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40 Sermo qui factus est ad Jeremiam a Domino, postquam dimissus est a Nabuzardan magistro militiae de Rama, quando tulit eum vinctum catenis in medio omnium qui migrabant de Jerusalem et Juda, et ducebantur in Babylonem.

Tollens ergo princeps militiae Jeremiam, dixit ad eum: Dominus Deus tuus locutus est malum hoc super locum istum:

et adduxit, et fecit Dominus sicut locutus est, quia peccastis Domino, et non audistis vocem ejus: et factus est vobis sermo hic.

Nunc ergo ecce solvi te hodie de catenis quae sunt in manibus tuis: si placet tibi ut venias mecum in Babylonem, veni, et ponam oculos meos super te: si autem displicet tibi venire mecum in Babylonem, reside: ecce omnis terra in conspectu tuo est: quod elegeris, et quo placuerit tibi ut vadas, illuc perge:

et mecum noli venire, sed habita apud Godoliam filium Ahicam filii Saphan, quem praeposuit rex Babylonis civitatibus Juda: habita ergo cum eo in medio populi: vel quocumque placuerit tibi ut vadas, vade. Dedit quoque ei magister militiae cibaria et munuscula, et dimisit eum.

Venit autem Jeremias ad Godoliam filium Ahicam in Masphath, et habitavit cum eo in medio populi qui relictus fuerat in terra.

Cumque audissent omnes principes exercitus, qui dispersi fuerant per regiones, ipsi et socii eorum, quod praefecisset rex Babylonis Godoliam filium Ahicam terrae, et quod commendasset ei viros, et mulieres, et parvulos, et de pauperibus terrae, qui non fuerant translati in Babylonem,

venerunt ad Godoliam in Masphath, et Ismahel filius Nathaniae, et Johanan et Jonathan filii Caree, et Sareas filius Thanehumeth, et filii Ophi, qui erant de Netophathi, et Jezonias filius Maachathi, ipsi et viri eorum.

Et juravit eis Godolias filius Ahicam filii Saphan, et comitibus eorum, dicens: Nolite timere servire Chaldaeis: habitate in terra, et servite regi Babylonis, et bene erit vobis.

10 Ecce ego habito in Masphath, ut respondeam praecepto Chaldaeorum qui mittuntur ad nos: vos autem colligite vindemiam, et messem, et oleum, et condite in vasis vestris, et manete in urbibus vestris quas tenetis.

11 Sed et omnes Judaei qui erant in Moab, et in filiis Ammon, et in Idumaea, et in universis regionibus, audito quod dedisset rex Babylonis reliquias in Judaea, et quod praeposuisset super eos Godoliam filium Ahicam filii Saphan,

12 reversi sunt, inquam, omnes Judaei de universis locis ad quae profugerant, et venerunt in terram Juda ad Godoliam in Masphath, et collegerunt vinum et messem multam nimis.

13 Johanan autem filius Caree, et omnes principes exercitus qui dispersi fuerant in regionibus, venerunt ad Godoliam in Masphath,

14 et dixerunt ei: Scito quod Baalis, rex filiorum Ammon, misit Ismahel filium Nathaniae percutere animam tuam. Et non credidit eis Godolias filius Ahicam.

15 Johanan autem filius Caree dixit ad Godoliam seorsum in Masphath, loquens: Ibo, et percutiam Ismahel filium Nathaniae, nullo sciente, ne interficiat animam tuam, et dissipentur omnes Judaei qui congregati sunt ad te, et peribunt reliquiae Juda.

16 Et ait Godolias filius Ahicam ad Johanan filium Caree: Noli facere verbum hoc: falsum enim tu loqueris de Ismahel.

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. 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) 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. 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) 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. 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)

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, 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. 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.”

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 40:5 Or Jeremiah answered
  2. Jeremiah 40:8 Hebrew Jezaniah, a variant of Jaazaniah
  3. Jeremiah 40:9 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 10

40 The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.

And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.

Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.

And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.

Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.

Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;

Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.

11 Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;

12 Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.

13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,

14 And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?

16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.