1The word that came to Jeremiah from YHWH, after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had sent him away from Ramah, when he took him—and he was bound in chains in the midst of all the exile of Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon.
2And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him: YHWH your God spoke this evil against this place;
3and YHWH brought it, and did as He spoke; because you have sinned against YHWH, and have not listened to His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you.
4And now, behold, I have loosed you this day from the chains that are on your hand. If it is good in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will set my eye upon you; but if it is evil in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, refrain; see, all the land is before you—to wherever is good and right in your eyes to go, there go.
5And while he had not yet turned back—Then turn back to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or to wherever is right in your eyes to go, go. And the captain of the guard gave him an allowance and a present, and sent him away.
6And Jeremiah came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people who remained in the land.
7And all the captains of the forces who were in the field heard, they and their men (ish), that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land, and that he had appointed with him men (ish) and women (ishah) and little ones, and of the poor of the land, of those who had not been carried into exile to Babylon;
8then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah: 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 Maacathite, they and their men (ish).
9And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men (ish), saying: Do not fear to serve (avad) the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve (avad) the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
10And I, behold, I am dwelling at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans who come to us; but you, gather wine and summer fruit and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.
11And also all the Jews who were in Moab, and among the sons of Ammon, and in Edom, and who were in all the lands, heard that the king of Babylon had given a remnant to Judah, and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan.
12And all the Jews returned from all the places where they had been driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruit in great abundance.
13And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were in the field, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
14and said to him: Do you surely know that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to strike you—a soul (nephesh)? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15And Johanan the son of Kareah said to Gedaliah secretly in Mizpah, saying: Let me go, please, and I will strike Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man (ish) shall know; why should he strike you—a soul (nephesh)—and all Judah who are gathered to you be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?
16And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah: Do not do this thing, for falsely you are speaking about Ishmael.