Jeremiah 40

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

And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias the second time, when he was yet bound in the court of the prison, saying,

2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him, The LORD your God has pronounced this evil on this place.

Thus says the Lord, who made the earth and formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

3 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 on you.

Cry to me, and I will answer you, and I will declare to you great and mighty things, which you know not.

4 And now, behold, I loose you this day from the chains which were on your hand. If it seem good to you to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well to you: but if it seem ill to you to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before you: where it seems good and convenient for you to go, thither go.

For thus says the Lord concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the king of Juda, which have been pulled down for mounds and fortifications,

5 Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wherever it seems convenient to you to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.

to fight against the Chaldeans, and to fill it with the corpses of men, whom I struck in mine anger and my wrath, and turned away my face from them, for all their wickedness:

6 Then went Jeremiah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelled with him among the people that were left in the land.

Behold, I bring upon her healing and cure, and I will show [myself] to them, and will heal her, and make both peace and security.

7 Now when all the captains of the forces which 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, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;

And I will turn the captivity of Juda, and the captivity of Israel, and will build them, even as before.

8 Then 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.

And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me, and will not remember their sins, whereby they have sinned against me, and revolted from me.

9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to 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 it shall be for joy and praise, and for glory to all the people of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I will do: and they shall fear and be provoked for all the good things and for all the peace which I will bring upon them.

10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve the Chaldeans, which will come to us: but you, gather you wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.

Thus says the Lord; There shall yet be heard in this place, of which you say, it is destitute of men and cattle, in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, [the places] that have been made desolate for lack of men and cattle,

11 Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that 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;

the voice of gladness, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of men saying, Give thanks to the Lord Almighty: for the Lord is good; for his mercy [endures] fore ever: and they shall bring gifts into the house of the Lord; for I will turn all the captivity of that land as before, said the Lord.

12 Even 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 wine and summer fruits very much.

Thus says the Lord of hosts; There shall yet be in this place, that is desert for lack of man and beast, in all the cities thereof, resting-places for shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

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

In the cities of the hill country, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the [cities] round about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Juda, flocks shall yet pass under the hand of him that numbers [them], says the Lord.

14 And said to him, Do you certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay you? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly saying, Let me go, I pray you, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: why should he slay you, that all the Jews which are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant in 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.