Jeremiah Is Set Free From His Chains
1A message from the Lord came to Jeremiah. It came after Nebuzaradan, the commander of the royal guard, had set him free at Ramah. Jeremiah was being held by chains when Nebuzaradan found him. Jeremiah was among all the prisoners from Jerusalem and Judah. They were being taken to Babylon. 2But the commander of the guard found Jeremiah. The commander said to him, “The Lord your God ordered that this place be destroyed. 3And now he has brought it about. He has done exactly what he said he would do. All these things have happened because you people sinned against the Lord. You didn’t obey him. 4But today I’m setting you free from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon if you want to. I’ll take good care of you there. But if you don’t want to come, then don’t. The whole country lies in front of you. Go anywhere you want to.” 5But before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan continued, “Go back to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. The king of Babylon has appointed Gedaliah to be over the towns of Judah. Go and live with him among your people. Or go anywhere else you want to.” Ahikam was the son of Shaphan.
The commander gave Jeremiah food and water. He also gave him a gift. Then he let Jeremiah go. 6So Jeremiah went to Mizpah to see Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. Jeremiah stayed with him. Jeremiah lived among the people who were left behind in the land.
Gedaliah Is Murdered
7Some of Judah’s army officers and their men were still in the open country. They heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor over Judah. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam. The king had put Gedaliah in charge of the men, women and children who were still there. They were the poorest people in the land. They hadn’t been taken to Babylon. 8When the army officers and their men heard these things, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, came. So did Johanan and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah. Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, also came. The sons of Ephai from Netophah came too. And so did Jaazaniah, the son of the Maakathite. All their men came with them. 9Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, made a promise. He made the promise to give hope to all these men. He spoke in a kind way to them. He said, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Babylonians. Make your homes in the land of Judah. Serve the king of Babylon. Then things will go well with you. 10I myself will stay at Mizpah. I’ll speak for you to the officials of Babylon who come to us. But you must harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil. Put them in your jars. Store them up. And live in the towns you have taken over.”
11All the Jews in Moab, Ammon and Edom heard what had happened. So did the Jews in all the other countries. They heard that the king of Babylon had left some people behind in Judah. They also heard that he had appointed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, as governor over them. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. 12When they heard these things, all of them came back to the land of Judah. They went to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They came from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested a large amount of wine and summer fruit.
13Johanan and all the other army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. Johanan was the son of Kareah. 14The officers spoke to Gedaliah. They said, “Don’t you know that Baalis has sent someone to take your life? Baalis is the king of Ammon. He has sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah.” But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, didn’t believe them.
15Then Johanan, the son of Kareah, spoke in private to Gedaliah in Mizpah. He said, “Let me go and kill Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah. No one will know about it. Why should he take your life? Why should he cause all the Jews gathered around you to be scattered? Why should he cause the people who remain in Judah to die?”
16But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, spoke to Johanan, the son of Kareah. He said, “Don’t do an awful thing like that! What you are saying about Ishmael isn’t true.”
A tú Jeremiah sílẹ̀
1Ọ̀rọ̀ náà sì tọ Jeremiah wá láti ọ̀dọ̀ Olúwa lẹ́yìn tí Nebusaradani balógun àwọn ẹ̀ṣọ́ ti tú u sílẹ̀ ní Rama. Ó rí Jeremiah tí a fi ẹ̀wọ̀n dè láàrín gbogbo àwọn tí wọ́n mú ní Jerusalẹmu àti Juda. Wọ́n kó lọ sí ilẹ̀ àjèjì Babeli. 2Nígbà tí balógun ẹ̀ṣọ́ rí Jeremiah, ó sọ fún un wí pé, “Olúwa Ọlọ́run rẹ ni ó pàṣẹ ibí yìí fún mi. 3Nísinsin yìí, Olúwa ti mú un jáde; ó ti ṣe gẹ́gẹ́ bí ó ti sọ pé òun yóò ṣe. Gbogbo èyí ṣẹlẹ̀ nítorí wí pé ẹ̀yin ènìyàn ṣẹ̀ sí Olúwa, àti pé ẹ kò gbọ́rọ̀ sí àṣẹ rẹ̀. 4Ṣùgbọ́n, ní òní yìí mò ń tú ọ sílẹ̀ kúrò nínú ẹ̀wọ̀n tí ó wà ní ọwọ́ rẹ. Bí o bá fẹ́, tẹ̀lé mi ká lọ sí Babeli, èmi yóò sì bojútó ọ; ṣùgbọ́n bí ìwọ kò bá fẹ́, dúró síbí. Wò ó, gbogbo orílẹ̀-èdè wà níwájú rẹ, lọ sí ibikíbi tí ó bá tẹ́ ọ lọ́rùn.” 5Ẹ̀wẹ̀, kí ó tó di pé Jeremiah pẹ̀yìndà láti máa lọ, Nebusaradani fi kún un wí pé, “Padà tọ Gedaliah ọmọ Ahikamu lọ, ọmọ Ṣafani, ẹni tí ọba Babeli ti fi jẹ baálẹ̀ lórí ìlú Juda, kí o sì máa gbé ní àárín àwọn ènìyàn wọ̀nyí tàbí kí o máa lọ ibikíbi tí ó bá tọ́ ní ojú rẹ.”
Nígbà náà ni balógun náà fún un ní oúnjẹ àti ẹ̀bùn, ó sì jẹ́ kí ó lọ. 6Báyìí ni Jeremiah lọ sí ọ̀dọ̀ Gedaliah ọmọkùnrin Ahikamu ní Mispa, ó sì dúró tì í láàrín àwọn ènìyàn tí ó ṣẹ́kù ní ilẹ̀ náà.
Wọ́n ṣe ikú pa Gedaliah
7Nígbà tí gbogbo àwọn olórí ogun àti àwọn ènìyàn tí wọ́n kù lórí orílẹ̀-èdè náà gbọ́ pé ọba Babeli ti yan Gedaliah ọmọkùnrin Ahikamu gẹ́gẹ́ bí baálẹ̀ ní ilẹ̀ náà; àti pé ó ti fi àwọn ọkùnrin, obìnrin àti ọmọdé tí wọ́n jẹ́ tálákà ní ilẹ̀ náà tí wọn kò kó lọ sí ilẹ̀ àjèjì sí ìkáwọ́ rẹ̀ 8Wọ́n wá sí ọ̀dọ̀ Gedaliah ní Mispa; Iṣmaeli ọmọkùnrin Netaniah, Johanani àti Jonatani ọmọkùnrin ti Karea, Seraiah ọmọkùnrin Tanhumeti tí í ṣe ọmọkùnrin Efai ará Netofa àti Jesaniah ọmọkùnrin Maakati àti àwọn ènìyàn wọn. 9Gedaliah ọmọkùnrin Ahikamu, ọmọkùnrin ti Ṣafani ṣe ìbúra láti tún fi dá àwọn ènìyàn lójú pé, “Ẹ má ṣe bẹ̀rù láti sin àwọn Babeli.” Ó sọ wí pé, “Gbé ilẹ̀ náà kí ẹ sì máa sin ọba Babeli, yóò sì dára fún un yín. 10Èmi fúnra mi yóò dúró ní Mispa láti ṣojú yín níwájú Babeli tí wọ́n tọ̀ wá wá. Ṣùgbọ́n ẹ̀yin ni yóò máa kórè ọtí wáìnì, èso igi àti òróró; kí ẹ sì kó wọn sí inú àpò àpamọ́wọ́ yín; kí ẹ̀yin sì máa gbé ní ìlú tí ẹ ti gbà.”
11Nígbà tí gbogbo àwọn Juda ní Moabu, Ammoni, Edomu àti gbogbo àwọn orílẹ̀-èdè gbọ́ pé ọba Babeli ti fi ohun tókù sílẹ̀ ní Juda, àti pé ó ti yan Gedaliah ọmọkùnrin Ahikamu ọmọkùnrin Ṣafani gẹ́gẹ́ bí gómìnà lórí wọn. 12Gbogbo wọn padà wá sí ilẹ̀ Juda sọ́dọ̀ Gedaliah ní Mispa láti orílẹ̀-èdè gbogbo tí a ti lé wọn sí. Wọ́n sì kórè ọ̀pọ̀lọpọ̀ ọtí wáìnì àti èso igi.
13Johanani ọmọkùnrin ti Karea àti gbogbo àwọn olórí ogun tí ó kù ní orílẹ̀-èdè sì tọ Gedaliah wá ní Mispa. 14Wọ́n sì sọ fún un wí pé, “Ǹjẹ́ ìwọ ha mọ̀ pé Baalisi ọba àwọn Ammoni ti rán Iṣmaeli ọmọkùnrin Netaniah láti lọ mú ẹ̀mí rẹ?” Ṣùgbọ́n Gedaliah ọmọkùnrin ti Ahikamu kò gbà wọ́n gbọ́.
15Nígbà náà ni Johanani ọmọkùnrin Karea sọ ní ìkọ̀kọ̀ fún Gedaliah ní Mispa pé, “Jẹ́ kí èmi lọ pa Iṣmaeli ọmọkùnrin Netaniah, ẹnikẹ́ni kò sì ní mọ èyí. Kí ni ìdí rẹ̀ tí yóò ṣe mú ẹ̀mí rẹ, tí o sì ṣe fẹ́ mú àwọn Júù tí ó yí ọ ká túká, kí ìyókù Juda sì parun?”
16Ṣùgbọ́n Gedaliah ọmọ Ahikamu sọ fún Johanani ọmọ Karea pé, “Má ṣe ṣe nǹkan yìí! Nítorí nǹkan tí ò ń sọ nípa Iṣmaeli kì í ṣe òtítọ́.”
