Jeremiah 40

1The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had sent him away from Ramah, when he had taken him while he was bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon:

2Then the captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “Yahweh your God spoke this disaster against this place.”

3And Yahweh has brought it about and has done just as he said, because you sinned against Yahweh and did not listen to his voice; therefore this thing has happened to you.

4And now, look, today I have freed you from the chains on your hands. If you want to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if you do not want to come with me to Babylon, do not. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever seems good and right to you.

5But since he still had not gone back, he said, “Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and live with him among the people; or go wherever it seems right in your eyes to go.” Then the captain of the guard gave him provisions and a gift and sent him away.

6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and he lived with him among the people who were left in the land.

7When all the commanders of the forces who were in the open country, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land, and that he had entrusted to him men, women, children, and some of the poorest of the land, from those who had not been exiled to Babylon,

8Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men—came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.

9Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.”

10As for me, behold, I am staying at Mizpah to stand before the Chaldeans who come to us. But you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil, put them in your containers, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.

11Also, all the Judeans who were in Moab, among the Ammonites, in Edom, and in all the other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over them.

12Then all the Judeans returned from all the places where they had been driven, and they came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered a very great abundance of wine and summer fruit.

13And Johanan son of Kareah, and all the commanders of the forces who were in the open country, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.

14And they said to him, “Do you really know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to strike you down?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

15Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah, saying, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judahites who are gathered to you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah would perish?”

16But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do this thing, for you are speaking a lie about Ishmael.”