Jeremiah 40

1 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.

The word which came to Jeremiah from Jehovah, after that Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, had let him go from Ramah. For he had taken him, and he had been bound with chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah which were carried away captive to Babylon.

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

And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him: “Jehovah, thy God, pronounced this evil against this place;

3 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.

and now Jehovah hath brought it, and done according as he spake, because ye sinned against Jehovah, and obeyed not his voice; therefore hath this thing come upon you.

4 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,

And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains upon thy hands. If it seem good to thee to come with me to Babylon, come; and I will set my eyes upon thee; but if it seem evil to thee to come with me to Babylon, forbear; behold, the whole land is before thee; whither it seemeth good and desirable for thee to go, thither go.”

5 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.

And while he was not yet gone away [[he said]]: “Go to Gedaliah, the of son Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go whithersoever it seemeth good to thee to go.” And the captain of the guard gave him provisions, and a present, and dismissed him.

6 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.

And Jeremiah went to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

7 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,

Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, governor over the land, and had committed to his charge men and women and children, of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon,

8 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.

then they came to Gedaliah, to Mizpah; namely, 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 the Maachathite, they and their men;

9 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.

and Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, “Fear not to serve the Chaldaeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

10 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.

As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldaeans, who shall come to us; but ye, gather ye in wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities which ye have taken.”

11 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,

Also when 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 to Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan,

12 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.

then all the Jews returned from all the places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits in abundance.

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

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

14 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.

and said to him, “Dost thou know that Baalis, the king of the children of Ammon, hath sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to slay thee?” But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, believed them not.

15 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.

And Johanan, the son of Kareah, spake to Gedaliah in private at Mizpah, saying, “Let me go, I pray thee, and smite Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it. Wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered to thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?”

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

But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah, “Thou shalt not do this thing, for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.”