Jeremiah Chapter 32
Showing all 44 verses for Jeremiah Chapter 32.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"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. "
"This is the message that came to Jeremiah from the LORD in the tenth year of King Zedekiah of Judah, which was the eighteenth year of Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon."
My promises aren't detached from your real timeline and real circumstances - they show up in the middle of your specific, dated crisis, not in some abstract 'someday.'
"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. "
"At that time the king of Babylon's army was besieging Jerusalem, and Jeremiah the prophet was locked up in the guard's courtyard at the king of Judah's palace."
I don't wait for your circumstances to improve before speaking hope into them. Some of the clearest hope comes from people who are still stuck in the hard place with you, not shouting from outside it.
"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; "
"Zedekiah king of Judah had locked him up, asking: Why do you keep prophesying, saying, This is what the LORD says: I will hand this city over to the king of Babylon, and he will take it?"
Telling the truth won't always be welcomed, even when it's exactly right. Don't measure whether you spoke rightly by whether people liked hearing 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 Zedekiah king of Judah will not escape the Chaldeans - he will definitely be handed over to the king of Babylon, and will speak with him face to face, seeing him eye to eye."
I don't soften hard truths just because the person hearing them is powerful or important. Everyone, whatever their position, is accountable to the same reality.
"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. "
"He will lead Zedekiah to Babylon, and he will stay there until I deal with him, says the LORD. Even if you fight the Chaldeans, you will not succeed."
Sometimes wisdom means recognising a battle you can't win by force, and choosing a different kind of strength instead - not giving up, but not wasting yourself on a fight already decided.
"And Jeremiah said, The word of the LORD came unto me, saying, "
"And Jeremiah said: The word of the LORD came to me, saying..."
Even in your confined, difficult circumstances, stay listening - that's often exactly where the next instruction, and the next act of hope, will come from.
"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. "
"Look - Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, will come to you and say, Buy my field at Anathoth, because you have the right of redemption to buy it."
I speak into your ordinary, practical decisions - money, family obligations, property - not just the big spiritual moments. Faith shows up in mundane choices too.
"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. "
"Then Hanamel, my uncle's son, came to me in the prison courtyard, just as the LORD had said, and said: Please buy my field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, because the right of inheritance and redemption belong to you - buy it for yourself. Then I knew this was the word of the LORD."
Watch for the moments where what I've told you lines up exactly with what happens - that's not coincidence, it's confirmation. Let it give you the confidence to act, even when the action looks foolish to everyone else.
"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. "
"So I bought the field from Hanamel, my uncle's son, at Anathoth, and weighed out the silver for him - seventeen shekels."
Sometimes acting in hope looks completely irrational to everyone watching. Faith isn't always about waiting for circumstances to make sense first - sometimes it's a deliberate, costly action that says 'I believe this isn't the end.'
"And I subscribed the evidence, and sealed it, and took witnesses, and weighed him the money in the balances. "
"I signed the deed, sealed it, called witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales."
Do your acts of hope properly and seriously, not half-heartedly. If you believe something good is coming, act like you mean it - with real care, not just a gesture.
"So I took the evidence of the purchase, both that which was sealed according to the law and custom, and that which was open: "
"So I took the deeds of purchase - both the sealed copy, made according to law and custom, and the open copy."
Keep good record of the hope you're building, so that others, and even you in a harder moment later, can go back and check that it was real.
"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 gave the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah, in front of Hanamel my cousin, the witnesses who signed the deed, and all the Jews sitting in the prison courtyard."
Let your hope be visible to the people around you, especially those going through the same hard circumstances - it isn't just for your own comfort, it's meant to be shared.
"And I charged Baruch before them, saying, "
"And I instructed Baruch in front of them, saying..."
Be specific and clear when you pass responsibility to someone else, especially something that matters. Don't leave important things vague.
"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. "
"This is what the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel, says: take these deeds - the sealed one and the open one - and put them in a clay jar, so they will last a long time."
Some of what I ask you to invest in won't pay off soon - it might take years. Preserve it carefully anyway; store it safely and trust the timeline isn't yours to control.
"For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; Houses and fields and vineyards shall be possessed again in this land. "
"For this is what the LORD of hosts, God of Israel, says: houses, fields, and vineyards will be bought again in this land."
When everything looks like it's ending, I might ask you to do something small and ordinary that quietly declares your belief in a future. That small act can carry more weight than words.
"Now when I had delivered the evidence of the purchase unto Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed unto the LORD, saying, "
"After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch son of Neriah, I prayed to the LORD, saying..."
You can obey and still bring me your confusion afterwards. Faith isn't pretending you understand everything - it's doing what's asked and still being honest about your questions.
"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: "
"Oh Lord GOD! You made the heavens and the earth by your great power and outstretched arm - nothing is too difficult for you."
When you don't understand what I'm asking of you, start by remembering what you do know about who I am. Let that steady you before you bring me your confusion.
"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, "
"You show faithful love to thousands, but bring the guilt of the fathers back on their children after them. The great and mighty God, the LORD of hosts, is his name."
I hold both compassion and consequence together - I'm not indifferent to what your choices do to those who come after you, but my kindness still runs far wider and deeper than any of that.
"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: "
"Great in planning and mighty in action - your eyes are open to everything people do, giving to each one according to their ways and the fruit of their deeds."
I see everything you do, and what you plant, you eventually reap - but that's not a threat, it's the reason your good, quiet efforts aren't wasted or invisible to me.
"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; "
"You performed signs and wonders in Egypt, and you've kept doing it in Israel and among all people, right up to today, making a name for yourself, as is still true today."
Look back at what I've already done in your life or your history before you doubt what I'm doing now. My track record is the evidence for trusting the next chapter.
"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; "
"You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs, wonders, a strong hand, an outstretched arm, and great terror."
The biggest rescues in your story so far are proof of what I'm capable of, not just history to look back on fondly. Let your past deliverance inform your present trust.
"And hast given them this land, which thou didst swear to their fathers to give them, a land flowing with milk and honey; "
"And you gave them this land, which you swore to their ancestors to give them - a land flowing with milk and honey."
I've kept every promise I've made before. That history is exactly why you can trust the promise you're holding onto right now, even when the present moment looks like the opposite is happening.
"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: "
"They came in and took possession of it, but they didn't obey your voice or follow your law - they did none of what you commanded them to do. So you brought all this disaster on them."
Owning what actually went wrong, honestly and without excuses, is part of healing - not something to be ashamed to admit. I'd rather hear your honest confession than your defensive justification.
"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. "
"Look at the siege ramps - they've reached the city to take it. The city is being given into the hands of the Chaldeans attacking it, because of sword, famine and plague. What you spoke has happened - you can see it yourself."
It's alright to name what you're actually seeing, even when it's grim, rather than pretending things are fine. Honesty about present pain and trust in future hope aren't opposites - you can hold both.
"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. "
"Yet you said to me, LORD, buy the field for money and get witnesses - even though the city is being given into the hands of the Chaldeans."
Bring me your genuine confusion, even about things I've told you to do. I'd rather you ask me honestly 'why does this make sense?' than obey with silent, unspoken doubt.
"Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah, saying, "
"Then the word of the LORD came to Jeremiah, saying..."
When you bring me your honest questions, expect an answer, not silence. I don't shut down honest doubt - I meet it.
"Behold, I am the LORD, the God of all flesh: is there any thing too hard for me? "
"Look, I am the LORD, the God of all humanity - is anything too difficult for me?"
Sometimes the answer to your doubt is already inside the trust you started with. Go back to what you know is true about me, and let that settle what currently looks confusing.
"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: "
"Therefore this is what the LORD says: watch - I will give this city into the hands of the Chaldeans and King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, and he will take it."
I won't pretend a hard outcome away just to comfort you in the moment. Real hope doesn't require denying reality - it holds both the hard truth and the promise beyond 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. "
"The Chaldeans fighting this city will come and set it on fire, burning it along with the houses where people burned incense to Baal on the rooftops and poured out drink offerings to other gods, to provoke me to anger."
What you make central in your everyday, private life - literally on your own rooftop - matters as much as public behaviour. Examine what's quietly normal in your home, not just what's visible to others.
"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. "
"The people of Israel and Judah have done nothing but evil in my sight since their youth - the children of Israel have done nothing but provoke me to anger with what their hands have made."
Patterns matter more than single mistakes - if something keeps showing up in your life again and again, that's worth taking seriously rather than dismissing as a one-off.
"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, "
"This city has been a source of my anger and fury from the day it was built until now, so that I must remove it from my presence."
Don't wait until things become unbearable before addressing a problem that's been quietly building for a long time. The earlier something gets named honestly, the less painful the eventual reckoning.
"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. "
"Because of all the evil the people of Israel and Judah have done to provoke me - they, their kings, officials, priests, prophets, the men of Judah, and the people of Jerusalem."
Don't let leaders, whether political or religious, escape accountability just because of their position - and don't let ordinary people hide behind 'I was just following along' either. Everyone answers for their own part.
"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. "
"They turned their backs to me, not their faces - even though I taught them repeatedly and consistently, they wouldn't listen or accept correction."
I keep teaching patiently even when you keep turning away - that persistence is real, not performative. But listening is still something only you can choose to do; I won't force your face back towards me.
"But they set their abominations in the house, which is called by my name, to defile it. "
"They set up their disgusting idols in the house that bears my name, defiling it."
Guard what's meant to be sacred to you - your closest relationships, your inner convictions - from being quietly filled with things that don't belong there. Corruption often starts exactly where trust runs deepest.
"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. "
"They built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Ben-Hinnom, to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech - something I never commanded, and never even entered my mind, causing Judah to sin."
Never assume cruelty done in the name of religion reflects what I actually want - it doesn't, and it never did. I don't ask for anyone's suffering, especially not a child's, as some price for my approval.
"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; "
"And now therefore this is what the LORD, God of Israel, says about this city, which you say will be given into the hand of the king of Babylon by sword, famine, and plague..."
I don't need you to be wrong about how bad things are before I can offer you something good. Hope gets built on honest acknowledgement of hard reality, not on denying it.
"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: "
"Watch - I will gather them from all the countries where I drove them in my anger, fury, and great wrath, and I will bring them back to this place and let them live in safety."
If I've allowed something hard into your life, I'm also the one committed to bringing you back out of it into safety. I don't discipline and then walk away - I stay involved until you're home.
"And they shall be my people, and I will be their God: "
"They will be my people, and I will be their God."
Everything I want to give you eventually comes back to this: belonging to each other. Not performance, not perfection - just being mine, and me being yours.
"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: "
"I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will fear/respect me forever, for their own good and for the good of their children after them."
I want your whole heart pointed one direction, not split and conflicted, because an undivided life is genuinely better for you - not just something I demand for my own sake.
"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. "
"And I will make an everlasting agreement with them: I will never stop doing good to them, and I will put my fear/reverence in their hearts so they will never turn away from me."
I'm not offering you a relationship that could collapse the moment your willpower runs out. I commit to staying good to you permanently, and I help supply the very desire in you to stay close, so it doesn't rest on you alone.
"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. "
"Yes, I will delight in doing good to them, and I will plant them firmly in this land with my whole heart and my whole soul."
Doing good to you isn't a chore for me - I genuinely delight in it. You're not a burden I'm managing; you're someone I'm glad to be planting and rooting somewhere secure.
"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. "
"For this is what the LORD says: just as I brought all this great disaster on this people, so I will bring on them all the good that I have promised them."
If you've watched hard consequences play out exactly as warned, let that be evidence, not just of judgement, but that promises of good are equally certain to land. I follow through either way.
"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. "
"Fields will be bought in this land, the very land you say is desolate, with no people or animals left, given over to the Chaldeans."
I don't ask you to deny how bad things look right now to believe things will get better. Hold the hard truth of the present and the promise of the future together, honestly, at the same time.
"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. "
"People will buy fields with money, sign deeds, seal them, and get witnesses, in the territory of Benjamin, around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah, the hill country, the lowlands, and the south - because I will restore their fortunes, says the LORD."
One small act of faith on your part, even one only you understand the reasons for, can become the pattern for something much bigger later. Don't underestimate a small, deliberate act of hope - it can outlast the disaster around it.