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Jeremiah Decides to Remain in the Land

40 The word that came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard,[a] had let him go from Ramah, where he had been taken[b] bound in chains in the midst of all the exiles[c] of Jerusalem and Judah who were being deported to Babylon. And the captain of the guard[d] took Jeremiah and said to him, “Yahweh your God threatened this disaster to this place, and now he has brought it about,[e] and Yahweh has done just as[f] he threatened. Because you sinned against Yahweh and did not listen to his voice, so this thing has happened to you. And so then look, I have released you today[g] from the chains that were on your hands.[h] If it is good in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, then come, and I will take care of you.[i] But if it is bad in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, then refrain. Look, the whole land is before you.[j] To wherever it is good and right in your eyes to go, then go there.” While he still had not turned back, Nebuzaradan added, “Return to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed in an official position over the towns of Judah, and stay with him in the midst of the people. Or to wherever it is right in your eyes to go, then go there.”[k] Then the captain of the guard[l] gave him an allowance of provisions and a present, and let him go.

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Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 40:1 Hebrew “guards”
  2. Jeremiah 40:1 Literally “at his taking him
  3. Jeremiah 40:1 Hebrew “exile”
  4. Jeremiah 40:2 Hebrew “guards”
  5. Jeremiah 40:3 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  6. Jeremiah 40:3 Literally “as that”
  7. Jeremiah 40:4 Literally “the day”
  8. Jeremiah 40:4 Hebrew “hand”
  9. Jeremiah 40:4 Literally “I will place my eye on you”
  10. Jeremiah 40:4 Literally “to the face of you”
  11. Jeremiah 40:5 Here the direct object is supplied from context in the English translation
  12. Jeremiah 40:5 Hebrew “guards”

40 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon. The captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him, “Yahweh your God pronounced this evil on this place; and Yahweh has brought it, and done according as he spoke. Because you have sinned against Yahweh, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing has come on you. Now, behold, I release you today from the chains which are on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will take care of you; but if it seems bad to you to come with me into Babylon, don’t. Behold, all the land is before you. Where it seems good and right to you to go, there go.” Now while he had not yet gone back, “Go back then,” he said, “to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wherever it seems right to you to go.”

So the captain of the guard gave him food and a present, and let him go.

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