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.