1This is the Lord's message that came to Jeremiah after Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard had released him at Ramah Nebuzaradan had discovered Jeremiah bound in chains along with all the prisoners from Jerusalem and Judah who were being taken into exile in Babylon.

2When the commander of the guard found Jeremiah he told him, “The Lord your God announced that disaster would come to this place,

3and now the Lord has made it happen—he has done just what he said he would. This happened to you people because you sinned against the Lord and did not obey what he said.

4But notice that now I'm removing the chains from your wrists and releasing you. If you want to come with me to Babylon then you can come, and I will look after you. But if you think it's a bad idea to come with me to Babylon, you don't have to go any farther. Look, you're free to go anywhere in the country. Go wherever is good for you—do what you think is right.”

5Since Jeremiah didn't answer right away, Nebuzaradan went on, “Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan. He's been appointed as governor over Judah by the king of Babylon. You can stay with him with your people, or you can go anywhere you want.” The commander of the guard gave him a food allowance and some money and let him go.

6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him with the people who were still left in the country.

7The Judean army commanders and their men who were still in the field found out that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor of the country and had put him in charge of the poorest people of the country—the men, women, and children who hadn't been exiled to Babylon.

8So they along with their men 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 ¹⁰⁹son of the Maacathite.

9Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, made them a solemn promise, saying, “Don't worry about serving the Babylonians. Stay here in the country and serve the king of Babylon, and things will go well for you.

10I myself will stay here in Mizpah to represent you to the Babylonians when they come to meet with us. You yourselves should get busy harvesting grapes and summer fruit and olive oil, storing them in jars, and living in the towns you have occupied.”

11Those people of Judea who were living in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and all the other countries heard that the king of Babylon had left some people behind in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, as their governor.

12So they all came back from the different places where they'd been scattered and went to Gedaliah at Mizpah in Judah. They were able to harvest a large quantity of grapes and summer fruit.

13Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the men in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah

14and told him, “Do you know that Baalis king of the Ammonites has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you?” But Gedaliah didn't believe them.

15Johanan went and talked privately to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah,” he told him. “No one will find out. Why should he be allowed to kill you? All the people of Judah who have joined you would be scattered, so that even those who have survived here would be killed!”

16But Gedaliah said to Johanan, “Don't do it! What you're saying about Ishmael isn't true.”