1The word which came to Jeremiah from Yehovah, after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah, who were carried away captive to Babylon. 2And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said to him, Yehovah your God pronounced this evil upon this place; 3and Yehovah has brought it, and done just as he spoke: because you have sinned against Yehovah, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing has come upon you. 4And now, behold, I release you this day from the chains which are upon your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will look after you well; but if it seems ill to you to come with me into Babylon, refrain: behold, all the land is before you; wherever it seems good and right to you to go, go there. 5Now while he had not yet gone back, Go back then, he said, to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wherever it seems right to you to go. So the captain of the guard gave him provisions and a present, and let him go. 6Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land. 7Now when all the captains of the forces who 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 to him men, and women, and children, and some of the poorest of the land, of those who were not carried away captive to Babylon; 8then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, that is, 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. 9And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, Do not fear to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans who shall come to us: but you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken. 11Likewise when all the Jews who were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and who 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; 12then all the Jews returned out of all places where they had been driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits in great abundance. 13Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, 14and said to him, Do you know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. 15Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, please, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: why should he take your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish? 16But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, You shall not do this thing; for you speak falsely of Ishmael.