Jeremiah Freed

40 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah.^(A) He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives^(B) from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. ² When the commander^(C) of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed^(D) this disaster^(E) for this place.^{(F) 3} And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned^(G) against the Lord and did not obey^(H) him. ⁴ But today I am freeing^(I) you from the chains^(J) on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”^{(K) 5} However, before Jeremiah turned to go,^[a] Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah^(L) son of Ahikam,^(M) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed^(N) over the towns^(O) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”^(P)

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

Gedaliah Assassinated^(S)

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^(T) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest^(U) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, ⁸ they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^(V)—Ishmael^(W) son of Nethaniah, Johanan^(X) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,^(Y) and Jaazaniah^[b] the son of the Maakathite,^(Z) and their men. ⁹ Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve^(AA) the Babylonians,^[c](AB)” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.^{(AC) 10} I myself will stay at Mizpah^(AD) to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,^(AE) summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,^(AF) and live in the towns you have taken over.”^(AG)

¹¹ When all the Jews in Moab,^(AH) Ammon, Edom^(AI) and all the other countries^(AJ) heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, ¹² they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered.^(AK) And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

¹³ Johanan^(AL) son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^{(AM) 14} and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites^(AN) has sent Ishmael^(AO) son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

¹⁵ Then Johanan^(AP) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill^(AQ) 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^(AR) and the remnant^(AS) of Judah to perish?”

¹⁶ But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan^(AT) son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

41 In the seventh month Ishmael^(A) son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, ² Ishmael^(B) son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword,^(C) killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed^(D) as governor over the land.^{(E) 3} Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian^[a] soldiers who were there.

⁴ The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, ⁵ eighty men who had shaved off their beards,^(F) torn their clothes^(G) and cut^(H) themselves came from Shechem,^(I) Shiloh^(J) and Samaria,^(K) bringing grain offerings and incense^(L) with them to the house of the Lord.^{(M) 6} Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping^(N) as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”^{(O) 7} When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.^{(P) 8} But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.”^(Q) So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. ⁹ Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa^(R) had made as part of his defense^(S) against Baasha^(T) king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

¹⁰ Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people^(U) who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters^(V) along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.^(W)

¹¹ When Johanan^(X) son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, ¹² they took all their men and went to fight^(Y) Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool^(Z) in Gibeon. ¹³ When all the people^(AA) Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. ¹⁴ All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah^(AB) turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. ¹⁵ But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped^(AC) from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt

¹⁶ Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(AD) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,^(AE) whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. ¹⁷ And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham^(AF) near Bethlehem^(AG) on their way to Egypt^{(AH) 18} to escape the Babylonians.^[b] They were afraid^(AI) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah^(AJ) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

Jesus Comforts His Disciples

14 “Do not let your hearts be troubled.^(A) You believe^(B) in God^[a];^(C) believe also in me. ² My Father’s house has many rooms; if that were not so, would I have told you that I am going there^(D) to prepare a place for you? ³ And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come back^(E) and take you to be with me that you also may be where I am.^{(F) 4} You know the way to the place where I am going.”

Jesus the Way to the Father

⁵ Thomas^(G) said to him, “Lord, we don’t know where you are going, so how can we know the way?”

⁶ Jesus answered, “I am^(H) the way^(I) and the truth^(J) and the life.^(K) No one comes to the Father except through me.^{(L) 7} If you really know me, you will know^[b] my Father as well.^(M) From now on, you do know him and have seen him.”

⁸ Philip^(N) said, “Lord, show us the Father and that will be enough for us.”

⁹ Jesus answered: “Don’t you know me, Philip, even after I have been among you such a long time? Anyone who has seen me has seen the Father.^(O) How can you say, ‘Show us the Father’? ¹⁰ Don’t you believe that I am in the Father, and that the Father is in me?^(P) The words I say to you I do not speak on my own authority.^(Q) Rather, it is the Father, living in me, who is doing his work. ¹¹ Believe me when I say that I am in the Father and the Father is in me; or at least believe on the evidence of the works themselves.^{(R) 12} Very truly I tell you, whoever believes^(S) in me will do the works I have been doing,^(T) and they will do even greater things than these, because I am going to the Father. ¹³ And I will do whatever you ask^(U) in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son. ¹⁴ You may ask me for anything in my name, and I will do it.

Jesus Promises the Holy Spirit

¹⁵ “If you love me, keep my commands.^{(V) 16} And I will ask the Father, and he will give you another advocate^(W) to help you and be with you forever— ¹⁷ the Spirit of truth.^(X) The world cannot accept him,^(Y) because it neither sees him nor knows him. But you know him, for he lives with you and will be^[c] in you. ¹⁸ I will not leave you as orphans;^(Z) I will come to you.^{(AA) 19} Before long, the world will not see me anymore, but you will see me.^(AB) Because I live, you also will live.^{(AC) 20} On that day^(AD) you will realize that I am in my Father,^(AE) and you are in me, and I am in you.^{(AF) 21} Whoever has my commands and keeps them is the one who loves me.^(AG) The one who loves me will be loved by my Father,^(AH) and I too will love them and show myself to them.”

²² Then Judas^(AI) (not Judas Iscariot) said, “But, Lord, why do you intend to show yourself to us and not to the world?”^(AJ)

²³ Jesus replied, “Anyone who loves me will obey my teaching.^(AK) My Father will love them, and we will come to them and make our home with them.^{(AL) 24} Anyone who does not love me will not obey my teaching. These words you hear are not my own; they belong to the Father who sent me.^(AM)

²⁵ “All this I have spoken while still with you. ²⁶ But the Advocate,^(AN) the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name,^(AO) will teach you all things^(AP) and will remind you of everything I have said to you.^{(AQ) 27} Peace I leave with you; my peace I give you.^(AR) I do not give to you as the world gives. Do not let your hearts be troubled^(AS) and do not be afraid.

²⁸ “You heard me say, ‘I am going away and I am coming back to you.’^(AT) If you loved me, you would be glad that I am going to the Father,^(AU) for the Father is greater than I.^{(AV) 29} I have told you now before it happens, so that when it does happen you will believe.^{(AW) 30} I will not say much more to you, for the prince of this world^(AX) is coming. He has no hold over me, ³¹ but he comes so that the world may learn that I love the Father and do exactly what my Father has commanded me.^(AY)

“Come now; let us leave.