1This is the message that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar.
2At that time, the army of the king of Babylon was surrounding Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the court of the guard, which was in the palace of the king of Judah.
3King Zedekiah of Judah had locked him up, asking, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Yahweh says, “Look, I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it;
4and King Zedekiah of Judah will not escape from the Chaldeans, but will surely be handed over to the king of Babylon. He will speak with him face to face, and his eyes will meet his eyes;
5and the king of Babylon will take Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will stay there until I deal with him,” says Yahweh. “Even if you fight the Chaldeans, you will not succeed?”’”
6Jeremiah said, “Yahweh’s message came to me, saying,
7‘Look, your uncle Shallum’s son, Hanamel, will come to you and say, “Buy my field in Anathoth, because you have the right to buy it and claim it.”’”
8“So my uncle’s son Hanamel came to me in the court of the guard, just as Yahweh had said, and he told me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth, which is in the territory of Benjamin. You have the right to inherit it and to buy it back; buy it for yourself.’ Then I understood that this was indeed Yahweh’s message.
9I bought the field in Anathoth from my uncle’s son Hanamel, and I weighed out the money for him—seventeen shekels of silver.
10I signed the deed, sealed it, called witnesses, and weighed out the money on the scales for him.
11Then I took both the sealed deed of purchase, which contained the terms and conditions, and the unsealed copy.
12And I gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my uncle’s son Hanamel and in the presence of the witnesses who had signed the deed of purchase, and before all the Jewish people who were sitting in the courtyard of the guard.
13“Before them, I instructed Baruch, saying,
14Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel, says: ‘Take these deeds—this sealed deed of purchase and this unsealed copy—and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.’
15For Yahweh of Armies, the God of Israel says, ‘People will again buy houses, fields, and vineyards in this land.’
16After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch, son of Neriah, I prayed to Yahweh, saying,
17“Ah, Lord Yahweh! Look, you made the heavens and the earth with your great power and your outstretched arm; nothing is too difficult for you.
18You show loyal love to thousands, and you punish the children for the sins of their parents after them. You are the great and powerful God; Yahweh of Armies is your name.
19You are great in planning and mighty in action; your eyes are open to everything people do, to give everyone what they deserve based on their actions and the results of their deeds.
20You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and continue to do so even today, both in Israel and among other people. You have made a name for yourself, as it is today.
21You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, wonders, a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and great terror.
22You gave them this land, which you promised their ancestors you would give them—a land flowing with milk and honey.
23They came in and took possession of it, but they didn't obey your voice or follow your law. They did nothing you commanded them to do, so you have brought all this disaster upon them.
24“Look, the siege ramps have reached the city to capture it. The city will be handed over to the Chaldeans who are fighting against it, because of the sword, famine, and plague. What you said would happen has happened; and look, you see it yourself.
25You told me, Lord Yahweh, ‘Buy the field with money and have witnesses,’ even though the city is being handed over to the Chaldeans.”
26Then Yahweh’s word came to Jeremiah, saying,
27“Look, I am Yahweh, the God of all people. Is anything too difficult for me?
28Therefore, Yahweh says: Look, I will hand this city over to the Chaldeans and to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will capture it.
29The Chaldeans, who are fighting against this city, will come and set this city on fire and burn it, along with the houses where people offered incense to Baal on their roofs and poured out drink offerings to other gods, angering me.
30"The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight since they were young," says Yahweh. "They have only made me angry with what they have done."
31"Because of this, this city has made me angry and furious from the day it was built until now. So I will remove it from my presence."
32"This is because of all the evil that the people of Israel and Judah have done to make me angry—their kings, their officials, their priests, their prophets, the people of Judah, and the people of Jerusalem."
33They turned their backs on me, not their faces. Even though I taught them again and again, they did not listen to learn.
34Instead, they put their detestable idols in the house that is called by my name, making it unclean.
35They built places of worship for Baal in the Hinnom Valley so they could sacrifice their sons and daughters in the fire to Molech. I never commanded them to do such a horrible thing, nor did it ever enter my mind that they would do it and cause Judah to sin."
36"So now, Yahweh, the God of Israel, says this about this city, which you say has been handed over to the king of Babylon by war, starvation, and disease:
37Listen, I will gather them from all the countries where I scattered them in my anger, fury, and great displeasure. I will bring them back to this place and let them live safely.
38They will be my people, and I will be their God.
39I will give them one heart and one way of thinking, so they will always respect me for their own good and for the good of their children after them.
40I will make a lasting agreement with them: I will never stop doing good for them. I will put respect for me in their hearts so they will never turn away from me.
41Yes, I will be happy to do good for them, and I will truly and wholeheartedly plant them in this land."
42For Yahweh says: "Just as I brought all this great disaster on these people, so I will bring them all the good things I have promised them.
43People will buy fields in this land, which you say is a wasteland, without people or animals, and is given into the hands of the Babylonians.
44People will buy fields with money, sign the agreements, seal them, and have witnesses in the land of Benjamin, in the areas around Jerusalem, in the cities of Judah, in the cities of the hill country, in the cities of the western foothills, and in the cities of the Negev. For I will bring back their captives," says Yahweh.