Jeremiah

40 The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah after Chief Guardsman Nebuzaradan let him go at Ramah, when he took him, he being fettered in the midst of the general body of deportees from Jerusalem and Judah who were being deported to Babylon; 2 but the Chief Guardsman took Jeremiah and said to him “Your God Jehovah enounced this calamity for this place, 3** and Jehovah has done it because you had sinned against Jehovah and not obeyed him. 4 Now here I release you today from the fetters on your hands: if you think best to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you; and if you think it undesirable to come with me to Babylon, don’t; see, you have all the country before you; wherever you think it best and most suitable to go, go”; 5 and as he was not yet going back, “and go back to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has put in charge of the cities of Judah, and live with him among the people; or wherever you think it suitable to go, go”; and the Chief Guardsman gave him an allowance and a largess and sent him off. 6 And Jeremiah came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam at Mispah and lived with him among the people that remained in the country.

7 And all the captains of the field forces, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had put Gedaliah the son of Ahikam in charge of the country, and that he had consigned to him men and women and children and some of the poorest of the country, of those who were not deported to Babylon; 8* and there came to Gedaliah at Mispah Ishmaʽel the son of Nethaniah and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth and the sons of ʽOphai the Netophathite and Izaniah the son of the Maʽacathite, they and their men, 9* and Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and their men, saying “Do not be afraid of the Chaldeans’ officers: settle down in the country and be subject to the king of Babylon and you will be well off. 10* Here am I living at Mispah to represent you before the Chaldeans who come to us; for your part get in wine and fruit and oil and put them in your jars and bins and live in your cities that you have appropriated.” 11* And all the Jews that were in Moab and among the Bene-ʽAmmon and in Edom and in all the countries also heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah and had put Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan in charge of them; 12 and all the Jews came back from all the places to which they had been driven, and came into the country of Judah to Gedaliah at Mispah, and got in wine and fruit in very large quantities.

13 And Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the field forces came to Gedaliah at Mispah 14 and said to him “Do you know that King Baʽalis of the Bene-ʽAmmon has sent Ishmaʽel the son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” but Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. 15 And Johanan the son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah at Mispah “Let me go and kill Ishmaʽel the son of Nethaniah, and nobody will know about it; why should he assassinate you and all Judah be scattered, that have gathered to you, and the remnant of Judah perish?” 16 but Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah “Do not do any such thing, for what you are telling me about Ishmaʽel is false.”