Jeremiah Buys Hanamel’s Field 1 DBY The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah: that year was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar. BSB BSB: 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 DBY And 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. BSB BSB: At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the courtyard of the guard, which was in the palace of the king of Judah.
3 DBY For 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; BSB BSB: For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying: “Why are you prophesying like this? You claim that the LORD says, ‘Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.
4 DBY and 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; BSB BSB: Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape from the hands of the Chaldeans, but he will surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye.
5 DBY and 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? BSB BSB: He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will stay until I attend to him, declares the LORD. If you fight against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed.’”
6 DBY And Jeremiah said, The word of Jehovah came unto me, saying, BSB BSB: Jeremiah replied, “The word of the LORD came to me, saying:
7 DBY Behold, 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 it . BSB BSB: Behold! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy for yourself my field in Anathoth, for you have the right of redemption to buy it.’
8 DBY And 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 it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of Jehovah. BSB BSB: Then, as the LORD had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’” Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
9 DBY And I bought of Hanameel, mine uncle's son, the field which is in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, seventeen shekels of silver. BSB BSB: So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out seventeen shekels of silver.
10 DBY And I subscribed the writing, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed the money in the balances. BSB BSB: I signed and sealed the deed, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales.
11 DBY And I took the writing of the purchase, that which was sealed according to the law and the statutes, and that which was open; BSB BSB: Then I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy with its terms and conditions, as well as the open copy—
12 DBY and 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 son , 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. BSB BSB: and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the sight of my cousin Hanamel and the witnesses who were signing the purchase agreement and all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.
13 DBY And I charged Baruch in their presence, saying, BSB BSB: In their sight I instructed Baruch,
14 DBY Thus 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. BSB BSB: “This is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Take these deeds—both the sealed copy and the open copy of the deed of purchase—and put them in a clay jar to preserve them for a long time.
15 DBY For thus saith Jehovah of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and fields and vineyards shall again be purchased in this land. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”
Jeremiah Prays for Understanding 16 DBY And after I had given the writing of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Nerijah, I prayed unto Jehovah saying, BSB BSB: After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD:
17 DBY Alas, 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: BSB BSB: “Oh, Lord GOD! You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for You!
18 DBY who 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; BSB BSB: You show loving devotion to thousands but lay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts,
19 DBY great 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: BSB BSB: the One great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose eyes are on all the ways of the sons of men, to reward each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds.
20 DBY who hast displayed signs and wonders unto this day, in the land of Egypt and in Israel and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day. BSB BSB: You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and You do so to this very day, both in Israel and among all mankind. And You have made a name for Yourself, as is the case to this day.
21 DBY And 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; BSB BSB: You brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.
22 DBY and didst give them this land, which thou hadst sworn unto their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. BSB BSB: You gave them this land that You had sworn to give their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.
23 DBY And 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. BSB BSB: They came in and possessed it, but they did not obey Your voice or walk in Your law. They failed to perform all that You commanded them to do, and so You have brought upon them all this disaster.
24 DBY Behold 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 it . BSB BSB: See how the siege ramps are mounted against the city to capture it. And by sword and famine and plague, the city has been given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What You have spoken has happened, as You now see!
25 DBY And 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. BSB BSB: Yet You, O Lord GOD, have said to me, ‘Buy for yourself the field with silver and call in witnesses, even though the city has been delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans!’”
The LORD Answers Jeremiah 26 DBY And the word of Jehovah came unto Jeremiah, saying, BSB BSB: Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah:
27 DBY Behold, I am Jehovah, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me? BSB BSB: “Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh. Is anything too difficult for Me?
28 DBY Therefore 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. BSB BSB: Therefore this is what the LORD says: Behold, I am about to deliver this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, who will capture it.
29 DBY And 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. BSB BSB: And the Chaldeans who are fighting against this city will come in, set it on fire, and burn it, along with the houses of those who provoked Me to anger by burning incense to Baal on their rooftops and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.
30 DBY For 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. BSB BSB: For the children of Israel and of Judah have done nothing but evil in My sight from their youth; indeed, they have done nothing but provoke Me to anger by the work of their hands, declares the LORD.
31 DBY For this city hath been to me a provocation 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, BSB BSB: For this city has aroused My wrath and fury from the day it was built until now. Therefore I will remove it from My presence
32 DBY because 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. BSB BSB: because of all the evil the children of Israel and of Judah have done to provoke Me to anger—they, their kings, their officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah, and the residents of Jerusalem.
33 DBY And 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. BSB BSB: They have turned their backs to Me and not their faces. Though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.
34 DBY And they have set their abominations in the house which is called by my name, to defile it; BSB BSB: They have placed their abominations in the house that bears My Name, and so have defiled it.
35 DBY and they have built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause to pass through the fire 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. BSB BSB: They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Ben-hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered My mind, that they should commit such an abomination and cause Judah to sin.
A Promise of Restoration (Ezekiel 11:13–21)
36 DBY And 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: BSB BSB: Now therefore, about this city of which you say, ‘It will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword and famine and plague,’ this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says:
37 DBY Behold, 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. BSB BSB: I will surely gather My people from all the lands to which I have banished them in My furious anger and great wrath, and I will return them to this place and make them dwell in safety.
38 DBY And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. BSB BSB: They will be My people, and I will be their God.
39 DBY And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me all their days, for the good of them, and of their children after them. BSB BSB: I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.
40 DBY And 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. BSB BSB: I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never turn away from doing good to them, and I will put My fear in their hearts, so that they will never turn away from Me.
41 DBY And 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. BSB BSB: Yes, I will rejoice in doing them good, and I will faithfully plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul.
42 DBY For 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. BSB BSB: For this is what the LORD says: Just as I have brought all this great disaster on this people, so I will bring on them all the good I have promised them.
43 DBY And 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. BSB BSB: And fields will be bought in this land about which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; it has been delivered into the hands of the Chaldeans.’
44 DBY Men shall 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.BSB BSB: Fields will be purchased with silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed in the land of Benjamin, in the areas surrounding Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah—the cities of the hill country, the foothills, and the Negev—because I will restore them from captivity, declares the LORD.”