Open English Translation JER Chapter 32

32 This was the message that came to Yirmeyah from Yahweh in the tenth year of the reign of Yehudah’s King Tsidkiyah (Zedekiah, the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign).[ref] 2 The army of the Babylonian king had besieged Yerushalem, and the prophet Yirmeyah was imprisoned in the guards’ courtyard at the palace of Yehudah’s king. 3 Yehudah’s king Tsidkiyah had imprisoned him there after asking, “Why do you prophesy and say that Yahweh says: Listen, I’m about to hand this city over to the Babylonian king and he’ll capture it. 4 Yehudah’s King Tsidkiyah definitely won’t escape from the power of the Babylonians (Heb. Chaldeans), because he’ll be handed over to the Babylonian king and they’ll speak face-to-face to each other. 5 He’ll take Tsidkiyah to Babylon where he’ll remain until I’ve dealt with him. No, you all won’t succeed in fighting against the Babylonians. That is Yahweh’s declaration.

6 Then Yirmeyah said: Yahweh gave me a message, saying: 7 Listen, your cousin Hanamel (your uncle Shallum’s son) is coming to see you and will ask you to buy his field in Anatot, because you have the right to buy it. 8 Then just as Yahweh had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the guards’ courtyard and he asked me, “Buy my field that is in Anatot in the Benyamin region, because you have the right to inherit it so the right to buy it belongs to you. Buy it for yourself.” Then I knew that this was Yahweh’s message. 9 So I bought the field in Anatot from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver for him. 10 Then I wrote in a scroll and sealed it, and had witnesses witness it and the weight of the silver on the scales. 11 Next I took that sealed purchase deed with the price and conditions, as well as an unsealed copy. 12 I gave the sealed purchase document to Baruk (son of Neriyah, son of Mahseyah) in front of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who’d signed the purchase agreement, as well as all the Judeans who were sitting in the guards’ courtyard. 13 Then still in front of them, I instructed Baruk, 14 Yisrael’s god, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says this: Take these documents, both this receipt of purchase that’s sealed and the unsealed copies, and put them into a clay jar so they’ll last for a long time, 15 because Yisrael’s god, Commander-in-chief Yahweh says this: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.

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 Egypt (Heb. Mitsrayim), remembered to this day, and you’ve made a name for yourself in Yisrael and among humankind. 21 You brought your people Yisrael out from Egypt 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 flowing with milk and honey. 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 its been handed over to the Babylonians (Heb. 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 Babylonians (Heb. Chaldeans).’

26 Then Yahweh gave Yirmeyah 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 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 Baal 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 and Yehudah have certainly been people who’ve been doing evil in front of me since their youth. The people of Israel 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 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,[ref] 35 and they built hilltop shrines for Baal along the Ben-Hinnom 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]

36 So now Yisrael’s god Yahweh has something to say about this city that you’ve all been talking about, saying, ‘It’s been handed over to the Babylonian king due to war, famine, and deadly diseases.’ 37 Listen, I’ll gather them back from every land where I had banished them to in my rage, fury, and great anger. I’m about to bring them back to this place and enable them to live in security, 38 and then they’ll be my people and I’ll be their god. 39 I’ll give them a united vision and a single way to honour me every day so that it’ll turn out good for them and for their descendants after them. 40 Then I’ll make a permanent agreement with them, that I won’t turn away from doing good to them. I’ll set honour for me in their minds, so that they’ll never turn away from me. 41 Then I’ll take pleasure in doing good to them. I’ll faithfully plant them in this land with all my heart and all my life 42 because Yahweh says this, ‘Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so too I’ll bring on them all the good things that I’ve said I’d do for them. 43 Then people will buy fields in this land, about which you’ve been saying, “This land is ruined, without people or even animals living on it. It’s been handed over to the Babylonians.” 44 They’ll use silver to buy fields and will write in sealed scrolls. They’ll assemble witnesses in the Benyamin region, all around Yerushalem and Yehudah’s other cities of Judah, in the cities in the hill country and in the lowlands, and in the cities of the Negev, because I’ll bring back their fortunes. That is Yahweh’s declaration.