Jeremiah 32

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1This 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.

2The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined in the courtyard of the guard in the royal palace of Judah.

3Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will capture it.

4Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape out of the hands of the Babylonians but will certainly be handed over to the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes.

5He will take Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him, declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’ ”

6Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me:

7Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth, because as nearest relative it is your right and duty to buy it.’

8“Then, just as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to me in the courtyard of the guard and said, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin. Since it is your right to redeem it and possess it, buy it for yourself.’ “I knew that this was the word of the Lord;

9so I bought the field at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels of silver.

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

11I took the deed of purchase–the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy–

12and I gave this deed to Baruch son of Neriah, the son of Mahseiah, in the presence of my cousin Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed and of all the Jews sitting in the courtyard of the guard.

13“In their presence I gave Baruch these instructions:

14‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Take these documents, both the sealed and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time.

15For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’

16“After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:

17“Ah, Sovereign Lord, you have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm. Nothing is too hard for you.

18You show love to thousands but bring the punishment for the fathers' sins into the laps of their children after them. O great and powerful God, whose name is the Lord Almighty,

19great are your purposes and mighty are your deeds. Your eyes are open to all the ways of men; you reward everyone according to his conduct and as his deeds deserve.

20You performed miraculous signs and wonders in Egypt and have continued them to this day, both in Israel and among all mankind, and have gained the renown that is still yours.

21You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm and with great terror.

22You gave them this land you had sworn to give their forefathers, a land flowing with milk and honey.

23They came in and took possession of it, but they did not obey you or follow your law; they did not do what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster upon them.

24“See how the siege ramps are built up to take the city. Because of the sword, famine and plague, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians who are attacking it. What you said has happened, as you now see.

25And though the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, you, O Sovereign Lord, say to me, ‘Buy the field with silver and have the transaction witnessed.’ ”

26Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah:

27“I am the Lord, the God of all mankind. Is anything too hard for me?

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

29The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down, along with the houses where the people provoked me to anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings to other gods.

30“The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth; indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but provoke me with what their hands have made, declares the Lord.

31From the day it was built until now, this city has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove it from my sight.

32The people of Israel and Judah have provoked me by all the evil they have done–they, their kings and officials, their priests and prophets, the men of Judah and the people of Jerusalem.

33They turned their backs to me and not their faces; though I taught them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.

34They set up their abominable idols in the house that bears my Name and defiled it.

35They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech, though I never commanded, nor did it enter my mind, that they should do such a detestable thing and so make Judah sin.

36“You are saying about this city, ‘By the sword, famine and plague it will be handed over to the king of Babylon’; but this is what the Lord, the God of Israel, says:

37I will surely gather them from all the lands where I banish them in my furious anger and great wrath; I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety.

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

39I will give them singleness of heart and action, so that they will always fear me for their own good and the good of their children after them.

40I will make an everlasting covenant with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will inspire them to fear me, so that they will never turn away from me.

41I will rejoice in doing them good and will assuredly plant them in this land with all my heart and soul.

42“This is what the Lord says: As I have brought all this great calamity on this people, so I will give them all the prosperity I have promised them.

43Once more fields will be bought in this land of which you say, ‘It is a desolate waste, without men or animals, for it has been handed over to the Babylonians.’

44Fields will be bought for silver, and deeds will be signed, sealed and witnessed in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah and in the towns of the hill country, of the western foothills and of the Negev, because I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”

Commentary

CHAPTER 32Jer 32:1-14. Jeremiah, Imprisoned for His Prophecy against Jerusalem, Buys a Patrimonial Property (His Relative Hanameel's), IN Order to Certify to the Jews Their Future Return from Babylon.1. tenth year—The siege of Jerusalem had already begun, in the tenth month of the ninth year of Zedekiah (Jer 39:1; 2Ki 25:1).

32:1-15 Jeremiah, being in prison for his prophecy, purchased a piece of ground. This was to signify, that though Jerusalem was besieged, and the whole country likely to be laid waste, yet the time would come, when houses, and fields, and vineyards, should be again possessed. It concerns ministers to make it appear that they believe what they preach to others. And it is good to manage even our worldly affairs in faith; to do common business with reference to the providence and promise of God.

"\nThe word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord,.... The word of prophecy, as the Targum, concerning Jeremiah's buying the field of his uncle's son, Jer 32:6; and concerning the delivery of the city of Jerusalem into the hands of the Chaldeans, Jer 32:26; and the return of the captivity, Jer 32:36;\n\nin the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which [was] the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar; the same with Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, a year before the taking of the city by him; for that was in the eleventh of Zedekiah, and the nineteenth of Nebuchadnezzar; see\n Jer 52:1.\n\n\n\n "

2. in … court of … prison—that is, in the open space occupied by the guard, from which he was not allowed to depart, but where any of his friends might visit him (Jer 32:12; Jer 38:13, 28). Marvellous obstinacy, that at the time when they were experiencing the truth of Jeremiah's words in the pressure of the siege, they should still keep the prophet in confinement [Calvin]. The circumstances narrated (Jer 32:3-5) occurred at the beginning of the siege, when Jeremiah foretold the capture of the city (Jer 32:1; Jer 34:1-7; 39:1). He was at that time put into free custody in the court of the prison. At the raising of the siege by Pharaoh-hophra, Jeremiah was on the point of repairing to Benjamin, when he was cast into "the dungeon," but obtained leave to be removed again to the court of the prison (Jer 37:12-21). When there he urged the Jews, on the second advance of the Chaldeans to the siege, to save themselves by submission to Nebuchadnezzar (Jer 38:2, 3); in consequence of this the king, at the instigation of the princes, had him cast into a miry dungeon (Jer 38:4-6); again he was removed to the prison court at the intercession of a courtier (Jer 32:7-13), where he remained till the capture of the city (Jer 32:28), when he was liberated (Jer 39:11, &c. Jer 40:1, &c.).

"\nFor then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem,.... And had done so for some time; for the siege began in the ninth year of Zedekiah's reign, on the tenth day of the tenth month, Jer 52:4;\n\nand Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which [was] in the king of Judah's house; which showed great stupidity and hardness of heart in the king, and his courtiers, and in the people, to imprison a prophet of the Lord, when surrounded by an enemy's army, and that according to the prediction of the prophet; by which it appeared that he was a true prophet; and they might reasonably expect that the rest of his predictions, which related to the taking of their city, and carrying them captive, would be fulfilled. It is true, indeed, he was in a better prison than before, more honourable, being within the limits of the king's house; and, besides, was not closely confined, but allowed to walk in the court of the prison; and so had a free air to breathe in, and more company to converse with, and could exercise himself by walking about; perhaps he was placed here to keep him from prophesying to the people to their discouragement, and the more to awe him, as he was under the eye of the king and his ministry. Of this prison and its court mention is made in Ne 3:25; it seems to have been for state prisoners.\n\n\n "

"\nFor Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up,.... In prison, at least in the court of the prison; he had given orders for his imprisonment, which were executed, and it was the same as if he had done it himself; the reason of which was, as follows:\n\nsaying, wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, thus saith the Lord,\nbehold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it? meaning the city of Jerusalem, now besieged by the king of Babylon. This prophecy stands in Jer 34:1; the prophecies of this book not being put together in proper order of time.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans,.... This is a continuation of the prophecy of Jeremiah, repeated by the king to him, and which concerns himself more especially; who, upon the taking of the city, would endeavour to make his escape, as he did; but should not be able, Jer 52:8;\n\nbut shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon; not only into the hands of his army, and of his generals, but into his own hand personally; since it follows:\n\nand shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes; converse together face to face, eye to eye; but no doubt with different tones and looks; the king of Babylon upbraiding the king of Judah with perjury and ingratitude, and looking upon him with indignation and contempt; the other speaking faintly, and looking down with grief, shame, and confusion; moreover, the eyes of the king of Babylon beheld the eyes of Zedekiah, and ordered them to be put out, as they were, 2Ki 25:7.\n\n\n "

"\nAnd he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon,....

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG በይሁዳ ንጉሥ በሴዴቅያስ በአሥረኛው ዓመት፥ በናቡክደነፆር በአሥራ ስምንተኛው ዓመት፥ ከእግዚአብሔር ዘንድ ወደ ኤርምያስ የመጣው ቃል ይህ ነው። አማርኛ BCV ሴዴቅያስ ኣብ ይሁዳ ምስ ነገሰ፥ ኣብ መበል ዓስራይ ዓመቱ፥ ናቡከደነፆር ከዓ ኣብ ባቢሎን ምስ ነገሰ ኣብ መበል ዓሰርተ ሸሞንተ ዓመቱ፥ ካብ እግዚኣብሄር ናብ ኤርሚያስ ዝመፀ ቓል እዙይ እዩ፦ ትግርኛ GAZBIB Zedeqiiyaan mootichi biyya Yihudaa irratti mo'ee waggaa kurnaffaa isaatti, innis Nebukadnezaar mo'ee waggaa kudha sadde… Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ቃለ እግዚአብሔር ዘኮነ ኀበ ኤርምያስ ነቢይ፤ በዓሠርቱ ዓመተ መንግሥቱ ለሴዴቅያስ ንጉሠ ይሁዳ፤ ወበዓሠርቱ ወሰመንቱ ዓመተ መንግሥቱ ለናቡከደነፆር ንጉሠ ባቢሎን። giz GAZGAZ Zedeqiiyaan mootichi biyya Yihudaa irratti mo'ee waggaa kurnaffaa isaatti, innis Nebukadnezaar mo'ee waggaa kudha sadde… Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ሴዴቅያስ ኣብ ይሁዳ ምስ ነገሰ፥ ኣብ መበል ዓስራይ ዓመቱ፥ ናቡከደነፆር ከዓ ኣብ ባቢሎን ምስ ነገሰ ኣብ መበል ዓሰርተ ሸሞንተ ዓመቱ፥ ካብ እግዚኣብሄር ናብ ኤርሚያስ ዝመፀ ቓል እዙይ እዩ፦ ትግርኛ AMHNIV የይሁዳ ንጉሥ ሴዴቅያስ በነገሠ በዐሥረኛው ዓመት፣ ይኸውም በባቢሎን ንጉሥ በናቡከደነፆር ዐሥራ ስምንተኛ ዘመነ መንግሥት፣ ከእግዚአብሔር ዘንድ ወደ ኤርምያስ የመጣው ቃል ይህ ነው፤ አማርኛ SWAHSUV Neno hili ndilo lililomjia Yeremia, kutoka kwa Bwana, katika mwaka wa kumi wa Sedekia, mfalme wa Yuda, nao ulikuwa mwak… Kiswahili