Jeremiah 40

New American Standard Bible

Jeremiah Remains in Judah

40 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord after ^(A)Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from ^(B)Ramah, when he had taken him bound in ^(C)chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. ²Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “The ^(D)Lord your God promised this disaster against this place; ³and the Lord has brought it and done just as He promised. Because you people ^(E)sinned against the Lord and did not listen to His voice, this thing has happened to you. ⁴But now, behold, I am ^(F)setting you free today from the chains that are on your hands. If ^[a]you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will ^[b]look after you; but if ^[c]you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, ^[d]do not come. Look, the ^(G)whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right for you to go.” ⁵As ^[e]Jeremiah was still not going back, ^[f]he said, “Go on back then to ^(H)Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has ^(I)appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or else go anywhere it seems right for you to go.” So the captain of the bodyguard gave him a ^(J)ration and a ^(K)gift, and let him go. ⁶Then Jeremiah went to ^(L)Mizpah to ^(M)Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.

⁷^(N)Now all the commanders of the forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land, and that he had put him in charge of the men, women, and ^[g]children, those of the ^(O)poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon. ⁸So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with ^(P)Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, ^(Q)Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the ^(R)Netophathite, and ^(S)Jezaniah the son of the ^(T)Maacathite, both they and their men. ⁹Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ^(U)swore to them and to their men, saying, “^(V)Do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans; stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, so that it may go well for you. ¹⁰Now as for me, behold, I am going to stay in Mizpah to ^(W)stand for you before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, ^(X)gather wine, ^(Y)summer fruit, and oil, and put them in your storage vessels, and live in your cities that you have taken over.” ¹¹Likewise, also all the Jews who were in ^(Z)Moab and among the sons of ^(AA)Ammon and in ^(AB)Edom, and who were in all the other countries, heard that the king of Babylon had ^[h]left a remnant for Judah, and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. ¹²Then all the Jews ^(AC)returned from all the places to which they had been scattered and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruit in great abundance.

¹³Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, ¹⁴and said to him, “Are you well aware that Baalis the king of the sons of ^(AD)Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. ¹⁵Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “^(AE)Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know! Why should he ^(AF)take your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the ^(AG)remnant of Judah would perish?” ¹⁶But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “^(AH)Do not do this thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael.”

Footnotes

Jeremiah 40:4 Lit it is good in your eyes
Jeremiah 40:4 Lit set my eyes on
Jeremiah 40:4 Lit it is evil in your eyes
Jeremiah 40:4 Lit refrain
Jeremiah 40:5 Lit he
Jeremiah 40:5 I.e., Nebuzaradan
Jeremiah 40:7 Lit infants
Jeremiah 40:11 Lit given

Psalm 15-16

New American Standard Bible

Description of a Citizen of Zion.

A Psalm of David.

15 Lord, who may reside ^(A)in Your tent?
Who may settle on Your ^(B)holy hill?
²One who ^(C)walks with integrity, practices righteousness,
And ^(D)speaks truth in his heart.
³He ^(E)does not slander ^[a]with his tongue,
Nor ^(F)do evil to his neighbor,
Nor ^(G)bring shame on his friend;
⁴A despicable person is despised in his eyes,
But he ^(H)honors those who fear the Lord;
He ^(I)takes an oath to his own detriment, and does not change;
⁵He ^(J)does not ^[b]lend his money ^[c]at interest,
Nor ^(K)does he take a bribe against the innocent.
^(L)One who does these things will never be shaken.

The Lord, the Psalmist’s Portion in Life and Salvation in Death.

A ^[d]Mikhtam of David.

16 ^(M)Protect me, God, for ^(N)I take refuge in You.
²^[e]I said to the Lord, “You are ^[f]my Lord;
I ^(O)have nothing good besides You.”
³As for the ^[g]^(P)saints who are on the earth,
^[h]They are the majestic ones; ^(Q)all my delight is in them.
⁴^[i]The ^(R)pains of those who have acquired another god will be multiplied;
I will not pour out their drink offerings of ^(S)blood,
Nor will I ^(T)take their names upon my lips.

⁵The Lord is the ^(U)portion of my inheritance and my ^(V)cup;
You support my ^(W)lot.
⁶The measuring ^(X)lines have fallen for me in pleasant places;
Indeed, my inheritance is ^(Y)beautiful to me.

⁷I will bless the Lord who has ^(Z)advised me;
Indeed, my ^[j]^(AA)mind instructs me in the night.
⁸^(AB)I have ^(AC)set the Lord continually before me;
Because He is ^(AD)at my right hand, ^(AE)I will not be shaken.
⁹Therefore ^(AF)my heart is glad and ^(AG)my glory rejoices;
My flesh also will ^(AH)dwell securely.
¹⁰For You ^(AI)will not abandon my soul to ^[k]Sheol;
You will not ^[l]^(AJ)allow Your ^[m]Holy One to ^[n]undergo decay.
¹¹You will make known to me ^(AK)the way of life;
In ^(AL)Your presence is fullness of joy;
In Your right hand there are ^(AM)pleasures forever.