Jeremiah Buys a Field
1 The Lord spoke to me in the tenth year that Zedekiah was king of Judah, which was also the eighteenth year of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia. 2 At that time the army of the king of Babylonia was attacking Jerusalem, and I was locked up in the courtyard of the royal palace. 3 King Zedekiah had imprisoned me there and had accused me of announcing that the Lord had said, “I am going to let the king of Babylonia capture this city, 4 and King Zedekiah will not escape. He will be handed over to the king of Babylonia; he will see him face-to-face and will speak to him in person. 5 Zedekiah will be taken to Babylonia, and he will remain there until I deal with him. Even if he fights the Babylonians, he will not be successful. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
6 The Lord told me 7 that Hanamel, my uncle Shallum's son, would come to me with the request to buy his field at Anathoth in the territory of Benjamin, because I was his nearest relative and had the right to buy it for myself. 8 Then, just as the Lord had said, Hanamel came to me there in the courtyard and asked me to buy the field. So I knew that the Lord had really spoken to me. 9 I bought the field from Hanamel and weighed out the money to him; the price came to seventeen pieces of silver. 10 I signed and sealed the deed, had it witnessed, and weighed out the money on scales. 11 Then I took both copies of the deed of purchase—the sealed copy containing the contract and its conditions, and the open copy— 12 and gave them to Baruch, the son of Neriah and grandson of Mahseiah. I gave them to him in the presence of Hanamel and of the witnesses who had signed the deed of purchase and of the people who were sitting in the courtyard. 13 Before them all I said to Baruch, 14 “The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, has ordered you to take these deeds, both the sealed deed of purchase and the open copy, and to place them in a clay jar, so that they may be preserved for years to come. 15 The Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, has said that houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.”
Jeremiah's Prayer
16 After I had given the deed of purchase to Baruch, I prayed, 17 “Sovereign Lord, you made the earth and the sky by your great power and might; nothing is too difficult for you. 18 You have shown constant love to thousands, but you also punish people for the sins of their parents. You are a great and powerful God; you are the Lord Almighty. 19 You make wise plans and do mighty things; you see everything that people do, and you reward them according to their actions. 20 Long ago you performed miracles and wonders in Egypt, and you have continued to perform them to this day, both in Israel and among all the other nations, so that you are now known everywhere. 21 By means of miracles and wonders that terrified our enemies, you used your power and might to bring your people Israel out of Egypt. 22 You gave them this rich and fertile land, as you had promised their ancestors. 23 But when they came into this land and took possession of it, they did not obey your commands or live according to your teaching; they did nothing that you had ordered them to do. And so you brought all this destruction on them.
24 “The Babylonians have built siege mounds around the city to capture it, and they are attacking. War, starvation, and disease will make the city fall into their hands. You can see that all you have said has come true. 25 Yet, Sovereign Lord, you are the one who ordered me to buy the field in the presence of witnesses, even though the city is about to be captured by the Babylonians.”
26 Then the Lord said to me, 27 “I am the Lord, the God of all people. Nothing is too difficult for me. 28 I am going to give this city over to King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylonia and his army; they will capture it 29 and set it on fire. They will burn it down, together with the houses where people have made me angry by burning incense to Baal on the rooftops and by pouring out wine offerings to other gods. 30 From the very beginning of their history the people of Israel and the people of Judah have displeased me and made me angry by what they have done. 31 The people of this city have made me angry and furious from the day it was built. I have decided to destroy it 32 because of all the evil that has been done by the people of Judah and Jerusalem, together with their kings and leaders, their priests and prophets. 33 They turned their backs on me; and though I kept on teaching them, they would not listen and learn. 34 They even placed their disgusting idols in the Temple built for my worship, and they have defiled it. 35 They have built altars to Baal in Hinnom Valley, to sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. I did not command them to do this, and it did not even enter my mind that they would do such a thing and make the people of Judah sin.”
A Promise of Hope
36 The Lord, the God of Israel, said to me, “Jeremiah, the people are saying that war, starvation, and disease will make this city fall into the hands of the king of Babylonia. Now listen to what else I have to say. 37 I am going to gather the people from all the countries where I have scattered them in my anger and fury, and I am going to bring them back to this place and let them live here in safety. 38 Then they will be my people, and I will be their God. 39 I will give them a single purpose in life: to honor me for all time, for their own good and the good of their descendants. 40 I will make an eternal covenant with them. I will never stop doing good things for them, and I will make them fear me with all their heart, so that they will never turn away from me. 41 I will take pleasure in doing good things for them, and I will establish them permanently in this land.
42 “Just as I have brought this disaster on these people, so I am going to give them all the good things that I have promised. 43 The people are saying that this land will be like a desert where neither people nor animals live, and that it will be given over to the Babylonians. But fields will once again be bought in this land. 44 People will buy them, and the deeds will be signed, sealed, and witnessed. This will take place in the territory of Benjamin, in the villages around Jerusalem, in the towns of Judah, and in the towns in the hill country, in the foothills, and in southern Judah. I will restore the people to their land. I, the Lord, have spoken.”
Jeremiab ge ǃhūǃâsa ra ǁama
1 Mîs ǃKhūb dis ge Jeremiaba disiǁî ǂgaeǂguis kurib Judab gao-aob Sedekiab dis ǃnâ ge hāba. Nēb ge Babilons gao-aob Nebukadnesari di disiǁkhaisaǀaǁî ǂgaeǂguis kuri ge iba. 2 Babilons gao-aob di toroǂnubis ge Jerusalemsa ge ǃnamiǂgā. Kēbo-aob Jeremiab ge Judab gao-aob ǃûi-ommi di ai-ommi ǃnâ ge ǂganamǂgāhe hâ i. 3 Judab gao-aob Sedekiab ge ǁîba ǁnāpa ǂganamǂgā tsî ge mî: Tarexats nēti kēbo tsî ra mî? Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. Tita ge nē ǃāsa Babilons gao-aob ǃomǁae ra māǁnâ. 4 Tsî Judab gao-aob Sedekiab ge Xaldeaǁîn ǃomǁaeba xu ûiǂoa tide, tsîb ge Babilons gao-aob ǃomǁae nî māǁnâhe tsî aitsama ǁîb ǀkha ǃhoa tsî ǁîba nî mû. 5 ǁÎb ge Sedekiaba Babilons ǁga nî ǃgû-ū tsîb ge ǁnāpa nî hâ, tita ǁîb xa nî ǂâis kōse. Babiloniaǁîn ǃoagu du ga ǃkham, xawe du ge dan tide,
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.6 Ob ge Jeremiaba ge mî: ǃKhūb di mîs ge tita ge hāba: 7 Sa ǁnaob Salummi ôab, Hanameli ge sats ǃoa hā tsî nî mî, ti ǃhūǃâs Anatots ǃnâ hâsa ǁama re, sats ǁamats nîs ǃoa ǀgū ǀaokhoesis ǂhanuba ūhâ xuige. 8 Tsî ǃKhūb ge mîs ǁkhās khamib ge ti ǁnaob ôab Hanamela tita ǃoa hā tsî ge mî: Ti ǃhūǃâs, Anatots Benjaminni ǃhūb ǃnâ ǂnôas tawa hâsa ǁama re, sats ǀgū ǀaokhoesis ǂhanuba ūhâ xuige. O ta ge ge hōǃâ, ǃKhūb di mîs asa. 9 ǁNā-amaga ta ge Anatots tawa hâ ǃhūǃâsa ti ǁnaob ôab Hanamela xu ge ǁama tsî ta ge ǁîba disihûǀa ǀhaiǀuri maride ge ǀnōǁnâba. 10 Tsî ta ge nēsa ǂkhanis ǃnâ xoa, ǁîsa ǂganamǀgaiǀgai, ǀhûǀguitimî-ao-e xoaǃgao kai tsî ǁîba ǀhaiǀuride ge ǀnōǁnâba. 11 Tsî ta ge ǁamaǂkhanis, xoaǁguib tsî ǂhanub ǂnûiǂgās ǃoa ǂganamǀgaiǀgaihe hâs tsî ǁamaǂkhanis ǂganamsa tamas tsîra ge ū. 12 Tsî ta ge ǁîsa Neriab ôa tsî Maxsejaxi ǁnurib Baruxa ge mā, ti ǁnaob ôab Hanameli tsî xoaǃgao ge ǀhûǀguitimî-aogu tsî hoaraga Jodeǁîgu, gao-ommi di ai-ommi ǃnâ ge ǂnôa i gu ra mûse. 13 ǁÎn hoan mûǁae ta ge Baruxa ge mîba. 14 “Nētib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab, Israeli di Eloba ra mî. Nē ǂkhanira, ǂganamǀgaiǀgaisas tsî ǁkhowa-amsas tsîra hoara ū, î ǁîra ǂgoasūs ǃnâ ǂgā, ǂomxa ǁaeba ra sâusase nî hâse. 15 Nētib ge ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab, Israeli di Eloba ra mî. Omdi, ǃhanagu tsî draibeǃhanagu tsîn ge ǁkhawa nē ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǁamahe.”
Jeremiab di ǀgores
16 ǁAmaǂkhanisa ta ge Neriab ôab Baruxa mātoas khaoǃgâ ta ge nēti ǃKhūb ǃoa ge ǀgore. 17 ǃKhū Elotse, sats ge ǀhommi tsî ǃhūbaib tsîkha sa kai ǀgaib tsî ǀgaisa ǃommi ǀkha ge kuru. ǀGui xū-i tsîn ge satsa ǃgomba tama hâ. 18 Sats ge ǂgui ǀoadisina ge ǀkhomxa, xawets ge ǂhanuoǃnân di ôananôaguba ǁîn îgu di ǁoren ǂama ra ǁkhara, kai tsî ǀgaisa Elots, ǃKhūb Hoaǀgaixab ti ǀon hâtse. 19 Sats ge kai xūna ra ǀape tsî ǀgaisa dīga ra dī. Sats ge khoen ra dī xūn hoana ra mû tsî mâ-i hoa-e ǁî-i ûib tsî dīgu ǃoa ra mādawa-am. 20 Sats ge buruxa dīgu tsî saode Egipteb ǃnâ ge dī hâ i tsîts ge ǁnāsa ǃaruǀî Israeli ǃnâ tsî nau khoen ǃnâ ra dī tsîts ge ǀon-e ge dībasen, nētsēs kōse. 21 Sats ge sa ǁaes Israelsa buruxa saodi tsî dīgu, kai ǀgaib tsî ǁkhāsib tsî kai ǃhurib ǀkha Egipteba xu ge ǂgaeǂguiǂui. 22 Sats ge ǁîna nē ǃhūb, ǁîn aboxanats ge māts nî ti mîmâibab, ǃkhū hâ tsî ǂûtanixaba ge mā. 23 Xawe ǁîb ǃnâ ǂgâ tsîn ǁîba ūbasen, on ge satsa ǁnâuǀnam tama ge i tsî sa ǂhanuba ǃkhōǀgaipe tama ge i. Tsîn ge sats ge ǁîna dīn nîse mîmā xūna dī tama ge i; ǁnā-amagats ge nē ǂōǂōsigu hoaga ǁîn ǂama ge hā kai. 24 ǂKhawadīb di ǂnubiǂgoagu ge ǁîs ǂnamipe ge omkhâihe ǁîs nî ūhese tsîs ge ǃāsa gôab tsî ǃâtsūǀkhāb tsî ǂhīǁōb ǃnâ-ū Xaldeaǁîn ǁîs ǃoagu ra ǃkhamn ǃomǁae ge māǁnâhe. Sats ge mîn hoan ge ge ī, sats ge ǁîna aitsama ra mû. 25 Xawets ge satsa ǃKhū Elotsa tita ǃoa ge mî, ǃhanaba mari-i ǀkha ǁamabasen tsî a i ǃkhō-amao-e hâ, ǃās ga Xaldeaǁîn ǀgaib ǃnâ hâ xawe.
26 Mîs ǃKhūb dis ge Jeremiab ǃoa ge hā. 27 “Tita ge ǃKhūta hoaraga khoesib di Elota; xū-i xare-i ge tita ǃgomba tama hâ. 28 ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūba nēti ra mî: Tita ge nē ǃāsa Xaldeaǁîn ǃomǁae nî mā, Babilons gao-aob Nebukadnesari ǀgaib ǃnâ tsîb ge ǁîba ǁîsa nî ū. 29 Xaldeaǁîn nē ǃās ǃoagu ra ǃkhamn ge ǁîs ǃnâ ǂgâ tsî ǁîsa ǂhubi tsî nî khauǃkhū, ǁkhāti ǁnā omdi, ǁîdi omǂamǃnâgu, titan nî ǁaiǁaisen ge ǁîgu ai Baala gere ǀanǀanbadi tsî nau eloga ǂnâǁguibade gere dībadi tsîna nî ǂhubiǂui. 30 Israeli khoen tsî Judab din tsîn ge ǂkhamsis âna xu ti mûǁae a ǂkhaban ǀguina gere dī amaga. Israelǁîn ge ǁîn ǃomgu sîsenni ǀkha tita gere ǁaiǁai, tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. 31 Nē ǃās ge ti ǁaixasib tsî ǀkhaob tsîkha ge khâi kai, ǁîsan ge ǂnubi tsēsa xu nētsēs kōse, tsî ta ge ǁîsa ti ais aiǃâba xu nî dībē, 32 ǁnā ǂkhabasib titan nî ǁaiǁaisen ge Israeli tsî Judab tsîkha khoena dīb hoab ǃaroma; ǁîn tsî ǁîn gao-aogu, ǂamkhoegu, pristergu, kēbo-aogu, Judab aogu tsî Jerusalems di ǁanǂgāsaben tsî hoan ge dīb ǃaroma. 33 ǁÎn ge tita ǃoan nî kōs ǃās ǃnâ tita xu ge ǃkhomǃnoro; ǁîna ta ge ǀûs ose gere ǁkhāǁkhā, xawen ge ti ǂgōǀausa ge ūǃoa tama ge i. 34 Tsîn ge ui-uisa īga, ǁnā ommi ti ǀons ǃoa ǂgaihe hâb ǃnâ ge mâi ǁîban nî ǃanuoǃnâ kaise. 35 ǁÎn ge Baala Hinomǃgoaǃnāb ǃnâ ǀgapi ǃkhaiga ge ǂnubiba, ǁîn di ôagu tsî ǁîn ôadi tsînan Moleka ǁnāpa nî ǁguibase, tita ǁîna ǁnāsa mîmā tama tamas ka io ǂâis xawes tsîna hî tama xawe, nēti i ǁgaiǁgaisa xūna dī tsîn Judaba nî ǁore kaise.”
ǃKhūb ge Israela ǃgâiǃgâba ra mîmâiba
36 “ǁNā-amagab ge ǃKhūb, Israeli di Eloba ra mî, ǁnā ǃās ǁîs xa du nēti ra ǃhoas xa: ‘ǁÎs ge Babilons gao-aob di ǃomǁae nî māǁnāhe, torob tsî ǃâtsūǀkhāb tsî ǂhīǁōb ǃnâ-u.’ 37 Tita ge ǁîna ǁnā ǃhūgu, ǁîna ta ge ti ǁaib tsî ǀkhaob tsî kai ǁaixasib ǃnâ doeǁgabē hâ iga xu nî ǀhaoǀhao; tita ge ǁîna nē ǃkhais ǃoa nî oahā-ū tsî ǂkhîb ǃnâ nî ǁan kai. 38 On ge ǁîna nî ti ǁae kai tsî ta ge tita nî ǁîn di Elo. 39 Tsî ta ge ǁîna ǀgui ǂâis tsî ǀgui ǃgûdaoba nî mā, titan hoaǁae nî ǃaoǃgâse, ǁîn di ǃgâib ǃoa tsî ǁîn di ôananôagub di ǃgâib ǃoa. 40 Tita ge ǀamo ǃgaeǀhao-e ǁîn ǀkha nî dī, ǁîna ǃgâina dībasa xu ta ūdabasen tidesa; tsî ta ge ti ǃaoǃgâba ǁîn di ǂgaogu ǃnâ nî ǂgā, tita xun ūdabasen tidega. 41 Tita ge ǁîna ǃgâina dības xa nî dâ tsî ta ge ǁîna amase nē ǃhūb ǃnâ nî ǃhana ti ǂgaob hoab tsî ti ǀoms hoas ǀkha.
42 “Nētib ge ǃKhūba ra mî. Nē ǁaes ǂama ta ge kai ǂōǂōsib hoaba hā-ū hâ is ǁkhās khami ta ge tita hoaraga ǃgâin ǁîna ta ge mîmâiba hâ ina ǁîn ǂama nî hā-ū. 43 ǃHanaǃhūgu ge nî ǁamahe, nē ǃhūb ǁîb xa du ǃū-aisa ǃhūb, khoe-i tsî ûitsama xū-i xare-i ǀkhaiǃnâb, Xaldeaǁîna māǁnāhe hâb, ti ra mîb ǃnâ. 44 ǃHanagu ge mari-i ǀkha nî ǁamahe tsîs ge ǁnā ǃkhaisa xoaǃgaohe tsî nî ǂganamǀgaiǀgaihe ǀhûǀguitimî-aogu mûǁae, Benjaminni ǃhūb ǃnâ tsî Jerusalems ǂnamipe ǁgoe ǀkharigu ǃnâ tsî Judab di ǃādi ǃnâ tsî ǃhomxa ǀkharib ǃādi ǃnâ tsî ǃkhawagasǀkhāb ǂgāxa ǀkharib ǃādi ǃnâ, tita ǃgâiǃgâb âna nî hā-ū xui-ao”
tib ge ǃKhūba ra mî.