1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, after that
Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had
taken him being bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and
Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon. 2 The captain of the
guard took Jeremiah, and said to him, Yahweh your God pronounced this evil on
this place; 3 and Yahweh has brought it, and done according as he spoke:
because you have sinned against Yahweh, and have not obeyed his voice,
therefore this thing is come on you. 4 Now, behold, I loose you this day
from the chains which are on your hand. If it seem good to you to come with
me into Babylon, come, and I will look well to you; but if it seem ill to you
to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before you;
where it seems good and right to you to go, there go. 5 Now while he was
not yet gone back, Go back then, said he, to Gedaliah the son of
Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over
the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wherever it
seems right to you to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a
present, and let him go. 6 Then went Jeremiah to Gedaliah the son of
Ahikam to Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the
land. 7 Now when all the captains of the forces who were in the fields,
even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the
son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, and women,
and children, and of the poorest of the land, of those who were not carried
away captive to Babylon; 8 then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, to
wit, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of
Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the
Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their
men, saying, Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and
serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10 As for me,
behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans who shall come
to us: but you, gather you wine and summer fruits and oil, and put
them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.
11 Likewise when all the Jews who were in Moab, and among the children of
Ammon, and in Edom, and who were in all the countries, heard that the king of
Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah
the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; 12 then all the Jews returned out
of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to
Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.
13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces
who were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, 14 and said to him, Do
you know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon has sent Ishmael the
son of Nethaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam didn’t
believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in
Mizpah secretly, saying, Please let me go, and I will kill Ishmael the son of
Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: why should he take your life, that all
the Jews who are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of
Judah perish? 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of
Kareah, You shall not do this thing; for you speak falsely of Ishmael.
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