Jeremiah 40:15
New English Translation
15 Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah there at Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah before anyone knows about it. Otherwise he will kill you[a] and all the Judeans who have rallied around you will be scattered. Then what remains of Judah will disappear.”
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- Jeremiah 40:15 tn Heb “Why should he kill you?” However, this is one of those cases listed in BDB 554 s.v. מָה 4.d(b) where מָה begins a question introducing rhetorically the reason why something should be done. In cases like this BDB notes that it approximates the meaning “lest” and is translated in Greek by μήποτε (mēpote) or μή (mē), as the Greek version does here. Hence it is separated from the preceding and translated “otherwise” for the sake of English style.
Jeremiah 40:15
New International Version
15 Then Johanan(A) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill(B) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered(C) and the remnant(D) of Judah to perish?”
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