Yirmiyahu 31-32

At the center of the prophecy of consolation in perek 31 is the description of the Matriarch Rachel who pleas bitterly before the Creator that He should return her sons to their land and redeem them from their exile; a plea which has echoed in the heart of the Jewish nation in all the generations and in all the diasporas. The perek focuses on the Kingdom of Israel which is in ruins in exile and foresees repentance, the return to the land and the unification of Israel and Judah. The deep change which will happen in the Nation of Israel is expressed also in the continuation of the perek (26-39), where we find three short prophecies which open with the phrase "Behold the days come, says the Lord", which describe the future which will take place in the era of the redemption.

Perek 32 describes the second year of the siege on Jerusalem, about a year before the city's destruction. Yirmiyahu, who is imprisoned in the court of the guard, receives a commandment to do something extraordinary - to purchase a field from his cousin. This action, which symbolizes renewal and redemption, is totally contrary to the current situation in the city and to Yirmiyahu's prophecies about absolute destruction by the king of Babylonia. This contrast brings Yirmiyahu to question God's behavior (16-25). His question is answered by God in a long and detailed answer (26-44), which presents the purchase as a symbol of redemption and growth after the Babylonian exile.