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¹ The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, after Nebuzaradan 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 Jerusalem and Judah, that were carried away captive to Babylon.² And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him, Yahweh your God pronounced this evil on this place;³ and Yahweh has brought it, and done according to as he spoke: because you have sinned against Yahweh, and haven't obeyed his voice, therefore this thing has come on you.⁴ And now, look, I loose you this day from the chains which are on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will look well to you; but if it seems ill to you to come with me into Babylon, forbear: look, all the land is before you; where it seems good and right to you to go, there go.⁵ Now since he had not yet gone back, [he said] Go back then to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, 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 Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

⁷ Now when all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, even they 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 of the poorest of the land, of those that were not carried away captive to Babylon;⁸ then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, [to wit], 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 the Maacathite, they and their men.⁹ And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, Don't be afraid to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.¹⁰ As for me, look, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans that shall come to us: but you, gather 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 Jews that were in Moab, and among the sons of Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan;¹² then all the Jews returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered very much wine and summer fruits.¹³ Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,¹⁴ and said to him, Do you know that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.¹⁵ Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray you, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: why should he take your life, that all the Jews that are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?¹⁶ But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, You shall not do this thing; for you speak falsely of Ishmael.