הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת ה' בַּשָּׁנָה הָעֲשִׂרִית לְצִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה הִיא הַשָּׁנָה שְׁמֹנֶה־עֶשְׂרֵה שָׁנָה לִנְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר

This message that was to Jeremiah from the Lord in the tenth year of Tzidkiyahu king of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadrezzar.

וְאָז חֵיל מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל צָרִים עַל־יְרוּשָׁלִָם וְיִרְמְיָהוּ הַנָּבִיא הָיָה כָלוּא בַּחֲצַר הַמַּטָּרָה אֲשֶׁר בֵית־מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה

Then, at that time, the army of the king of Babylon was besieging Jerusalem, a siege that began on the tenth of the month of Tevet, in the ninth year of Tzidkiyahu (52:4); and Jeremiah the prophet was imprisoned in the court of internment, a jail, that was in the house of the king of Judah,

אֲשֶׁר כְּלָאוֹ צִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ־יְהוּדָה לֵאמֹר מַדּוּעַ אַתָּה נִבָּא לֵאמֹר כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וּלְכָדָהּ

as Tzidkiyahu king of Judah had imprisoned him, saying: Why do you prophesy, saying: So said the Lord: Behold, I am delivering this city into the hand of the king of Babylon, and he will capture it,

וְצִדְקִיָּהוּ מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה לֹא יִמָּלֵט מִיַּד־הַכַּשְׂדִּים כִּי־הִנָּתֹן יִנָּתֵן בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וְדִבֶּר־פִּיו עִם־פִּיו וְעֵינָיו אֶת־עֵינָו תִּרְאֶינָה

and Tzidkiyahu king of Judah will not escape from the hand of the Chaldeans; rather, he will be delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon, and his mouth will speak to his mouth, and his eyes will see his eyes. They will see each other. The terrible things that will happen to the king in this encounter are not detailed here (see 39:6–7).

וּבָבֶל יוֹלִךְ אֶת־צִדְקִיָּהוּ וְשָׁם יִהְיֶה עַד־פָּקְדִי אֹתוֹ נְאֻם־ה' כִּי תִלָּחֲמוּ אֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּים לֹא תַצְלִיחוּ!

And to Babylon he will lead Tzidkiyahu, and there he will be until I remember him and take his soul – this is the utterance of the Lord. This can also mean: Until I remember him and improve his situation. Although you might decide to make war against the Chaldeans, you will not succeed. After quoting his statement, Tzidkiyahu complained to Jeremiah: Why would you say such a thing at a time like this? And he confined him in the court of internment.

וַיֹּאמֶר יִרְמְיָהוּ הָיָה דְּבַר־ה' אֵלַי לֵאמֹר׃

During that period, the imprisoned Jeremiah said: The word of the Lord was with me, during all these events of the siege, saying:

הִנֵּה חֲנַמְאֵל בֶּן־שַׁלֻּם-דֹּדְךָ בָּא אֵלֶיךָ לֵאמֹר קְנֵה לְךָ אֶת־שָׂדִי אֲשֶׁר בָּעֲנָתוֹת כִּי לְךָ מִשְׁפַּט הַגְּאֻלָּה לִקְנוֹת

Behold, Hanamel son of Shalum your uncle, is coming to you, saying: Purchase for you my field that is in Anatot. Although it is a strange idea to sell a field in the current political climate, Hanamel will try to do so; he evidently thinks that he might be able to receive some small price for it. He will approach you, his cousin, as yours is the right of redemption to purchase. According to the Torah’s laws of redemption, if one sells part of his inheritance, one of his relatives may redeem the land from the purchaser. The nearest patrilineal relation has the preemptive right to buy the field. God informed the prophet that Hanamel would ask Jeremiah, as the closest relative, to execute this right before the field would be sold to a third party.

וַיָּבֹא אֵלַי חֲנַמְאֵל בֶּן־דֹּדִי כִּדְבַר ה' אֶל־חֲצַר הַמַּטָּרָה וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי קְנֵה נָא אֶת־שָׂדִי אֲשֶׁר־בַּעֲנָתוֹת אֲשֶׁר בְּאֶרֶץ בִּנְיָמִין כִּי לְךָ מִשְׁפַּט הַיְרֻשָּׁה וּלְךָ הַגְּאֻלָּה קְנֵה־לָךְ וָאֵדַע כִּי דְבַר־ה' הוּא

Indeed, Hanamel, my uncle’s, Shalum’s, son, came to me to the court of internment, according to the word of the Lord, just as God had told me, and he said to me: Please, purchase my field that is in Anatot, which is in the land of Benjamin, as yours is the right of inheritance. You are the nearest relation, and therefore the right of redemption is yours, purchase it for you. And I knew that it was the word of the Lord.

וָאֶקְנֶה אֶת־הַשָּׂדֶה מֵאֵת חֲנַמְאֵל בֶּן־דֹּדִי אֲשֶׁר בַּעֲנָתוֹת וָאֶשְׁקֲלָה־לּוֹ אֶת־הַכֶּסֶף שִׁבְעָה שְׁקָלִים וַעֲשָׂרָה הַכָּסֶף

I purchased the field that was in Anatot from Hanamel, my uncle’s son, and I weighed the silver that he requested in exchange for the field for him, seven shekels and ten of silver.

וָאֶכְתֹּב בַּסֵּפֶר וָאֶחְתֹּם וָאָעֵד עֵדִים וָאֶשְׁקֹל הַכֶּסֶף בְּמֹאזְנָיִם

I wrote the terms of the purchase in the deed and sealed it, and called witnesses and weighed the silver on scales. At that time and in that region, people did not use coins with a seal as a medium of exchange. Rather, the shekels were small lumps of metal, whose value depended on their weight. Therefore, it was necessary to weigh the money on a scale.

וָאֶקַּח אֶת־סֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה — אֶת־הֶחָתוּם הַמִּצְוָה וְהַחֻקִּים וְאֶת־הַגָּלוּי

I took the deed of the purchase, the contract of the sale, that which was sealed, the part of the deed that was kept closed, which included the laws and the statutes of the sale, its details and conditions, and that which was unsealed, the section of the contract that was open to all, perhaps a copy of the sealed part.

וָאֶתֵּן אֶת־הַסֵּפֶר הַמִּקְנָה אֶל־בָּרוּךְ בֶּן־נֵרִיָּה בֶּן־מַחְסֵיָה לְעֵינֵי חֲנַמְאֵל דֹּדִי וּלְעֵינֵי הָעֵדִים הַכֹּתְבִים בְּסֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה לְעֵינֵי כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים הַיֹּשְׁבִים בַּחֲצַר הַמַּטָּרָה

I gave the deed of purchase to Barukh, son of Neriya, son of Mahseya, my secretary and scribe (see 34:6), before the eyes of Hanamel, son of my uncle, and before the eyes of the witnesses who wrote their signatures in the deed of purchase, before the eyes of all the Jews, members of the tribe of Judah, who were sitting in the court of internment. After it was written and signed, the deed was given as proof of purchase to Jeremiah, who handed it over to his secretary for safekeeping.

וָאֲצַוֶּה אֶת בָּרוּךְ לְעֵינֵיהֶם לֵאמֹר׃

I commanded Barukh before their eyes, saying:

כֹּה־אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל לָקוֹחַ אֶת־הַסְּפָרִים הָאֵלֶּה אֵת סֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה הַזֶּה — וְאֵת הֶחָתוּם וְאֵת סֵפֶר הַגָּלוּי הַזֶּה וּנְתַתָּם בִּכְלִי־חָרֶשׂ לְמַעַן יַעַמְדוּ יָמִים רַבִּים

So said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Take these deeds. This deed of the purchase and that which was sealed and this unsealed deed, and place them in an earthenware vessel, so that they will endure for many days. In those times, deeds of sale were scrolls written on leather or parchment. To protect them from mold, they had to be hidden away in a dry place. If documents are sealed properly in an earthenware container they can remain intact for thousands of years.

כִּי כֹה אָמַר ה' צְבָאוֹת אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל עוֹד יִקָּנוּ בָתִּים וְשָׂדוֹת וּכְרָמִים בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת

For so said the Lord of hosts, God of Israel: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be purchased in this land. The purchase was not performed for commercial reasons, which would have been odd under the circumstances, but rather to make a declarative statement. Due to the siege, people did not have the peace of mind to think of investments for the future. The purchase of the field, then, was a meaningful step exemplifying the prophecy that real estate will once again be bought in the Land of Israel and that life there will be revived. Accordingly, the placement of the deed in safekeeping was a symbolic act designed to highlight the value of such a document.

וָאֶתְפַּלֵּל אֶל־ה' אַחֲרֵי תִתִּי אֶת־סֵפֶר הַמִּקְנָה אֶל־בָּרוּךְ בֶּן־נֵרִיָּה לֵאמֹר׃

I prayed to the Lord, after I gave the deed of purchase to Barukh son of Neriya, saying:

אֲהָהּ ה' אֱלוֹהִים! הִנֵּה אַתָּה עָשִׂיתָ אֶת־הַשָּׁמַיִם וְאֶת־הָאָרֶץ בְּכֹחֲךָ הַגָּדוֹל וּבִזְרֹעֲךָ הַנְּטוּיָה לֹא־יִפָּלֵא מִמְּךָ כָּל־דָּבָר

Alas, my Lord God, behold: You made the heavens and the earth with Your great power and with Your outstretched arm; there is nothing that is beyond You. You created everything, You know everything, and You are the omnipotent One,

עֹשֶׂה חֶסֶד לַאֲלָפִים וּמְשַׁלֵּם עֲוֹן אָבוֹת אֶל־חֵיק בְּנֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵיהֶם הָאֵל הַגָּדוֹל הַגִּבּוֹר ה' צְבָאוֹת שְׁמוֹ

who engages in kindness for the thousands and repays the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them, as is written in the Torah; the great, the mighty God, the Lord of hosts is His name;

גְּדֹל הָעֵצָה וְרַב הָעֲלִילִיָּה אֲשֶׁר־עֵינֶיךָ פְקֻחוֹת עַל־כָּל־דַּרְכֵי בְּנֵי אָדָם לָתֵת לְאִישׁ כִּדְרָכָיו וְכִפְרִי מַעֲלָלָיו

who is great in designs and thoughts, and mighty in deed; it is You whose eyes are open upon all the ways of people, to give each in accordance with his ways and in accordance with the fruit of his actions. You plan, act, and watch over people;

אֲשֶׁר שַׂמְתָּ אֹתוֹת וּמֹפְתִים בְּאֶרֶץ מִצְרַיִם עַד־הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה וּבְיִשְׂרָאֵל וּב אָדָם וַתַּעֲשֶׂה־לְּךָ שֵׁם כַּיּוֹם הַזֶּה

You, who placed signs and wonders in the land of Egypt to this day, and among Israel and among the rest of mankind, and made for You a name like this day, as is clear.

וַתֹּצֵא אֶת־עַמְּךָ אֶת־יִשְׂרָאֵל מֵאֶרֶץ מִצְרָיִם בְּאֹתוֹת וּבְמוֹפְתִים וּבְיָד חֲזָקָה וּבְאֶזְרוֹעַ נְטוּיָה וּבְמוֹרָא גָּדוֹל

You took out Your people Israel from the land of Egypt, with signs and with wonders and with a mighty hand and with an outstretched arm and with great awe.

וַתִּתֵּן לָהֶם אֶת־הָאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר־נִשְׁבַּעְתָּ לַאֲבוֹתָם לָתֵת לָהֶם אֶרֶץ זָבַת חָלָב וּדְבָשׁ

You gave them this land that You took an oath to their forefathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey.

וַיָּבֹאוּ וַיִּרְשׁוּ אֹתָהּ וְלֹא־שָׁמְעוּ בְקוֹלֶךָ וּבְתוֹרָתְךָ לֹא־הָלָכוּ אֵת כָּל־אֲשֶׁר צִוִּיתָה לָהֶם לַעֲשׂוֹת — לֹא עָשׂוּ וַתַּקְרֵא אֹתָם אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת —

They came and they took possession of it, but they did not heed Your voice, and they did not follow Your laws; everything that You commanded them to perform they did not perform, and You caused all this evil to befall them.

הִנֵּה הַסֹּלְלוֹת בָּאוּ הָעִיר לְלָכְדָהּ וְהָעִיר נִתְּנָה בְּיַד הַכַּשְׂדִּים הַנִּלְחָמִים עָלֶיהָ מִפְּנֵי הַחֶרֶב וְהָרָעָב וְהַדָּבֶר וַאֲשֶׁר דִּבַּרְתָּ הָיָה וְהִנְּךָ רֹאֶה

Behold, the embankments have come to the city and are piled up against it to capture it. Embankments of earth were one of the means used to defeat a walled city under siege. They were raised to the height of the wall, and from there it was possible to invade the city from above, and the city has virtually been delivered into the hand of the Chaldeans, who are making war against it due to the sword and the famine and the pestilence within the city, and that of which You spoke has indeed happened, and behold, You see.

וְאַתָּה אָמַרְתָּ אֵלַי ה' אֱלוֹהִים קְנֵה־לְךָ הַשָּׂדֶה בַּכֶּסֶף וְהָעֵד עֵדִים והָעִיר נִתְּנָה בְּיַד הַכַּשְׂדִּים!

And yet, despite all that, You said to me, my Lord God: Purchase the field with silver, and call witnesses, but I do not understand the logic and meaning of this act, when the city has been delivered into the hand of the Chaldeans.

וַיְהִי דְּבַר־ה' אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ לֵאמֹר׃

The word of the Lord was with Jeremiah, saying:

הִנֵּה אֲנִי ה' אֱלֹהֵי כָּל־בָּשָׂר — הֲמִמֶּנִּי יִפָּלֵא כָּל־דָּבָר!

Behold, I am the Lord, God of all flesh. Is anything beyond Me? As you said, I know all.

לָכֵן כֹּה אָמַר ה' הִנְנִי נֹתֵן אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת בְּיַד הַכַּשְׂדִּים וּבְיַד נְבוּכַדְרֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל וּלְכָדָהּ

Therefore, so said the Lord: Behold, I am delivering this city into the hand of the Chaldeans and into the hand of Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon, and he will capture it.

וּבָאוּ הַכַּשְׂדִּים הַנִּלְחָמִים עַל־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת וְהִצִּיתוּ אֶת־הָעִיר הַזֹּאת בָּאֵשׁ וּשְׂרָפוּהָ וְאֵת הַבָּתִּים אֲשֶׁר קִטְּרוּ עַל־גַּגּוֹתֵיהֶם לַבַּעַל וְהִסִּכוּ נְסָכִים לֵאלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לְמַעַן הַכְעִסֵנִי

The Chaldeans, who are making war against this city, will come, and they will ignite this city with fire, and they will burn it and the houses where they burned incense or the meat of animal offerings on their roofs to the Baal, and poured libations to other gods in order to anger Me.

כִּי־הָיוּ בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה אַךְ עֹשִׂים הָרַע בְּעֵינַי מִנְּעֻרֹתֵיהֶם כִּי בְנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל אַךְ מַכְעִסִים אֹתִי בְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם נְאֻם־ה'

For the children of Israel and the children of Judah were performing only evil in My eyes from their youth, from when they first became a nation. Or, each of them from a young age, for the children of Israel only anger Me with their handiwork – the utterance of the Lord.

כִּי עַל־אַפִּי וְעַל־חֲמָתִי הָיְתָה לִּי הָעִיר הַזֹּאת לְמִן־הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּנוּ אוֹתָהּ וְעַד הַיּוֹם הַזֶּה לַהֲסִירָהּ מֵעַל פָּנָי

For this city, Jerusalem, has been a cause of My wrath and My anger from the day that they built it until this day. Although they constructed My Temple in it, the residents of the city did not obey Me most of the time, and they angered Me to such an extent that I wish to remove it from My presence,

עַל כָּל־רָעַת בְּנֵי־יִשְׂרָאֵל וּבְנֵי יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לְהַכְעִסֵנִי — הֵמָּה מַלְכֵיהֶם שָׂרֵיהֶם כֹּהֲנֵיהֶם וּנְבִיאֵיהֶם וְאִישׁ יְהוּדָה וְיֹשְׁבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִָם

because of all the evil of the children of Israel and the children of Judah that they performed to anger Me: they, their kings, their princes, their priests, and their prophets, and the men of Judah and the inhabitants of Jerusalem.

וַיִּפְנוּ אֵלַי עֹרֶף וְלֹא פָנִים וְלַמֵּד אֹתָם הַשְׁכֵּם וְלַמֵּד וְאֵינָם שֹׁמְעִים לָקַחַת מוּסָר

They turned their back to Me and not their face, and I taught and tried to direct them, time and again, but they did not heed to accept chastisement.

וַיָּשִׂימוּ שִׁקּוּצֵיהֶם בַּבַּיִת אֲשֶׁר־נִקְרָא־שְׁמִי עָלָיו לְטַמְּאוֹ

They placed their repugnant items, their images and altars for idol worship, in the house upon which My name is called, the Temple, to defile it. This despicable act was performed by Manasseh, and the same was done in the days of Yehoyakim, on the eve of the destruction.

וַיִּבְנוּ אֶת־בָּמוֹת הַבַּעַל אֲשֶׁר בְּגֵיא בֶן־הִנֹּם לְהַעֲבִיר אֶת־בְּנֵיהֶם וְאֶת־בְּנוֹתֵיהֶם לַמֹּלֶךְ אֲשֶׁר לֹא־צִוִּיתִים וְלֹא עָלְתָה עַל־לִבִּי לַעֲשׂוֹת הַתּוֹעֵבָה הַזֹּאת לְמַעַן הַחֲטִי אֶת־יְהוּדָה

They built the shrines of the Baal that are in the Valley of the Son of Hinom, to pass their sons and their daughters to Molekh, which I did not command them and it did not enter My mind to perform that abomination, in order to cause Judah to sin. Pagan worship was not performed in secret. Rather, it was brought even inside the Temple, while in the nearby Valley of the Son of Hinom they established a bustling center of idolatry (see 7:30–31).

וְעַתָּה לָכֵן כֹּה־אָמַר ה' אֱלֹהֵי יִשְׂרָאֵל אֶל הָעִיר הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם אֹמְרִים נִתְּנָה בְּיַד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בַּחֶרֶב וּבָרָעָב וּבַדָּבֶר —

Now consider, therefore, since nothing is beyond My power, so said the Lord, God of Israel, concerning this city of which you are saying: It has been delivered into the hand of the king of Babylon by the sword and by famine and by pestilence:

הִנְנִי מְקַבְּצָם מִכָּל־הָאֲרָצוֹת אֲשֶׁר הִדַּחְתִּים שָׁם בְּאַפִּי וּבַחֲמָתִי וּבְקֶצֶף גָּדוֹל וַהֲשִׁבֹתִים אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה וְהֹשַׁבְתִּים לָבֶטַח

The king of Babylon will indeed conquer it, but behold, ultimately, I am gathering them from all the lands to which I banished them in My wrath and in My anger and in great rage, and I will return them to this place, and I will cause them to dwell in security.

וְהָיוּ לִי לְעָם וַאֲנִי אֶהְיֶה לָהֶם לֵאלֹהִים

They will be My people, and I will be their God. We will renew the close bond between us.

וְנָתַתִּי לָהֶם לֵב אֶחָד וְדֶרֶךְ אֶחָד לְיִרְאָה אוֹתִי כָּל־הַיָּמִים לְטוֹב לָהֶם וְלִבְנֵיהֶם אַחֲרֵיהֶם

I will give them one heart, desire, and one path, manner of behavior, to fear Me all the days, for their good and that of their children after them.

וְכָרַתִּי לָהֶם בְּרִית עוֹלָם אֲשֶׁר לֹא־אָשׁוּב מֵאַחֲרֵיהֶם לְהֵיטִיבִי אוֹתָם וְאֶת־יִרְאָתִי אֶתֵּן בִּלְבָבָם לְבִלְתִּי סוּר מֵעָלָי

I will establish an eternal covenant with them that I will not turn from behind them to do them good, a permanent covenant from which I will not depart, and My fear I will place in their hearts, so that they too will not stray from Me.

וְשַׂשְׂתִּי עֲלֵיהֶם לְהֵטִיב אוֹתָם וּנְטַעְתִּים בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת בֶּאֱמֶת בְּכָל־לִבִּי וּבְכָל־נַפְשִׁי

I will rejoice over them to do them good, and I will truly plant them in this land with all My heart and with all My soul. Despite the impending exile, there will be a future redemption for Israel, and they will return to their land and their God.

כִּי־כֹה אָמַר ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר הֵבֵאתִי אֶל־הָעָם הַזֶּה אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה הַגְּדוֹלָה הַזֹּאת כֵּן אָנֹכִי מֵבִיא עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־כָּל־הַטּוֹבָה אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי דֹּבֵר עֲלֵיהֶם

For so said the Lord: Just as I brought upon this people all this great evil, so am I bringing upon them all the good that I am speaking concerning them.

וְנִקְנָה הַשָּׂדֶה בָּאָרֶץ הַזֹּאת אֲשֶׁר אַתֶּם אֹמְרִים שְׁמָמָה הִיא מֵאֵין אָדָם וּבְהֵמָה נִתְּנָה בְּיַד הַכַּשְׂדִּים

Fields will be purchased in this land, concerning which you are saying: It is desolation without people or animals; it is this land that is delivered into the hand of the Chaldeans.

שָׂדוֹת — בַּכֶּסֶף יִקְנוּ וְכָתוֹב בַּסֵּפֶר וְחָתוֹם וְהָעֵד עֵדִים בְּאֶרֶץ בִּנְיָמִן וּבִסְבִיבֵי יְרוּשָׁלִַם וּבְ עָרֵי יְהוּדָה — וּבְעָרֵי הָהָר וּבְעָרֵי הַשְּׁפֵלָה וּבְעָרֵי הַנֶּגֶב כִּי אָשִׁיב אֶת־שְׁבוּתָם נְאֻם־ה'

As fields will yet be purchased with silver and written in a deed and sealed, and witnesses will be called, in the land of Benjamin and in the environs of Jerusalem and in all the cities of Judah and in the cities of the highland and in the cities of the lowland and in the cities of the south, in the portion of the tribe of Judah, for I will yet restore their returnees – this is the utterance of the Lord.