CHAPTER 40
1 The word that was made of the Lord to Jeremy, after that he was delivered of Nebuzaradan, master of the chivalry, from Ramah, when he took him bound with chains, in the midst of all men that passed from Jerusalem, and from Judah, and were led into Babylon.
2 Therefore the prince of the chivalry took Jeremy, and said to him, Thy Lord God spake this evil on this place,
3 and the Lord hath brought, and hath done, as he spake; for ye sinned to the Lord, and heard not the voice of him, and this word is done to you.
4 Now therefore lo! I have released thee today from the chains that be in thine hands; if it pleaseth thee to come with me into Babylon, come thou, and I shall set mine eyes on thee; soothly if it displeaseth thee to come with me into Babylon, sit thou here; lo! all the land is in thy sight, that that thou choosest, and whither it pleaseth thee to go, thither go thou,
5 and do not thou come with me. But dwell thou with Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon made sovereign to the cities of Judah; therefore dwell thou with him in the midst of the people, either go thou, whither ever it pleaseth thee to go. And the master of [the] chivalry gave to him meats, and gifts, and let him go.
6 Forsooth Jeremy came to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, in Mizpah, and dwelled with him, in the midst of the people that was left in the land.
7 And when all princes of the host had heard, that were scattered by countries, they and the fellows of them, that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah sovereign of the land, the son of Ahikam, and that he had betaken to Gedaliah men, and women, and little children, and of [the] poor men of the land, that were not translated into Babylon,
8 they came to Gedaliah, in Mizpah; and Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Jonathan, and Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai, that were of the Netophathites, and Jezaniah, the son of Maachathite; both they and their men came to Gedaliah.
9 And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore to them, and to the fellows of them, and said, Do not ye dread to serve [the] Chaldees; but dwell ye in the land, and serve ye the king of Babylon, and it shall be well to you.
10 Lo! I dwell in Mizpah, for to answer to the commandment of [the] Chaldees, that be sent to us; forsooth gather ye vintage, and ripe corn, and oil, and keep ye in your vessels, and dwell ye in your cities which ye hold.
11 But also all the Jews, that were in Moab, and in the hosts of Ammon, and in Idumea, and in all the countries, when it is heard, that the king of Babylon had given residues, either remnants, in Judah, and that he had made sovereign on them Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan,
12 soothly all [the] Jews turned again from all [the] places, to which they had fled; and they came into the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, in Mizpah, and gathered wine and ripe corn full much.
13 Forsooth Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of the host, that were scattered in the countries, came to Gedaliah in Mizpah,
14 and said to him, Know thou, that Baalis, king of the sons of Ammon, hath sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to smite thy life. And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, believed not to them.
15 Forsooth Johanan, the son of Kareah, said to Gedaliah asides half in Mizpah, and spake, I shall go, and slay Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, while no man knoweth, lest he slay thy life, and all the Jews be scattered, that be gathered to thee, and the remnants of Judah shall perish.
16 And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah, Do not thou do this word, for thou speakest false of Ishmael.