Jeremiah:40-43

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* The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD , after that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah , when he had taken him being bound in chains among all that were carried away captive of Jerusalem and Judah , which were carried away captive unto Babylon . * And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah , and said unto him , The LORD thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place . * Now the LORD hath brought it , and done according as he hath said : because ye have sinned against the LORD , and have not obeyed his voice , therefore this thing is come upon you . * And now , behold , I loose thee this day from the chains which were upon thine hand . If it seem good unto thee to come with me into Babylon , come ; and I will look well unto thee : but if it seem ill unto thee to come with me into Babylon , forbear : behold , all the land is before thee : whither it seemeth good and convenient for thee to go , thither go . * Now while he was not yet gone back , he said , Go back also 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 go wheresoever it seemeth convenient unto thee to go . So the captain of the guard gave him victuals and a reward , and let him go . * Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah ; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land . * Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields , even they and their men , heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land , and had committed unto him men , and women , and children , and of the poor of the land , of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon ; * Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah , 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 a 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 well with you . * As for me , behold , I will dwell at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans , which will come unto us : but ye , gather ye wine , and summer fruits , and oil , and put them in your vessels , and dwell in your cities that ye have taken . * Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab , and among the Ammonites , and in Edom , and that were in all the countries , heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah , and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan ; * Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven , and came to the land of Judah , to Gedaliah , unto Mizpah , and gathered wine and summer fruits very much . * Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah , and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields , came to Gedaliah to Mizpah , * And said unto him , Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee ? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not . * Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly , saying , Let me go , I pray thee , and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah , and no man shall know it : wherefore should he slay thee , that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered , and the remnant in Judah perish ? * But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah , Thou shalt not do this thing : for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael . * Now it came to pass in the seventh month , that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama , of the seed royal , and the princes of the king , even ten men with him , came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah ; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah . * Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah , and the ten men that were with him , and 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 . * Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him , even with Gedaliah , at Mizpah , and the Chaldeans that were found there , and the men of war . * And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah , and no man knew it , * That there came certain from Shechem , from Shiloh , and from Samaria , even fourscore men , having their beards shaven , and their clothes rent , and having cut themselves , with offerings and incense in their hand , to bring them to the house of the LORD . * And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them , weeping all along as he went : and it came to pass , as he met them , he said unto them , Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam . * And it was so , when they came into the midst of the city , that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them , and cast them into the midst of the pit , he , and the men that were with him . * But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael , Slay us not : for we have treasures in the field , of wheat , and of barley , and of oil , and of honey . So he forbare , and slew them not among their brethren . * Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men , whom he had slain because of Gedaliah , was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel : and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain . * Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah , even the king 's daughters , and all the people that remained in Mizpah , whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam : and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive , and departed to go over to the Ammonites . * 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 Nethaniah had done , * Then they took all the men , and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah , and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon . * Now it came to pass , that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah , and all the captains of the forces that were with him , then they were glad . * So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned , and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah . * But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men , and went to the Ammonites . * 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 recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah , from Mizpah , after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam , even mighty men of war , and the women , and the children , and the eunuchs , whom he had brought again from Gibeon : * And they departed , and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham , which is by Bethlehem , to go to enter into Egypt , * Because of the Chaldeans : for they were afraid of them , because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam , whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land . * Then all the captains of the forces , and Johanan the son of Kareah , and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah , and all the people from the least even unto the greatest , came near , * And said unto Jeremiah the prophet , Let , we beseech thee , our supplication be accepted before thee , and pray for us unto the LORD thy God , even for all this remnant ; (for we are left but a few of many , as thine eyes do behold us :) * That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk , and the thing that we may do . * Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them , I have heard you ; behold , I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words ; and it shall come to pass , that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you , I will declare it unto you ; I will keep nothing back from you . * Then they said to Jeremiah , The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us , if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us . * Whether it be good , or whether it be evil , we will obey the voice of the LORD our God , to whom we send thee ; that it may be well with us , when we obey the voice of the LORD our God . * And it came to pass after ten days , that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah . * Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah , and all the captains of the forces which were with him , and all the people from the least even to the greatest , * And said unto them , Thus saith the LORD , the God of Israel , unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him ; * If ye will still abide in this land , then will I build you , and not pull you down , and I will plant you , and not pluck you up : for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you . * Be not afraid of the king of Babylon , of whom ye are afraid ; be not afraid of him , saith the LORD : for I am with you to save you , and to deliver you from his hand . * And I will shew mercies unto you , that he may have mercy upon you , and cause you to return to your own land . * But if ye say , We will not dwell in this land , neither obey the voice of the LORD your God , * Saying , No ; but we will go into the land of Egypt , where we shall see no war , nor hear the sound of the trumpet , nor have hunger of bread ; and there will we dwell : * And now therefore hear the word of the LORD , ye remnant of Judah ; Thus saith the LORD of hosts , the God of Israel ; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt , and go to sojourn there ; * Then it shall come to pass , that the sword , which ye feared , shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt , and the famine , whereof ye were afraid , shall follow close after you there in Egypt ; and there ye shall die . * So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there ; they shall die by the sword , by the famine , and by the pestilence : and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them . * For thus saith the LORD of hosts , the God of Israel ; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem ; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you , when ye shall enter into Egypt : and ye shall be an execration , and an astonishment , and a curse , and a reproach ; and ye shall see this place no more . * The LORD hath said concerning you , O ye remnant of Judah ; Go ye not into Egypt : know certainly that I have admonished you this day . * For ye dissembled in your hearts , when ye sent me unto the LORD your God , saying , Pray for us unto the LORD our God ; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say , so declare unto us , and we will do it . * And now I have this day declared it to you ; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God , nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you . * Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword , by the famine , and by the pestilence , in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn . * And it came to pass , that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God , for which the LORD their God had sent him to them , even all these words , * Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah , and Johanan the son of Kareah , and all the proud men , saying unto Jeremiah , Thou speakest falsely : the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say , Go not into Egypt to sojourn there : * But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us , for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans , that they might put us to death , and carry us away captives into Babylon . * So Johanan the son of Kareah , and all the captains of the forces , and all the people , obeyed not the voice of the LORD , to dwell in the land of Judah . * But Johanan the son of Kareah , and all the captains of the forces , took all the remnant of Judah , that were returned from all nations , whither they had been driven , to dwell in the land of Judah ; * Even men , and women , and children , and the king 's daughters , and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan , and Jeremiah the prophet , and Baruch the son of Neriah . * So they came into the land of Egypt : for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD : thus came they even to Tahpanhes . * Then came the word of the LORD unto Jeremiah in Tahpanhes , saying , * Take great stones in thine hand , and hide them in the clay in the brickkiln , which is at the entry of Pharaoh 's house in Tahpanhes , in the sight of the men of Judah ; * And say unto them , Thus saith the LORD of hosts , the God of Israel ; Behold , I will send and take Nebuchadrezzar the king of Babylon , my servant , and will set his throne upon these stones that I have hid ; and he shall spread his royal pavilion over them . * And when he cometh , he shall smite the land of Egypt , and deliver such as are for death to death ; and such as are for captivity to captivity ; and such as are for the sword to the sword . * And I will kindle a fire in the houses of the gods of Egypt ; and he shall burn them , and carry them away captives : and he shall array himself with the land of Egypt , as a shepherd putteth on his garment ; and he shall go forth from thence in peace . * He shall break also the images of Bethshemesh , that is in the land of Egypt ; and the houses of the gods of the Egyptians shall he burn with fire . * The word that came to Jeremiah concerning all the Jews which dwell in the land of Egypt , which dwell at Migdol , and at Tahpanhes , and at Noph , and in the country of Pathros , saying ,

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