Jeremiah 40

1This message came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had set him free at Ramah. Nebuzaradan had found him there bound in chains, among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken into exile in Babylon. 2The captain of the guard took Jeremiah aside and said to him, “The LORD your God announced this disaster against this place. 3Now the LORD has brought it about and has done just what he said, because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey his voice. That is why this has happened to you. 4But now, today I am setting you free from the chains on your wrists. If you would like to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if you would rather not come with me to Babylon, then stay. See, the whole land lies open before you. Go wherever you think it good and right to go.” 5Before Jeremiah had turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, the man the king of Babylon has set over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people. Or go anywhere else you think right.” Then the captain of the guard gave him food for the journey and a gift, and let him go. 6So Jeremiah went to Mizpah, to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, and lived there with him among the people left in the land.

7All the commanders of the forces who were in the open country and their men learned that the king of Babylon had set Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and had placed in his care men, women and children, those of the poorest people of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, 8and they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, together with their men. 9Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, gave them and their men his sworn word. “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans,” he said. “Settle in the land, serve the king of Babylon, and all will go well with you. 10As for me, I will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Chaldeans who come to us. But you are to gather the wine, the summer fruit and the oil, store them in your jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.” 11Likewise, 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 allowed a remnant to stay in Judah, with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, set over them, 12and all the Judeans returned from all the places where they had been scattered. They came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and brought in a very large harvest of wine and summer fruit.

13Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces who were in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14and asked him, “Do you realize that Baalis, the Ammonite king, has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to murder you?” Gedaliah son of Ahikam, however, would not believe them. 15Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah privately at Mizpah. “Please let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said, “and no one will know. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans gathered around you are scattered and the remnant of Judah perishes?” 16But Gedaliah son of Ahikam answered Johanan son of Kareah, “You must not do this! What you are saying about Ishmael is false.”