Jeremiah 40:1-16

The word of YAHWEH that came to Jeremiah. I was bound with chains and led away along with all the other people from Jerusalem and Judah that the Babylonians were taking as prisoners to Babylon. When we got to Ramah, Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, realized what had happened to me and released me. He took me aside and said to me, “Your God, YAHWEH, prophesied disaster for your country, and now he has brought it to pass. He has done what he threatened to do because your people sinned against YAHWEH and would not listen to his voice. So all this has happened to you. Today I release you from your chains. If you would like to come with me to Babylon, then come. I will make sure you are cared for. If you do not want to come to Babylon with me, then stay here. See, you have the whole land before you, so go wherever you think it best.” However, before I turned to leave, Nebuzaradan added, “Have you thought about staying with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, grandson of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed governor over the towns of Judah? You could stay with him among the people or go anywhere else you think best.” With that, Nebuzaradan gave me a gift and ample provisions for my journey and let me go. I decided to stay with my people in the land of Judah, so I went to live near Gedaliah in Mizpah. There were still some Judean forces in the open country. Their captains heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor of Judah and made him responsible for everyone, including the poor, who had not been deported to Babylon. Those who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah included Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, they and their men. Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, grandson of Shaphan, reassured them and gave them his word that they need not be afraid to serve the Babylonians. “Stay in the land,” he said. “Serve the king of Babylon, and everything will be fine. I will stay here at Mizpah and represent you to the Babylonians on their official visits. Meanwhile, you can harvest the wine, the summer crops, and olive oil. Go ahead and store up the harvest and settle in the towns you have taken over.” Many people from Judah had fled to Moab, Ammon, Edom, or other countries. But when they learned that the Babylonian king had allowed the rest of the people in Judah to return and had named Gedaliah governor, they also returned to Judah from all the places where they had been scattered and reported to Gedaliah in Mizpah. The people harvested large amounts of wine and fruit. One day Johanan son of Kareah and all the military leaders still in the field came to Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah. They said to him, “We came to warn you that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to assassinate you.” But Gedaliah would not believe them. So Johanan went privately and approached Gedaliah, saying, “Please let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know who did it. Why should he assassinate you and scatter all the Israelites who have rallied around you? Why should the remnant of Judah perish?” But Gedaliah replied to Johanan, “This is an order; don’t do it! For what you say about Ishmael is not true.”