Jeremiah Prays for Understanding

¹⁶ “Now when I had delivered the purchase deed to Baruch the son of Neriah, I prayed to the Lord, saying: ¹⁷ ‘Ah, Lord God! Behold, ^(A)You have made the heavens and the earth by Your great power and outstretched arm. ^(B)There is nothing too ^[a]hard for You. ¹⁸ You show ^(C)lovingkindness to thousands, and repay the iniquity of the fathers into the bosom of their children after them—the Great, ^(D)the Mighty God, whose name is ^(E)the Lord of hosts. ¹⁹ You are ^(F)great in counsel and mighty in ^[b]work, for Your ^(G)eyes are open to all the ways of the sons of men, ^(H)to give everyone according to his ways and according to the fruit of his doings. ²⁰ You have set signs and wonders in the land of Egypt, to this day, and in Israel and among other men; and You have made Yourself ^(I)a name, as it is this day. ²¹ You ^(J)have brought Your people Israel out of the land of Egypt with signs and wonders, with a strong hand and an outstretched arm, and with great terror; ²² You have given them this land, of which You swore to their fathers to give them—^(K)“a land flowing with milk and honey.” ²³ And they came in and took possession of it, but ^(L)they have not obeyed Your voice or walked in Your law. They have done nothing of all that You commanded them to do; therefore You have caused all this calamity to come upon them.

²⁴ ‘Look, the siege mounds! They have come to the city to take it; and the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans who fight against it, because of ^(M)the sword and famine and pestilence. What You have spoken has happened; there You see it! ²⁵ And You have said to me, O Lord God, “Buy the field for money, and take witnesses”!—yet the city has been given into the hand of the Chaldeans.’ ”