²² Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon appointed Gedaliah^(A) son of Ahikam,^(B) the son of Shaphan, to be over the people he had left behind in Judah.

¹⁴ sent and had Jeremiah taken out of the courtyard of the guard.^(A) They turned him over to Gedaliah^(B) son of Ahikam,^(C) the son of Shaphan,^(D) to take him back to his home. So he remained among his own people.^(E)

² Ishmael^(A) 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,^(B) killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed^(C) as governor over the land.^(D)

²⁴ Furthermore, Ahikam^(A) son of Shaphan supported Jeremiah, and so he was not handed over to the people to be put to death.

²⁰ He gave these orders to Hilkiah, Ahikam son of Shaphan^(A), Abdon son of Micah,^[a] Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:

¹² He gave these orders to Hilkiah the priest, Ahikam^(A) son of Shaphan, Akbor son of Micaiah, Shaphan the secretary and Asaiah the king’s attendant:^(B)

⁵ However, before Jeremiah turned to go,^[a] Nebuzaradan added, “Go back to Gedaliah^(A) son of Ahikam,^(B) the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed^(C) over the towns^(D) of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.”^(E)

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

Gedaliah Assassinated^(H)

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^(I) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest^(J) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, ⁸ they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^(K)—Ishmael^(L) son of Nethaniah, Johanan^(M) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,^(N) and Jaazaniah^[b] the son of the Maakathite,^(O) 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^(P) the Babylonians,^[c](Q)” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.^{(R) 10} I myself will stay at Mizpah^(S) to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine,^(T) summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars,^(U) and live in the towns you have taken over.”^(V)

¹¹ When all the Jews in Moab,^(W) Ammon, Edom^(X) and all the other countries^(Y) 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.^(Z) And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.

²⁵ In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated^(A) Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.^(B)