Yirmeyah 40
40
1The Davar that came to Yirmeyah from Hashem, after Nevuzaradan the captain of the imperial guard had released him from Ramah, when he had found him bound in chains among all of Yerushalayim and Yehudah of the Golus, which were being carried away captive unto Babylon.
2And the captain of the imperial guard took Yirmeyah, and said unto him, Hashem Eloheicha hath pronounced this ra'ah upon this place.
3Now Hashem hath brought it about, and done according as He hath said; because ye have sinned against Hashem, have not obeyed His voice, so Davar Hazeh is come upon you.
4And now, hinei, I loose thee this yom from the chains which were upon thine yad. If it seem good in thy eyes 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; hinei, kol ha'aretz is before thee: where it seemeth tov and yashar there for thee to go, go there.
5Now if you remain, he said, Go back also to Gedalyah ben Achikam ben Shaphan, whom Melech Bavel hath made governor over the cities of Yehudah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wheresoever it seemeth yashar unto thee to go. So the captain of the imperial guard gave him provision [of food] and a present, and let him go.
6Then went Yirmeyah unto Gedalyah ben Achikam to Mitzpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in ha'aretz.
7Now when all the officers of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their anashim, heard that Melech Bavel had made Gedalyahu ben Achikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him anashim, and nashim, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to the Golus of Babylon;
8Then they came to Gedalyah to Mitzpah, even Yishmael ben Netanyah, and Yochanan and Yonatan the Bnei Kareach, and Serayah ben Tanchumet, and the Bnei Ephai the Netophati, and Yezanyah ben HaMa'akhati, they and their anashim.
9And Gedalyahu ben Achikam ben Shaphan swore an oath unto them and to their anashim, saying, Fear not to serve the Kasdim (Chaldeans); dwell in the land, and serve Melech Bavel, and it shall be well with you.
10As for me, hineni, I will dwell at Mitzpah, to serve the Kasdim (Chaldeans), which will come unto us; but ye, gather ye yayin, and kayitz (summer fruit), and shemen, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your towns that ye took over.
11Likewise when kol HaYehudim that were in Moav, and among the Bnei Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that Melech Bavel had left a she'erit (remnant) of Yehudah, and that he had set over them Gedalyahu ben Achikam ben Shaphan,
12Then kol HaYehudim returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to Eretz Yehudah, to Gedalyahu, unto Mitzpah, and gathered yayin and kayitz very much.
13Moreover Yochanan ben Kareach, and all the officers of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedalyahu to Mitzpah,
14And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Ba'alis Melech Bnei Ammon hath sent Yishmael ben Netanyah to slay thee? But Gedalyahu ben Achikam believed them not.
15Then Yochanan ben Kareach spoke to Gedalyahu in Mitzpah baseter (secretly) saying, Let me go, and I will slay Yishmael ben Netanyah, and no man shall know it. Why should he slay thee, that all the Yehudim which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the she'erit in Yehudah perish?
16But Gedalyahu ben Achikam said unto Yochanan ben Kareach, Thou shalt not do this thing; for thou speakest sheker of Yishmael.
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Yirmeyah 40: TOJB2011
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THE ORTHODOX JEWISH BIBLE
FOURTH EDITION © Artists For Israel Intl Inc., 2002-2011, 2021.
Jeremiah 40
40
Jeremiah Is Set Free
1The Lord spoke his word to Jeremiah. This was after Nebuzaradan, commander of the guards, had set Jeremiah free at the city of Ramah. He had found Jeremiah in Ramah bound in chains. He was with all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah. They were being taken away to Babylon. 2When commander Nebuzaradan found Jeremiah, Nebuzaradan said to him, “The Lord your God announced this disaster would come to this place. 3And now the Lord has done everything he said he would do. This disaster happened because the people of Judah sinned against the Lord. You people did not obey the Lord. 4But now I will set you free. I am taking the chains off your wrists. If you want to, come with me to Babylon. And I will take good care of you. But if you don’t want to come, then don’t. Look, the whole country is open to you.” 5Before Jeremiah turned to leave, Nebuzaradan said, “Or go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. The king of Babylon has chosen Gedaliah to be governor over the towns of Judah. Go and live with Gedaliah among the people. Or go anywhere you want.”
Then Nebuzaradan gave Jeremiah some food and a present and let him go. 6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. And Jeremiah stayed with him there. He lived among the people who were left behind in Judah.
The Short Rule of Gedaliah
7There were some officers and their men from the army of Judah. These men were still out in the open country. They heard that the king of Babylon had put Gedaliah son of Ahikam in charge. He was put in charge of the people who were left in the land: the men, women and children who were very poor. They were the ones who were not carried off to Babylon as captives. 8So these soldiers came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah. Also Seraiah son of Tanhumeth and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite came. And Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite and their men came.
9Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, made a promise to them. Gedaliah said, “Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon. Then everything will go well for you. 10I myself will live in Mizpah. I will speak for you before the Babylonians who come here. You harvest the wine, the summer fruit and the oil. Put what you harvest in your storage jars. Live in the towns you control.”
11Some Jews were in Moab, Ammon, Edom and other countries. They heard that the king of Babylon had left a few Jews alive in the land. And they heard the king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah as governor over them. (Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan.) 12When the people of Judah heard this news, they came back to Judah. They came back to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They came from all the countries where they had been scattered. They gathered a large harvest of wine and summer fruit.
13Johanan son of Kareah came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. All the army officers of Judah still in the open country also came. 14Johanan and the officers with him said to Gedaliah, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonite people wants you dead? He has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you.” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in private at Mizpah. He said to Gedaliah, “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know anything about it. We should not let Ishmael kill you. All the Jews gathered around you would be scattered to different countries again. Then the few people of Judah who are left alive would be lost.”
16But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not kill Ishmael! The things you are saying about Ishmael are not true!”
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