Jeremiah:32-34

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* 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 . * 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 . * 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 ; * 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 ; * 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 . * And Jeremiah said , The word of the LORD came unto me , saying , * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * And I subscribed the evidence , and sealed it , and took witnesses , and weighed him the money in the balances . * So I took the evidence of the purchase , both that which was sealed according to the law and custom , and that which was open : * 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 . * And I charged Baruch before them , saying , * 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 . * For thus saith the LORD of hosts , the God of Israel ; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land . * Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah , I prayed unto the LORD , saying , * 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 : * 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 , * 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 : * 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 ; * 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 ; * And hast given them this land , which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them , a land flowing with milk and honey ; * 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 : * 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 . * 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 . * Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah , saying , * Behold , I am the LORD , the God of all flesh : is there any thing too hard for me ? * 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 : * 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 . * 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 . * 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 , * 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 . * 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 . * But they set their abominations in the house , which is called by my name , to defile it . * 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 . * 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 ; * 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 : * And they shall be my people , and I will be their God : * 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 : * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * 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 . * Moreover the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah the second time , while he was yet shut up in the court of the prison , saying , * Thus saith the LORD the maker thereof , the LORD that formed it , to establish it ; the LORD is his name ; * Call unto me , and I will answer thee , and shew thee great and mighty things , which thou knowest not . * For thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel , concerning the houses of this city , and concerning the houses of the kings of Judah , which are thrown down by the mounts , and by the sword ; * They come to fight with the Chaldeans , but it is to fill them with the dead bodies of men , whom I have slain in mine anger and in my fury , and for all whose wickedness I have hid my face from this city . * Behold , I will bring it health and cure , and I will cure them , and will reveal unto them the abundance of peace and truth . * And I will cause the captivity of Judah and the captivity of Israel to return , and will build them , as at the first . * And I will cleanse them from all their iniquity , whereby they have sinned against me ; and I will pardon all their iniquities , whereby they have sinned , and whereby they have transgressed against me . * And it shall be to me a name of joy , a praise and an honour before all the nations of the earth , which shall hear all the good that I do unto them : and they shall fear and tremble for all the goodness and for all the prosperity that I procure unto it . * Thus saith the LORD ; Again there shall be heard in this place , which ye say shall be desolate without man and without beast , even in the cities of Judah , and in the streets of Jerusalem , that are desolate , without man , and without inhabitant , and without beast , * The voice of joy , and the voice of gladness , the voice of the bridegroom , and the voice of the bride , the voice of them that shall say , Praise the LORD of hosts : for the LORD is good ; for his mercy endureth for ever : and of them that shall bring the sacrifice of praise into the house of the LORD . For I will cause to return the captivity of the land , as at the first , saith the LORD . * Thus saith the LORD of hosts ; Again in this place , which is desolate without man and without beast , and in all the cities thereof , shall be an habitation of shepherds causing their flocks to lie down . * In the cities of the mountains , in the cities of the vale , and in the cities of the south , and in the land of Benjamin , and in the places about Jerusalem , and in the cities of Judah , shall the flocks pass again under the hands of him that telleth them , saith the LORD . * Behold , the days come , saith the LORD , that I will perform that good thing which I have promised unto the house of Israel and to the house of Judah . * In those days , and at that time , will I cause the Branch of righteousness to grow up unto David ; and he shall execute judgment and righteousness in the land . * In those days shall Judah be saved , and Jerusalem shall dwell safely : and this is the name wherewith she shall be called , The LORD our righteousness . * For thus saith the LORD ; David shall never want a man to sit upon the throne of the house of Israel ; * Neither shall the priests the Levites want a man before me to offer burnt offerings , and to kindle meat offerings , and to do sacrifice continually . * And the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah , saying , * Thus saith the LORD ; If ye can break my covenant of the day , and my covenant of the night , and that there should not be day and night in their season ; * Then may also my covenant be broken with David my servant , that he should not have a son to reign upon his throne ; and with the Levites the priests , my ministers . * As the host of heaven cannot be numbered , neither the sand of the sea measured : so will I multiply the seed of David my servant , and the Levites that minister unto me . * Moreover the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah , saying , * Considerest thou not what this people have spoken , saying , The two families which the LORD hath chosen , he hath even cast them off ? thus they have despised my people , that they should be no more a nation before them . * Thus saith the LORD ; If my covenant be not with day and night , and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth ; * Then will I cast away the seed of Jacob , and David my servant , so that I will not take any of his seed to be rulers over the seed of Abraham , Isaac , and Jacob : for I will cause their captivity to return , and have mercy on them . * The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD , when Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon , and all his army , and all the kingdoms of the earth of his dominion , and all the people , fought against Jerusalem , and against all the cities thereof , saying , * Thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel ; Go and speak to Zedekiah king of Judah , and tell him , Thus saith the LORD ; Behold , I will give this city into the hand of the king of Babylon , and he shall burn it with fire : * And thou shalt not escape out of his hand , but shalt surely be taken , and delivered into his hand ; and thine eyes shall behold the eyes of the king of Babylon , and he shall speak with thee mouth to mouth , and thou shalt go to Babylon . * Yet hear the word of the LORD , O Zedekiah king of Judah ; Thus saith the LORD of thee , Thou shalt not die by the sword : * But thou shalt die in peace : and with the burnings of thy fathers , the former kings which were before thee , so shall they burn odours for thee ; and they will lament thee , saying , Ah lord ! for I have pronounced the word , saith the LORD . * Then Jeremiah the prophet spake all these words unto Zedekiah king of Judah in Jerusalem , * When the king of Babylon 's army fought against Jerusalem , and against all the cities of Judah that were left , against Lachish , and against Azekah : for these defenced cities remained of the cities of Judah . * This is the word that came unto Jeremiah from the LORD , after that the king Zedekiah had made a covenant with all the people which were at Jerusalem , to proclaim liberty unto them ; * That every man should let his manservant , and every man his maidservant , being an Hebrew or an Hebrewess , go free ; that none should serve himself of them , to wit , of a Jew his brother . * Now when all the princes , and all the people , which had entered into the covenant , heard that every one should let his manservant , and every one his maidservant , go free , that none should serve themselves of them any more , then they obeyed , and let them go . * But afterward they turned , and caused the servants and the handmaids , whom they had let go free , to return , and brought them into subjection for servants and for handmaids . * Therefore the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah from the LORD , saying , * Thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel ; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day that I brought them forth out of the land of Egypt , out of the house of bondmen , saying , * At the end of seven years let ye go every man his brother an Hebrew , which hath been sold unto thee ; and when he hath served thee six years , thou shalt let him go free from thee : but your fathers hearkened not unto me , neither inclined their ear . * And ye were now turned , and had done right in my sight , in proclaiming liberty every man to his neighbour ; and ye had made a covenant before me in the house which is called by my name : * But ye turned and polluted my name , and caused every man his servant , and every man his handmaid , whom ye had set at liberty at their pleasure , to return , and brought them into subjection , to be unto you for servants and for handmaids . * Therefore thus saith the LORD ; Ye have not hearkened unto me , in proclaiming liberty , every one to his brother , and every man to his neighbour : behold , I proclaim a liberty for you , saith the LORD , to the sword , to the pestilence , and to the famine ; and I will make you to be removed into all the kingdoms of the earth . * And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant , which have not performed the words of the covenant which they had made before me , when they cut the calf in twain , and passed between the parts thereof , * The princes of Judah , and the princes of Jerusalem , the eunuchs , and the priests , and all the people of the land , which passed between the parts of the calf ; * I will even give them into the hand of their enemies , and into the hand of them that seek their life : and their dead bodies shall be for meat unto the fowls of the heaven , and to the beasts of the earth . * And Zedekiah king of Judah and his princes will I give into the hand of their enemies , and into the hand of them that seek their life , and into the hand of the king of Babylon 's army , which are gone up from you . * Behold , I will command , saith the LORD , and cause them to return to this city ; and they shall fight against it , and take it , and burn it with fire : and I will make the cities of Judah a desolation without an inhabitant . * The word which came unto Jeremiah from the LORD in the days of Jehoiakim the son of Josiah king of Judah , saying ,

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