Jeremiah 39:1–44:30

In the ninth year of Zedekiahw king of Judah, in the tenth month, Nebuchadnezzarx king of Babylon marched against Jerusalem with his whole army and laid siegey to it. 2 And on the ninth day of the fourthz month of Zedekiah’s eleventh year, the city walla was broken through.b 3 Then all the officialsc of the king of Babylon came and took seats in the Middle Gate: Nergal-Sharezer of Samgar, Nebo-Sarsekim a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officials of the king of Babylon. 4 When Zedekiah king of Judah and all the soldiers saw them, they fled; they left the city at night by way of the king’s garden, through the gate between the two walls,d and headed toward the Arabah.a e

5 But the Babylonianb army pursued them and overtook Zedekiahf in the plains of Jericho. They capturedg him and took him to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblahh in the land of Hamath, where he pronounced sentence on him. 6 There at Riblah the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes and also killed all the noblesi of Judah. 7 Then he put out Zedekiah’s eyesj and bound him with bronze shackles to take him to Babylon.k

8 The Babyloniansc set firel to the royal palace and the houses of the people and broke down the wallsm of Jerusalem. 9 Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard carried into exile to Babylon the people who remained in the city, along with those who had gone over to him,n and the rest of the people.o 10 But Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard left behind in the land of Judah some of the poor people, who owned nothing; and at that time he gave them vineyards and fields.

11 Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had given these orders about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard: 12 “Take him and look after him; don’t harmp him but do for him whatever he asks.” 13 So Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard, Nebushazban a chief officer, Nergal-Sharezer a high official and all the other officersq of the king of Babylon 14 sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.r They turned him over to Gedaliahs son of Ahikam,t the son of Shaphan,u to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.v

15 While Jeremiah had been confined in the courtyard of the guard, the word of the Lord came to him: 16 “Go and tell Ebed-Melekw the Cushite, ‘This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: I am about to fulfill my wordsx against this city—words concerning disaster,y not prosperity. At that time they will be fulfilled before your eyes. 17 But I will rescuez you on that day, declares the Lord; you will not be given into the hands of those you fear. 18 I will savea you; you will not fall by the swordb but will escape with your life,c because you trustd in me, declares the Lord.’ ”

Jeremiah Freed

40 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah.e He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captivesf from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. 2 When the commanderg of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreedh this disasteri for this place.j 3 And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinnedk against the Lord and did not obeyl him. 4 But today I am freeingm you from the chainsn on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”o 5 However, before Jeremiah turned to go,a Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliahp son of Ahikam,q the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointedr over the townss of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”t

Then the commander gave him provisions and a presentu and let him go. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpahv and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

Gedaliah Assassinated

40:7–9; 41:1–3pp—2Ki 25:22–26

7 When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governorw over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorestx in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, 8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpahy—Ishmaelz son of Nethaniah, Johanana and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,b and Jaazaniahb the son of the Maakathite,c and their men. 9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to served the Babylonians,c e” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.f 10 I myself will stay at Mizpahg to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,h summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,i and live in the towns you have taken over.”j

11 When all the Jews in Moab,k Ammon, Edoml and all the other countriesm heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered.n And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

13 Johanano son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpahp 14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonitesq has sent Ishmaelr son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

15 Then Johanans son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and killt Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scatteredu and the remnantv of Judah to perish?”

16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johananw son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

41 In the seventh month Ishmaelx son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2 Ishmaely son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword,z killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointeda as governor over the land.b 3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babyloniana soldiers who were there.

4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, 5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards,c torn their clothesd and cute themselves came from Shechem,f Shilohg and Samaria,h bringing grain offerings and incensei with them to the house of the Lord.j 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weepingk as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”l 7 When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.m 8 But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.”n So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. 9 Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asao had made as part of his defensep against Baashaq king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the peopler who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughterss along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.t

11 When Johananu son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12 they took all their men and went to fightv Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great poolw in Gibeon. 13 When all the peoplex Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpahy turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escapedz from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt

16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officersa who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,b whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. 17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimhamc near Bethlehemd on their way to Egypte 18 to escape the Babylonians.b They were afraidf of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliahg son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

42 Then all the army officers, including Johananh son of Kareah and Jezaniaha son of Hoshaiah,i and all the people from the least to the greatestj approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and prayk to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.l For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a fewm are left. 3 Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”n

4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly prayo to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tellp you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”q

5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a truer and…