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.

Gedaliah Assassinated^(A)

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^(B) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest^(C) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon,

¹⁸ to escape the Babylonians.^[a] They were afraid^(A) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah^(B) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.