Jeremiah 40:13-16
New English Translation
Ishmael Murders Gedaliah and Carries Off the Judeans at Mizpah as Captives
13 Johanan, son of Kareah, and all the officers of the troops that had been hiding in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. 14 They said to him, “Are you at all aware[a] that King Baalis of Ammon has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them. 15 Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah there at Mizpah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah before anyone knows about it. Otherwise he will kill you[b] and all the Judeans who have rallied around you will be scattered. Then what remains of Judah will disappear.” 16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do that[c] because what you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”[d]
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Jeremiah 40:14 tn The translation is intended to reflect the emphasizing infinitive absolute before the finite verb.
- Jeremiah 40:15 tn Heb “Why should he kill you?” However, this is one of those cases listed in BDB 554 s.v. מָה 4.d(b) where מָה begins a question introducing rhetorically the reason why something should be done. In cases like this BDB notes that it approximates the meaning “lest” and is translated in Greek by μήποτε (mēpote) or μή (mē), as the Greek version does here. Hence it is separated from the preceding and translated “otherwise” for the sake of English style.
- Jeremiah 40:16 tn Heb “this thing.”
- Jeremiah 40:16 tn Heb “is false” or “is a lie.”
Jeremiah 40:13-16
Legacy Standard Bible
13 Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14 and said to him, “Do you indeed know that Baalis the king of the sons of (A)Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to strike down 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, “(B)Let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know! Why should he (C)strike down your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the (D)remnant of Judah would perish?” 16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “(E)Do not do this thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael.”
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