Dual Panel1The Lord <03068> spoke <01697> to <0413> Jeremiah <03414> after <0310> Nebuzaradan <05018> the captain <07227> of the royal guard <02876> had set him free <07971> at Ramah <07414>. He had taken <03947> him there in chains <0246> along with <08432> all <03605> the people from Jerusalem <03389> and Judah <03063> who were being carried off <01540> to exile <01546> to Babylon <0894>.
2The captain <07227> of the royal guard <02876> took <03947> Jeremiah <03414> aside and said <0559> to <0413> him, “The Lord <03068> your God <0430> threatened <01696> this <02088> place <04725> with <0413> this <02063> disaster <07451>.
3Now he has brought <0935> it about. The Lord <03068> has done <06213> just as <0834> he threatened <01696> to do. This <02088> disaster has happened because <03588> you people sinned <02398> against the Lord <03068> and did not <03808> obey <08085> him <06963>.
4But now <06258>, Jeremiah, today <03117> I will set <06605> you free <06605> from <04480> the chains <0246> on <05921> your wrists <03027>. If <0518> you would like <05869> <02896> to come <0935> to Babylon <0894> with <0854> me, come <0935> along and I will take care <05869> <07760> of <05921> you. But if <0518> you prefer <05869> <07489> not to come <0935> to Babylon <0894> with <0854> me, you are not required <02308> to do so. You are free to go anywhere <03605> in the land <0776> you want to go <01980>. Go <01980> wherever <08033> you choose <03477> <02896>.”
5Before <05750> Jeremiah could turn to leave <07725>, the captain of the guard added, “Go back <07725> to <0413> Gedaliah <01436>, the son <01121> of Ahikam <0296> and grandson <01121> of Shaphan <08227>, whom <0834> the king <04428> of Babylon <0894> appointed to govern <06485> the towns <05892> of Judah <03063>. Go back and live <03427> with <0854> him among <08432> the people <05971>. Or <0176> go <01980> wherever <03605> else you choose <05869> <03477>.” Then the captain <07227> of the guard <02876> gave <05414> Jeremiah some food <0737> and a present <04864> and let <07971> him go <07971>.
6So Jeremiah <03414> went <0935> to <0413> Gedaliah <01436> son <01121> of Ahikam <0296> at Mizpah <04708> and lived there with <0854> him. He stayed <03427> there to live among <08432> the people <05971> who had been left <07604> in the land <0776> of Judah.
7Now some <03605> of the officers <08269> of the Judean army <02428> and their troops <0376> had been hiding in the countryside <07704>. They <01992> heard <08085> that <03588> the king <04428> of Babylon <0894> had appointed <06485> Gedaliah <01436> son <01121> of Ahikam <0296> to govern the country <0776>. They also heard that <03588> he had been put in charge <06485> over <0854> the men <0376>, women <0802>, and children <02945> from the poorer <01803> classes of the land <0776> who <0834> had not <03808> been carried off into exile <01540> in Babylon <0894>.
8So all these officers and their troops came <0935> to <0413> Gedaliah <01436> at Mizpah <04708>. The officers who came were Ishmael <03458> son <01121> of Nethaniah <05418>, Johanan <03110> and Jonathan <03129> the sons <01121> of Kareah <07143>, Seraiah <08304> son <01121> of Tanhumeth <08576>, the sons <01121> of Ephai <05778> the Netophathite <05200>, and Jezaniah <03153> son <01121> of the Maacathite <04602>.
9Gedaliah <01436>, the son <01121> of Ahikam <0296> and grandson <01121> of Shaphan <08227>, took an oath <07650> so as to give them and their troops <0376> some assurance of safety. “Do not <0408> be afraid <03372> to submit <05647> to the Babylonians <03778>. Settle down <03427> in the land <0776> and submit <05647> to the king <04428> of Babylon <0894>. Then things will go well <03190> for you.
10I <0589> for my part will stay <03427> at Mizpah <04709> to represent <05975> you before <06440> the Babylonians <03778> whenever <0834> they come <0935> to <0413> us. You <0859> for your part go ahead and harvest <0622> the wine <03196>, the dates, the figs <07019>, and the olive oil <08081>, and store <07760> them in jars <03627>. Go ahead and settle down <03427> in the towns <05892> that <0834> you have taken over <08610>.”
11Moreover <01571>, all <03605> the Judeans <03064> who <0834> were in Moab <04124>, Ammon <05983>, Edom <0123>, and all <03605> the other countries <0776> heard <08085> what had happened <0834>. They heard that <03588> the king <04428> of Babylon <0894> had allowed <05414> some people to stay <07611> in Judah <03063> and that <03588> he had appointed <06485> Gedaliah <01436>, the son <01121> of Ahikam <0296> and grandson <01121> of Shaphan <08227>, to govern them.
12So all <03605> these Judeans <03064> returned <07725> to the land <0776> of Judah <03063> from the places <04725> where <08033> <0834> they had been scattered <05080>. They came <0935> to <0413> Gedaliah <01436> at Mizpah <04708>. Thus they harvested <0622> a large amount <03966> <07235> of wine <03196> and dates and figs <07019>.
13Johanan <03110> and all <03605> the officers <08269> of the troops <02428> that had <0834> been hiding in the open country <07704> came <0935> to <0413> Gedaliah <01436> at Mizpah <04708>.
14They said <0559> to <0413> him, “Are you at all aware <03045> that <03588> King <04428> Baalis <01185> of Ammon <05983> has sent <07971> Ishmael <03458> son <01121> <01121> of Nethaniah <05418> to kill <05221> you <05315>?” But Gedaliah <01436> son <01121> of Ahikam <0296> would not <03808> believe <0539> them.
15Then Johanan <03110> son <01121> of Kareah <07143> spoke <0559> <0559> privately <05643> to <0413> Gedaliah <01436> there at Mizpah <04709>, “Let <04994> me go <01980> and kill <05221> Ishmael <03458> the son <01121> of Nethaniah <05418> before anyone <03808> <0376> knows <03045> about it. Otherwise he will kill <05221> you <05315> and all <03605> the Judeans <03064> who have rallied around <06908> you will be scattered <06327>. Then what remains <07611> of Judah <03063> will disappear <06>.”
16But Gedaliah <01436> son <01121> of Ahikam <0296> said <0559> to <0413> Johanan <03110> son <01121> of Kareah <07143>, “Do not <0408> do <06213> that <02088> <01697> because <03588> what you <0859> are saying <01696> about <0413> Ishmael <03458> is not true <08267>.”