Jeremiah 40

1 [the] word which to be to(wards) Jeremiah from with LORD after to send: let go [obj] him Nebuzaradan chief guard from [the] Ramah in/on/with to take: take he [obj] him and he/she/it to bind in/on/with chains in/on/with midst all captivity Jerusalem and Judah [the] to reveal: remove Babylon [to]

[The soldiers from Babylonia] captured me and many other people from Jerusalem and [other places in] Judah. They [planned to] take us to Babylon. So they fastened chains around our wrists and took us to Ramah [town north of Jerusalem]. While we were there, I was released. [This is how it happened]:

2 and to take: take chief guard to/for Jeremiah and to say to(wards) him LORD God your to speak: promise [obj] [the] distress: harm [the] this to(wards) [the] place [the] this

[Nebuzaradan, ] the captain of the [king’s] bodyguards, [found that I was there]. He summoned me and said to me, “Yahweh your God said that he would cause this land to experience a disaster.

3 and to come (in): fulfill and to make: do LORD like/as as which to speak: speak for to sin to/for LORD and not to hear: obey in/on/with voice his and to be to/for you ([the] word: thing *Q(K)*) [the] this

And now he has caused it to happen. He has done just what he said [that he would do], because you people sinned against Yahweh and refused to obey him.

4 and now behold to open you [the] day from [the] chains which upon hand your if be pleasing in/on/with eye: appearance your to/for to come (in): come with me Babylon to come (in): come and to set: consider [obj] eye: appearance my upon you and if be evil in/on/with eye: appearance your to/for to come (in): come with me Babylon to cease to see: see all [the] land: country/planet to/for face: before your to(wards) pleasant and to(wards) [the] upright in/on/with eye: appearance your to/for to go: went there [to] to go: went

But today I am going to take the chains off your wrists and release you. If you want to come with me to Babylon, [that will be fine]. I will take care of you. But if you do not want to come with me, do not come. [Stay here]. Look, the entire country is available; you can choose whatever part you want to go to. You can go wherever you wish.” [Then he took the chains off my wrists].

5 and still he not to return: return and to return: return [emph?] to(wards) Gedaliah son: child Ahikam son: child Shaphan which to reckon: overseer king Babylon in/on/with city Judah and to dwell with him in/on/with midst [the] people or to(wards) all [the] upright in/on/with eye: appearance your to/for to go: went to go: went and to give: give to/for him chief guard ration and tribute and to send: let go him

He said, “If you [decide to] stay here, go to Gedaliah. The King of Babylon appointed him to be the governor of Judah. [You will be allowed to] stay here with the people [that he is governing]. But you can do whatever you want to.” Then Nebuzaradan gave me some food and some money, and he allowed me to go.

6 and to come (in): come Jeremiah to(wards) Gedaliah son: child Ahikam [the] Mizpah [to] and to dwell with him in/on/with midst [the] people [the] to remain in/on/with land: country/planet

I returned to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and I stayed in Judah with the people who still remained in the land.

7 and to hear: hear all ruler [the] strength: soldiers which in/on/with land: country they(masc.) and human their for to reckon: overseer king Babylon [obj] Gedaliah son: child Ahikam in/on/with land: country/planet and for to reckon: overseer with him human and woman and child and from poor [the] land: country/planet from whence not to reveal: remove Babylon [to]

The [Israeli] soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] were roaming around in the countryside. Then their leaders heard someone say that the King of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah to be the governor of the very poor people [who were still in Judah], who had not been taken to Babylon.

8 and to come (in): come to(wards) Gedaliah [the] Mizpah [to] and Ishmael son: child Nethaniah and Johanan and Jonathan son: child Kareah and Seraiah son: child Tanhumeth and son: child (Ephai *Q(K)*) [the] Netophathite and Jezaniah son: child [the] Maacathite they(masc.) and human their

So they went [to talk] to Gedaliah at Mizpah. [Those who went included] Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai from Netophath, and Jezaniah from Maacah, and the soldiers who were with them.

9 and to swear to/for them Gedaliah son: child Ahikam son: child Shaphan and to/for human their to/for to say not to fear from to serve [the] Chaldea to dwell in/on/with land: country/planet and to serve [obj] king Babylon and be good to/for you

Gedaliah solemnly promised that the soldiers from Babylonia would not harm them. He said, “Do not be afraid to do things for them. Stay [here] in this land and do things for the King of Babylon. If you do that, things will go well for you.

10 and I look! I to dwell in/on/with Mizpah to/for to stand: stand to/for face: before [the] Chaldea which to come (in): come to(wards) us and you(m. p.) to gather wine and summer and oil and to set: put in/on/with article/utensil your and to dwell in/on/with city your which to capture

As for me, I will stay [here] at Mizpah to be your representative to the [officials from] Babylonia who come to [talk with] us. But you should [return to your towns, and eat the things that are produced on your land]. Harvest the grapes and the fruit [that ripen in] the (summer/hot season) and the olives, [make wine and olive oil, ] and store it.”

11 and also all [the] Jew which in/on/with Moab and in/on/with son: child Ammon and in/on/with Edom and which in/on/with all [the] land: country/planet to hear: hear for to give: give king Babylon remnant to/for Judah and for to reckon: overseer upon them [obj] Gedaliah son: child Ahikam son: child Shaphan

Then the Jews who had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other [nearby] countries heard people say that the King of Babylon had allowed a few people [to remain] in Judah, and that he had appointed Gedaliah to be their governor.

12 and to return: return all [the] Jew from all [the] place which to banish there and to come (in): come land: country/planet Judah to(wards) Gedaliah [the] Mizpah [to] and to gather wine and summer to multiply much

So they [began to] return to Judah. They stopped at Mizpah to [talk with] Gedaliah. Then [they went to various places in Judea, and] they harvested a great amount of grapes and summer fruit.

13 and Johanan son: child Kareah and all ruler [the] strength: soldiers which in/on/with land: country to come (in): come to(wards) Gedaliah [the] Mizpah [to]

[Some time later, ] Johanan and all the [other] leaders of the Israeli soldiers [who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia] came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.

14 and to say to(wards) him to know to know for Baalis king son: child Ammon to send: depart [obj] Ishmael son: child Nethaniah to/for to smite you soul: life and not be faithful to/for them Gedaliah son: child Ahikam

They said to him, “Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammon [people-group], has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah did not believe what they said.

15 and Johanan son: child Kareah to say to(wards) Gedaliah in/on/with secrecy in/on/with Mizpah to/for to say to go: went please and to smite [obj] Ishmael son: child Nethaniah and man: anyone not to know to/for what? to smite you soul: life and to scatter all Judea [the] to gather to(wards) you and to perish remnant Judea

Later Johanan talked with Gedaliah privately. He said, “Allow me to go and murder Ishmael secretly. It would not be good [RHQ] to allow him to come and murder you! If you are killed, what will happen to all the Jews who have returned to this area? They will be scattered, and the other people who remain in Judah will all be killed!”

16 and to say Gedaliah son: child Ahikam to(wards) Johanan son: child Kareah not (to make: do *Q(k)*) [obj] [the] word: thing [the] this for deception you(m. s.) to speak: speak to(wards) Ishmael

But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “[No], I will not allow you to do that. [I think that] you are lying about Ishmael.”