1The word that came to Jeremiah from the LORD, after Nebuzar-adan, the captain of the guard, had let him go from Ramah, when he had found him, bound in chains, with all of Jerusalem and Judah who were carried away captive to Babylon. 2And Nebuzar-adan took Jeremiah aside, and said to him, “The LORD, your God, has decreed this disaster upon this place. 3And now the LORD has done just as He has said; because you (Judah) have sinned against the LORD, and have not obeyed His voice. That is why this has come upon you. 4And now, I am freeing you this day from the chains upon your wrists. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look after you; but if you do not wish to come with me to Babylon, then do not. Look, the whole country is before you; go where it seems good and convenient for you.” 5Then, before he had turned to go, Nebuzar-adan added, “Go back to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, grandson of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and live with him among the people; or go wherever it seems convenient to you.” Then the captain of the guard gave him provisions and some money, and let him go. 6So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

7Now when all army officers of Israel’s army who were in the field with their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, governor in the land, and had committed to him the men, women, and children of the poor of the land, those that were not carried away captive to Babylon, 8Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah - Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan, sons of Kareah, and Seraiah, son of Tanhumeth, and sons of Ephai, the Netophathite, and Jezaniah, son of a Maacathite, they and their men. 9And Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, grandson of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men: “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans; settle in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. 10I, myself, will stay at Mizpah to represent you to the Chaldeans (Babylonians), who will come to us; but you, gather wine, and harvest summer fruits and oil, and put them in your storage jars, and dwell in your cities that you have taken over.” 11Likewise, when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all other countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set Gedaliah over them as governor, 12Many Jews returned from all places where they had been driven, and came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and harvested an abundance of wine and summer fruits.

13Then Johanan, son of Kareah, and the commanders of all those forces that were in the field, came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, 14And told him, “Do you know that Baalis, the king of the Ammonites, has sent Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, to assassinate you?” But Gedaliah did not believe them. 15Then Johanan, spoke privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, and said, “Let me go and kill Ishmael, and no man will know it. Why should he kill you and cause all the Jews who have gathered to you to be scattered, and the remnant of Jews in Judah to perish?” 16But Gedaliah said to Johanan, son of Kareah, “You shall not do this thing; for what you say about Ishmael is not true.”