1 The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.
2 For then the king of Babylon's army besieged Jerusalem: and Jeremiah the prophet was shut up in the court of the prison, which was in the king of Judah's house.
3 For Zedekiah king of Judah had shut him up, saying, Wherefore dost thou prophesy, and say, Thus saith the LORD, Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it;
4 And Zedekiah king of Judah shall not escape out of the hand of the Chaldeans, but shall surely be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and shall speak with him mouth to mouth, and his eyes shall behold his eyes;
5 And he shall lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and there shall he be until I visit him, saith the LORD: though ye fight with the Chaldeans, ye shall not prosper.
6 And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying,
7 Behold, Hanameel the son of Shallum thine uncle shall come unto thee saying, Buy thee my field that is in Anathoth: for the right of redemption is thine to buy it.
8 So Hanameel mine uncle's son came to me in the court of the prison according to the word of the LORD, and said unto me, Buy my field, I pray thee, that is in Anathoth, which is in the country of Benjamin: for the right of inheritance is thine, and the redemption is thine; buy it for thyself. Then I knew that this was the word of the LORD.
9 And I bought the field of Hanameel my uncle's son, that was in Anathoth, and weighed him the money, even seventeen shekels of silver.
10 And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances.
11 So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open:
12 And I gave the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, the son of Maaseiah, in the sight of Hanameel mine uncle's son, and in the presence of the witnesses that subscribed the book of the purchase, before all the Jews that sat in the court of the prison.
13 And I charged Baruch before them, saying,
14 Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Take these evidences, this evidence of the purchase, both which is sealed, and this evidence which is open; and put them in an earthen vessel, that they may continue many days.
15 For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land.
16 Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying,
17 Ah Lord GOD! behold, thou hast made the heaven and the earth by thy great power and stretched out arm, and there is nothing too hard for thee:
18 Thou shewest lovingkindness unto thousands, and recompensest the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them: the Great, the Mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name,
19 Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:
20 Which hast set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, even unto this day, and in Israel, and among other men; and hast made thee a name, as at this day;
21 And hast brought forth thy people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs, and with wonders, and with a strong hand, and with a stretched out arm, and with great terror;
22 And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey;
23 And they came in, and possessed it; but they obeyed not thy voice, neither walked in thy law; they have done nothing of all that thou commandedst them to do: therefore thou hast caused all this evil to come upon them:
24 Behold the mounts, they are come unto the city to take it; and the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans, that fight against it, because of the sword, and of the famine, and of the pestilence: and what thou hast spoken is come to pass; and, behold, thou seest it.
25 And thou hast said unto me, O Lord GOD, Buy thee the field for money, and take witnesses; for the city is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
26 Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying,
27 Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me?
28 Therefore thus saith the LORD; Behold, I will give this city into the hand of the Chaldeans, and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he shall take it:
29 And the Chaldeans, that fight against this city, shall come and set fire on this city, and burn it with the houses, upon whose roofs they have offered incense unto Baal, and poured out drink offerings unto other gods, to provoke me to anger.
30 For the children of Israel and the children of Judah have only done evil before me from their youth: for the children of Israel have only provoked me to anger with the work of their hands, saith the LORD.
31 For this city hath been to me as a provocation of mine anger and of my fury from the day that they built it even unto this day; that I should remove it from before my face,
32 Because of all the evil of the children of Israel and of the children of Judah, which they have done to provoke me to anger, they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah, and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.
33 And they have turned unto me the back, and not the face: though I taught them, rising up early and teaching them, yet they have not hearkened to receive instruction.
34 But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it.
35 And they built the high places of Baal, which are in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to cause their sons and their daughters to pass through the fire unto Molech; which I commanded them not, neither came it into my mind, that they should do this abomination, to cause Judah to sin.
36 And now therefore thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, concerning this city, whereof ye say, It shall be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword, and by the famine, and by the pestilence;
37 Behold, I will gather them out of all countries, whither I have driven them in mine anger, and in my fury, and in great wrath; and I will bring them again unto this place, and I will cause them to dwell safely:
38 And they shall be my people, and I will be their God:
39 And I will give them one heart, and one way, that they may fear me for ever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:
40 And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put my fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from me.
41 Yea, I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will plant them in this land assuredly with my whole heart and with my whole soul.
42 For thus saith the LORD; Like as I have brought all this great evil upon this people, so will I bring upon them all the good that I have promised them.
43 And fields shall be bought in this land, whereof ye say, It is desolate without man or beast; it is given into the hand of the Chaldeans.
44 Men shall buy fields for money, and subscribe evidences, and seal them, and take witnesses in the land of Benjamin, and in the places about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Judah, and in the cities of the mountains, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south: for I will cause their captivity to return, saith the LORD.
Chapter 32 of the Book of Jeremiah, in the King James Version (KJV) of the Holy Bible, is a complex, multi-layered narrative that captures a critical moment in the life of the Prophet Jeremiah and the history of the people of Judah. This chapter is filled with themes of faith, conviction, divine prophecy, human response, and the enduring promise of God's covenant.
The chapter begins with a historical setting: Jeremiah is confined in the court of the guard during the siege of Jerusalem by King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon. Despite the dire circumstances, Jeremiah receives a divine message from God. This message is not about impending doom, but an unusual instruction: to buy a piece of land from his cousin Hanamel in Anathoth. This transaction, seemingly mundane, is set against the backdrop of the impending fall of Jerusalem, making it an act of prophetic and symbolic significance.
The narrative is divided into three main sections: the divine instruction and the land purchase (Jeremiah 32:1-15), Jeremiah's prayer (Jeremiah 32:16-25), and God's response (Jeremiah 32:26-44). Each of these sections provides a different perspective and interpretation of the events unfolding in this chapter.
The first section (Jeremiah 32:1-15) recounts the divine instruction given to Jeremiah. God instructs Jeremiah to buy a field from his cousin Hanamel, an act that seems illogical as Jerusalem is on the brink of being conquered by the Babylonians. Despite the impending doom, Jeremiah obeys God's command, buying the field and preserving the deed in an earthenware jar. This act, in essence, is an act of faith in God's promise that houses, fields, and vineyards shall again be bought in the land (Jeremiah 32:15).
This symbolic act by Jeremiah represents hope and the divine promise of restoration. It signifies the enduring nature of God's covenant with His people, a covenant that would not be broken even in the face of impending disaster. The act of land purchase is a prophetic action, a tangible sign of God's promise for a future return and restoration.
In the second section (Jeremiah 32:16-25), Jeremiah presents a prayer to God. This prayer reflects Jeremiah's struggle to reconcile the reality of the impending destruction of Jerusalem with the divine promise of restoration. He acknowledges God's mighty deeds and sovereignty, and yet, he expresses his confusion about the future. He affirms God's justice in bringing punishment upon the people of Judah for their disobedience, but he also questions the promise of future restoration in the face of current disaster.
Jeremiah's prayer is a profound expression of faith wrestled with doubt and hope contested with despair. It underscores the human struggle to understand and trust God's promises amidst challenging circumstances. Through this prayer, we get an insight into Jeremiah's faith journey and his human response to divine prophecy.
The third section (Jeremiah 32:26-44) presents God's response to Jeremiah's prayer. God confirms that He will indeed hand over the city to the Babylonians, but He also reiterates His promise of future restoration. He assures Jeremiah that nothing is too hard for Him and that He will gather His people from all the nations and bring them back to this place.
God's response is a reaffirmation of His divine promise and a call to trust in His unfailing love and faithfulness. He acknowledges the sins and failures of His people, but He also assures them of His commitment to restore and renew them. This divine response is a powerful testament to God's grace and mercy, His justice and righteousness, and His enduring love and faithfulness.
In essence, Jeremiah 32 is a narrative about divine promise and human response. It presents a picture of God who, despite human failures and disobedience, remains faithful to His covenant promises. It also presents a picture of Jeremiah who, despite doubts and fears, chooses to trust and obey God's command. This chapter reminds us of the enduring nature of God's covenant, the power of prophetic actions, and the human capacity to trust and hope in God's promises amidst challenging circumstances.
In conclusion, Jeremiah 32 is a powerful narrative that captures the tension between divine promise and human response. It's a story about faith, hope, and divine promise set against the backdrop of impending disaster. It's a story about a God who remains faithful to His promises and a prophet who chooses to trust and obey God's command. This chapter serves as a reminder of God's enduring love and faithfulness, His justice and righteousness, and the power of faith and hope in the face of adversity.
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