Jeremiah 40
Expanded Bible
Jeremiah Is Set Free
40 The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, commander of the guards, had ·set Jeremiah free at the city of [released/L sent him from] Ramah. He had found Jeremiah in Ramah bound in ·chains [fetters] with all the ·captives [exiles] from Jerusalem and Judah who were being ·taken away [exiled] to Babylon. 2 When commander ·Nebuzaradan [L of the guards] ·found [L took] Jeremiah, Nebuzaradan said to him, “The Lord your God announced this ·disaster [evil; trouble] would come to this place. 3 And now the Lord has done everything he ·said [promised] he would do. This ·disaster [evil; trouble] happened because you [C the people of Judah] sinned against the Lord and did not ·obey him [L listen to his voice]. 4 But today I am ·freeing [releasing] you from the ·chains [fetters] on your ·wrists [L hands]. If ·you want to [L it is good in your eyes], come with me to Babylon, and I will ·take good care of you [L set my eyes on you]. But if ·you don’t want to come [L it is wrong/evil/bad in your eyes to come with me to Babylon], then ·don’t [fine]. Look, the whole country is open to you. Go wherever ·you wish [L it is good and right in your eyes].” 5 Before Jeremiah turned to leave, Nebuzaradan said, “Or go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. The king of Babylon has ·chosen [appointed] him to be governor over the towns of Judah. Go and ·live [stay] with Gedaliah among the people, or go anywhere ·you want [L it is right in your eyes].”
Then Nebuzaradan gave Jeremiah some ·food [provisions] and a ·present [gift] and let him go. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah [C perhaps Tell en-Nasbeh eight miles north of Jerusalem; Judg. 20:1–3; 1 Sam. 7:5–14; 10:17–24] and stayed with him there. He lived among the people who ·were left behind in Judah [L remained in the land].
The Short Rule of Gedaliah
7 Some officers and their men from the army of Judah were still out in the open country. They heard that the king of Babylon had ·put [appointed] Gedaliah son of Ahikam ·in charge of the people [L governor of those] who ·were left [remained] in the land: the men, women, and children who were the poorest. They were the ones who were not ·taken to Babylon as captives [exiled to Babylon]. 8 So these soldiers came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, and their men.
9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ·made a promise [swore] to them, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans]. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon. Then everything will go well for you. 10 I myself will live in Mizpah and will ·speak for you [represent you; L stand] before the ·Babylonians [L Chaldeans] who come to us here. Harvest the wine, the summer fruit, and the oil, and put what you harvest in your storage jars. Live in the towns you control.”
11 The ·Jews [L Judeans] in Moab, ·Ammon [L the sons of Ammon], Edom, and other countries also heard that the king of Babylon had left a ·few Jews alive in the land [L remnant in Judea]. And they heard the king of Babylon had ·chosen [appointed] Gedaliah as governor over them. (Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan.) 12 When the people of Judah heard this news, they came back to Judah from all the countries where they had been scattered. They came to Gedaliah at Mizpah and gathered a large harvest of wine and summer fruit.
13 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers of Judah still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 14 They said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the ·Ammonite people [L sons of Ammon] wants you dead? He has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to ·kill you [L strike your life].” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam ·did [or would] not believe them.
15 Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in ·private [secret] at Mizpah. He said, “Let me go and ·kill [L strike] Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know anything about it. ·We should not let Ishmael [L Why should he…?] ·kill you [L strike your life]. Then all ·the Jews [L Judah] gathered around you would be scattered to different countries again, and the ·few people of Judah who are left alive [L the remnant of Judah] would ·be lost [perish].”
16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not ·kill Ishmael [L do this thing]! The things you are saying about Ishmael are ·not true [false; lies].”
Jeremiah 40
Amplified Bible
Jeremiah Remains in Judah
40 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken as exiles to Babylon. 2 And the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “The Lord your God promised this disaster on this place. 3 Now the Lord has brought it about and has done just as He promised. Because you [people of Judah] have sinned against the Lord and did not listen to and honor His voice, therefore this thing has happened to you. 4 But now, listen carefully, [because of your innocence] I am freeing you today from the chains which are on your hands. If you would prefer to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you [carefully]; but if you would prefer not to come with me to Babylon, then do not do so. Look, all the land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right (convenient) for you to go.” 5 While Jeremiah was still hesitating, the captain of the bodyguard said, “Go on back then to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed [governor] over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people; or else go wherever it seems right for you to go.” So the captain of the bodyguard gave him an allowance of food and a gift and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.
7 Now when all the commanders of the forces that were [scattered] in the open country [of Judah] and their men heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land [of Judah] and had put him in charge of the men, women, and children, those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon, 8 they went to Gedaliah at Mizpah—Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 9 Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans; stay in this land and serve the king of Babylon, that it may go well with you. 10 As for me, I am going to stay at Mizpah to stand [for you] before the Chaldeans who come to us [ministering to them and looking after the king’s interests]; but as for you, gather in wine, summer fruit and oil and store them in your utensils [designed for such purposes], and live in your cities that you have taken over.” 11 Likewise, when all the Jews who were in Moab and among the people of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the [other] countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant [of the people] in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan over them [as governor], 12 then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered a great abundance of wine and summer fruits.
13 Moreover, Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were [scattered] in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites 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 secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know [who is responsible]. Why should he kill you and cause all the Jews who are gathered near you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “Do not do this thing, for you are lying about Ishmael.”
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