16 After I’d given the purchase deed to Neriyah’s son Baruk, I prayed to Yahweh, saying: 17 Oh no, master Yahweh. Listen, you alone made the heavens and the earth by taking action and using your incredible strength. Nothing you say is too difficult for you to do. 18 You show loyal commitment to thousands, and pour people’s guilt into their children’s laps after them. You are the strong and powerful god—your name is Commander-in-chief Yahweh. 19 You are very wise and do incredible things, because your eyes are open to all the people’s ways—to give each person what their conduct and actions deserve. 20 You did miracles and amazing things in Mitsrayim (Egypt), remembered to this day, and you’ve made a name for yourself in Yisrael (Israel) and among humankind. 21 You brought your people Yisrael out from Mitsrayim using miracles and amazing things and by taking action and using your incredible strength, along with great terror. 22 Then you gave them this land which you had promised their ancestors that you’d give them—a land that’s very fertile. 23 So they entered and took possession of it, but they didn’t listen to your voice or follow your instructions. They didn’t do anything that you’d ordered them to do so you’ve brought all this calamity onto them.

24 Look, the siege mounds have reached up to the city to capture it, and it’s been handed over to the Kasdim (Chaldeans) who’ve been fighting it. Everything you said would happen has, including war, famine, and deadly diseases, and you’re there watching it. 25 Then you yourself told me, ‘Use silver to buy yourself a field, and have witnesses witness it, even though this city is being handed over to the Kasdim.’

26 Then Yahweh gave Yirmiyah (Jeremiah) this message: 27 Listen, I’m Yahweh, the god of all mankind. Is there anything that’s too difficult for me to do? 28 Therefore Yahweh says this, ‘Listen, I’m about to hand this city over to the Babylonians—the Babylonian King Nevukadnetsar (Nebuchadnezzar) will capture it.[ref] 29 The soldiers who are fighting against this city will come and set fire to this city and burn it. Those people who worship Ba’al on their flat roofs, and who poured out drink offerings to other gods in order to provoke me, will now have their houses burnt down 30 because the people of Yisrael (Israel) and Yehudah (Judah) have certainly been people who’ve been doing evil in front of me since their youth. The people of Yisrael have certainly offended me with the practices and activities. That is Yahweh’s declaration. 31 Yahweh declares that the people of this city has provoked my anger and fury since the day that they built it, and then right up to the present day, so I’ll will remove it right out of my sight, 32 because of all the wicked things that the people of Yisrael and Yehudah have done to provoke me—their kings, princes, priests, prophets, and every person in Yehudah including Yerushalem’s (Jerusalem’s) inhabitants. 33 They turned their backs to me instead of their faces, even though I had eagerly taught them. I tried to teach them, but they wouldn’t listen or receive correction. 34 They set up their detestable idols in the house that is called by my name, in order to defile it, 35 and they built hilltop shrines for Ba’al along the Ben-Hinom valley in order to pass their sons and daughters through the fire for Molek.[ref] I didn’t command them to do that—it never entered my mind that they should do that detestable thing and so cause Yehudah to sin.’[ref][ref]