Jeremiah, 32

1. The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which [was] the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.

1. This is the word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of Zedekiah's reign as king of Judah, the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.

2. For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which [was] in the king of Judah's house.

2. At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem and the prophet Jeremiah was imprisoned in the Guards' Courtyard of the royal palace of Judah.

3. For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;

3. Zedekiah king of Judah had him shut up after saying to him, "Why do you prophesy in the name of Yahweh as you do? Yes, you said: 'I am going to hand this city to the king of Babylon who will take it.

4. And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;

4. And King Zedekiah will not escape from the Chaldeans; he will be delivered into the power of the king of Babylon, speak face to face to him and see him with his own eyes.

5. And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.

5. Zedekiah will be brought to Babylon where he will remain until I deal with him. In any case your fight against the Chaldeans is hopeless'."

6. And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,

6. So at that time the word of Yahweh came to Jeremiah:

7. Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee, saying, Buy thee my field that [is] in Anathoth: for the right of redemption [is] thine to buy [it].

7. 'Hanamel, son of your uncle Shallum, is going to visit you and ask you to buy his field at Anathoth as it is your right to do so.'

8. So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that [is] in Anathoth, which [is] in the country 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 the LORD.

8. Then my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the Guards and said, 'Purchase my field at Anathoth since you have the right of possession and the redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.'

9. And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that [was] in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, [even] seventeen shekels of silver.

9. I then understood this was the word of Yahweh and I bought the field from Hanamel and I weighed out the silver for it, seventeen shekels of silver.

10. And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed [it], and took witnesses, and weighed [him] the money in the balances.

10. Then I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed and the silver weighed on the scales.

11. So I took the evidence of the purchase, [both] that which was sealed [according] to the law and custom, and that which was open:

11. Then I took the deed of purchase (the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions and the open copy).

12. And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's [son], and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.

12. I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch, son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my uncle and the witnesses who signed the deed and before all the Jews who were sitting in the court of the Guards.

13. And I charged Baruch before them, saying,

13. Then in their presence I commanded Baruch:

14. Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.

14. This is what Yahweh the God of hosts and the God of Israel says: Take these documents, both the sealed and the unsealed copies of the deed of purchase. Place them in an earthenware jar so that they may last a long time

15. For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.

15. for Yahweh God of hosts and God of Israel says this: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land."

16. Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying,

16. When I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh:

17. Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, [and] there is nothing too hard for thee:

17. "Ah, Lord Yahweh, you have made the heavens and the earth with your great power and mighty deeds. Nothing is impossible to you!

18. Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, [is] his name,

18. You show mercy to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers' sins on their children. Great and Mighty, Yahweh God of hosts is your name!

19. Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes [are] open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:

19. You are great in planning and mighty in deeds, your eyes follow the ways of all the humans, and you give to each one according to his conduct and the fruit of his actions.

20. Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, [even] unto this day, and in Israel, and among [other] men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day;

20. You have continually worked signs and wonders, in the land of Egypt, in Israel and among all humankind. Hence you have become famous, as we see today.

21. And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;

21. You brought your people from the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with your great power and your mighty deeds.

22. And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;

22. You gave your people this land which you had promised with an oath to their fathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

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

23. But as soon as they entered and conquered it, they did not listen to you and did not walk according to your Law. They refused to do what you commanded and you brought great misfortune on them.

24. Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest [it].

24. You see, O Yahweh, the mounds built up to take the city are reaching it. And the city exhausted by the sword, famine and plague will be given over to the Chaldeans. What you foretold has happened as you can now see!

25. And thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.

25. And yet you told me, O Lord Yahweh, to buy a field with silver and have the purchase witnessed in the very days the city is falling to the Chaldeans!"

26. Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,

26. The word of Yahweh then came to Jeremiah:

27. Behold, I [am] the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?

27. "I am Yahweh, the God of all humankind. Is there anything impossible for me?

28. Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it:

28. Therefore this is what Yahweh says: I am about to hand the city over to the Chaldeans and Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon who will take it.

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

29. The Chaldeans who are attacking the city will come in and set it on fire. They will burn the houses where the people aroused my anger by burning incense to Baal and pouring drink offerings to foreign gods.

30. For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.

30. For the people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth.

31. For this city hath been to me [as] 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,

31. All they did was to arouse my anger with the work of their hands - it is Yahweh who speaks - for this city has so aroused my anger and fury from the time it was built to this day,

32. 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.

32. that I must remove it from my sight. It is on account of all the evil the people of Israel and Judah have done to anger me - they, their kings and princes, their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

33. And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching [them], yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.

33. They turned their backs to me and not their faces. Although I taught them time and time again they did not listen nor have they learned the lesson.

34. But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.

34. They even put their idols in the sanctuary that houses my Name to defile it.

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

35. They built high places to Baal in the valley of Ben-Hinnom where they worshipped Baal and sacrificed their sons and daughters to Moloch. This I never commanded nor did I ever think they could do such a detestable thing and so make Judah so sinful.

36. And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;

36. As you say, this city exhausted by the sword, famine and plague will be handed over to the king of Babylon. But now listen to what Yahweh the God of Israel says:

37. Behold, I will gather them out of all 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:

37. "See, I am going to gather them from all the countries where I scattered them in my anger, fury and great wrath. I will bring them back to this place and have them live in safety.

38. And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:

38. They will be my people and I shall be their God.

39. And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:

39. I will have them think and act in another way, so that they may always fear me for their own good and the good of their children.

40. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.

40. I will forge an eternal covenant with them by which I shall never cease to do them good and I shall place my fear in their heart so that they may never turn away from me.

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

41. I shall rejoice in doing them good and I shall plant them securely in this land with all my heart and soul."

42. For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.

42. And Yahweh says, "Just as I brought great disaster on this people, so shall I bring them all the happiness I promised them.

43. 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.

43. Then fields will be bought in this land about which you say that it is a wasteland without man or beast and given over to the Chaldeans.

44. Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal [them], and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.

44. Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds written and sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin and the region around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah, in the towns of the hill country, in the towns of Shephelah and those of the south. Yes, I will bring back their captives" - word of Yahweh.