Jeremiah freed
1The word came to Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had released him at Ramah. He had found Jeremiah bound in chains among all the captives from Jerusalem and Judah who were being carried into exile to Babylon. 2When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah, he said to him, ‘The Lord your God decreed this disaster for this place. 3And now the Lord has brought it about; he has done just as he said he would. All this happened because you people sinned against the Lord and did not obey him. 4But today I am freeing you from the chains on your wrists. Come with me to Babylon, if you like, and I will look after you; but if you do not want to, then don’t come. Look, the whole country lies before you; go wherever you please.’ 5However, before Jeremiah turned to go,40:5 Or Jeremiah answered Nebuzaradan added, ‘Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the towns of Judah, and live with him among the people, or go anywhere else you please.’
Then the commander gave him provisions and a present and let him go. 6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left behind in the land.
Gedaliah assassinated
7When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, 8they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah – Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah40:8 Hebrew Jezaniah, a variant of Jaazaniah the son of the Maakathite, and their men. 9Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. ‘Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians,40:9 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 10’ he said. ‘Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you. 10I myself will stay in Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians who come to us, but you are to harvest the wine, summer fruit and olive oil, and put them in your storage jars, and live in the towns you have taken over.’
11When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as governor over them, 12they all came back to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, from all the countries where they had been scattered. And they harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruit.
13Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers still in the open country came to Gedaliah at Mizpah 14and said to him, ‘Don’t you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take your life?’ But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.
15Then Johanan son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, ‘Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no-one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered and the remnant of Judah to perish?’
16But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, ‘Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.’
Amasula Yeremiya
1Yehova anayankhula ndi Yeremiya pamene Nebuzaradani mtsogoleri wa asilikali olonda mfumu anamasula Yeremiyayo ku Rama. Anamupeza Yeremiya ali womangidwa ndi unyolo pamodzi ndi amʼndende ena onse a ku Yerusalemu ndi a ku Yuda amene ankapita nawo ku ukapolo ku Babuloni. 2Mtsogoleriyu anamupeza Yeremiya, anamuwuza kuti, “Yehova Mulungu wako analengeza kale zakuti malo ano adzawonongedwa. 3Ndipo tsopano Yehova wachitadi zimenezi monga mmene ananenera. Izi zonse zachitika chifukwa anthu inu munachimwira Yehova ndipo simunamumvere. 4Koma tsopano taona, lero ndikukumasula unyolo umene unali mʼmanja mwako. Ngati ukufuna kupita nane ku Babuloni, tiye ndipo adzakusamala bwino. Koma ngati sukufuna kupita, ndiye usapite. Dziko ndi limeneli monga ukulioneramo. Uli ndi ufulu kupita kulikonse kumene ukufuna.” 5Yeremiya asanayankhe, Nebuzaradani anamuwuzanso kuti, “Ngati supita ndiye pita, ubwerere kwa Gedaliya, mwana wa Ahikamu, mdzukulu wa Safani, amene mfumu ya ku Babuloni inamusankha kuti akhale bwanamkubwa wa Yuda. Ukakhale naye pakati pa anthu, kapena upite kulikonse ukufuna.”
Ndipo mtsogoleri uja anamupatsa Yeremiya chakudya ndi mphatso zina ndi kumulola kuti apite. 6Motero Yeremiya anapita kwa Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu ku Mizipa ndipo anakakhala naye kumeneko pakati pa anthu amene anatsala mʼdzikomo.
Kuphedwa kwa Gedaliya
7Panali atsogoleri ena a nkhondo ndi anthu awo amene sanadzipereke nawo. Iwowa anamva kuti mfumu ya ku Babuloni inasankha Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu kukhala bwanamkubwa wa dzikolo ndipo kuti yamuyika kukhala wolamulira amuna, akazi ndi ana amene anali osauka kwambiri mʼdzikomo, amene sanawagwire ukapolo kupita nawo ku Babuloni. 8Iwowa anapita ku Mizipa kwa Gedaliya. Amene anapitawo ndi awa: Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya, Yohanani ndi Yonatani ana a Kareya, Seraya mwana wa Tanihumeti, ana a Efai a ku Netofa, ndi Yezaniya mwana wa Maaka, iwowo pamodzi ndi anthu awo. 9Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu, mdzukulu wa Safani, anawalonjeza iwo pamodzi ndi anthuwo mwalumbiro. Ndipo anati, “Musaope kuwatumikira Ababuloni. Khalani mʼdziko muno, tumikirani mfumu ya ku Babuloni, ndipo zinthu zidzakuyenderani bwino. 10Ine ndidzakhala ku Mizipa kuti ndizikuyimirirani kwa Ababuloni amene azidzabwera kwa ife, koma inu muzikolola vinyo wanu, zipatso zanu, mafuta anu ndi kuzisunga mʼmitsuko yanu, nʼkumakhala mʼmizinda imene mwalandayo.”
11Nawonso Ayuda onse a ku Mowabu, ku Amoni, ku Edomu ndi a ku mayiko ena onse anamva kuti mfumu ya ku Babuloni inasiyako anthu ena ku Yuda ndipo kuti inasankha Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu, mwana wa Safani, kukhala bwanamkubwa wawo. 12Tsono Ayuda onsewo anabwerera ku Yuda, ku Mizipa kwa Gedaliya, kuchokera ku mayiko onse kumene anabalalikira. Ndipo anakolola zipatso zochuluka ndi vinyo wambiri.
13Yohanani mwana wa Kareya ndi atsogoleri a ankhondo onse amene sanadzipereke aja anabwera ku Mizipa kwa Gedaliya 14ndipo anamufunsa kuti, “Kodi sukudziwa kuti Baalisi mfumu ya Aamoni watuma Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya kuti akuphe?” Koma Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu sanawankhulupirire.
15Tsono Yohanani mwana wa Kareya, mwamseri anawuza Gedaliya ku Mizipa kuti, “Loleni ndipite ndikaphe Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya, ndipo palibe amene ati adziwe. Akuphereninji ndi kuchititsa Ayuda onse, amene akuzungulirani kuti abalalike ndi kuti otsala a ku Yuda awonongeke?”
16Koma Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu anawuza Yohanani mwana wa Kareya kuti, “Usachite zimenezo! Zimene ukunena za Ismaeli ndi zabodza.”
