1 THE word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after that Nebuzar-adan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah, which were carried away captive unto Babylon.
2 And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.
3 Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye have sinned against the Lord, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing is come upon you.
4 And now, behold, I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand. If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon, come; and I will look well unto thee: but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbear: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go, thither go.
5 Now while he was not yet gone back, he said, Go back also to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go. So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward, and let him go.
6 Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.
7 Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;
8 Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even 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 a Maachathite, they and their men.
9 And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them 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 well with you.
10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.
11 Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, 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 Shaphan;
12 Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.
13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
14 And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.
15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?
16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

1The word which came to Ieremiah frō the Lord after that Nebuzaradan the captaine of the guard had let him goe from Ramath, when hee had taken him being bound in chaines among all that were caried away captiue of Ierusalem and Iudah, which were caried away captiue vnto Babylon.

2And the captaine of the gard took Ieremiah, and sayd vnto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this euill vpon this place.

3Now the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath sayd: because yee haue sinned against the Lord, and haue not obeyed his voyce, therefore this thing is come vpon you.

4And now behold, I loose thee this day from the chaines which were vpon thine hand: if it seeme good vnto thee to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will looke well vnto thee: but if it seeme ill vnto thee to come with me into Babylon, forbeare: behold, all the land is before thee: whither it seemeth good and conuenient for thee to goe, thither goe.

5Now while he was not yet gone backe, he sayd, Goe backe also to Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made gouernour ouer all the cities of Iudah, and dwell with him among the people: or goe wheresoeuer it seemeth conuenient vnto thee to goe. So the captaine of the gard gaue him vitailes and a reward, and let him goe.

6Then went Ieremiah vnto Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people, that were left in the land.

7 Now when all the captaines of the forces which were in the fields, euen they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam gouernour in the land, and had committed vnto him men, and women and children, and of the poore of the land, of them that were not caried away captiue to Babylon;

8Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, euen Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and Iohanan, and Ionathan the sonnes of Kareah, and Seraiah the sonne of Tanhumeth, and the sonnes of Ephai the Netophathite, and Iezaniah the sonne of a Maachathite, they and their men.

9And Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan, sware vnto them and to their men, saying, Feare not to serue the Caldeans: dwell in the land and serue the king of Babylon, and it shalbe well with you.

10As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah to serue the Caldeans, which will come vnto vs: but yee, gather yee wine, and summer fruits, and oyle, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities, that yee haue taken.

11Likewise when all the Iewes that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Iudah, and that he had set ouer them Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan;

12Euen all the Iewes returned out of all places whither they were driuen, and came to the land of Iudah, to Gedaliah vnto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits, very much.

13 Moreouer Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,

14And sayd vnto him, Doest thou certainly know, that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam beleeued them not.

15Then Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me goe, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it. Wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Iewes which are gathered vnto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Iudah perish?

16But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam sayd vnto Iohanan the sonne of Kareah; Thou shalt not do this thing, for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

II == Jer 50:7

III == Deut 29:24-25 ; Deut 9:11

IV == Gen 20:15 ; Jer 39:12

V == 2nd Kings 25:22

VI == Judg 20:1 ; Jer 39:14

VII == 2nd Kings 25:23 ; Jer 39:10

VIII == Jer 41:1

X == Deut 1:38

XIV == 2nd Kings 25:25 ; Jer 40:6 , 8 ; 41:10

1 This word came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, had released him in Ramah, where he had found him a prisoner in chains, among the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon.

2 When the captain of the bodyguard took charge of Jeremiah, he said to him, "The LORD, your God, foretold the ruin of this place.

3 Now he has brought about in deed what he threatened; because you sinned against the LORD and did not obey his voice, this fate has befallen you.

4 And now, I am freeing you today from the fetters that bind your hands; if it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, you may come: I will look after you well. But if it does not please you to come to Babylon, you need not come. See, the whole land is before you; go wherever you think good and proper";

5 and then, before he left - "or go to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed ruler over the cities of Judah; stay with him among the people, or go wherever you please." The captain of the bodyguard gave him food and gifts and let him go.

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

7 When the army leaders who were still in the field with all their men heard that the king of Babylon had given Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, charge of the land, of men, women, and children, and of those poor who had not been led captive to Babylon,

8 they came with their men to Gedaliah in Mizpah: Ishmael, son of Nethaniah; Johanan, son of Kareah; Seraiah, son of Tanhumeth; the sons of Ephai of Netophah; and Jezaniah of Beth-maacah.

9 Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, adjured them and their men not to be afraid to serve the Chaldeans: to stay in the land and submit to the king of Babylon, for their own welfare;

10 saying that he himself would remain in Mizpah, as their intermediary with the Chaldeans who should come to them. They were to collect the wine, the fruit, and the oil, to store them in jars, and to settle in the cities they occupied.

11 When the people of Judah in Moab, those among the Ammonites, those in Edom, and those in all other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah, and had appointed over them Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan,

12 they all returned to the land of Judah from the places to which they had scattered. They went to Gedaliah at Mizpah and had a rich harvest of wine and fruit.

13 Now Johanan, son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the armies in the field came to Gedaliah in Mizpah

14 and asked him whether he did not know that Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, had sent Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, to assassinate him.

15 But Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, would not believe them. Then Johanan, son of Kareah, said secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah: "Let me go and kill Ishmael, son of Nethaniah; no one will know it. Why should he be allowed to kill you? All the Jews who have now rallied to you will be dispersed and the remnant of Judah will perish."

16 Nevertheless, Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, answered Johanan, son of Kareah, "You shall do nothing of the kind; you have lied about Ishmael."

v 1-6. Jeremiah had been taken in chains to Ramah, but in response to orders from Nebuchadnezzar, 39:11-14. the captain of the guard, Nebuzaradan, dealt well with him. He was aware that it was because of the sin of Judah that the Lord allowed the destruction of Jerusalem. (Unbelievers today are sometimes more aware than believers when they are not walking in the ways of the Lord. 1 Ti. 5:24 Some men's sins are open beforehand, going before to judgment; and some men they follow after. They may hold believers to a higher standard than the believers care to live.)  He said Jeremiah was welcome to come to Babylon or to go wherever he wanted to go. Then he told him to go back with Gedaliah, and from there he could go where he chose. Then he gave him food and a reward.

v 7-12. When scattered detachments of the army remaining heard that Gedaliah had been placed in charge, they came to him. He assured them they would not be harmed if they surrendered to serve the Chaldeans. They would be left to help in the harvests. When Jews who had fled to other countries heard , they too returned to go back to their, or other, homes and to aid in harvest. It is important to notice that of the officers returning was Ishmael of the royal line of David, and unknown Johanan.

v 13-16. The Ammonite enemies of Judah were allied only against Babylon, and if Jerusalem kept up hostilities with Babylon, attention would be diverted from Ammon. Johanan was faithful, but being in the line of David and not made governor, Ishmael was willing to cooperate with Ammonites against Gedaliah. Johanan heard of the treachery and offered to quietly assassinate Ishmael, but Gedaliah was naive and a trusting soul, and refused to believe his report. Fatal consequences of this in chap. 41.