Jeremiah 40

NEW JERUSALEM	CATHOLIC PUBLIC DOMAIN
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 Jeremiah from the Lord, after Nebuzaradan, the leader of the military, had released him from Ramah, where he had taken him, bound in chains, along with all those who were being carried away from Jerusalem and from Judah, and were being led to Babylon.
2 The commander of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, 'Yahweh your God foretold calamity forthis country,	2 Therefore, the leader of the military, taking Jeremiah, said to him: “The Lord your God has declared this evil over 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 has brought it. And the Lord has done just as he has spoken. For you have sinned against the Lord, and you have not heeded his voice, and so this word has happened to 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 therefore, behold, I have released you this day from the chains which were on your hands. If it pleases you to come with me into Babylon, then come. And I will set my eyes upon you. But if it displeases you to come with me into Babylon, then remain. Behold, all the land is in your sight. Whatever you will choose, and wherever it will please you to go, so shall you go, proceeding to that place.
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 you may decline to come with me. For you may live with Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah. Therefore, you may live with him in the midst of the people. And you may go wherever it will please you to go.” And the leader of the military also gave him foods and gifts, and he released him.
6 Jeremiah went to Mizpah, to Gedaliah son of Ahikam and stayed with him, among those people stil leftin the country.	6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. And he lived with him in the midst of the people, those who had been left behind 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 leaders of the army, who had been dispersed throughout the regions, they and their associates, had heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, governor of the land, and that he had committed to him the men, and women, and children, and the poor of the land, who had not been carried away 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 went to Gedaliah at Mizpah, with Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai, who were of Netophathi, and Jezaniah, the son of Maacathi, 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 Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their companions, saying: “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will 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 live at Mizpah, so that I may follow the instruction of the Chaldeans who are sent to us. But as for you, gather the vintage, and the harvest, and the oil, and store it up in your vessels, and dwell 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 So then, all the Jews, who were in Moab, and among the sons of Ammon, and in Idumea, and in all the regions, when they had heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judea, and that he had made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, governor 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 from all the places to which they had fled, and they came into the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered wine and an exceedingly 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 Kareah, and all the leaders of the army, who had been dispersed in the regions, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
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 sons of Ammon, has sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to strike down your life.” And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, did not believe them.
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 Kareah, spoke to Gedaliah, separately, at Mizpah, saying: “I will go, and I will strike down Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, without anyone knowing; otherwise he may kill you, and all the Jews will be scattered who have been gathered to you, and the remnant of Judah will 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 Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah: “Do not do this word. For what you have said about Ishmael is false.”