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Jeremiah 40-42
Contemporary English Version

Jeremiah Is Set Free

40 I was led away in chains along with the people of Judah and Jerusalem who were being taken to Babylonia. Nebuzaradan was the officer in charge of the guard, and while we were stopped at Ramah, the Lord caused him to set me free. 2 Nebuzaradan said:

Jeremiah, the Lord your God warned your people that he would bring disaster on this land. 3 But they continued to rebel against him, and now he has punished them just as he threatened.

4 Today I am taking the chains off your wrists and setting you free! If you want to, you can come with me to Babylonia, and I will see that you are taken care of. Or if you decide to stay here, you can go wherever you wish. 5 King Nebuchadnezzar[a] has chosen Gedaliah to rule Judah. You can live near Gedaliah, and he will provide for you, or you can live anywhere else you choose.

Nebuzaradan gave me a supply of food, then let me leave. 6 I decided to stay with the people of Judah, and I went to live near Gedaliah in Mizpah.

The Harvest Is Brought In

7-8 (A) Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, together with Johanan and Jonathan, the two sons of Kareah, had been officers in Judah's army. And so had Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah from Maacah. They and their troops had been stationed outside Jerusalem and had not been captured. They heard that Gedaliah had been chosen to rule Judah, and that the poorest men, women, and children had not been taken away to Babylonia. So they went to Mizpah and met with their new ruler.

9 Gedaliah told them, “There's no need to be afraid of the Babylonians. Everything will be fine, if we live peacefully and obey King Nebuchadnezzar.[b] 10 I will stay here at Mizpah and meet with the Babylonian officials on each of their visits. But you must go back to your towns and bring in the harvest, then store the wine, olive oil, and dried fruit.”

11-12 Earlier, when the Babylonians had invaded Judah, many of the Jews escaped to Moab, Ammon, Edom, and several other countries. But these Jews heard that the king of Babylonia had appointed Gedaliah as ruler of Judah, and that only a few people were left there. So the Jews in these other countries came back to Judah and helped with the grape and fruit harvest, which was especially large that year.

Gedaliah Is Murdered

13 One day, Johanan got together with some of the other men who had been army officers, and they came to Mizpah and met with Gedaliah. 14 They said, “Gedaliah, we came to warn you that King Baalis of Ammon hired Ishmael to murder you!”

Gedaliah refused to believe them, 15 so Johanan went to Gedaliah privately and said, “Let me kill Ishmael. No one will find out who did it. There are only a few people left in Judah, but they are depending on you. And if you are murdered, they will be scattered or killed.”

16 Gedaliah answered, “Don't kill Ishmael! What you've said about him can't be true.”

41 (B) But in the seventh month,[c] Ishmael[d] came to Mizpah with ten of his soldiers. He had been one of the king's officials and was a member of the royal family. Ishmael and his men were invited to eat with Gedaliah. 2 During the meal, Ishmael and his soldiers killed Gedaliah, the man chosen as ruler of Judah by the king of Babylonia. 3 Then they killed the Jews who were with Gedaliah, and they also killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there.

4 The next day, the murders had still not been discovered, 5 when 80 men came down the road toward Mizpah from the towns of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They were on their way to the temple to offer gifts of grain and incense to the Lord. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, because they were mourning.

6 Ishmael went out the town gate to meet them. He pretended to be weeping, and he asked them to come into Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah, the ruler of Judah. 7 But after they were inside the town, Ishmael ordered his soldiers to kill them and throw their bodies into a well. 8 He let ten of the men live, because they offered to give him supplies of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey they had hidden in a field. 9 The well that he filled with bodies[e] had been dug by King Asa[f] of Judah to store rainwater, because he was afraid that King Baasha[g] of Israel might surround Mizpah and keep the people from getting to their water supply.

10 Nebuzaradan, King Nebuchadnezzar's[h] officer in charge of the guard, had left King Zedekiah's[i] daughters and many other people at Mizpah, and he had put Gedaliah in charge of them. But now Ishmael took them all prisoner and led them toward Ammon, on the other side of the Jordan River.

11 Johanan and the other army officers heard what Ishmael had done. 12 So they and their troops chased Ishmael and caught up with him at the large pit at Gibeon. 13 When Ishmael's prisoners saw Johanan and the officers, they were happy 14 and turned around and ran toward Johanan. 15 But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped and went to Ammon.

Johanan Decides To Take the People to Egypt

16 Johanan and the officers had rescued the women, children, and royal officials that Ishmael had taken prisoner after killing Gedaliah. Johanan led the people from Gibeon 17-18 toward Egypt. They wanted to go there, because they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they found out that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the ruler appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar.[j]

The People Ask Jeremiah To Pray for Them

On the way to Egypt, we[k] stopped at the town of Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem. 42 1 Johanan, Jezaniah,[l] the other army officers, and everyone else in the group, came to me 2 and said, “Please, Jeremiah, pray to the Lord your God for us. Judah used to have many people, but as you can see, only a few of us are left. 3 Ask the Lord to tell us where he wants us to go and what he wants us to do.”

4 “All right,” I answered, “I will pray to the Lord your God, and I will tell you everything he says.”

5 They answered, “The Lord himself will be our witness that we promise to do whatever he says, 6 even if it isn't what we want to do. We will obey the Lord so that all will go well for us.”

7 Ten days later, the Lord gave me an answer for 8 Johanan, the officers, and the other people. So I called them together 9 and told them that the Lord God of Israel had said:

You asked Jeremiah to pray and find out what you should do. 10 I am sorry that I had to punish you, and so I now tell you to stay here in Judah, where I will plant you and build you up, instead of tearing you down and uprooting you. 11 Don't be afraid of the King of Babylonia. I will protect you from him, 12 and I will even force him to have mercy on you and give back your farms.

13 But you might keep on saying, “We won't stay here in Judah, and we won't obey the Lord our God. 14 We are going to Egypt, where there is plenty of food and no danger of war.”

15 People of Judah, you survived when the Babylonian army attacked. Now you are planning to move to Egypt, and if you do go, this is what will happen. 16-17 You are afraid of war, starvation, and disease here in Judah, but they will follow you to Egypt and kill you there. None of you will survive the disasters I will send.

18 I, the Lord, was angry with the people of Jerusalem and punished them. And if you go to Egypt, I will be angry and punish you the same way. You will never again see your homeland. People will be horrified at what I do to you, and they will use the name of your city as a curse word.

Jeremiah Gives a Warning

19 I told the people:

You escaped the disaster that struck Judah, but now the Lord warns you to stay away from Egypt. 20 You asked me to pray and find out what the Lord our God wants you to do, and you promised to obey him. But that was a terrible mistake, 21 because now that I have given you the Lord's answer, you refuse to obey him. 22 And so, you will die in Egypt from war, hunger, and disease.

Footnotes

  1. 40.5 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
  2. 40.9 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
  3. 41.1 seventh month: Tishri, also called Ethanim, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October.
  4. 41.1 Ishmael: Hebrew “Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama.”
  5. 41.9 with bodies: One ancient translation; Hebrew “with bodies of those killed by Gedaliah.”
  6. 41.9 Asa: Ruled 911–870 b.c.
  7. 41.9 Baasha: Ruled 909–886 b.c.
  8. 41.10 Nebuchadnezzar's: See the note at 21.2.
  9. 41.10 Zedekiah's: See the note at 1.3.
  10. 41.17,18 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
  11. 41.17,18 we: The group of people included Jeremiah, since he had been staying with Gedaliah near Mizpah (see 40.6).
  12. 42.1 Jezaniah: Hebrew “Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah”; one ancient translation “Azariah son of Hoshaiah” (see also 43.2 and the note there).
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Jeremiah 40-42
New International Version

Jeremiah Freed

40 The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah.(A) He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives(B) from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. 2 When the commander(C) of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, “The Lord your God decreed(D) this disaster(E) for this place.(F) 3 And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned(G) against the Lord and did not obey(H) him. 4 But today I am freeing(I) you from the chains(J) on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.”(K) 5 However, before Jeremiah turned to go,[a] Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah(L) son of Ahikam,(M) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed(N) over the towns(O) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”(P)

Then the commander gave him provisions and a present(Q) and let him go. 6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah(R) and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.

Gedaliah Assassinated(S)

7 When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor(T) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest(U) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, 8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah(V)—Ishmael(W) son of Nethaniah, Johanan(X) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,(Y) and Jaazaniah[b] the son of the Maakathite,(Z) and their men. 9 Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve(AA) the Babylonians,[c](AB)” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.(AC) 10 I myself will stay at Mizpah(AD) to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,(AE) summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,(AF) and live in the towns you have taken over.”(AG)

11 When all the Jews in Moab,(AH) Ammon, Edom(AI) and all the other countries(AJ) heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12 they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered.(AK) And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

13 Johanan(AL) son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah(AM) 14 and said to him, “Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites(AN) has sent Ishmael(AO) son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

15 Then Johanan(AP) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill(AQ) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered(AR) and the remnant(AS) of Judah to perish?”

16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan(AT) son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

41 In the seventh month Ishmael(AU) son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2 Ishmael(AV) son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword,(AW) killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed(AX) as governor over the land.(AY) 3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian[d] soldiers who were there.

4 The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, 5 eighty men who had shaved off their beards,(AZ) torn their clothes(BA) and cut(BB) themselves came from Shechem,(BC) Shiloh(BD) and Samaria,(BE) bringing grain offerings and incense(BF) with them to the house of the Lord.(BG) 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping(BH) as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”(BI) 7 When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.(BJ) 8 But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.”(BK) So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. 9 Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa(BL) had made as part of his defense(BM) against Baasha(BN) king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people(BO) who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters(BP) along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.(BQ)

11 When Johanan(BR) son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12 they took all their men and went to fight(BS) Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool(BT) in Gibeon. 13 When all the people(BU) Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah(BV) turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped(BW) from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt

16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers(BX) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,(BY) whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. 17 And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham(BZ) near Bethlehem(CA) on their way to Egypt(CB) 18 to escape the Babylonians.[e] They were afraid(CC) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah(CD) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

42 Then all the army officers, including Johanan(CE) son of Kareah and Jezaniah[f] son of Hoshaiah,(CF) and all the people from the least to the greatest(CG) approached 2 Jeremiah the prophet and said to him, “Please hear our petition and pray(CH) to the Lord your God for this entire remnant.(CI) For as you now see, though we were once many, now only a few(CJ) are left. 3 Pray that the Lord your God will tell us where we should go and what we should do.”(CK)

4 “I have heard you,” replied Jeremiah the prophet. “I will certainly pray(CL) to the Lord your God as you have requested; I will tell(CM) you everything the Lord says and will keep nothing back from you.”(CN)

5 Then they said to Jeremiah, “May the Lord be a true(CO) and faithful(CP) witness(CQ) against us if we do not act in accordance with everything the Lord your God sends you to tell us. 6 Whether it is favorable or unfavorable, we will obey the Lord our God, to whom we are sending you, so that it will go well(CR) with us, for we will obey(CS) the Lord our God.”

7 Ten days later the word of the Lord came to Jeremiah. 8 So he called together Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers(CT) who were with him and all the people from the least to the greatest.(CU) 9 He said to them, “This is what the Lord, the God of Israel, to whom you sent me to present your petition,(CV) says:(CW) 10 ‘If you stay in this land,(CX) I will build(CY) you up and not tear you down; I will plant(CZ) you and not uproot you,(DA) for I have relented concerning the disaster I have inflicted on you.(DB) 11 Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon,(DC) whom you now fear.(DD) Do not be afraid of him, declares the Lord, for I am with you and will save(DE) you and deliver you from his hands.(DF) 12 I will show you compassion(DG) so that he will have compassion on you and restore you to your land.’(DH)

13 “However, if you say, ‘We will not stay in this land,’ and so disobey(DI) the Lord your God, 14 and if you say, ‘No, we will go and live in Egypt,(DJ) where we will not see war or hear the trumpet(DK) or be hungry for bread,’(DL) 15 then hear the word of the Lord,(DM) you remnant of Judah. This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘If you are determined to go to Egypt and you do go to settle there, 16 then the sword(DN) you fear(DO) will overtake you there, and the famine(DP) you dread will follow you into Egypt, and there you will die.(DQ) 17 Indeed, all who are determined to go to Egypt to settle there will die by the sword, famine and plague;(DR) not one of them will survive or escape the disaster I will bring on them.’ 18 This is what the Lord Almighty, the God of Israel, says: ‘As my anger and wrath(DS) have been poured out on those who lived in Jerusalem,(DT) so will my wrath be poured out on you when you go to Egypt. You will be a curse[g](DU) and an object of horror,(DV) a curse[h] and an object of reproach;(DW) you will never see this place again.’(DX)

19 “Remnant(DY) of Judah, the Lord has told you, ‘Do not go to Egypt.’(DZ) Be sure of this: I warn you today 20 that you made a fatal mistake when you sent me to the Lord your God and said, ‘Pray to the Lord our God for us; tell us everything he says and we will do it.’(EA) 21 I have told you today, but you still have not obeyed the Lord your God in all he sent me to tell you.(EB) 22 So now, be sure of this: You will die by the sword, famine(EC) and plague(ED) in the place where you want to go to settle.”(EE)

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 40:5 Or Jeremiah answered
  2. Jeremiah 40:8 Hebrew Jezaniah, a variant of Jaazaniah
  3. Jeremiah 40:9 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 10
  4. Jeremiah 41:3 Or Chaldean
  5. Jeremiah 41:18 Or Chaldeans
  6. Jeremiah 42:1 Hebrew; Septuagint (see also 43:2) Azariah
  7. Jeremiah 42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed.
  8. Jeremiah 42:18 That is, your name will be used in cursing (see 29:22); or, others will see that you are cursed.
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