Jeremiah 40

1 The word that came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the body-guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him, being bound in chains, among all the captivity of Jerusalem and Judah, that were carried away captive to Babylon.

The word that was maad of the Lord to Jeremye, aftir that he was delyuered of Nabusardan, maister of chyualrie, fro Rama, whanne he took hym boundun with chaynes, in the myddis of alle men that passiden fro Jerusalem, and fro Juda, and weren led in to Babyloyne.

2 And the captain of the body-guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, Jehovah thy God pronounced this evil upon this place,

Therfor the prince of chyualrie took Jeremye, and seide to hym, Thi Lord God spak this yuel on this place,

3 and Jehovah hath brought [it about] and done according as he said; for ye have sinned against Jehovah, and have not hearkened unto his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.

and the Lord hath brouyt, and hath do, as he spak; for ye synneden to the Lord, and herden not the vois of hym, and this word is doon to you.

4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains that are upon thy hand. If it seem good in thy sight to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will keep mine eye upon thee; but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me to Babylon, forbear. See, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and right in thy sight to go, thither go.

Now therfor lo! Y haue releessid thee to dai fro the chaynes that ben in thin hondis; if it plesith thee to come with me in to Babiloyne, come thou, and Y schal sette myn iyen on thee; sotheli if it displesith thee to come with me in to Babiloyne, sitte thou here; lo! al the lond is in thi siyt, that that thou chesist, and whidur it plesith thee to go, thidur go thou,

5 And while he had not yet given answer; [he said, ] Yea, go back to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath appointed over the cities of Judah, and abide with him in the midst of the people; or go wheresoever it seemeth right in thy sight to go. And the captain of the body-guard gave him provisions and a present, and let him go.

and nyle thou come with me. But dwelle thou with Godolie, sone of Aicham, sone of Saphan, whom the kyng of Babiloyne made souereyn to the citees of Juda; therfor dwelle thou with hym in the myddis of the puple, ether go thou, whidir euer it plesith thee to go. And the maister of chyualrie yaf to hym metis, and yiftis, and lefte hym.

6 And Jeremiah came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and abode with him among the people that remained in the land.

Forsothe Jeremye cam to Godolie, sone of Aicham, in to Masphat, and dwellide with hym, in the myddis of the puple that was left in the lond.

7 And all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that had not been carried away captive to Babylon.

And whanne alle princes of the oost hadden herd, that weren scatered bi cuntreis, thei and the felowis of hem, that the kyng of Babiloyne hadde maad Godolie souereyn of the lond, the sone of Aicham, and that he hadde bitake to Godolie men, and wymmen, and litle children, and of pore men of the lond, that weren not translatid in to Babiloyne,

8 And 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.

thei camen to Godolie in Masphat; and Ismael, the sone of Nathanye, and Johannan, the sone of Caree, and Jonathan, and Sareas, the sone of Tenoemeth, and the sones of Offi, that weren of Nethophati, and Jeconye, the sone of Machati; bothe thei and her men camen to Godolie.

9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore 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.

And Godolie, sone of Aicham, sone of Saphan, swoor to hem, and to the felowis of hem, and seide, Nyle ye drede to serue Caldeis; but dwelle ye in the lond, and serue ye the kyng of Babiloyne, and it schal be wel to you.

10 And as for me, behold, I dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans, who will come unto us; and ye, gather wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put [them] in your vessels, and dwell in your cities which ye have taken.

Lo! Y dwelle in Mesphath, for to answere to the comaundement of Caldeis, that ben sent to vs; forsothe gadere ye vyndage, and ripe corn, and oile, and kepe ye in youre vessels, and dwelle ye in youre citees whiche ye holden.

11 Likewise all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon and in Edom, and that were in all the lands, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah, and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;

But also alle the Jewis, that weren in Moab, and in the oostis of Amon, and in Ydumee, and in alle the cuntreis, whanne it is herd, that the kyng of Babiloyne hadde youe residues, ether remenauntis, in Judee, and that he hadde maad souereyn on hem Godolie, the sone of Aicham, sone of Saphan,

12 and all the Jews returned out of all the places whither they had been driven, and came to the land of Judah to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance.

sotheli alle Jewis turneden ayen fro alle places, to whiche thei hadden fled; and thei camen in to the lond of Juda, to Godolie in Masphat, and gaderiden wyn and ripe corn ful myche.

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

Forsothe Johannan, the sone of Caree, and alle the princes of the oost, that weren scaterid in the cuntreis, camen to Godolie in Masphath,

14 and said unto him, Dost thou indeed know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to smite thee to death? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

and seiden to hym, Wite thou, that Bahalis, kyng of the sones of Amon, hath sent Ismael, the sone of Nathanye, to smyte thi lijf. And Godolie, the sone of Aicham, bileuyde not to hem.

15 And Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will smite Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and no man shall know it: why should he take thy life, and all they of Judah who are gathered unto thee be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?

Forsothe Johannan, the sone of Caree, seide to Godolie asidis half in Masphath, and spak, Y schal go, and sle Ismael, the sone of Nathanye, while no man knowith, lest he sle thi lijf, and alle the Jewis ben scatered, that ben gaderid to thee, and the remenauntis of Juda schulen perische.

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.

And Godolie, the sone of Aicham, seide to Johannan, the sone of Caree, Nyle thou do this word, for thou spekist fals of Ismael.