6 Jeremiah replied, “The word of the Lord came to me: 7 Watch! Hanamel, the son of your uncle Shallum, is coming to you to say, ‘Buy my field in Anathothq for yourself, for you own the right of redemptionr to buy it.’

8 “Then, as the Lord had said, my cousin Hanamel came to the guard’s courtyard and urged me, ‘Please buy my field in Anathoth in the land of Benjamin, for you own the right of inheritance and redemption. Buy it for yourself.’ Then I knew that this was the word of the Lord. 9 So I bought the field in Anathoth from my cousin Hanamel, and I weighed out the silver to hims—seventeen shekelsC of silver. 10 I recorded it on a scroll,t sealed it, called in witnesses, and weighed out the silver on the scales. 11 I took the purchase agreement—the sealed copy with its terms and conditions and the open copy—12 and gave the purchase agreement to Baruchu son of Neriah, son of Mahseiah. I did this in the sight of my cousinD Hanamel, the witnesses who had signed the purchase agreement, and all the Judeans sitting in the guard’s courtyard.

13 “I charged Baruch in their sight, 14 ‘This is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Take these scrolls—this purchase agreement with the sealed copy and this open copy—and put them in an earthen storage jar so they will last a long time. 15 For this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: Houses, fields, and vineyards will again be bought in this land.’v

16 “After I had given the purchase agreement to Baruch, son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord:w 17 Oh, Lord God! You yourself made the heavens and earthx by your great powery and with your outstretched arm. Nothing is too difficult for you!a 18 You show faithful love to thousands but lay the fathers’ iniquity on their sons’ laps after them,b great and mighty Godc whose name is the Lord of Armies, 19 the one great in counsel and powerful in action. Your eyes are on all the ways of the children of menA in order to reward each person according to his ways and as the result of his actions.d 20 You performed signs and wonders in the land of Egypte and still do today, both in Israel and among all mankind. You made a namef for yourself, as is the case today. 21 You brought your people Israel out of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror.g 22 You gave them this land you swore to give to their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey.h 23 They entered and possessed it, but they did not obey you or live according to your instructions.i They failed to perform all you commanded them to do,j and so you have brought all this disaster on them. 24 Look! Siege rampsk have come against the city to capture it, and the city, as a result of the sword, famine, and plague, has been handed over to the Chaldeans who are fighting against it. What you have spoken has happened. Look, you can see it! 25 Yet you, Lord God, have said to me, ‘Purchase the field and call in witnesses’—even though the city has been handed over to the Chaldeans!”

26 The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah: 27 “Look, I am the Lord, the God over every creature.l Is anything too difficult for me?m