1 T he word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah: that year was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.

This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

2 A nd the king of Babylon's army was then besieging Jerusalem; and the prophet Jeremiah was shut up in the court of the guard, which was in the king of Judah's house.

At that time the army of the king of Babylon was around Jerusalem. And Jeremiah the man of God was shut up in the open space of the prison, in the house of the king of Judah.

3 F or Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Why dost thou prophesy and say, Thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

For King Zedekiah of Judah had shut him up, saying, “Why do you speak these things in the Lord’s name? You have said, ‘This is what the Lord says: “I am giving this city to the king of Babylon, and he will take it.

4 a nd Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans; for he shall certainly be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

King Zedekiah of Judah will not get away from the Babylonians. For sure he will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon. He will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye.

5 a nd he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith Jehovah: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper?

He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will be there until I visit him,” says the Lord. “If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not win.”’”

6 A nd Jeremiah said, The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying,

Jeremiah said, “The Word of the Lord came to me, saying,

7 B ehold, Hanameel, the son of Shallum thine uncle, shall come unto thee, saying, Buy for thyself my field which is in Anathoth; for thine is the right of redemption, to buy.

‘Hanamel, the son of your father’s brother Shallum, will come to you and say, “Buy my field at Anathoth. For because of your place in the family you have the right to buy it.”’

8 A nd Hanameel, mine uncle's son, came to me in the court of the guard according to the word of Jehovah, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the land of Benjamin; for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine: buy for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of Jehovah.

Then Hanamel, the son of my father’s brother, came to me in the open space of the prison, as the Word of the Lord had said. And he said to me, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the land of Benjamin. For you have the right to own it. Because of your place in the family you have the right, so buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the Word of the Lord.

9 A nd I bought of Hanameel, mine uncle's son, the field which is in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, seventeen shekels of silver.

So I bought the field at Anathoth from Hanamel, the son of my father’s brother. And I weighed out seventeen pieces of silver for him.

10 A nd I subscribed the writing, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed the money in the balances.

I wrote my name and put my mark on the agreement, and called in people to watch. And I weighed the silver.

11 A nd I took the writing of the purchase, that which was sealed the law and the statutes, and that which was open;

Then I took the agreement which showed that I had bought the field, both the agreement which was not to be opened, and the open one.

12 a nd I gave the writing of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Nerijah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's, and in the presence of the witnesses that had subscribed the writing of purchase, before all the Jews that were sitting in the court of the guard.

And I gave the written agreement to Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah. This was seen by Hanamel, the son of my father’s brother, and by those who watched me write my name on the agreement, and by all the Jews who were sitting in the open space of the prison.

13 A nd I charged Baruch in their presence, saying,

I said to Baruch in front of them,

14 T hus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these writings, this writing of the purchase, both that which is sealed and this writing which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may remain many days.

‘This is what the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says: “Take these agreements, both the closed and open one, and put them in a clay jar so they may last a long time.”

15 F or thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be purchased in this land.

For the Lord of All, the God of Israel, says, “Houses and fields and grape-fields will again be bought in this land.”’ Jeremiah’s Prayer

16 A nd after I had given the writing of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Nerijah, I prayed unto Jehovah saying,

“After I had given the agreement showing I had bought the field to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying,

17 A las, Lord Jehovah! Behold, thou hast made the heavens and the earth by thy great power and stretched-out arm; there is nothing too hard for thee:

‘O Lord God! See, You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your long arm! Nothing is too hard for You!

18 w ho shewest mercy unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them, thou, the great, the mighty God,—Jehovah of hosts is his name;

You show loving-kindness to thousands, but put punishment for the sins of fathers on their children after them. O great and powerful God, the Lord of All is Your name.

19 g reat in counsel and mighty in work, whose eyes are open upon all the ways of the children of men, to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

You are great in wisdom and powerful in Your works. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men. You pay every one for what he does and for the fruit of what he does.

20 w ho hast displayed signs and wonders unto this day, in the land of Egypt and in Israel and among men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day.

You have made special things to see and have done wonders in the land of Egypt, and are still doing them even to this day both in Israel and among all men. You have made a name for Yourself as it is today.

21 A nd thou broughtest forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt by signs, and by wonders, and by a powerful hand, and by a stretched-out arm, and by great terror;

You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with special things to see and with wonders, and with a strong hand and a long arm, and with much trouble.

22 a nd didst give them this land, which thou hadst sworn unto their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

And You gave them this land which You promised their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

23 A nd they came in and possessed it: but they hearkened not unto thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do; so that thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them.

They came in and took it for their own. But they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your Law. They did not do anything that You told them to do. So You have made all this trouble come upon them.

24 B ehold the mounds, they are come unto the city for taking it; and the city is given over into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, by the sword, and the famine, and the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and behold, thou seest.

See, a battle-wall has been built up against the city to take it. And the city is given to the Babylonians who fight against it, because of the sword, hunger, and disease. What You have said would happen has now happened, as You see.

25 A nd thou, Lord Jehovah, thou hast said unto me, Buy for thyself the field for money, and take witnesses;—and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

O Lord God, You have said to me, “Buy the field with money, and call in people to see you buy it,” even though the city will be given over to the Babylonians.”’”

26 A nd the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah, saying,

Then the Word of the Lord came to Jeremiah, saying,

27 B ehold, I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?

“I am the Lord, the God of all flesh. Is anything too hard for Me?

28 T herefore thus saith Jehovah: Behold, I give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon, and he shall take it.

So this is what the Lord says: ‘See, I am giving this city to the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he will take it.

29 A nd the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come in and set fire to this city, and shall burn it, and the houses upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink-offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.

The Babylonians who are fighting against this city will come into it and set this city on fire and burn it. And the houses will burn where people have given special perfume to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink gifts to other gods to make Me angry.

30 F or the children of Israel and the children of Judah have been doing only evil in my sight from their youth; for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith Jehovah.

For the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah have been doing only what is sinful in My eyes since they were young. The sons of Israel have been only making Me angry by the work of their hands,” says the Lord.

31 F or this city hath been to me of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face,

‘This city has made Me very angry since the day they built it until now. So I will put it away from before My face

32 b ecause of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

because of all the sin of the sons of Israel and the sons of Judah, which they have done to make Me angry. They have sinned together with their kings, their leaders, their religious leaders, their men who speak in My name, the men of Judah, and the people of Jerusalem.

33 A nd they have turned unto me the back, and not the face; and though I taught them, rising early and teaching, they hearkened not to receive instruction.

They have turned their back to Me, and not their face. I taught them again and again, but they would not listen and learn.

34 A nd they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it;

They put their things that I hate in the house which is called by My name, and made it unclean.

35 a nd they have built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause to pass through their sons and their daughters unto Molech: which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.

They built the high places of the false god Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom, to give their sons and daughters as burnt gifts to Molech. I did not tell them to do this hated thing that made Judah sin. It did not even come into My mind. A Promise for the Future

36 A nd now therefore Jehovah, the God of Israel, saith thus concerning this city, whereof ye say, It hath been given over into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence:

“So now this is what the Lord God of Israel says about this city of which you say, ‘It is given over to the king of Babylon because of the sword, hunger, and disease.’

37 B ehold, I will gather them out of all the countries whither I have driven them, in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely.

I will gather them out of all the lands to which I have driven them in My strong anger. And I will bring them back to this place to live where they will be safe.

38 A nd they shall be my people, and I will be their God.

They will be My people, and I will be their God.

39 A nd I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me all days, for the good of them, and of their children after them.

I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear Me always, for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

40 A nd I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not draw back from them, to do them good; and I will put my fear in their heart, that they may not turn aside from me.

I will make an agreement with them that I will not turn away from them. I will do good to them, an agreement that will last forever. And I will help them fear Me in their hearts so they will not turn away from Me.

41 A nd I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will assuredly plant them in this land with my whole heart and with my whole soul.

I will have joy in doing good to them. And I will be faithful to plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.

42 F or thus saith Jehovah: Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have spoken concerning them.

For the Lord says, ‘Just as I brought all this trouble on these people, so I am going to bring all the good on them that I have promised them.

43 A nd fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

Fields will be bought in this land of which you say, “It is a waste, without man or animal. It is given over to the Babylonians.”

44 s hall buy fields for money, and subscribe the writings, and seal them, and take witnesses, in the land of Benjamin, and in the environs of Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the hill-country, and in the cities of the lowland, and in the cities of the south: for I will turn their captivity, saith Jehovah.

Men will buy fields for money, write their names and put their marks on agreements while people watch them do this in the land of Benjamin and in the places around Jerusalem. Also they will do this in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the Negev. For I will bring them back to their own land,’ says the Lord.”