1So, like, the word hit Jeremiah from the Lord after Nebuzar–adan, the guard captain, let him bounce from Ramah, all chained up with the crew taken from Jerusalem and Judah to Babylon.

2The guard captain told Jeremiah, “Yo, the Lord your God is saying this place is about to get wrecked.”

3Now the Lord pulled through just like He said He would, 'cause y’all messed up and didn’t listen, so this is what you get, no cap.

4“Aight, I’m freeing you from those chains today. If you wanna roll with me to Babylon, bet; I got you. But if you’re not vibing with that, you do you—land’s all yours, go where you feel.”

5While he was still chillin’, he said, “Go back to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, the governor the king of Babylon set over Judah’s cities, and kick it with him or bounce wherever feels right.” So the guard hooked him up with food and a reward, then let him dip.

6Then Jeremiah cruised to Gedaliah at Mizpah and hung out with the peeps still in the land.

7When all the captains in the fields heard that Gedaliah was made governor by the Babylon king, they rolled up with their crew, including men, women, and the poor who didn’t get taken.

8They pulled up to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael, Johanan, Jonathan, Seraiah, and the crew from Ephai and Jezaniah, all together.

9Gedaliah swore to them, “Don’t be sus about serving the Chaldeans; just chill here and serve the Babylon king, and everything will be lit for you.”

10“As for me, I’m staying at Mizpah to serve the Chaldeans when they roll through; you guys gather wine, summer fruits, and oil, and stash them in your cities.”

11When all the Jews in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and everywhere else heard the Babylon king left a crew in Judah and set Gedaliah as their governor,

12all the Jews bounced back to Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and stacked up on wine and summer fruits like crazy.

13Johanan, son of Kareah, and all the captains in the fields came to Gedaliah at Mizpah,

14and said, “Yo, do you know Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, sent Ishmael to take you out? But Gedaliah was like, “Nah, I don’t believe that.”

15Then Johanan whispered to Gedaliah at Mizpah, “Let me handle Ishmael, fam, and no one will know. Why let him take you out and scatter the Jews?”

16But Gedaliah told Johanan, “Chill, you can’t do that; you’re trippin’ about Ishmael.”

1The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after that Nebuzar–adan 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.

2And the captain of the guard took Jeremiah, and said unto him, The Lord thy God hath pronounced this evil upon this place.

3Now 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.

4And 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.

5Now 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.

6Then went Jeremiah unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

7Now 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;

8Then 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.

9And 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.

10As 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.

11Likewise 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;

12Even 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.

13Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,

14And 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.

15Then 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?

16But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.