39 *aIn the ninth year of Zedekiah king of Judah, in the tenth month, came Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon and all his army against Jerusalem, and they besieged it. 2 *And in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, the ninth day of the month, the city was broken up. 3 And ball the princes of the king of Babylon came in, and csat in the middle gate, even Nergal-sharezer, Samgar-nebo, Sarsechim, dRab-saris, Nergal-sharezer, eRab-mag, with all the residue of the princes of the king of Babylon. 4 And it came to pass, that fwhen Zedekiah the king of Judah saw them, and all the men of war, then they fled, and went forth out of the city by night, by the way of the king’s garden, by the gate betwixt the two walls: and he went out the way of the plain. 5 But the Chaldeans’ army pursued after them, and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho: and when they had taken him, they brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon to gRiblah in the land of Hamath, where hhe †gave judgment upon him. 6 Then the king of Babylon slew ithe sons of Zedekiah in Riblah before his eyes: kalso the king of Babylon slew all the nobles of Judah. 7 Moreover he lput out Zedekiah’s eyes, and bound him †with chains, to carry him to Babylon.

8 And mthe Chaldeans burned the king’s house, and the houses of the people, with fire, and brake down the walls of Jerusalem. 9 Then Nebuzar-adan the ||†captain of the guard carried away captive into Babylon the remnant of the people that remained in the city, and nthose that fell away, that fell to him, with the rest of the people that remained. 10 But Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard left oof the poor of the people, which had nothing, in the land of Judah, and gave them vineyards and fields †at the same time.

11 Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah †to Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard, saying, 12 Take him, and †look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him even as he shall say unto thee. 13 So Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard sent, and Nebushasban, dRab-saris, and Nergal-sharezer, eRab-mag, and all the king of Babylon’s princes; 14 Even they sent, and ptook Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and qcommitted him unto rGedaliah the son of sAhikam the son of Shaphan, that he should carry him home: so he dwelt tamong the people.

15 Now the word of the Lord came unto Jeremiah, pwhile he was ushut up in the court of the prison, saying, 16 Go and speak to vEbed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, Thus saith the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel; Behold, wI will bring my words upon this city for evil, and not xfor good; and they shall be accomplished in that day before thee. 17 But I will deliver thee in that day, saith the Lord: and thou shalt not be given into the hand of the men yof whom thou art afraid. 18 For I will surely deliver thee, and thou shalt not fall by the sword, but zthy life shall be for a prey unto thee: abecause thou hast put thy trust in me, saith the Lord.

40 *The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, aafter that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had let him go from bRamah, when he had taken him being bound in ||cchains among all dthat were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon. 2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and esaid unto him, fThe Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place. 3 Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: egbecause ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you. 4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from hthe chains which ||were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and †I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, iall the land is before thee: whither iit seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go. 5 Now while he was not yet gone back, jhe said, Go back also to kGedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, lwhom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him mamong the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him nvictuals and a oreward, and let him go. 6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to pMizpah; and dwelt with him mamong the people that were left in the land.

7 qNow when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that lthe king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and rof the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon; 8 Then they came to Gedaliah to pMizpah, even sIshmael the son of Nethaniah, and tJohanan and Jonathan the sons of tKareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and uJezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men. 9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and vit shall be well with you. 10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at pMizpah †to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken. 11 vLikewise when all the Jews that were in wMoab, and among the xAmmonites, and in yEdom, and that were in all the countries, heard that lthe king of Babylon had zleft a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan; 12 zzEven all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and agathered wine and summer fruits very much.

13 Moreover tJohanan the son of Kareah, and ball the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, 14 And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that cBaalis the king of xthe Ammonites hath sent sIshmael the son of Nethaniah †to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish? 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

41 Now it came to pass ain the seventh month, bthat cIshmael the son of Nethaniah the son of dElishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to cMizpah; and there ethey did eat bread together in Mizpah. 2 bThen arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, fwhom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. 3 Ishmael also slew all bthe Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and bthe Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.

4 And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it, 5 That there came certain from gShechem, from hShiloh, and from iSamaria, even fourscore men, khaving their beards shaven, and ltheir clothes rent, and khaving cut themselves, mwith nofferings and incense in their hand, to bring them oto the house of the Lord. 6 And cIshmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from cMizpah to meet them, †pweeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. 7 And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, qand cast them into the midst of rthe pit, he, and the men that were with him. 8 But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have streasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren. 9 Now rthe pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain ||†because of Gedaliah, was it twhich Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain. 10 Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, ueven the king’s daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, vwhom Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to wthe Ammonites.

11 But when xJohanan the son of Kareah, yand all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, 12 Then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by zthe great waters that are in aGibeon. 13 Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and yall the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad. 14 So ball the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to wthe Ammonites. 16 Then took xJohanan the son of Kareah, and yall the captains of the forces that were with him, yall the remnant of the people bwhom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty cmen of war, and cthe women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from aGibeon: 17 And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of d…