Jeremiah · Berean Standard Bible
Jeremiah 40 Berean Standard Bible
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
1 This 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.
1 The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh, after Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him being bound in chains among all the captives of Jerusalem and Judah who were carried away captive to Babylon.
2 The captain of the guard found Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD your God decreed this disaster on this place,
2 The captain of the guard took Jeremiah and said to him, “Yahweh your God pronounced this evil on this place;
3 and 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.
3 and Yahweh has brought it, and done according as he spoke. Because you have sinned against Yahweh, and have not obeyed his voice, therefore this thing has come on you.
4 But 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.”
4 Now, behold, I release you today from the chains which are on your hand. If it seems good to you to come with me into Babylon, come, and I will take care of you; but if it seems bad to you to come with me into Babylon, don’t. Behold, all the land is before you. Where it seems good and right to you to go, go there.”
5 But 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.
5 Now while he had not yet gone back, “Go back then,” he said, “to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wherever it seems right to you to go.” So the captain of the guard gave him food and a present, and let him go.
6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah and stayed with him among the people who were left in the land.
6 Then Jeremiah went to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and lived with him among the people who were left in the land.
7 When 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,
7 Now when all the captains of the forces who 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 to him men, women, children, and of the poorest of the land, of those who were not carried away captive to Babylon,
8 they 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 son of the Maacathite—they and their men.
8 then 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 the Maacathite, they and their men came to Gedaliah to Mizpah.
9 Gedaliah 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. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.
9 Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be well with you.
10 As 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.”
10 As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans who will come to us; but you, gather wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have taken.”
11 When 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,
11 Likewise when all the Jews who were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and who 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,
12 they 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.
12 then all the Jews returned out of all places where they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and gathered very much wine and summer fruits.
13 Meanwhile, Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah
13 Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,
14 and 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.
14 and said to him, “Do you know that Baalis the king of the children of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam didn’t believe them.
15 Then 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?”
15 Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, “Please let me go, and I will kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man will know it. Why should he take your life, that all the Jews who are gathered to you should be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish?”
16 But 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.”
16 But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing, for you speak falsely of Ishmael.”
People & places in this chapter
From this site's family tree and Bible maps, only where those guides cite this chapter.
People
Baalis
King of the Ammonites who sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take the life of Gedaliah.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 40:14
Ephai
A Netophathite whose sons came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 40:8
Ishmael
Son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, a member of the royal family, who came with ten men and killed Gedaliah and those with him at Mizpah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 25:23; 2 Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 40:8
Jaazaniah
Called 'son of the Maacathite', one of the army commanders who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8
Johanan
Son of Kareah, one of the army commanders who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8; Jeremiah 41:11
Jonathan
One of the sons of Kareah who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Cited in the guide: Jeremiah 40:8
Kareah
Named as the father of Johanan and Jonathan.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8; Jeremiah 41:11
Nethaniah
Son of Elishama and father of Ishmael, who killed Gedaliah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 25:23; 2 Kings 25:25; Jeremiah 40:8
Seraiah
Son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, one of the army commanders who came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8
Tanhumeth
Named as the father of Seraiah, a commander who came to Gedaliah.
Cited in the guide: 2 Kings 25:23; Jeremiah 40:8
Cross references (16)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Joshua 18:25; Ephesians 6:20; Acts 12:6–7; Jeremiah 31:15; Acts 21:13
- 2 Deuteronomy 29:24–28; Jeremiah 22:8–9; Lamentations 2:15–17; 2 Chronicles 7:20–22; 1 Kings 9:8–9
- 3 Romans 2:5; Daniel 9:11–12; Jeremiah 50:7; Deuteronomy 29:25; Romans 3:19
- 4 Jeremiah 39:11–12; Genesis 20:15; Genesis 13:9
- 5 Jeremiah 39:14; Jeremiah 41:2; 2 Kings 8:7–9; Jeremiah 15:11; 2 Kings 22:12
- 6 Jeremiah 39:14; Judges 20:1; 1 Samuel 7:5–6; Judges 21:1; Joshua 15:38
- 7 Jeremiah 39:10; Jeremiah 39:4; 2 Kings 25:22–26; 2 Kings 25:4; Ezekiel 33:24–29
- 8 Jeremiah 42:1; Deuteronomy 3:14; 2 Samuel 10:8; 2 Samuel 23:28–29; Jeremiah 42:8
- 9 Jeremiah 27:11; 2 Kings 25:24; Jeremiah 38:17–20; 1 Samuel 20:16–17; Psalm 128:2
- 10 Jeremiah 40:12; Isaiah 16:9; Jeremiah 35:19; Jeremiah 48:32; Deuteronomy 1:38
- 11 Isaiah 16:4; Genesis 36:8; Numbers 25:1; Ezekiel 35:5; Jeremiah 24:9
- 12 Jeremiah 43:5
- 13 Jeremiah 42:1; Jeremiah 40:8
- 14 Jeremiah 41:10; 2 Samuel 10:1–6; Jeremiah 25:21; 1 Samuel 11:1–3; Ezekiel 25:2–6
- 15 1 Samuel 26:8; 2 Samuel 21:17; Ezekiel 33:24–29; Jeremiah 12:3–4; Jeremiah 42:2
- 16 Matthew 10:16–17; Jeremiah 41:2; Romans 3:8
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences