Yirmeyahu 40 ירמיהו מ׳

The word that came to Yirmeyahu from the Lord, after Nevuzar᾽adan the captain of the guard had let him go from Rama, when he had taken him bound as he was in chains among all the exiles of Yerushalayim and Yehuda who were carried away as exiles to Bavel.

And the captain of the guard took Yirmeyahu, and said to him, The Lord thy God has pronounced this evil upon this place.

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

And now, behold, I release thee this day from the chains which were upon thy hand. If it seem good to thee to come with me into Bavel, come; and I will look after thee: but if it seem ill to thee to come with me into Bavel, do not come: behold, all the land is before thee: wherever it seems good and convenient for thee to go, go there.

(Then since he did not yet turn about;) Go back then, said he, Gedalya the son of Aĥiqam the son of Shafan, whom the king of Bavel has made governor over the cities of Yehuda, and dwell with him among the people: or go wherever it seems convenient to thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him an allowance of food and a present, and let him go.

Then Yirmeyahu went to Gedalya the son of Aĥiqam to Miżpa; 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, they and their men, heard that the king of Bavel had made Gedalya the son of Aĥiqam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Bavel;

then they came to Gedalya to Miżpa, namely, Yishma᾽el the son of Netanyahu, and Yoĥanan and Yonatan the sons of Qareaĥ, and Seraya the son of Tanĥumet, and the sons of ῾Efay the Netofatite, and Yezanyahu the son of the Ma῾akhatite, they and their men.

And Gedalyahu the son of Aĥiqam the son of Shafan swore to them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Kasdim: dwell in the land and serve the king of Bavel, and it shall be well with you.

As for me, behold, I will dwell at Miżpa to stand before the Kasdim who will come to us: but as for you, gather wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.

Likewise when all the men of Yehuda that were in Mo᾽av, and among the children of ῾Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Bavel had left a remnant of Yehuda, and that he had set over them Gedalyahu the son of Aĥiqam the son of Shafan;

then all the men of Yehuda returned out of all places unto which they were driven, and came to the land of Yehuda, to Gedalyahu, to Miżpa, and gathered a great abundance of wine and summer fruits.

Moreover Yoĥanan the son of Qareaĥ, and all the captains of the forces that were in the countryside, came to Gedalyahu to Miżpa,

and said to him, Dost thou certainly know that Ba῾alis the king of the children of ῾Ammon has sent Yishma᾽el the son of Netanya to slay thee? But Gedalyahu the son of Aĥiqam did not believe them.

Then Yoĥanan the son of Qareaĥ spoke to Gedalyahu in Miżpa secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay the son of Netanya, and no man shall know it: why should he slay thee, that all Yehuda that are gathered to thee should be scattered, and the remnant of Yehuda should perish?

But Gedalyahu the son of Aĥiqam said to Yoĥanan the son of Qareaĥ, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Yishma᾽el.