Jeremiah 40

1 The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord, after that Nabuzardan the general had let him go from Rama, when he had taken him, being bound with chains, among all them that were carried away from Jerusalem and Juda, and were carried to Babylon.

And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias the second time, when he was yet bound in the court of the prison, saying,

2 And the general of the army taking Jeremias, said to him: The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place,

Thus says the Lord, who made the earth and formed it, to establish it; the Lord is his name;

3 And he hath brought it: and the Lord hath done as he hath said: because you have sinned against the Lord, and have not hearkened to his voice, and this word is come upon you.

Cry to me, and I will answer you, and I will declare to you great and mighty things, which you know not.

4 Now then behold I have loosed thee this day from the chains which were upon thy hands: if it please thee to come with me to Babylon, come: and I will set my eyes upon thee: but if it do not please thee to come with me to Babylon, stay here: behold all the land is before thee, as thou shalt choose, and whither it shall please thee to go, thither go.

For thus says the Lord concerning the houses of this city, and concerning the houses of the king of Juda, which have been pulled down for mounds and fortifications,

5 And come not with me: but dwell with Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan, whom the king of Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Juda: dwell therefore with him in the midst of the people: or whithersoever it shall please thee to go, go. And the general of the army gave him victuals and presents, and let him go.

to fight against the Chaldeans, and to fill it with the corpses of men, whom I struck in mine anger and my wrath, and turned away my face from them, for all their wickedness:

6 And Jeremias went to Godolias the son of Ahicam to Masphath: and dwelt with him in the midst of the people that were left in the land.

Behold, I bring upon her healing and cure, and I will show [myself] to them, and will heal her, and make both peace and security.

7 And when all the captains of the army that were scattered through the countries, they and their companions, had heard that the king of Babylon had made Godolias the son of Ahicam governor of the country, and that he had committed unto him men and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, them that had not been carried away captive to Babylon:

And I will turn the captivity of Juda, and the captivity of Israel, and will build them, even as before.

8 They came to Godolias to Masphath: and Ismahel the son of Nathanias, and Johanan, and Jonathan, the sons of Caree, and Sareas the son of Thanehumeth, and the children of Ophi, that were of Netophathi, and Jezonias the son of Maachati, they and their men.

And I will cleanse them from all their iniquities, whereby they have sinned against me, and will not remember their sins, whereby they have sinned against me, and revolted from me.

9 And Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan swore to them and to their companions, saying: Fear not to serve the Chaldeass: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

And it shall be for joy and praise, and for glory to all the people of the earth, who shall hear all the good that I will do: and they shall fear and be provoked for all the good things and for all the peace which I will bring upon them.

10 Behold I dwell in Masphath, that I may answer the commandment of the Chaldeans that are sent to us: but as for you, gather ye the vintage, and the harvest, and the oil, and lay it up in your vessels, and abide in your cities which you hold.

Thus says the Lord; There shall yet be heard in this place, of which you say, it is destitute of men and cattle, in the cities of Juda, and in the streets of Jerusalem, [the places] that have been made desolate for lack of men and cattle,

11 Moreover all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and in all the countries, when they heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judea, and that he had made Godolias the son of Ahicam the son of Saphan ruler over them:

the voice of gladness, and the voice of joy, the voice of the bridegroom, and the voice of the bride, the voice of men saying, Give thanks to the Lord Almighty: for the Lord is good; for his mercy [endures] fore ever: and they shall bring gifts into the house of the Lord; for I will turn all the captivity of that land as before, said the Lord.

12 All the Jews, I say, returned out of all the places to which they had fled, and they came into the land of Juda to Godolias to Masphath: and they gathered wine, and a very great harvest.

Thus says the Lord of hosts; There shall yet be in this place, that is desert for lack of man and beast, in all the cities thereof, resting-places for shepherds causing their flocks to lie down.

13 Then Johanan the son of Caree, and all the captains of the army, that had been scattered about in the countries, came to Godolias to Masphath.

In the cities of the hill country, and in the cities of the valley, and in the cities of the south, and in the land of Benjamin, and in the [cities] round about Jerusalem, and in the cities of Juda, flocks shall yet pass under the hand of him that numbers [them], says the Lord.

14 And they said to him: Know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ismahel the son of Nathanias to kill thee. And Godolias the son of Ahicam believed them not.

15 But Johanan the son of Caree, spoke to Oodolias privately in Masphath, saying: I will go, and I will kill Ismahel the son of Nathanias, and no man shall know it, lest he kill thee, and all the Jews be scattered, that are gathered unto thee, and the remnant of Juda perish.

16 And Codolias the son of Ahicam said to Johanan the son of Cares: Do not this thing: for what thou sayst of Ismahel is false.