1The worde which came to Ieremiah from the Lord after that Nebuzar-adan the chiefe stewarde had let him goe from Ramath, when hee had taken him being bound in chaines among all that were caried away captiue of Ierusalem and Iudah, which were caried away captiue vnto Babel.
2And the chiefe stewarde tooke Ieremiah, and said vnto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this plague vpon this place.
3Nowe the Lord hath brought it, and done according as he hath said: because ye haue sinned against the Lord, and haue not obeyed his voyce, therefore this thing is come vpon you.
4And nowe beholde, I loose thee this day from the chaines which were on thine handes, if it please thee to come with me into Babel, come, and I will looke well vnto thee: but if it please thee not to come with mee into Babel, tarie still: beholde, all the lande is before thee: whither it seemeth good, and conuenient for thee to goe, thither goe.
5For yet he was not returned: therefore he said, Returne to Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, the sonne of Shaphan, whom the King of Babel hath made gouernour ouer all the cities of Iudah, and dwell with him among the people, or goe wheresoeuer it pleaseth thee to goe. So the chiefe stewarde gaue him vitailes and a rewarde, and let him goe.
6Then went Ieremiah vnto Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt there with him among the people that were left in the lande.
7Nowe when all the captaines of the hoste, which were in the fieldes, euen they and their men heard, that the King of Babel had made Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam gouernour in the land, and that he had committed vnto him, men, and women, and children, and of the poore of the lande, that were not caried away captiue to Babel,
8Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, euen Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and Iohanan, and Ionathan the sonnes of Kareah, and Seraiah the sonne of Tanehumeth, and the sonnes of Ephai, the Netophathite, and Iezaniah the sonne of Maachathi, they and their men.
9And Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, the sonne of Shaphan sware vnto them, and to their men, saying, Feare not to serue the Caldeans: dwell in the lande, and serue the King of Babel, and it shall be well with you.
10As for me, Beholde, I will dwell at Mizpah to serue the Caldeans, which will come vnto vs: but you, gather you wine, and sommer fruites, and oyle, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities, that ye haue taken.
11Likewise when all the Iewes that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the King of Babel had left a remnant of Iudah, and that he had set ouer them Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan,
12Euen all the Iewes returned out of all places where they were driuen, and came to the land of Iudah to Gedaliah vnto Mizpah, and gathered wine and sommer fruites, very much.
13Moreouer Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the hoste, that were in the fieldes, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
14And said vnto him, Knowest thou not that Baalis the King of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam beleeued them not.
15Then Iohanan the sonne of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me goe, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it. Wherefore should he kill thee, that all the Iewes, which are gathered vnto thee, shoulde be scattered, and the remnant in Iudah perish?
16But Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam said vnto Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, Thou shalt not doe this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.