The Hebrew Prophets

the siege-works are already there; they have come to the city to capture it; and the city, by means of sword, famine and plague, is being handed over to the Kasdim fighting against it. What you foretold is being fulfilled; here, you see it, yourself.

Yet you, ADONAI, God, have said to me, 'Buy the field for money, and call witnesses; even as the city is being turned over to the Kasdim!'"

Then this word of ADONAI came to Yirmeyahu:

"Look, I am ADONAI, the God of every living creature; is there anything too hard for me?

Therefore, here is what ADONAI says: 'I will hand this city over to the Kasdim and to N'vukhadretzar king of Bavel; and he will capture it.

The Kasdim who are fighting against this city will enter and set this city on fire; they will burn it down, including its houses, on whose roofs they offered to Ba'al and poured out drink offerings to other gods, in order to make me angry.

For from their youth, the people of Isra'el and the people of Y'hudah have done only what is evil from my perspective; the people of Isra'el have done nothing but provoke me with what their hands make,' says ADONAI.

'This city has so provoked my anger and fury from the day they built it to this day that I ought to remove it from my presence,

because of all the evil that the people of Isra'el and the people of Y'hudah have done in order to make me angry - they, their kings, their leaders, their cohanim, their prophets, the men of Y'hudah and the inhabitants of Yerushalayim.

They have turned their backs on me, not their faces; and although I taught them, taught them frequently, they have not listened so as to receive instruction.

Instead they put their detestable idols in the house that bears my name, to defile it;

and they built the high places for Ba'al which are in the Ben-Hinnom Valley, to burn alive their sons and daughters to Molekh - something I did not order them to do, it never even entered my mind that they would do such an abominable thing - and thus they caused Y'hudah to sin.'

"Therefore, thus says ADONAI the God of Isra'el concerning this city, of which you say that it is handed over to the king of Bavel by sword, famine and plague:

'I will gather them out of all the countries where I drove them in my anger, fury and great wrath; and I will bring them back to this place and have them live here in safety.

They will be my people, and I will be their God.

I will give them singleness of heart and singleness of purpose, so that they will fear me forever - this will be for their own good and for the good of their children after them.

I will make with them an everlasting covenant not to turn away from them, but to do them good; I will put fear of me in their hearts, so that they will not leave me.

I will take joy in them, so as to do them good. I will plant them in this land truly, with my whole heart and being.'

For here is what ADONAI says: 'Just as I have brought this complete disaster on this people, so likewise I will bring on them all the good I have promised them.

Fields will be bought in this land, even though you say about it that it is desolate, devoid of human beings or animals, and given over to the Kasdim.

Yes, people will buy fields for money, sign the purchase contracts, seal them and call witnesses, in the territory of Binyamin, in the areas around Yerushalayim, in the cities of Y'hudah, in the cities of the hill-country, in the cities of the Sh'felah and in the cities of the Negev. For I will cause their exiles to return,' says ADONAI."

The word of ADONAI came to Yirmeyahu a second time while he was still imprisoned in the guards' quarters:

"Thus says ADONAI the maker, ADONAI who formed [the universe] so as to keep directing it ADONAI is his name:

'Call out to me, and I will answer you I will tell you great things, hidden things of which you are unaware.'"

For here is what ADONAI the God of Isra'el says concerning the houses of this city and the palaces of the kings of Y'hudah which are about to be destroyed and used as siege-works and ramparts,