Jeremiah 40

NEW JERUSALEM	DOUAI-RHEIMS
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after Nebuzaradan commander of the guard hadreleased him from Ramah, where he had found him in chains with al the other captives from Jerusalem andJudah who were being deported to Babylon:	1 The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord, after that Nabuzardan the general had let him go from Rama, when he had taken him, being bound with chains, among all them that were carried away from Jerusalem and Juda, and were carried to Babylon.
2 The commander of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, 'Yahweh your God foretold calamity forthis country,	2 And the general of the army taking Jeremias, said to him: The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place,
3 and now he has brought it. He has done what he threatened to do, because you had sinned againstYahweh and would not listen to his voice; so al this has happened to you.	3 And he hath brought it : and the Lord hath done as he hath said: because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not hearkened to his voice, and this word is come upon you.
4 Look, today I am having your hands unchained. If you like to come with me to Babylon, come: I shallook after you. If you do not want to come with me to Babylon, do not. Look, you have the whole country beforeyou: go wherever you think it best and most suitable to go.'	4 Now then behold I have loosed thee this day from the chains which were upon thy hands: if it please thee to come with me to Babylon, come : and I will set my eyes upon thee: but if it do not please thee to come with me to Babylon, stay here: behold all the land is before thee, as thou shalt choose, and whither it shall please thee to go, thither go.
5 And before Jeremiah retired, he added, 'You can go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan,whom the king of Babylon has appointed governor of the towns of Judah, and stay with him among the people,or go anywhere else you think suitable.' With that, the commander of the guard gave him provisions and apresent, and dismissed him.	5 And come not with me: but dwell with Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Juda: dwell therefore with him in the midst of the people: or whithersoever it shall please thee to go, go. And the general of the army gave him victuals and presents, and let him go.
6 Jeremiah went to Mizpah, to Gedaliah son of Ahikam and stayed with him, among those people stil leftin the country.	6 And Jeremias went to Godolias the son of Ahicam to Masphath: and dwelt with him in the midst of the people that were left in the land.
7 When the military leaders who with their men were still in the field, all heard that the king of Babylonhad appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor of the country, making him responsible for the men, womenand children, and those of the poor country people who had not been deported to Babylon,	7 And when all the captains of the army that were scattered through the countries, they and their companions, had heard that the king of Babylon had made Godolias the son of Ahicam governor of the country, and that he had committed unto him men and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, them that had not been carried away captive to Babylon:
8 they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah,Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, they and theirmen.	8 They came to Godolias to Masphath: and Ismahel the son of Nathanias, and Johanan, and Jonathan, the sons of Caree, and Sareas the son of Thanehumeth, and the children of Ophi, that were of Netophathi, and Jezonias the son of Maachati, they and their men.
9 To them and to their men Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore an oath. 'Do not be afraid',he said, 'of serving the Chaldaeans, stay in the country, serve the king of Babylon, and al wil go wel with you.	9 And Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan swore to them and to their companions, saying: Fear not to serve the Chaldeass: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.
10 I for my part, as the man answerable to the Chaldaeans when they come to us, shal stay here atMizpah, whereas you can harvest the wine, summer fruit and oil, fill your storage jars and settle in the townswhich you have seized.'	10 Behold I dwell in Masphath, that I may answer the commandment of the Chaldeans that are sent to us: but as for you, gather ye the vintage, and the harvest, and the oil, and lay it up in your vessels, and abide in your cities which you hold.
11 Similarly, when all the Judaeans living in Moab, with the Ammonites, in Edom and elsewhere, heardthat the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphanas their governor,	11 Moreover all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and in all the countries, when they heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judea, and that he had made Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan ruler over them:
12 the Judaeans al came back from wherever they had been driven. On their return to the land of Judah,to Gedaliah at Mizpah, they harvested an immense quantity of wine and summer fruit.	12 All the Jews, I say, returned out of all the places to which they had fled, and they came into the land of Juda to Godolias to Masphath: and they gathered wine, and a very great harvest.
13 Now Johanan son of Kareah and al the military leaders stil in the field, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah	13 Then Johanan the son of Caree, and all the captains of the army, that had been scattered about in the countries, came to Godolias to Masphath.
14 and said to him, 'Are you aware that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniahto assassinate you?' But Gedaliah son of Ahikam would not believe them.	14 And they said to him: Know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ismahel the son of Nathanias to kill thee. And Godolias the son of Ahicam believed them not.
15 Johanan son of Kareah then spoke in secret to Gedaliah at Mizpah, as fol ows: 'Please let me go andkil Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will be any the wiser. Why should he assassinate you and cause thedispersal of al the Judaeans who have ral ied round you. Why should the remnant of Judah perish?'	15 But Johanan the son of Caree, spoke to Oodolias privately in Masphath, saying: I will go, and I will kill Ismahel the son of Nathanias, and no man shall know it, lest he kill thee, and all the Jews be scattered, that are gathered unto thee, and the remnant of Juda perish.
16 But Gedaliah son of Ahikam replied to Johanan son of Kareah, 'You wil do no such thing, for whatyou say about Ishmael is false.'	16 And Codolias the son of Ahicam said to Johanan the son of Cares: Do not this thing: for what thou sayst of Ismahel is false.