圣经The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, released him from Ramah, who was imprisoned in Jerusalem and among the people of Judah who were taken captive to Babylon.
The captain of the guard called Jeremiah and said to him, ‘The Lord your God has said that he will bring this calamity upon this place.’.
The Lord brought this calamity upon him, and did as he said. Because you have sinned against the Lord and did not obey his voice, this matter has come to you.
Now I will untie the chain from your hand. If it is good for you to go with me to Babylon, then you can go, and I will treat you well. If you think it’s not good to go to Babylon with me, then there’s no need to go. Look, the whole world is before you. Wherever you think it’s beautiful or suitable, just go up there.
Jeremiah had not yet returned, and the captain of the guard said, Go back to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan. Now the king of Babylon has appointed him as the governor of the cities of Judah. You can live among the people with him, otherwise you can go wherever it suits you. So the captain of the guard sent him food and gifts, and released him.
Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, and stayed with him among the remaining people in the land.
All the commanders of the army and their men in the field heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, as the governor of the land, and had given him all the men, women, children, and the extremely poor who had not been taken captive to Babylon.
So Ishmael the son of Netaniah, the commander of the army, Johanan and Jonathan the two sons of Kareah, Selaiah the son of Danhumel, and the sons of Epher the Netophagite, Jezaniah the son of the Maachaite, and their men all went to Mizpah to Gedaliah.
Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the grandson of Shaphan, swore to them and their people not to fear serving the Chaldeans, but to live in this land and serve the king of Babylon, and they will be blessed.
As for me, I will stay in Mizpah and serve the Chaldeans who come to us. But store up wine, oil, and summer fruits in vessels, and dwell in the cities you occupy.
All the Jews in the land of Moab and the children of Ammon, as well as in the land of Edom and all the other countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left some Jews and appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to rule over them.
All these Jews returned from all the places they had driven, and went to Mizpah Gedaliah in the land of Judah, where they had accumulated a lot of wine and summer fruits.
Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army in the field came to Gedaliah in Mizpah,
And he said to him, Do you know that King Bariz of the Ammonites sent Ishmael the son of Netaniah to take your life? But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, did not believe their words.
Johanan the son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Please allow me to go and kill Ishmael the son of Netaniah, and no one will know.”. Why let him take your life and scatter all the Jews who have gathered here, so that the remaining people of Judah may perish?
Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah, ‘Do not do this. Your words about Ishmael are false.’.
