupendous visions,

22and gavest them this land which with an oath Thou hadst promised to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

23But when they entered in and had taken possession of it, they hearkened not to Thy voice nor walked in Thy statutes. They did not do all that Thou commandedst them, so they have brought upon themselves all these evils.

24Behold a multitude is come up against this city to take it; and this city is about to be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it, by reason of the sword and famine. As Thou hast spoken, so it hath come to pass.

25Now Thou sayest to me, Buy thee a field for it and had it witnessed; though the city is about to be delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans.

26Then a word of the Lord came to me saying,

27I the Lord am the God of all flesh. From Me nothing can be hid.

28Therefore thus said the Lord the God of Israel: This city will assuredly be given up into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will take it.

29And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come and burn this city with fire; and they will burn those houses on the tops of which they have offered incense to Baal and poured out libations to strange gods, to provoke me.

30Because the children of Israel and the children of Juda have done nothing but evil before Mine eyes from their youth-

31because this very city hath been an object of My wrath and of My resentment from the day it was built to this day;

32let him remove it from My presence on account of all the iniquities of the children of Israel and Juda, which they and their kings and their chiefs and their priests and their prophets, the men of Juda and the inhabitants of Jerusalem have done to provoke Me.

33For they have turned to Me their back and not their face. Though I taught them betimes, they would no more receive instruction,

34but have set up their abominations in the house which is called by My name, and polluted it with their impurities;

35and have built up the altars to Baal which were in the valley of the son of Ennom to offer up their sons and their daughters to king Moloch-a thing which I never commanded them, nor did it ever come into My mind that they should commit such an abomination to cause Juda to transgress heinously.

36But now thus said the Lord the God of Israel respecting this city, which as thou sayest shall be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon by sword and by famine and by pestilence:

37Behold I will gather them from every land through which I have in My wrath and in My great indignation dispersed them; and I will bring them back to this place and cause them to live securely.

38And they shall be My people and I will be their God.

39And I will give them another way and another heart that I may be always feared and may be for good to them and their children after them.

40And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, which I will not turn away from them; and I will put My fear in their heart, that they may not apostatise from Me;

41and I will watch over them to do them good, and plant them in this land with faithfulness even with My whole heart and soul.

43And fields shall again be purchased in this land which as thou sayest shall be untrodden by men and beasts when they are delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans.

44And they shall purchase fields for money. And thou shalt subscribe deeds and seal them and cause them to be witnessed in the land of Benjamin and around Jerusalem and in the cities of Juda and in the cities of the mountain and in the cities of the plain and in the cities of the south; for I will bring back their captivities.