and they brake And the residue the city, and the the Chaldeans burn with fire, 9 down the walls of Jerusalem. of the people that remained in deserters who had come over to him, even the residue of the people, those that remained, Nebuzaradan captain of the guards transported to 10 Babylon. But the meanest of the people, who had no property, Nebuzaradan captain of the guards left in the land of Judah, and gave them at the same time vineyards and fields. And Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had given a charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzar12 adan captain of the guards, saying, Take him, and have thine eyes upon him, and do him no manner of harm; but according as he shall say 13 unto thee, so deal thou with him. So Nebuzaradan captain of the guards sent, and Nebu-shazban Rab-saris, and Nergal-sharetzar Rab-mag, and all the commanders of the king of Babylon; 14 they sent, I say, and took Jeremiah out of the court of the prison, and delivered him to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan to conduct him home; and he dwelt among the people. CHAP. XL. THE WORD WHICH CAME TO JEREMIAH FROM JEHOVAH, AFTER THAT NEBUZARADAN CAPTAIN OF THE GUARDS HAD TAKEN HIM AND LET HIM GO FROM RAMAH; FOR HE HAD BEEN BOUND WITH CHAINS AMONG ALL THE CAPTI VITY OF JERUSALEM AND JUDAH, WHO WERE CARRIED AND the captain of the guards took Jeremiah, and said unto him, JEHOVAH thy God hath de3 nounced this calamity against this place. And JEHOVAH hath come and done according as he spake; because ye had sinned against JEHOVAH, and not obeyed his voice; therefore hath this 4 thing befallen you. And now, behold, I have loosed thee this day from the chains which were upon thy hands. If it seem good unto thee to come with me to Babylon, come; and I will set mine eyes upon thee: but if it seem evil unto thee to come with me to Babylon, forbear: behold, the whole land is before thee; according as it seemeth good, and according as it seemeth right in thine eyes to go, go thither; and while. 5 it continueth so, it shall not be set aside. Return therefore to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people: or else, whithersoever it seemeth right in thine eyes to go, go. And the captain of the guards gave him provisions, and a gratuity, and dismissed him. 6 And Jeremiah went unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpeh, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land. 7 Now when all the captains of the forces, which were in the open country, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor over the land, and that he had committed to his charge men, and women, and children, even certain of the poor of the land, of those who were not carried away cap8 tive to Babylon: then they came to Gedaliah in Miz peh, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah the son of [Ho 9 shaiah] the Maachathite, they and their men. And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, sware unto them, and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans; dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be 10 well with you. As for me, behold, I will reside at Mizpeh, to stand before the Chaldeans who shall come to us; but do ye gather in wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put into your vessels; and dwell in your cities, which ye have occupied. Also when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had given a remnant to Judah, and that he had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, 12 the son of Shaphan, governor over them; then all the Jews returned from all the places whither they had been driven, and came to the land of Judahı unto Gedaliah to Mizpeh; and they gathered in wine and summer fruits in great abundance. 11 13 And Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the open country, came unto Gedaliah to Mizpeh; and they 14 said unto him, Art thou well aware that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, to take away thy life? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed 15 them not. And Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in private at Mizpeh, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and smite Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no one shall know. Wherefore should he take away thy life, and all Judah be dispersed, those that are gathered unto thee, and 16 the remnant of Judah perish? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Ka reah, By no means do this thing; surely thou speakest falsely of Ishmael. CHAP. XLI. Į AND it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and great officers of the king, even ten men, with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpeh; and 2 they eat bread there together in Mizpeh. Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah arose, and the ten men that were with him, and they smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. And all the Jews that were with him, with Gedaliah in Mizpeh, and the Chaldeans that were found there, 4 the men of war, did Ishmael smite. And it came to pass the second day after he had murdered 5 Gedaliah, whilst no one knew [it], that there came men from Schechem, and from Shiloh, and from Samaria, fourscore persons, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with an oblation and incense in their hand, to bring to the house of JEHOVAH. 6 And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out to meet them from Mizpeh weeping all along as he went; and it came to pass when he met them, that he said unto them, Come ye to Gedaliah the son of 7 Ahikam. And it came to pass, when they were come into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah massacred them at the pit, he 8 and the men that were with him. But ten men were found among them, that said unto Islimael, Slay us not, for we have hidden stores in the fields, wheat, and barley, and oil, and honey. He forbare therefore, and slew them not among 9 their brethren. Now the pit, into which Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had smitten along with Gedaliah, the same which king Asa had made on account of Baasha king of Israel, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with 10 the slain. And Ishmael took captive all the re sidue of the people that were in Mizpeh, the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpeh, whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guards had committed to the charge of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive, and set forth to pass over to the children of Ammon. But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of 12 Nethaniah had done, they took all the men, and went up to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and came up with him at the great wa13 ters that are in Gibeon. And it came to pass when all the people that were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, they rejoiced. 14 And all the people that Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpeh faced about, and came back a15 gain to Johanan the son of Kareah. But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of 16 Ammon. Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people, whom he had |