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 at 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.”
基大利恩待耶利米
1耶利米带着锁链跟耶路撒冷和犹大被掳的人一起被带往巴比伦，但护卫长尼布撒拉旦在拉玛释放了他。这事之后，耶和华的话传给了耶利米。 2护卫长释放耶利米之前对他说：“你的上帝耶和华曾说要在这里降下灾祸， 3祂说到做到，果然降灾了。你们遭灾是因为你们得罪了耶和华，不听祂的话。 4现在我解除你手上的锁链，释放你。你如果想跟我去巴比伦，就去吧，我必善待你；如果你不想去，也可以。你看，整片土地都在你眼前，你想去哪里都可以。 5巴比伦王委任沙番的孙子、亚希甘的儿子基大利治理犹大的城邑，你如果想留下来，可以去他那里，住在同胞中，或去其他你喜欢的地方。”于是，护卫长给耶利米干粮和礼物，放他离去。 6耶利米就到米斯巴的亚希甘之子基大利那里，居住在留下来的同胞当中。
基大利管理犹大
7躲在乡村的犹大众将领及其士兵听说巴比伦王委任亚希甘的儿子基大利做犹大省长，管理当地的男女妇孺，就是没有被掳到巴比伦的穷人， 8便来到米斯巴见基大利。他们是尼探雅的儿子以实玛利、加利亚的儿子约哈难和约拿单、单户篾的儿子西莱雅、尼陀法人以斐的儿子们、玛迦人耶撒尼亚及他们的属下。 9沙番的孙子、亚希甘的儿子基大利对他们起誓说：“你们不要害怕臣服于迦勒底人，只管住在此地臣服于巴比伦王，你们会平安无事。 10至于我，我要留在米斯巴，代表你们与前来的迦勒底人会面。你们要储备酒、夏天的果子和油，存放在器皿内，在你们所住的城邑生活。” 11在摩押、亚扪、以东及各国的犹大人听说巴比伦王留下一些人，并委任沙番的孙子、亚希甘的儿子基大利管理他们， 12便从流亡的各地回到犹大，去米斯巴见基大利。他们储备了大量的酒和夏天的果子。
13加利亚的儿子约哈难和在乡村的众将领来到米斯巴见基大利， 14对他说：“亚扪王巴利斯派尼探雅的儿子以实玛利来杀你，你知道吗？”亚希甘的儿子基大利却不相信他们的话。 15后来，加利亚的儿子约哈难在米斯巴私下对基大利说：“让我去杀掉尼探雅的儿子以实玛利吧！没人会知道。何必让他来杀害你，以致汇集到你这里的犹大余民再度分散、灭亡呢？” 16但亚希甘的儿子基大利对加利亚的儿子约哈难说：“你不可杀以实玛利，你说他要杀我这件事不是真的。”
