Bible Time

¹THE word that came to Jeremiah from Yahvah, after Nebuzaradan the general of the guard sent him away from Ramtha, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were carried away captive to Babylon. ²And the general of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him, Yahvah your God has pronounced this evil on this place. ³Now Yahvah has brought it and done according as he has said, because you have sinned against Yahvah and did not obey his voice, therefore this thing has come on you. ⁴And now, look, I release you this day from the chains which are on your hands. If you wish to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will take good care of you; but if you do not wish to come with me to Babylon, remain here. Look, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and convenient for you, go there. ⁵Then he said to him again, If you remain, live among the people with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah; or go wherever it seems good to you. Then Nebuzaradan, the general of the guard gave him presents after the custom and let him go. ⁶Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.

⁷Now when all the captains of the forces who were in the villages and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men and women and children and some of the poor of the land who had not been carried away captive to Babylon, ⁸Then they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite and Jezaniah the son of Maacath, they and their men. ⁹And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, Do not fear serving the Chaldeans; live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you. ¹⁰As for me, look, I will live in Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans who will come to us; but you gather wheat, wine, oil, and summer fruits, and put them in your vessels, and live in the cities that you have taken. ¹¹Likewise when all the Jews who were in Edom, Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in all other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; ¹²Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered very much wine and summer fruits. ¹³Moreover, Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were in the villages came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, ¹⁴And said to him, Do you not know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay you? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. ¹⁵Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, saying, Let me go and slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man will know it; lest he slay you, and all the Jews who are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of the Jews should perish. ¹⁶But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, You will not do this thing; for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael.