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.”

The Lord Promises Peace

33 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah a second time, while he was still ^(CU)shut up in the court of the guard: ² “Thus says ^(CV)the Lord who made the earth,^[a] the Lord who formed it to establish it—^(CW)the Lord is his name: ^3 (CX)Call to me and I will answer you, ^(CY)and will tell you great and hidden things that you have not known. ⁴ For thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, concerning the houses of this city and the houses of the kings of Judah that were torn down to make a defense against ^(CZ)the siege mounds and against the sword: ⁵ They are coming in ^(DA)to fight against the Chaldeans and to fill them^[b] with the dead bodies of men whom I shall strike down ^(DB)in my anger and my wrath, ^(DC)for I have hidden my face from this city because of all their evil. ^6 (DD)Behold, I will bring to it health and healing, and I will heal them and reveal to them abundance of prosperity and security. ^7 (DE)I will restore the fortunes of Judah and the fortunes of Israel, ^(DF)and rebuild them as they were ^(DG)at first. ^8 (DH)I will cleanse them from all the guilt of their sin against me, ^(DI)and I will forgive all the guilt of their sin and rebellion against me. ^9 (DJ)And this city^[c] shall be to me a name of joy, a praise and a glory before all the nations of the earth who shall hear of all the good that I do for them. They shall ^(DK)fear and tremble because of all the good and all the prosperity I provide for it.

¹⁰ “Thus says the Lord: In this place ^(DL)of which you say, ‘It is a waste without man or beast,’ in the cities of Judah and the streets of Jerusalem that are desolate, without man or inhabitant or beast, there shall be heard again ^11 (DM)the voice of mirth and the voice of gladness, the voice of the bridegroom and the voice of the bride, the voices of those who sing, as they bring ^(DN)thank offerings to the house of the Lord:

^(DP)For I will restore the fortunes of the land as at first, says the Lord.

¹² “Thus says the Lord of hosts: ^(DQ)In this place that is waste, without man or beast, and in all of its cities, there shall again be ^(DR)habitations of shepherds ^(DS)resting their flocks. ^13 (DT)In the cities of the hill country, ^(DU)in the cities of the Shephelah, ^(DV)and in the cities of the Negeb, in the land of Benjamin, ^(DW)the places about Jerusalem, ^(DX)and in the cities of Judah, ^(DY)flocks shall again pass under the hands ^(DZ)of the one who counts them, says the Lord.

The Lord's Eternal Covenant with David

^14 (EA)“Behold, the days are coming, declares the Lord, when ^(EB)I will fulfill the promise I made to the house of Israel and the house of Judah. ¹⁵ In those days and at that time I will cause a righteous ^(EC)Branch to spring up for David, and he shall execute justice and righteousness in the land. ¹⁶ In those days Judah will be saved, ^(ED)and Jerusalem will dwell securely. And this is the name by which it will be called: ^(EE)‘The Lord is our righteousness.’

¹⁷ “For thus says the Lord: ^(EF)David shall never lack a man to sit on the throne of the house of Israel, ^18 (EG)and the Levitical priests shall never lack a man in my presence to offer burnt offerings, to burn grain offerings, and to make sacrifices forever.”

¹⁹ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ^20 (EH)“Thus says the Lord: ^(EI)If you can break my covenant with the day and my covenant with the night, ^(EJ)so that day and night will not come at their appointed time, ^21 (EK)then also my covenant with David my servant may be broken, so that he shall not have a son to reign on his throne, and my covenant with the Levitical priests my ministers. ²² As ^(EL)the host of heaven cannot be numbered and ^(EM)the sands of the sea cannot be measured, so I will multiply the offspring of David my servant, and the Levitical priests who minister to me.”

²³ The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: ²⁴ “Have you not observed that these people are saying, ‘The Lord has rejected the two clans that he chose’? Thus they have despised my people so that they are no longer a nation in their sight. ²⁵ Thus says the Lord: ^(EN)If I have not established my covenant with day and night and the fixed order of heaven and earth, ²⁶ then I will reject the offspring of Jacob and David my servant and will not choose one of his offspring to rule over the offspring of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. ^(EO)For I will restore their fortunes and will have mercy on them.”

Institution of the Lord's Supper

^26 (A)Now as they were eating, Jesus took bread, and ^(B)after blessing it broke it and gave it to the disciples, and said, “Take, eat; ^(C)this is my body.” ²⁷ And he took a cup, and when he ^(D)had given thanks he gave it to them, saying, “Drink of it, all of you, ²⁸ for ^(E)this is my ^(F)blood of the^[a] covenant, which is poured out for ^(G)many ^(H)for the forgiveness of sins. ²⁹ I tell you I will not drink again of this fruit of the vine until that day when I drink it new with you ^(I)in my Father's kingdom.”

Jesus Foretells Peter's Denial

^30 (J)And when they had sung a hymn, ^(K)they went out to ^(L)the Mount of Olives. ³¹ Then Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away because of me this night. For it is written, ‘I will ^(M)strike the shepherd, and the sheep of the flock will be scattered.’ ³² But after I am raised up, ^(N)I will go before you to Galilee.” ^33 (O)Peter answered him, “Though they all fall away because of you, I will never fall away.” ^34 (P)Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, ^(Q)before the rooster crows, you will deny me three times.” ^35 (R)Peter said to him, “Even if I must die with you, I will not deny you!” And all the disciples said the same.

Jesus Prays in Gethsemane

^36 (S)Then Jesus went with them ^(T)to a place called Gethsemane, and he said to his disciples, “Sit here, while I go over there and pray.” ³⁷ And taking with him ^(U)Peter and ^(V)the two sons of Zebedee, he began to be sorrowful and troubled. ³⁸ Then he said to them, ^(W)“My soul is very sorrowful, even to death; remain here, and ^(X)watch^[b] with me.” ³⁹ And going a little farther he fell on his face ^(Y)and prayed, saying, “My Father, if it be possible, let ^(Z)this cup pass from me; ^(AA)nevertheless, not as I will, but as you will.” ⁴⁰ And he came to the disciples and found them sleeping. And he said to Peter, “So, could you not watch with me one hour? ^41 (AB)Watch and ^(AC)pray that you ^(AD)may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” ⁴² Again, for the second time, he went away and prayed, “My Father, if this cannot pass unless I drink it, ^(AE)your will be done.” ⁴³ And again he came and found them sleeping, for ^(AF)their eyes were heavy. ⁴⁴ So, leaving them again, he went away and prayed for ^(AG)the third time, saying the same words again. ⁴⁵ Then he came to the disciples and said to them, “Sleep and take your rest later on.^[c] See, ^(AH)the hour is at hand, and ^(AI)the Son of Man is betrayed into the hands of sinners. ⁴⁶ Rise, let us be going; see, my betrayer is at hand.”

Betrayal and Arrest of Jesus

^47 (AJ)While he was still speaking, ^(AK)Judas came, one of the twelve, and with him a great crowd with swords and clubs, from the chief priests and the elders of the people. ⁴⁸ Now the betrayer had given them a sign, saying, “The one I will kiss is the man; seize him.” ⁴⁹ And he came up to Jesus at once and said, “Greetings, ^(AL)Rabbi!” And he kissed him. ⁵⁰ Jesus said to him, ^(AM)“Friend, ^(AN)do what you came to do.”^[d] Then they came up and laid hands on Jesus and seized him.