The wordthatcame to Jeremiahfrom the LORD, afterthatNebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go fromRamah, when he had taken him beingbound in chainsamong all thatwerecarriedawaycaptive of Jerusalem and Judah, whichwerecarriedawaycaptiveuntoBabylon.
Now the LORDhathbrought it, and doneaccording as he hathsaid: because ye havesinnedagainst the LORD, and have not obeyed his voice, thereforethisthing is comeupon you.
And now, behold, I loosetheethis day from the chainswhichwereuponthinehand. If it seemgooduntothee to comewith me intoBabylon, come; and I willlookwelluntothee: but if it seem ill untothee to comewith me intoBabylon, forbear: behold, all the land is beforethee: whither it seemethgood and convenient for thee to go, thither go.
Now while he was not yet goneback, he said, Go backalso to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylonhathmadegovernorover the cities of Judah, and dwellwith him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemethconvenientuntothee to go. So the captain of the guardgave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.
Now when all the captains of the forceswhichwere in the fields, eventhey and their men, heardthat the king of Babylon had madeGedaliah the son of Ahikamgovernor in the land, and had committedunto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of themthatwere not carriedawaycaptive to Babylon;
Thentheycame to Gedaliah to Mizpah, evenIshmael 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 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphanswareuntothem 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 wellwith you.
As for me, behold, I willdwell at Mizpah, to serve the Chaldeans, whichwillcomeunto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summerfruits, and oil, and put them in yourvessels, and dwell in yourcitiesthat ye havetaken.
Likewisewhen all the Jewsthatwere in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and thatwere in all the countries, heardthat the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set overthemGedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;
Even all the Jewsreturned out of all placeswhithertheyweredriven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, untoMizpah, and gatheredwine and summerfruitsverymuch.
And saidunto him, DostthoucertainlyknowthatBaalis the king of the AmmoniteshathsentIshmael the son of Nethaniah to slaythee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikambelievedthem not.
ThenJohanan the son of Kareahspake to Gedaliah in Mizpahsecretly, saying, Let me go, I praythee, and I willslayIshmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shallknow it: whereforeshould he slaythee, that all the Jewswhich are gathereduntotheeshould be scattered, and the remnant in Judahperish?