Jeremiah Buys a Field

32 This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth^(A) year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth^(B) year of Nebuchadnezzar. ² The army of the king of Babylon was then besieging^(C) Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was confined^(D) in the courtyard of the guard^(E) in the royal palace of Judah.

³ Now Zedekiah king of Judah had imprisoned him there, saying, “Why do you prophesy^(F) as you do? You say, ‘This is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he will capture^(G) it. ⁴ Zedekiah^(H) king of Judah will not escape^(I) the Babylonians^[a](J) but will certainly be given into the hands of the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face and see him with his own eyes. ⁵ He will take^(K) Zedekiah to Babylon, where he will remain until I deal with him,^(L) declares the Lord. If you fight against the Babylonians, you will not succeed.’”^(M)

⁶ Jeremiah said, “The word of the Lord came to me: ⁷ Hanamel son of Shallum your uncle is going to come to you and say, ‘Buy my field at Anathoth,^(N) because as nearest relative it is your right and duty^(O) 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^(P) 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; ⁹ so I bought the field^(Q) at Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel and weighed out for him seventeen shekels^[b] of silver.^{(R) 10} I signed and sealed the deed,^(S) had it witnessed,^(T) and weighed out the silver on the scales. ¹¹ I took the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the terms and conditions, as well as the unsealed copy— ¹² and I gave this deed to Baruch^(U) son of Neriah,^(V) 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^(W) and unsealed copies of the deed of purchase, and put them in a clay jar so they will last a long time. ¹⁵ For this is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’^(X)

The Armor of God

¹⁰ Finally, be strong in the Lord^(A) and in his mighty power.^{(B) 11} Put on the full armor of God,^(C) so that you can take your stand against the devil’s schemes. ¹² For our struggle is not against flesh and blood,^(D) but against the rulers, against the authorities,^(E) against the powers^(F) of this dark world and against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavenly realms.^{(G) 13} Therefore put on the full armor of God,^(H) so that when the day of evil comes, you may be able to stand your ground, and after you have done everything, to stand. ¹⁴ Stand firm then, with the belt of truth buckled around your waist,^(I) with the breastplate of righteousness in place,^{(J) 15} and with your feet fitted with the readiness that comes from the gospel of peace.^{(K) 16} In addition to all this, take up the shield of faith,^(L) with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.^{(M) 17} Take the helmet of salvation^(N) and the sword of the Spirit,^(O) which is the word of God.^(P)

¹⁸ And pray in the Spirit^(Q) on all occasions^(R) with all kinds of prayers and requests.^(S) With this in mind, be alert and always keep on praying^(T) for all the Lord’s people. ¹⁹ Pray also for me,^(U) that whenever I speak, words may be given me so that I will fearlessly^(V) make known the mystery^(W) of the gospel, ²⁰ for which I am an ambassador^(X) in chains.^(Y) Pray that I may declare it fearlessly, as I should.

Final Greetings

²¹ Tychicus,^(Z) the dear brother and faithful servant in the Lord, will tell you everything, so that you also may know how I am and what I am doing. ²² I am sending him to you for this very purpose, that you may know how we are,^(AA) and that he may encourage you.^(AB)

²³ Peace^(AC) to the brothers and sisters,^[a] and love with faith from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. ²⁴ Grace to all who love our Lord Jesus Christ with an undying love.^[b]

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

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

²⁶ Then the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁷ “I am the Lord, the God of all mankind.^(AE) Is anything too hard for me?^{(AF) 28} Therefore this is what the Lord says: I am about to give this city into the hands of the Babylonians and to Nebuchadnezzar^(AG) king of Babylon, who will capture it.^{(AH) 29} The Babylonians who are attacking this city will come in and set it on fire; they will burn it down,^(AI) along with the houses^(AJ) where the people aroused my anger by burning incense on the roofs to Baal and by pouring out drink offerings^(AK) to other gods.^(AL)

³⁰ “The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight from their youth;^(AM) indeed, the people of Israel have done nothing but arouse my anger^(AN) with what their hands have made,^(AO) declares the Lord. ³¹ From the day it was built until now, this city^(AP) has so aroused my anger and wrath that I must remove^(AQ) it from my sight. ³² The people of Israel and Judah have provoked^(AR) me by all the evil^(AS) they have done—they, their kings and officials,^(AT) their priests and prophets, the people of Judah and those living in Jerusalem. ³³ They turned their backs^(AU) to me and not their faces; though I taught^(AV) them again and again, they would not listen or respond to discipline.^{(AW) 34} They set up their vile images^(AX) in the house that bears my Name^(AY) and defiled^(AZ) it. ³⁵ They built high places for Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom^(BA) to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molek,^(BB) though I never commanded—nor did it enter my mind^(BC)—that they should do such a detestable^(BD) thing and so make Judah sin.^(BE)

Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind

9 As he went along, he saw a man blind from birth. ² His disciples asked him, “Rabbi,^(A) who sinned,^(B) this man^(C) or his parents,^(D) that he was born blind?”

³ “Neither this man nor his parents sinned,” said Jesus, “but this happened so that the works of God might be displayed in him.^{(E) 4} As long as it is day,^(F) we must do the works of him who sent me. Night is coming, when no one can work. ⁵ While I am in the world, I am the light of the world.”^(G)

⁶ After saying this, he spit^(H) on the ground, made some mud with the saliva, and put it on the man’s eyes. ⁷ “Go,” he told him, “wash in the Pool of Siloam”^(I) (this word means “Sent”). So the man went and washed, and came home seeing.^(J)

⁸ His neighbors and those who had formerly seen him begging asked, “Isn’t this the same man who used to sit and beg?”^{(K) 9} Some claimed that he was.

Others said, “No, he only looks like him.”

But he himself insisted, “I am the man.”

¹⁰ “How then were your eyes opened?” they asked.

¹¹ He replied, “The man they call Jesus made some mud and put it on my eyes. He told me to go to Siloam and wash. So I went and washed, and then I could see.”^(L)

¹² “Where is this man?” they asked him.

“I don’t know,” he said.

The Pharisees Investigate the Healing

¹³ They brought to the Pharisees the man who had been blind. ¹⁴ Now the day on which Jesus had made the mud and opened the man’s eyes was a Sabbath.^{(M) 15} Therefore the Pharisees also asked him how he had received his sight.^(N) “He put mud on my eyes,” the man replied, “and I washed, and now I see.”

¹⁶ Some of the Pharisees said, “This man is not from God, for he does not keep the Sabbath.”^(O)

But others asked, “How can a sinner perform such signs?”^(P) So they were divided.^(Q)

¹⁷ Then they turned again to the blind man, “What have you to say about him? It was your eyes he opened.”

The man replied, “He is a prophet.”^(R)

¹⁸ They^(S) still did not believe that he had been blind and had received his sight until they sent for the man’s parents. ¹⁹ “Is this your son?” they asked. “Is this the one you say was born blind? How is it that now he can see?”

²⁰ “We know he is our son,” the parents answered, “and we know he was born blind. ²¹ But how he can see now, or who opened his eyes, we don’t know. Ask him. He is of age; he will speak for himself.” ²² His parents said this because they were afraid of the Jewish leaders,^(T) who already had decided that anyone who acknowledged that Jesus was the Messiah would be put out^(U) of the synagogue.^{(V) 23} That was why his parents said, “He is of age; ask him.”^(W)

²⁴ A second time they summoned the man who had been blind. “Give glory to God by telling the truth,”^(X) they said. “We know this man is a sinner.”^(Y)

²⁵ He replied, “Whether he is a sinner or not, I don’t know. One thing I do know. I was blind but now I see!”

²⁶ Then they asked him, “What did he do to you? How did he open your eyes?”

²⁷ He answered, “I have told you already^(Z) and you did not listen. Why do you want to hear it again? Do you want to become his disciples too?”

²⁸ Then they hurled insults at him and said, “You are this fellow’s disciple! We are disciples of Moses!^{(AA) 29} We know that God spoke to Moses, but as for this fellow, we don’t even know where he comes from.”^(AB)

³⁰ The man answered, “Now that is remarkable! You don’t know where he comes from, yet he opened my eyes. ³¹ We know that God does not listen to sinners. He listens to the godly person who does his will.^{(AC) 32} Nobody has ever heard of opening the eyes of a man born blind. ³³ If this man were not from God,^(AD) he could do nothing.”

³⁴ To this they replied, “You were steeped in sin at birth;^(AE) how dare you lecture us!” And they threw him out.^(AF)

Spiritual Blindness

³⁵ Jesus heard that they had thrown him out, and when he found him, he said, “Do you believe^(AG) in the Son of Man?”^(AH)

³⁶ “Who is he, sir?” the man asked. “Tell me so that I may believe in him.”^(AI)

³⁷ Jesus said, “You have now seen him; in fact, he is the one speaking with you.”^(AJ)

³⁸ Then the man said, “Lord, I believe,” and he worshiped him.^(AK)

³⁹ Jesus said,^[a] “For judgment^(AL) I have come into this world,^(AM) so that the blind will see^(AN) and those who see will become blind.”^(AO)

⁴⁰ Some Pharisees who were with him heard him say this and asked, “What? Are we blind too?”^(AP)

⁴¹ Jesus said, “If you were blind, you would not be guilty of sin; but now that you claim you can see, your guilt remains.^(AQ)