Jeremiah 40

1 The word that came unto Jeremiah from the Lord, after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had dismissed him from Ramah, when he had taken him as he was bound in chains in the midst of all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away into exile unto 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 Then took the captain of the guard Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God had spoken this evil over 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 hath brought it [to fulfillment], and hath done according as he had spoken; because ye had sinned against the Lord, and had not hearkened to his voice; and therefore is this thing come upon 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 have freed thee this day from the chains which were upon thy hand. If it seem good in thy eyes to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will direct my eye unto thee; but if it seem ill in thy eyes to come with me to Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee; whither it seemeth good and proper in thy eyes 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 And as he did not yet turn about, [he said, ] Go then back to Gedalyah the son of Achikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath appointed governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him in the midst of the people; or wheresoever it seemeth proper in thy eyes to go, go. And the captain of the guard gave him an allowance and a present, and then dismissed him.

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 So did Jeremiah come unto Gedalyah the son of Achikam to Mizpah; and he dwelt with him in the midst of the people that had been 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 armies who were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedalyahu the son of Achikam governor over the land, and that he had entrusted unto him men, and women, and children, and these of the poorest of the land, of those that had not been carried away into exile to Babylon:

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

8 Then came they to Gedalyah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethanyahu, and Jochanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareach, and Serayah the son of Tanchumeth, and the sons of 'Ephai the Netophathite, and Yezanyahu the son of a Ma'achathite, 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 Gedalyahu the son of Achikam the son of Shaphan swore unto them and unto their men, saying, Have no fear to serve the Chaldeans: remain in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will 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 stand before the Chaldeans, who will come unto us; but ye, gather ye together wine, and summer-fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities of which ye have taken possession.

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 And so likewise all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of 'Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant unto Judah, and that he had appointed over them Gedalyahu the son of Achikam 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 And then did all the Jews return out of all places whither they had been driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedalyahu, unto Mizpah, and gathered together wine and summer-fruits in very great abundance.

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 And Jochanan the son of Kareach, and all the captains of the armies that were in the field, came to Gedalyahu 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 they said unto him, Dost thou at all know that Ba'alis the king of the children of 'Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethanyah to deprive thee of life? But Gedalyahu the son of Achikam believed them not.

15 And Jochanan the son of Kareach said to Gedalyahu secretly in Mizpah, as followeth, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethanyah, and no man shall know of it: wherefore should he deprive thee of life, whereby all the Jews who are gathered unto thee would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah be lost?

16 But Gedalyahu the son of Achikam said unto Jochanan the son of Kareach, Thou shalt not do this thing; for thou speakest a falsehood concerning Ishmael.