18FOR CERTAINLY <RESCUE> I WILL RESCUE YOU AND BY THE SWORD NOT YOU WILL FALL AND IT WILL BELONG TO <THE> YOU LIFE YOUR TO PLUNDER FOR YOU TRUSTED IN <THE> ME [THE] UTTERANCE OF YAHWEH 18For I will surely rescue you so that you do not fall by the sword. Because you have trusted in Me, you will escape with your life like a spoil of war, declares the LORD.’”
1THE WORD WHICH IT CAME TO JEREMIAH FROM WITH YAHWEH AFTER SET FREE <OBJ.> HIM NEBUZARADAN [THE] CHIEF OF [THE] BODYGUARDS FROM <THE> RAMAH WHEN TOOK HE <OBJ.> HIM AND HE [WAS] BOUND WITH <THE> CHAINS IN AMONG ALL [THE] EXILE[S] OF JERUSALEM AND JUDAH WHO WERE BEING TAKEN INTO EXILE BABYLON TOWARDS Jeremiah Remains in Judah 1This is the word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD after Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had released him at Ramah, having found him bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon.
2AND HE TOOK [THE] CHIEF OF [THE] BODYGUARDS <TO> JEREMIAH AND HE SAID TO HIM YAHWEH GOD YOUR HE SPOKE <OBJ.> THE HARM <THE> THIS AGAINST THE PLACE <THE> THIS 2The captain of the guard found Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God decreed this disaster on this place,
3AND HE HAS BROUGHT [IT] AND HE HAS DONE YAHWEH JUST AS HE SAID FOR YOU SINNED TO YAHWEH AND NOT YOU LISTENED TO VOICE HIS AND IT HAS HAPPENED TO <THE> YOU THE THING <THE> THIS 3and now the LORD has fulfilled it; He has done just as He said. Because you people have sinned against the LORD and have not obeyed His voice, this thing has happened to you.
4AND NOW HERE! I HAVE SET FREE YOU THIS DAY FROM THE CHAINS WHICH [ARE] ON HAND YOUR IF IT IS GOOD IN VIEW YOUR TO COME WITH ME BABYLON COME SO I MAY SET <OBJ.> EYE MY ON YOU AND IF [IS] DISPLEASING IN VIEW YOUR TO COME WITH ME BABYLON REFRAIN SEE ALL THE LAND [IS] <TO> BEFORE YOU TO [THE PLACE] GOOD AND TO THE [PLACE] RIGHT IN VIEW YOUR TO GO THERE TOWARDS GO 4But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains that were on your wrists. If it pleases you to come with me to Babylon, then come, and I will take care of you. But if it seems wrong to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther. Look, the whole land is before you. Wherever it seems good and right to you go there.”
5AND STILL HE NOT HE WILL RETURN AND RETURN! TO GEDALIAH [THE] SON OF AHIKAM [THE] SON OF SHAPHAN WHOM HE HAS APPOINTED [THE] KING OF BABYLON OVER [THE] CITIES OF JUDAH AND REMAIN WITH HIM IN AMONG THE PEOPLE OR TO ANY <THE> [PLACE] RIGHT IN VIEW YOUR TO GO GO AND HE GAVE TO <THE> HIM [THE] CHIEF OF [THE] BODYGUARDS A FOOD ALLOWANCE AND A PRESENT AND HE LET GO HIM 5But before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Return to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people, or go anywhere else that seems right Then the captain of the guard gave him a ration and a gift and released him.
6AND HE WENT JEREMIAH TO GEDALIAH [THE] SON OF AHIKAM <THE> MIZPAH TOWARDS AND HE REMAINED WITH HIM IN AMONG THE PEOPLE WHO REMAINED IN THE LAND 6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.
7AND THEY HEARD ALL [THE] COMMANDERS OF THE ARMIES WHICH [WERE] IN THE OPEN COUNTRY THEY AND MEN THEIR THAT HE HAD APPOINTED [THE] KING OF BABYLON <OBJ.> GEDALIAH [THE] SON OF AHIKAM OVER THE LAND AND THAT HE HAD APPOINTED WITH HIM MEN AND WOMEN AND LITTLE ONE[S] AND SOME OF [THE] POOR PEOPLE OF THE LAND FROM [THOSE] WHO NOT THEY HAD BEEN TAKEN INTO EXILE BABYLON TOWARDS Gedaliah Governs in Judah (2 Kings 25:22–24) 7When all the commanders and men of the armies in the field heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women, and children who were the poorest of the land and had not been exiled to Babylon,
8AND THEY CAME TO GEDALIAH <THE> MIZPAH TOWARDS AND ISHMAEL [THE] SON 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 THE MAACATHITE THEY AND MEN THEIR 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 Jezaniah*NoteCloseJezaniah is a variant of Jaazaniah; see 2 Kings 25:23. son of the Maacathite— they and their men.
9AND HE SWORE AN OATH TO <THE> THEM GEDALIAH [THE] SON OF AHIKAM [THE] SON OF SHAPHAN AND TO MEN THEIR <TO> SAYING MAY NOT YOU BE AFRAID FROM SERVING THE CHALDEANS REMAIN IN THE LAND AND SERVE <OBJ.> [THE] KING OF BABYLON SO IT MAY GO WELL FOR <THE> YOU 9Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans.*NoteCloseThat is, the Babylonians; also in verse 10 Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.
10AND I HERE I [WILL BE] DWELLING AT <THE> MIZPAH TO STAND <TO> BEFORE THE CHALDEANS WHO THEY WILL COME TO US AND YOU GATHER WINE AND SUMMER FRUIT AND OIL AND PUT [THEM] IN VESSELS YOUR AND DWELL IN CITIES YOUR WHICH YOU HAVE TAKEN HOLD OF 10As for me, I will stay in Mizpah to represent you before the Chaldeans who come to us. As for you, gather wine grapes, summer fruit, and oil, place them in your storage jars, and live in the cities you have taken.”
11AND ALSO ALL THE JEWS WHO [WERE] IN MOAB AND AMONG [THE] PEOPLE OF AMMON AND IN EDOM AND WHO [WERE] IN ALL THE LANDS THEY HEARD THAT HE HAD GIVEN [THE] KING OF BABYLON A REMNANT TO JUDAH AND THAT HE HAD APPOINTED OVER THEM <OBJ.> GEDALIAH [THE] SON OF AHIKAM [THE] SON OF SHAPHAN 11When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and all the other lands heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, over them,
12AND THEY RETURNED ALL THE JEWS FROM ALL THE PLACES WHERE THEY HAD BEEN DRIVEN AWAY THERE AND THEY CAME [THE] LAND OF JUDAH TO GEDALIAH <THE> MIZPAH TOWARDS AND THEY GATHERED WINE AND SUMMER FRUIT MUCH EXCEEDINGLY 12they all returned from all the places to which they had been banished and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. And they gathered an abundance of wine grapes and summer fruit.
13AND JOHANAN [THE] SON OF KAREAH AND ALL [THE] COMMANDERS OF THE ARMIES WHICH [WERE] IN THE OPEN COUNTRY THEY CAME TO GEDALIAH <THE> MIZPAH TOWARDS The Plot against Gedaliah 13Meanwhile, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah
14AND THEY SAID TO HIM ¿ REALLY <TO KNOW> DO YOU KNOW THAT BAALIS [THE] KING OF [THE] PEOPLE OF AMMON HE HAS SENT <OBJ.> ISHMAEL [THE] SON OF NETHANIAH TO STRIKE YOU LIFE AND NOT HE BELIEVED <TO> <THE> THEM GEDALIAH [THE] SON OF AHIKAM 14and said to him, “Are you aware 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.
15AND JOHANAN [THE] SON OF KAREAH HE SAID TO GEDALIAH IN <THE> SECRECY AT <THE> MIZPAH <TO> SAYING LET ME GO PLEASE AND LET ME STRIKE DOWN <OBJ.> ISHMAEL [THE] SON OF NETHANIAH AND ANYONE NOT HE WILL KNOW <TO> WHY? WILL HE STRIKE YOU LIFE AND WILL THEY BE SCATTERED ALL JEWS WHO HAVE GATHERED TO YOU AND WILL IT PERISH [THE] REMNANT OF JUDAH 15Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one will know it. Why should he take your life and scatter all the people of Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah would perish?”
16AND HE SAID GEDALIAH [THE] SON OF AHIKAM TO JOHANAN [THE] SON OF KAREAH MAY NOT YOU DO <OBJ.> THE THING <THE> THIS FOR FALSEHOOD YOU [ARE] SPEAKING CONCERNING ISHMAEL 16But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, “Do not do such a thing What you are saying about Ishmael is a lie.”