¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(A) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:^{(B) 13} “Go and inquire^(C) of the Lord for me and for the people and for all Judah about what is written in this book that has been found. Great is the Lord’s anger^(D) that burns against us because those who have gone before us have not obeyed the words of this book; they have not acted in accordance with all that is written there concerning us.”

¹⁴ Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam, Akbor, Shaphan and Asaiah went to speak to the prophet^(E) Huldah, who was the wife of Shallum son of Tikvah, the son of Harhas, keeper of the wardrobe. She lived in Jerusalem, in the New Quarter.

¹⁴ sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.^(A) They turned him over to Gedaliah^(B) son of Ahikam,^(C) the son of Shaphan,^(D) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.^(E)

⁵ However, before Jeremiah turned to go,^[a] Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah^(A) son of Ahikam,^(B) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed^(C) over the towns^(D) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”^(E)

Then the commander gave him provisions and a present^(F) and let him go. ⁶ So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah^(G) and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

Gedaliah Assassinated^(H)

⁷ When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor^(I) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest^(J) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon,