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Jeremiah’s Prayer

16 Then after I had given the papers to Baruch, I prayed to the Lord:

17 “O Sovereign Lord! You made the heavens and earth by your strong hand and powerful arm. Nothing is too hard for you! 18 You show unfailing love to thousands, but you also bring the consequences of one generation’s sin upon the next. You are the great and powerful God, the Lord of Heaven’s Armies. 19 You have all wisdom and do great and mighty miracles. You see the conduct of all people, and you give them what they deserve. 20 You performed miraculous signs and wonders in the land of Egypt—things still remembered to this day! And you have continued to do great miracles in Israel and all around the world. You have made your name famous to this day.

21 “You brought Israel out of Egypt with mighty signs and wonders, with a strong hand and powerful arm, and with overwhelming terror. 22 You gave the people of Israel this land that you had promised their ancestors long before—a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 Our ancestors came and conquered it and lived in it, but they refused to obey you or follow your word. They have not done anything you commanded. That is why you have sent this terrible disaster upon them.

24 “See how the siege ramps have been built against the city walls! Through war, famine, and disease, the city will be handed over to the Babylonians, who will conquer it. Everything has happened just as you said. 25 And yet, O Sovereign Lord, you have told me to buy the field—paying good money for it before these witnesses—even though the city will soon be handed over to the Babylonians.”

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Jeremiah Prays and God Explains

16 “After giving the deed of purchase to Baruch the son of Neriah, I (A)prayed to the Lord, saying, 17 (B)Oh, Lord [a]God! Behold, You Yourself have (C)made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and by Your outstretched arm! (D)Nothing is too difficult for You, 18 who (E)shows mercy to thousands, but (F)repays the wrongdoing of fathers into the laps of their children after them, (G)great and (H)mighty God. The (I)Lord of armies is His name; 19 (J)great in counsel and mighty in deed, whose (K)eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of mankind, (L)giving to everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his deeds; 20 who has (M)accomplished signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, and even to this day both in Israel and among mankind; and You have (N)made a name for Yourself, as at this day. 21 You (O)brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and with wonders, and with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror; 22 and You gave them this land, which You (P)swore to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey. 23 They (Q)came in and took possession of it, but they (R)did not obey Your voice or (S)walk in Your Law; they did not do [b]anything that You commanded them to do; therefore You have made (T)all this disaster happen to them. 24 Behold, the (U)assault ramps have reached the city to take it; and the city has been (V)handed over to the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of the (W)sword, the famine, and the plague; and what You have spoken has (X)come to pass; and behold, You see it. 25 Yet You have said to me, Lord [c]God, “Buy for yourself the field with money and call in witnesses”—although the city has been handed over to the Chaldeans.’”

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 32:17 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  2. Jeremiah 32:23 Or all that
  3. Jeremiah 32:25 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord