THE word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all who were carried away captive from Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon.

2 And the captain of the guard took Jermiah and said to him: "The LORD your God has pronounced this doom on this place.

3 "Now the LORD has brought it, and has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the LORD, and not obeyed His voice, therefore this thing has come upon you.

4 "And now look, I free you this day from the chains that were on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you. But if it seems wrong for you come with me to Babylon, remain here. See, all the land is before you; whever it seem good and convenient for you to go, go there."

5 Now while Jeremiah had yet gone back, Nebuzaradan said, "Go back to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Saphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah and dwell with among the people. Or go wherever it seems convenient for you to go. "So the captain of the guard gave him rations and gift and let him go.

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

7 And when all the captains of the armies who were in the fields, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed to him men, women, children, and the poorest of the land who had not been carried away captive to Babylon.

8 Then they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah - Ismael the son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kereah, Seraiah the son of Tanumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of a Machchathite, they and their men.

9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath before them and their men, saying, "Do not afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

10 "As for me, I will indeed dwell at Mizpah and serve the Chaldeans who come to us. But you, gather wine and summer fruit and oil, put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken. "

11 Likewise, when all the Jews who were in Moab, among the Ammonites, in Edom, and who were in all the counteries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Saphan,

12 Then all the Jews returned out of all places where they had been driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruit in abundance.

13 Morover Johanan the son of Kereah and all the captains of the force that were in the fields came to Gedaliah at Mizpah,

14 And said to him, "Do you  certainly know the Baalis the king of Ammonites has sent Ismael the son of Nethanaiah to murder you?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretely to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, "Let me go, please, and I will kill Ismael the son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he murder you, so that all Jews who are gatrhered to you would be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?"

16 But Gealiah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the king of Kerah, "You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely concerning Ismael." JEREMIAH 40