Jeremiah 40
Contemporary English Version
Jeremiah Is Set Free
40 I was led away in chains along with the people of Judah and Jerusalem who were being taken to Babylonia. Nebuzaradan was the officer in charge of the guard, and while we were stopped at Ramah, the Lord caused him to set me free. 2 Nebuzaradan said:
Jeremiah, the Lord your God warned your people that he would bring disaster on this land. 3 But they continued to rebel against him, and now he has punished them just as he threatened.
4 Today I am taking the chains off your wrists and setting you free! If you want to, you can come with me to Babylonia, and I will see that you are taken care of. Or if you decide to stay here, you can go wherever you wish. 5 King Nebuchadnezzar[a] has chosen Gedaliah to rule Judah. You can live near Gedaliah, and he will provide for you, or you can live anywhere else you choose.
Nebuzaradan gave me a supply of food, then let me leave. 6 I decided to stay with the people of Judah, and I went to live near Gedaliah in Mizpah.
The Harvest Is Brought In
7-8 (A) Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, together with Johanan and Jonathan, the two sons of Kareah, had been officers in Judah's army. And so had Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah from Maacah. They and their troops had been stationed outside Jerusalem and had not been captured. They heard that Gedaliah had been chosen to rule Judah, and that the poorest men, women, and children had not been taken away to Babylonia. So they went to Mizpah and met with their new ruler.
9 Gedaliah told them, “There's no need to be afraid of the Babylonians. Everything will be fine, if we live peacefully and obey King Nebuchadnezzar.[b] 10 I will stay here at Mizpah and meet with the Babylonian officials on each of their visits. But you must go back to your towns and bring in the harvest, then store the wine, olive oil, and dried fruit.”
11-12 Earlier, when the Babylonians had invaded Judah, many of the Jews escaped to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and several other countries. But these Jews heard that the king of Babylonia had appointed Gedaliah as ruler of Judah, and that only a few people were left there. So the Jews in these other countries came back to Judah and helped with the grape and fruit harvest, which was especially large that year.
Gedaliah Is Murdered
13 One day, Johanan got together with some of the other men who had been army officers, and they came to Mizpah and met with Gedaliah. 14 They said, “Gedaliah, we came to warn you that King Baalis of Ammon hired Ishmael to murder you!”
Gedaliah refused to believe them, 15 so Johanan went to Gedaliah privately and said, “Let me kill Ishmael. No one will find out who did it. There are only a few people left in Judah, but they are depending on you. And if you are murdered, they will be scattered or killed.”
16 Gedaliah answered, “Don't kill Ishmael! What you've said about him can't be true.”
Jeremiah 40
English Standard Version
Jeremiah Remains in Judah
40 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord (A)after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from (B)Ramah, when he took him (C)bound in chains along with all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon. 2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, (D)“The Lord your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 3 The Lord has brought it about, and has done as he said. (E)Because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this thing has come upon you. 4 Now, behold, I release you today from (F)the chains on your hands. (G)If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you well, (H)but if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. (I)See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think it good and right to go. 5 If you remain,[a] then return to (J)Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, (K)whom the king of Babylon appointed governor of the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever you think it right to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go. 6 Then Jeremiah went to (L)Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at (M)Mizpah, and lived with him (N)among the people (O)who were left in the land.
7 (P)When all the captains of the forces in the open country and their men heard that (Q)the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land and had committed to him men, women, and children, those of (R)the poorest of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon, 8 they went to Gedaliah at (S)Mizpah—(T)Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, (U)Johanan the son of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, (V)Jezaniah the son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, (W)and it shall be well with you. 10 As for me, I will dwell at (X)Mizpah, to represent you before the Chaldeans who will come to us. But as for you, (Y)gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and store them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.” 11 Likewise, when all the Judeans who were in (Z)Moab and among (AA)the Ammonites and in (AB)Edom and in other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 (AC)then all the Judeans returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they (AD)gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.
13 Now (AE)Johanan the son of Kareah and (AF)all the leaders of the forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of (AG)the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life, so that all the Judeans who are gathered about you would be scattered, (AH)and the remnant of Judah would perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely of Ishmael.”
Footnotes
- Jeremiah 40:5 Syriac; the meaning of the Hebrew phrase is uncertain
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. 2 Now the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “The (D)Lord your God promised this disaster against this place; 3 and 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. 4 But 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.” 5 As [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. 6 Then 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. 8 So 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. 9 Then 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. 10 Now 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.” 11 Likewise, 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. 12 Then 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.
13 Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, 14 and 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. 15 Then 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?” 16 But 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
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