1The word that was on Jeremiah from before LORD JEHOVAH, after Nebuzaradan the High Guard sent him from Ramtha, when he took him bound in chains, among all the captivity of Jerusalem and of Judea who were taken captive to Babel 2And the High Guard took Jeremiah and said to him: “LORD JEHOVAH your God spoke evil against this place 3And LORD JEHOVAH brought and did as he said, because you have sinned against LORD JEHOVAH, and you have not listened to his voice, this response came to you 4But you, behold, I release you today from the chains that are on your hands, if you choose to come with me to Babel, come, and my eyes shall be upon you, and if you have not desired to come with me to Babel, stay. Behold, all the land is before you; wherever it is good and wherever it is excellent in your eyes to go, go there” 5And he said to him: “If you remain, dwell with Gedaliah, son of Akhiqam, son of Shaphan, among the people whom the King of Babel authorized in the villages of Judea, or wherever is excellent in your eyes to go, go.” And Nebuzaradan the High Guard gave him gifts on the road and he released him 6And Jeremiah came to Gedaliah, son of Akhiqam, son of Shaphan, to Metspaya, and he dwelt with him among the people who were left in the land

7And all the Captains of the armies that were in those towns and the men who were with them heard that the King of Babel authorized Gedaliah, son of Akhiqam, in the land, and that he delivered to him the men and the women and the children and some poor of the land, those that were not taken captive to Babel 8And they came to Gedaliah, to Metspaya: Ishmayl, son of Nethaniah and Yokhanan and Yonathan, sons of Qorakh, and Sheriah, son of Tankhumeth, and the sons of Eiphai who were from Netuphath, and Yazaniah son of Makath, those and their mighty men 9And Gedaliah son of Akhiqam, son of Shaphan, swore to them and to the men who were with them, and he said: "Do not be afraid to work for the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and work for the King of Babel, and it shall be well for you 10And I, behold, I dwell in Mezpaya to stand before the Chaldeans who come to us, and you gather grain and wine and oil and the fruit of summer, and cast them into your vessels, and dwell in your villages that you have seized 11Also all the Jews that are in Edum and in Moab and among the sons of Amon and in all lands heard that the King of Babel left a remnant of the Judeans and that he had authorized Gedaliah, son of Akhiqam, son of Shaphan, over them 12And all the Hebrews returned from all regions where they were scattered, and they came to the land of Judea to Gedaliah at Metspaya, and they gathered wine and the produce of summer, a very great abundance

13And Yokhanan, son of Qorakh, and all the Captains of the armies that were in the towns came to Gedaliah at Metspaya 14And they said to him: “Do you not know that Balleis, King of the children of Amon, sent Ishmayl, son of Nethaniah, to kill you?” And Gedaliah, son of Akhiqam, did not believe them 15And Yokhanan, son of Qorakh, said to Gedaliah secretly in Mezpaya: “I shall go kill Ishmayl, son of Nethaniah, and no man will know, lest he would kill you and all of the house of Yehuda who are assembled to you would be scattered, and the remnant of the Jews would be cut off!” 16And Gedaliah, son of Akhiqam, said to Yokhanan, son of Qorakh, “You shall not make this response, because you have spoken a lie against Ishmayl!”