﻿Jeremiah.
Chapter 40.
This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard released him from Ramah. He had taken Jeremiah while he was bound in chains among all the exiles from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken to Babylon. 
The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God pronounced this disaster against this place. 
The LORD has brought it about and done as he said. Because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey his voice, this has happened to you. 
Now look, today I am freeing you from the chains on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if it seems bad to you to come with me to Babylon, do not come. Look, the whole land is before you. Go wherever it seems good and right to you to go.” 
While Jeremiah had not yet turned back, he added, “Return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon appointed over the cities of Judah, and live with him among the people. Or go wherever it seems right to you to go.” The captain of the guard gave him provisions and a gift and sent him on his way. 
Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and lived with him among the people who remained in the land. 
All the commanders of the troops in the open country, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and had entrusted to him the men, women, children, and poor of the land who had not been taken into exile to Babylon. 
They came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, they and their men. 
Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and their men, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. 
As for me, I will stay at Mizpah to stand before the Chaldeans who come to us. But you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil, put them in your vessels, and live in the cities you have occupied.” 
All the Jews in Moab, among the Ammonites, in Edom, and in all the other lands also heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over them. 
All these Jews returned from all the places to which they had been driven and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They gathered wine and summer fruit in great abundance. 
Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the troops in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 
and said to him, “Do you know for certain that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them. 
Johanan son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah at Mizpah, saying, “Please let me go and strike down Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know. Why should he take your life, so that all the Jews gathered around you are scattered and the remnant of Judah perishes?” 
But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do this, for what you are saying about Ishmael is false.” 
