Read the Bible

¹ The word which came to Yirmeyahu from the LORD, after that Nevuzar'adan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all the captives of Yerushalayim and Yehudah, who were carried away captive to Bavel. ² The captain of the guard took Yirmeyahu, and said to him, the LORD your God pronounced this evil on this place; ³ and the LORD has brought it, and done according as he spoke: because you have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come on you. ⁴ Now, behold, I loose you this day from the chains which are on your hand. If it seem good to you to come with me into Bavel, come, and I will look well to you; but if it seem ill to you to come with me into Bavel, forbear: behold, all the land is before you; where it seems good and right to you to go, there go. ⁵ Now while he was not yet gone back, Go back then, [said he], to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam, the son of Shafan, whom the king of Bavel has made governor over the cities of Yehudah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wherever it seems right to you to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a present, and let him go. ⁶ Then went Yirmeyahu to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam to Mitzpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.

⁷ Now when all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Bavel had made Gedalyahu the son of Achikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, and women, and children, and of the poorest of the land, of those who were not carried away captive to Bavel; ⁸ then they came to Gedalyahu to Mitzpah, [to wit], Yishma'el the son of Netanyah, and Yochanan and Yonatan the sons of Kareach, and Serayah the son of Tanchumet, and the sons of `Efai the Netofatite, and Yezanyah the son of the Ma`akhatite, they and their men. ⁹ Gedalyahu the son of Achikam the son of Shafan swore to them and to their men, saying, Don't be afraid to serve the Kasdim: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Bavel, and it shall be well with you. ¹⁰ As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mitzpah, to stand before the Kasdim who shall come to us: but you, gather you wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken. ¹¹ Likewise when all the Yehudim who were in Mo'av, and among the children of `Ammon, and in Edom, and who were in all the countries, heard that the king of Bavel had left a remnant of Yehudah, and that he had set over them Gedalyahu the son of Achikam, the son of Shafan; <sup>12</sup> then all the Yehudim returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Yehudah, to Gedalyahu, to Mitzpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much. <sup>13</sup> Moreover Yochanan the son of Kareach, and all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, came to Gedalyahu to Mitzpah, <sup>14</sup> and said to him, Do you know that Baalis the king of the children of `Ammon has sent Yishma'el the son of Netanyah to take your life? But Gedalyahu the son of Achikam didn't believe them. ¹⁵ Then Yochanan the son of Kareach spoke to Gedalyahu in Mitzpah secretly, saying, Please let me go, and I will kill Yishma'el the son of Netanyah, and no man shall know it: why should he take your life, that all the Yehudim who are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of Yehudah perish? ¹⁶ But Gedalyahu the son of Achikam said to Yochanan the son of Kareach, You shall not do this thing; for you speak falsely of Yishma'el.