Jeremiah 40

1 This is the word [message from God, divine utterance] that came to Jeremiah [whom Jehovah has appointed] from the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] after Nebuzaradan [Babylonian general] captain of the guard [chief lifeguardsman] had released him at Ramah [a city in Palestine], having found him bound [tied, restrained] in chains [manacles] among all the captives [prisoners, exiles] of Jerusalem [the city of peace] and Judah [the tribe descended from Judah] who were being exiled [carried away, removed] to Babylon [the city of confusion]. word study 2 The captain [chief, commander] of the guard [executioners, lifeguardsmen] found Jeremiah and said to him, “The LORD [Yehovah, the supreme God] your God [Elohim, the one supreme God] decreed [pronounced, spoke] this disaster [evil, calamity] on this place [location, region], word study 3 and now the LORD [Yehovah, The covenant Name of God] has fulfilled [brought to pass, accomplished] it; He has done [made, accomplished] just as He said [spoken, commanded]. Because you people have sinned [missed the mark, gone wrong] against the LORD [the supreme authority] and have not obeyed [listened to, heeded] His voice [sound, command], this thing [event, circumstance] has happened [come to pass, occurred] to you. word study 4 But now [at this present time], behold [look, see], I am freeing you today [on this day, from this moment] from the chains [manacles, bonds] that were on your wrists [hands]. If it pleases you [seems good, is acceptable] to come with me [to accompany, to follow] to Babylon [a city of confusion, mixing], then come, and I will take care of you [look after, provide for]. But if it seems wrong [evil, bad] to you to come with me to Babylon, go no farther [do not proceed, cease]. Look [see, behold], the whole land [all the earth, the entire territory] is before you [in your presence, available to you]. Wherever it seems good [pleasant, beneficial] and right [just, convenient] to you, go there [to that place, in that direction].” word study 5 But before Jeremiah turned to go, Nebuzaradan added, “Return [to dwell with, to reside alongside] to Gedaliah [the son of Shaphan, a leader in Judah] son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king [ruler, sovereign] of Babylon [a city and empire of great influence] has appointed [made governor, given authority] over the cities [towns, communities] of Judah, and stay with him [to remain, to abide] among the people [the nation, the community], or go [to walk, to journey] anywhere else [to any other place, wherever it seems right] that seems right [convenient, pleasing].” Then the captain [chief, commander] of the guard [the protector, the watcher] gave him a ration [food, provision] and a gift [a present, a tribute] and released [sent away, let go] him. word study 6 So Jeremiah [the prophet, whom Jehovah has appointed] went to Gedaliah [the governor] son of Ahikam at Mizpah [the watchtower, a place of observation] and stayed [to dwell, to remain] with him among the people [a nation, a group of individuals] who were left [to remain, to be spared] in the land [the earth, the territory]. word study 7 When all [every single one] the commanders [captains, leaders] and men [soldiers, warriors] of the armies [forces, troops] in the field [open country, countryside] heard [listened, obeyed] that the king [ruler, monarch] of Babylon [Babel, a city of confusion] had appointed [made, established] Gedaliah [a governor] son of Ahikam [a high-ranking official] over [in charge of, governing] the land [country, territory] and that he had put [placed, entrusted] him in charge [responsibility, care] of the men [males, individuals], women [females, wives], and children [little ones, young ones] who were [are, exist as] the poorest [most helpless, needy] of the land [country, earth] and had not [did not, were not] been exiled [carried away, deported] to Babylon [a city of captivity], word study 8 they came [approached, drew near] to Gedaliah [the governor of Judea] at Mizpah [the watchtower, a place of observation]—Ishmael [God will hear, a son of Nethaniah] son of Nethaniah, Johanan [Jehovah has graced] and Jonathan [Jehovah has given] the sons of Kareah, Seraiah [Jehovah is ruler] son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai [an inhabitant of Netophah] the Netophathite, and Jezaniah [Jehovah has listened] son of the Maacathite [from the city of Maakah, a place of pressure]—they [these men, the group] and their men [their companions, fellow soldiers]. word study 9 Gedaliah [the son of Shaphan, a governor of Judea] son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore [made a solemn promise, took an oath] an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Do not be afraid [have no fear, do not dread] to serve [work for, be in bondage to] the Chaldeans [inhabitants of Babylon, a powerful nation]. Live [dwell, reside] in the land [the earth, the territory] and serve [obey, be subject to] the king of Babylon [the ruler of the Babylonian empire], and it will go well [be good, be prosperous] with you. word study 10 As for me, I [myself, personally] will stay in Mizpah [a watchtower, a place of observation] to represent [stand before, serve] you before the Chaldeans [inhabitants of Chaldea, a region in Mesopotamia] who come to us [approach, draw near]. As for you, gather [collect, harvest] wine grapes [fermented wine, intoxicating drink], summer fruit [seasonal produce, harvest], and oil [olive oil], place them in your storage jars [vessels, containers], and live [dwell, reside] in the cities you have taken [captured, seized].” word study 11 When all [every single one] the Jews [people of Judah, descendants of Judah] in Moab [a land east of the Jordan], Ammon [a land east of the Jordan], Edom [a land south of the Dead Sea], and all [every] the other lands [countries, regions] heard [listened, gave attention] that the king [ruler, sovereign] of Babylon [meaning confusion or mixing] had left [allowed to remain, spared] a remnant [a small part that remains, a surviving group] in Judah [the southern kingdom of Israel, the tribe of Judah] and had appointed [set over, placed in charge] Gedaliah [a leader, governor] son of Ahikam [a high-ranking official], the son of Shaphan [a scribe, secretary], over [in charge of, responsible for] them, word study 12 they all [every single one, completely] returned from all [every] the places [locations, regions] to which they had been banished [driven away, expelled] and came to the land [territory, region] of Judah [the tribe of Judah], to Gedaliah [the governor, leader] at Mizpah [the watchtower, gathering place]. And they gathered [collected, harvested] an abundance [a large quantity, much] of wine grapes [fermented wine, intoxicating drink] and summer fruit [seasonal harvest, fruit of the season]. word study 13 Meanwhile, Johanan [son of Jehovah’s grace] son of Kareah and all [every single one] the commanders [rulers, captains] of the armies [forces, military powers] in the field [open country, battle grounds] came to Gedaliah [exalted by God] at Mizpah [watchtower, place of observation] word study 14 and said to him, “Are you aware [do you know, have you been informed] that Baalis [the king of the Ammonites, a neighboring nation] king of the Ammonites [sons of Ammon, a descendant of Lot] has sent [dispatched, commissioned] Ishmael [God will hear, a son of Nethaniah] son of Nethaniah [given of Jehovah, a Levite] to take [slay, assassinate] your life [soul, living being]?” But Gedaliah [exalted of God, a governor of Judea] son of Ahikam [my brother has risen, a high-ranking official] did not believe [trust, have faith in] them. word study 15 Then Johanan [a leader of the Israelites] son of Kareah spoke privately [in secrecy, secretly] to Gedaliah at Mizpah. “Let me go [please allow me to go, I pray] and kill Ishmael [a threat to Judah] son of Nethaniah,” he said. “No one [not a single person, no man] will know it [be aware of it, discover it]. Why should he take [slay, kill] your life [soul, living being] and scatter [disperse, shatter] all the people of Judah [the tribe of Judah, the Jews] who have gathered [assembled, collected] to you, so that the remnant [what is left, the remaining ones] of Judah would perish [be destroyed, lost]?” word study 16 But Gedaliah [a high-ranking official] son of Ahikam said to Johanan [a leader of the Israelites] son of Kareah, “Do not [refrain from, cease] do such a thing [this act, this deed]! What you are saying [speaking, declaring] about Ishmael [God will hear, a son of Nethaniah] is a lie [falsehood, deception].” word study