Jeremiah Buys a Field During the Siege

32 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord ^(A)in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, ^(B)which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar. ² At that time the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet ^(C)was shut up in ^(D)the court of the guard that was in the palace of the king of Judah. ³ For Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying, “Why do you prophesy and say, ‘Thus says the Lord: ^(E)Behold, I am giving this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall capture it; ^4 (F)Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, ^(G)but shall surely be given into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him face to face and see him eye to eye. ⁵ And ^(H)he shall take Zedekiah to Babylon, and there he shall remain until I visit him, declares the Lord. ^(I)Though you fight against the Chaldeans, you shall not succeed’?”

⁶ Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: ⁷ Behold, Hanamel the son of Shallum your uncle will come to you and say, ^(J)‘Buy my field that is at ^(K)Anathoth, ^(L)for the right of redemption by purchase is yours.’ ⁸ Then Hanamel my cousin came to me in ^(M)the court of the guard, in accordance with the word of the Lord, and said to me, ‘Buy my field that is at ^(N)Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for the right of possession and redemption is yours; buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord.

⁹ “And I bought the field at ^(O)Anathoth from Hanamel my cousin, and ^(P)weighed out the money to him, seventeen shekels of silver. ^10 (Q)I signed the deed, ^(R)sealed it, ^(S)got witnesses, and ^(T)weighed the money on scales. ¹¹ Then I took the sealed deed of purchase, containing the terms and conditions and the open copy. ¹² And I gave the deed of purchase to ^(U)Baruch the son of Neriah son of Mahseiah, in the presence of Hanamel my cousin, in the presence of ^(V)the witnesses who signed the deed of purchase, and in the presence of all the Judeans who were sitting in ^(W)the court of the guard. ¹³ I charged ^(X)Baruch in their presence, saying, ¹⁴ ‘Thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Take these deeds, both this sealed deed of purchase and this open deed, and put them in an earthenware vessel, that they may last for a long time. ¹⁵ For thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Houses and ^(Y)fields and vineyards shall again be bought in this land.’

Jeremiah Prays for Understanding

¹⁶ “After I had given the deed of purchase to ^(Z)Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: ¹⁷ ‘Ah, Lord God! It is ^(AA)you who have made the heavens and the earth by your great power and by ^(AB)your outstretched arm! ^(AC)Nothing is too hard for you. ^18 (AD)You show steadfast love to thousands, ^(AE)but you repay the guilt of fathers ^(AF)to their children after them, O great and ^(AG)mighty God, whose name is the ^(AH)Lord of hosts, ^19 (AI)great in counsel and ^(AJ)mighty in deed, ^(AK)whose eyes are open to all the ways of the children of man, ^(AL)rewarding each one according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds. ²⁰ You have shown ^(AM)signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and to this day in Israel and among all mankind, ^(AN)and have made a name for yourself, as at this day. ^21 (AO)You brought your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and ^(AP)outstretched arm, ^(AQ)and with great terror. ²² And you gave them this land, ^(AR)which you swore to their fathers to give them, ^(AS)a land flowing with milk and honey. ²³ And they entered and took possession of it. ^(AT)But they did not obey your voice or walk in your law. They did nothing of all you commanded them to do. Therefore you have made all this disaster come upon them. ²⁴ Behold, ^(AU)the siege mounds have come up to the city to take it, and ^(AV)because of sword and famine and pestilence ^(AW)the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you spoke has come to pass, and behold, you see it. ²⁵ Yet you, O Lord God, have said to me, ^(AX)“Buy the field for money ^(AY)and get witnesses”—though ^(AZ)the city is given into the hands of the Chaldeans.’”

²⁶ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁷ “Behold, I am the Lord, ^(BA)the God of all flesh. ^(BB)Is anything too hard for me? ²⁸ Therefore, thus says the Lord: ^(BC)Behold, I am giving this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, and he shall capture it. ²⁹ The Chaldeans who are fighting against this city ^(BD)shall come and set this city on fire and burn it, ^(BE)with the houses on whose roofs offerings have been made to Baal ^(BF)and drink offerings have been poured out to other gods, ^(BG)to provoke me to anger. ³⁰ For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight ^(BH)from their youth. The children of Israel have done nothing but ^(BI)provoke me to anger ^(BJ)by the work of their hands, declares the Lord. ³¹ This city has aroused my anger and wrath, from the day it was built to this day, ^(BK)so that I will remove it from my sight ³² because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they did to provoke me to anger—^(BL)their kings and their officials, their priests and their prophets, the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem. ^33 (BM)They have turned to me their back and not their face. And though I have taught them ^(BN)persistently, they have not listened ^(BO)to receive instruction. ³⁴ They set up ^(BP)their abominations in the house that is called by my name, to defile it. ³⁵ They built the high places of Baal ^(BQ)in the Valley of the Son of Hinnom, ^(BR)to offer up their sons and daughters to Molech, ^(BS)though I did not command them, nor did it enter into my mind, that they should do ^(BT)this abomination, ^(BU)to cause Judah to sin.

They Shall Be My People; I Will Be Their God

³⁶ “Now therefore thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning this city of which you say, ^(BV)‘It is given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, by famine, and by pestilence’: ^37 (BW)Behold, I will gather them from all the countries ^(BX)to which I drove them in ^(BY)my anger and my wrath and in great indignation. I will bring them back to this place, ^(BZ)and I will make them dwell in safety. ^38 (CA)And they shall be my people, and I will be their God. ^39 (CB)I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, ^(CC)for their own good and the good of their children after them. ^40 (CD)I will make with them an everlasting covenant, that I will not turn away from doing good to them. ^(CE)And I will put the fear of me in their hearts, that they may not turn from me. ^41 (CF)I will rejoice in doing them good, ^(CG)and I will plant them in this land in faithfulness, with all my heart and all my soul.

⁴² “For thus says the Lord: ^(CH)Just as I have brought all this great disaster upon this people, so I will bring upon them all the good that I promise them. ^43 (CI)Fields shall be bought in this land ^(CJ)of which you are saying, ‘It is a desolation, without man or beast; ^(CK)it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ ⁴⁴ Fields shall be bought for money, and ^(CL)deeds shall be signed and ^(CM)sealed and ^(CN)witnessed, ^(CO)in the land of Benjamin, ^(CP)in the places about Jerusalem, ^(CQ)and in the cities of Judah, ^(CR)in the cities of the hill country, ^(CS)in the cities of the Shephelah, and in the cities of the Negeb; for ^(CT)I will restore their fortunes, declares the Lord.”

God Is King over All the Earth

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of ^(A)the Sons of Korah.

Christ's Sacrifice Once for All

10 For since the law has but ^(A)a shadow ^(B)of the good things to come instead of the true form of these realities, ^(C)it can never, by the same sacrifices that are continually offered every year, make perfect those who draw near. ² Otherwise, would they not have ceased to be offered, since the worshipers, having once been cleansed, would no longer have any consciousness of sins? ³ But ^(D)in these sacrifices ^(E)there is a reminder of sins every year. ⁴ For ^(F)it is impossible for the blood of bulls and goats to take away sins.

⁵ Consequently, ^(G)when Christ^[a] came into the world, he said,

⁸ When he said above, “You have neither desired nor taken pleasure in ^(I)sacrifices and offerings and burnt offerings and sin offerings” (these are offered according to the law), ⁹ then he added, ^(J)“Behold, I have come to do your will.” He does away with the first in order to establish the second. ¹⁰ And by that will ^(K)we have been sanctified through the offering of ^(L)the body of Jesus Christ ^(M)once for all.

¹¹ And every priest stands ^(N)daily at his service, ^(O)offering repeatedly the same sacrifices, ^(P)which can never take away sins. ¹² But when Christ^[b] had offered for all time a single sacrifice for sins, he ^(Q)sat down at the right hand of God, ¹³ waiting from that time ^(R)until his enemies should be made a footstool for his feet. ¹⁴ For by a single offering ^(S)he has perfected for all time those who are being sanctified.

¹⁵ And the Holy Spirit also bears witness to us; for after saying,

¹⁷ then he adds,

¹⁸ Where there is forgiveness of these, there is no longer any offering for sin.

The Full Assurance of Faith

^19 (V)Therefore, brothers,^[c] since we have confidence to enter ^(W)the holy places by the blood of Jesus, ²⁰ by ^(X)the new and living way that he opened for us through ^(Y)the curtain, that is, through his flesh, ²¹ and since we have ^(Z)a great priest over the house of God, ²² let us draw near with a true heart in full assurance of faith, with our hearts ^(AA)sprinkled clean ^(AB)from an evil conscience and our bodies ^(AC)washed with pure water. ^23 (AD)Let us hold fast the confession of our hope without wavering, for ^(AE)he who promised is faithful. ²⁴ And ^(AF)let us consider how to stir up one another to love and good works, ^25 (AG)not neglecting to meet together, as is the habit of some, but encouraging one another, and ^(AH)all the more as you see ^(AI)the Day drawing near.

²⁶ For ^(AJ)if we go on sinning deliberately ^(AK)after receiving the knowledge of the truth, ^(AL)there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins, ^27 (AM)but a fearful expectation of judgment, and ^(AN)a fury of fire that will consume the adversaries. ^28 (AO)Anyone who has set aside the law of Moses dies without mercy ^(AP)on the evidence of two or three witnesses. ²⁹ How much worse punishment, do you think, will be deserved by the one ^(AQ)who has trampled underfoot the Son of God, and has profaned ^(AR)the blood of the covenant ^(AS)by which he was sanctified, and has ^(AT)outraged the Spirit of grace? ³⁰ For we know him who said, ^(AU)“Vengeance is mine; I will repay.” And again, ^(AV)“The Lord will judge his people.” ^31 (AW)It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

³² But recall the former days when, after ^(AX)you were enlightened, you endured ^(AY)a hard struggle with sufferings, ³³ sometimes being ^(AZ)publicly exposed to reproach and affliction, and sometimes being partners with those so treated. ³⁴ For ^(BA)you had compassion on those in prison, and ^(BB)you joyfully accepted the plundering of your property, since you knew that you yourselves had ^(BC)a better possession and an abiding one. ³⁵ Therefore do not throw away your confidence, which has ^(BD)a great reward. ³⁶ For ^(BE)you have need of endurance, so that ^(BF)when you have done the will of God you may ^(BG)receive what is promised. ³⁷ For,

³⁹ But we are not of those who shrink back and are destroyed, but of those who have faith and preserve their souls.

By Faith

11 Now faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of ^(BK)things not seen. ² For by it the people of old received their commendation. ³ By faith we understand that the universe was created by ^(BL)the word of God, so that what is seen was not made out of ^(BM)things that are visible.

⁴ By faith ^(BN)Abel offered to God ^(BO)a more acceptable sacrifice than Cain, through which he was commended as righteous, God commending him by accepting his gifts. And ^(BP)through his faith, though he died, he ^(BQ)still speaks. ⁵ By faith ^(BR)Enoch was taken up so that he should not see death, and he was not found, because God had taken him. Now before he was taken he was commended as having pleased God. ⁶ And without faith it is impossible to please him, for whoever would draw near to God ^(BS)must believe that he exists and ^(BT)that he rewards those who seek him. ⁷ By faith ^(BU)Noah, being warned by God concerning ^(BV)events as yet unseen, in reverent fear constructed an ark for the saving of his household. By this he condemned the world and became an heir of ^(BW)the righteousness that comes by faith.

⁸ By faith ^(BX)Abraham obeyed when he was called to go out to a place ^(BY)that he was to receive as an inheritance. And he went out, not knowing where he was going. ⁹ By faith he went to live in ^(BZ)the land of promise, as in a foreign land, ^(CA)living in tents ^(CB)with Isaac and Jacob, heirs with him of the same promise. ¹⁰ For he was looking forward to ^(CC)the city that has ^(CD)foundations, ^(CE)whose designer and builder is God. ¹¹ By faith ^(CF)Sarah herself received power to conceive, even when she was past the age, since she considered ^(CG)him faithful who had promised. ¹² Therefore from one man, and ^(CH)him as good as dead, were born descendants ^(CI)as many as the stars of heaven and as many as the innumerable grains of sand by the seashore.

¹³ These all died in faith, ^(CJ)not having received the things promised, but ^(CK)having seen them and greeted them from afar, and ^(CL)having acknowledged that they were ^(CM)strangers and exiles on the earth. ¹⁴ For people who speak thus make it clear that they are seeking a homeland. ¹⁵ If they had been thinking of that land from which they had gone out, ^(CN)they would have had opportunity to return. ¹⁶ But as it is, they desire a better country, that is, a heavenly one. Therefore God is not ashamed ^(CO)to be called their God, for ^(CP)he has prepared for them a city.

¹⁷ By faith ^(CQ)Abraham, when he was tested, offered up Isaac, and he who had received the promises was in the act of offering up his only son, ¹⁸ of whom it was said, ^(CR)“Through Isaac shall your offspring be named.” ^19 (CS)He considered that God was able even to raise him from the dead, from which, figuratively speaking, he did receive him back. ²⁰ By faith ^(CT)Isaac invoked future blessings on Jacob and Esau. ²¹ By faith ^(CU)Jacob, when dying, blessed each of the sons of Joseph, ^(CV)bowing in worship over the head of his staff. ²² By faith ^(CW)Joseph, at the end of his life, made mention of the exodus of the Israelites and gave directions concerning his bones.

²³ By faith ^(CX)Moses, when he was born, was hidden for three months by his parents, because they saw that the child was beautiful, and they were not afraid of ^(CY)the king's edict. ²⁴ By faith Moses, when he was grown up, ^(CZ)refused to be called the son of Pharaoh's daughter, ^25 (DA)choosing rather to be mistreated with the people of God than to enjoy ^(DB)the fleeting pleasures of sin. ^26 (DC)He considered the reproach of Christ greater wealth than the treasures of Egypt, for he was looking to ^(DD)the reward. ²⁷ By faith he ^(DE)left Egypt, ^(DF)not being afraid of the anger of the king, for he endured ^(DG)as seeing him who is invisible. ²⁸ By faith ^(DH)he kept the Passover and sprinkled the blood, so that the Destroyer of the firstborn might not touch them.

²⁹ By faith ^(DI)the people crossed the Red Sea as on dry land, but the Egyptians, when they attempted to do the same, were drowned. ³⁰ By faith ^(DJ)the walls of Jericho fell down after they had been encircled for seven days. ³¹ By faith ^(DK)Rahab the prostitute did not perish with those who were disobedient, because she ^(DL)had given a friendly welcome to the spies.

³² And what more shall I say? For time would fail me to tell of ^(DM)Gideon, ^(DN)Barak, ^(DO)Samson, ^(DP)Jephthah, of ^(DQ)David and ^(DR)Samuel and the prophets— ³³ who through faith conquered kingdoms, enforced justice, obtained promises, ^(DS)stopped the mouths of lions, ^34 (DT)quenched the power of fire, escaped the edge of the sword, were made strong out of weakness, ^(DU)became mighty in war, ^(DV)put foreign armies to flight. ^35 (DW)Women received back their dead by resurrection. Some were tortured, refusing to accept release, so that they might rise again to a better life. ³⁶ Others suffered mocking and flogging, and even ^(DX)chains and imprisonment. ^37 (DY)They were stoned, they were sawn in two,^{[d] (DZ)}they were killed with the sword. ^(EA)They went about in skins of sheep and goats, destitute, afflicted, mistreated— ³⁸ of whom the world was not worthy—^(EB)wandering about in deserts and mountains, and in dens and caves of the earth.

³⁹ And all these, ^(EC)though commended through their faith, ^(ED)did not receive what was promised, ⁴⁰ since God had provided something better for us, ^(EE)that apart from us they should not be made perfect.