Jeremiah Chapter 40

¹ A Message from Yahveh to Jeremiah

After Nebuzaradan Released Him from Ramah,

When He’d Taken Him Bound in Chains

Among the Exiles from Jerusalem and Judah

That Were Being Exiled to Babylon

Jeremiah Freed

² The captain of the bodyguard took Jeremiah and told him,

“Yahveh your God declared this catastrophe on this place. ³ He brought it on and did what he declared. Because your people sinned against him and didn’t listen to him, this happened to you^pl. ⁴ But I’m freeing you^sg from your chains. If you prefer to come with me to Babylon, come along. I’ll take care of you. But if you prefer not to, don’t. The whole land is open to you. Go wherever seems right. ⁵ Go to Gedaliah Ben-Ahikam Ben-Shaphan that the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns in Judah. Stay with him among the people or go somewhere else.”

So he gave him a ration and a gift, and released him. ⁶ Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah and stayed with him among the people left in the land.

Jer 40:1-6

Governor Jedaliah Assassinated

⁷ The commanders of the forces in the open country and their men heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah over the land and put him in charge of the men, women, and children, the poorest left in the land. ⁸ So they and their men went to Gedaliah: Ishmael Ben-Nethaniah; Johanan and Jonathan, sons of Kareah; Seraiah Ben-Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite. ⁹ Gedaliah swore to them and their men,

“Don’t be afraid to serve the Babylonians. If you stay and serve the king of Babylon, you’ll survive. ¹⁰ I’ll be at Mizpah to represent you to the Babylonians that come to us. Gather in wine, summer fruit, and oil, and put them in storage containers. Live in the towns you’ve taken over.

Jer 40:7-10

¹¹ The Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and appointed Gedaliah over them. ¹² They came back to him in Judah and gathered a bumper crop of wine and summer fruit.

¹³ Johanan and the commanders of his forces in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah ¹⁴ and said, “Are you aware that Baalis, king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael to kill you?” But Gedaliah didn’t believe it. ¹⁵ Then Johanan spoke secretly to him,

“Let me go kill Ishmael; nobody will know it. Why should he take your life, and the Jews that have gathered to you, get scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?”

¹⁶ But Gedaliah said, “Don’t do that. What you’re telling me isn’t true.”                      

Jer 40:11-16