The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Jeremiah 40
1 The word which came to Jeremiahfrom
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.
2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah
and said to him, “Yahweh your God pronounced
this evil on this place;
3 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.
4 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, go there.”
5 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 ofJudah, anddwell withhim
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.
6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the
son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and lived with
him among the people who were left in the
land.
7 Now when all the captains of the forces
who 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 to him
men, women, children, and of the poorest
of the land, of those who were not carried
away captive to Babylon,
8 then 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 the Maacathite, they
and their men came to Gedaliah to Mizpah.
9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son
of Shaphan swore to them and to their
men, saying, “Don’t be afraid to serve the
Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve
the king of Babylon, and it will be well with
you.
10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah,
to stand before the Chaldeans who will
come to us; but you, gather wine and
summer fruits and oil, and put them in
your vessels, and dwell in your cities that
you have taken.”
11 Likewise when all the Jews who were
in Moab, and among the children of Ammon,
and in Edom, and who 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 then all the Jews returned out of all
places where they were driven, and came
to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah,
to Mizpah, and gathered very much wine and
summer fruits.
13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah,
and all the captains of the forces who were
in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
14 and said to him, “Do you know that
Baalis the king of the children of Ammon
has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to
take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam didn’t
believe them.
15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke
to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying,
“Please let me go, and I will killIshmaelthe
son of Nethaniah, and no man will know
it. Why should he take your life, that all
the Jews who are gathered to you should
be scattered, and the remnant of Judah
perish?”
16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said
to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall
not do this thing, for you speak falsely of
Ishmael.”