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The wordwhichcame to Jeremiah from the LORDafterNebuzaradancaptain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chainsamongall the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon.
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and the LORD has brought it on and donejust as He promised. Because you people sinned against the LORD and did not listen to His voice, therefore thisthing has happened to you.
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"But now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chainswhich are on your hands. If you would prefer* to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will look*after you; but if you would prefer* not to come with me to Babylon, nevermind. Look, the wholeland is before you; gowherever it seems good and right for you to go."
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As Jeremiah was still not goingback, he said, "Go on back then to Gedaliah the 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 else goanywhere it seems right for you to go." So the captain of the bodyguardgave him a ration and a gift and let him go.
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Now all the commanders of the forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointedGedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had put him in charge of the men, women and children, those of the poorest of the landwho had not been exiled to Babylon.
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So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with 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, both they and their men.
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Then Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, swore to them and to their men, saying, "Do not be afraid of serving the Chaldeans; stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon, that it may gowell with you.
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"Now as for me, behold, I am going to stay at Mizpah to stand for you before the Chaldeanswhocome to us; but as for you, gather in wine and summerfruit and oil and put them in your storage vessels, and live in your cities that you have takenover."
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Likewise, alsoall the Jewswho were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the other countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah, and that he had appointedover them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan.
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Then all the Jewsreturned from all the places to which they had been drivenaway and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered in wine and summerfruit in greatabundance.
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and said to him, "Are you wellaware that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sentIshmael the son of Nethaniah to take your life?" But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.
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Then Johanan the son of Kareahspokesecretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, "Let me go and killIshmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know! Why should he take your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the remnant of Judah would perish?"