הַדָּבָר אֲשֶׁר הָיָה אֶל־יִרְמְיָהוּ מֵאֵת ה'אַחַר שַׁלַּח אֹתוֹ נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב־טַבָּחִים מִן־הָרָמָה בְּקַחְתּוֹ אֹתוֹ וְהוּא אָסוּר בָּאזִקִּים בְּתוֹךְ כָּל־גָּלוּת יְרוּשָׁלִַם וִיהוּדָה הַמֻּגְלִים בָּבֶלָה

This is the message, beginning in 42:9, a prophecy that was with Jeremiah from the Lord. Before presenting the content of the prophecy, the verses describe the events leading up to it. Some commentaries maintain that this is an introduction not only to that specific prophecy, but to all of Jeremiah’s prophecies that came after the destruction of Jerusalem. After Nevuzaradan, captain of the guards, sent him from Rama, upon his taking him, and he had been bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah, who were being exiled to Babylon. Jeremiah joined the Jews on their way to exile in Babylon. However, he was recognized by Nevuzaradan, who had been commanded by Nebuchadnezzar to give him special treatment.

וַיִּקַּח רַב־טַבָּחִים לְיִרְמְיָהוּ וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלָיו ה' אֱלֹהֶיךָ דִּבֶּר אֶת־הָרָעָה הַזֹּאת אֶל־הַמָּקוֹם הַזֶּה

Therefore, the captain of the guards took Jeremiah and said to him: The Lord your God spoke this evil concerning this place. Your prophecy has come to pass.

וַיָּבֵא וַיַּעַשׂ ה' כַּאֲשֶׁר דִּבֵּר כִּי־חֲטָאתֶם לַה' וְלֹא־ שְׁמַעְתֶּם בְּקוֹלוֹ — וְהָיָה לָכֶם הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה

And the Lord brought it and did as He had spoken, because you sinned to the Lord, and you did not heed Him, and this matter befell you.

וְעַתָּה הִנֵּה פִתַּחְתִּיךָ הַיּוֹם מִן־הָאזִקִּים אֲשֶׁר עַל־יָדֶךָ אִם־טוֹב בְּעֵינֶיךָ לָבוֹא אִתִּי בָבֶל — בֹּא וְאָשִׂים אֶת־עֵינִי עָלֶיךָ וְאִם־רַע בְּעֵינֶיךָ לָבוֹא־אִתִּי בָבֶל — חֲדָל רְאֵה כָּל־הָאָרֶץ לְפָנֶיךָ אֶל־ טוֹב וְאֶל־הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת שָׁמָּה — לֵךְ

Now behold, I have released you today from the chains that were upon your hand. You are a free man, and your fate is in your own hands. If it is good in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will set my eye upon you. I will personally care for you and treat you as an honored guest. And if it is bad in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, you may refrain from doing so, and remain here. If you choose to stay, see, the entire land is before you, to that which is good and to what is right in your eyes to go there, go.

וְעוֹדֶנּוּ לֹא־יָשׁוּב וְשֻׁבָה אֶל־גְּדַלְיָה בֶן־אֲחִיקָם בֶּן־שָׁפָן אֲשֶׁר הִפְקִיד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה וְשֵׁב אִתּוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הָעָם אוֹ אֶל־כָּל־הַיָּשָׁר בְּעֵינֶיךָ לָלֶכֶת — לֵךְ

He had not yet returned; while Jeremiah lingered and did not turn back, he was advised: Return to Gedalya, son of Ahikam, son of Shafan, whom the king of Babylon appointed over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people, or to wherever is right in your eyes to go, go. No restrictions are placed on your movements; you may do as you please. Jeremiah expressed his desire to remain. The captain of the guards gave him an allotment and a gift, and he sent him. He was exceptionally courteous toward Jeremiah, in accordance with his orders from the king.

וַיִּתֶּן־לוֹ רַב־טַבָּחִים אֲרֻחָה וּמַשְׂאֵת וַיְשַׁלְּחֵהוּ וַיָּבֹא יִרְמְיָהוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָה בֶן־אֲחִיקָם הַמִּצְפָּתָה וַיֵּשֶׁב אִתּוֹ בְּתוֹךְ הָעָם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים בָּאָרֶץ

Jeremiah came to Gedalya son of Ahikam to the Mitzpa and he dwelled with him among the people who remained in the land. As stated above, the king of Babylon did not destroy the land nor did he exile all of its inhabitants. Jerusalem was destroyed through the siege and the resulting starvation, and large parts of it were burned to the ground. However, some settled areas remained, and the king of Babylon wanted, for both political and economic reasons, people to continue living in the land.

וַיִּשְׁמְעוּ כָל־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה הֵמָּה וְאַנְשֵׁיהֶם כִּי־הִפְקִיד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל אֶת־גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָם בָּאָרֶץ וְכִי הִפְקִיד אִתּוֹ אֲנָשִׁים וְנָשִׁים וָטָף וּמִדַּלַּת הָאָרֶץ מֵאֲשֶׁר לֹא־הָגְלוּ בָּבֶלָה

All the captains of the soldiers who were dispersed in the field, they and their men, some of whom might have fled from Jerusalem, while others remained outside due to the siege, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedalya son of Ahikam as governor over the land, and that he had entrusted with him men, women, and children, and others of the impoverished of the land, from those who were not exiled to Babylon. Gedalya sought to restore a Jewish presence in the land with the assistance of the poor who had been left there.

וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָה הַמִּצְפָּתָה ויִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָהוּ וְיוֹחָנָן וְיוֹנָתָן בְּנֵי־קָרֵחַ וּשְׂרָיָה בֶן־תַּנְחֻמֶת וּבְנֵי עֵיפַי הַנְּטֹפָתִי וִיזַנְיָהוּ בֶּן־הַמַּעֲכָתִי הֵמָּה וְאַנְשֵׁיהֶם

They came to Gedalya, to the Mitzpa, in the portion of Benjamin, north of Jerusalem, and those who arrived included Yishmael son of Netanya, and Yohanan and Yonatan sons of Kare’ah, and Seraya son of Tanhumet, and the sons of Efai the Netofatite, and Yezanya son of the Maakhatite, they and their men.

וַיִּשָּׁבַע לָהֶם גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָם בֶּן־שָׁפָן וּלְאַנְשֵׁיהֶם לֵאמֹר אַל־תִּירְאוּ מֵעֲבוֹד הַכַּשְׂדִּים שְׁבוּ בָאָרֶץ וְעִבְדוּ אֶת־מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל וְיִיטַב לָכֶם

Gedalya, son of Ahikam, son of Shafan took an oath to them and to their men, that no ill would befall them under his rule, saying: Do not fear to serve the Chaldeans, dwell in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will be good for you. Although you fought against the Chaldeans, the king of Babylon is not interested in settling old scores. He has completed his mission in Judah, effectively destroying the country, and he will no longer oppress you.

וַאֲנִי הִנְנִי יֹשֵׁב בַּמִּצְפָּה לַעֲמֹד לִפְנֵי הַכַּשְׂדִּים אֲשֶׁר יָבֹאוּ אֵלֵינוּ וְאַתֶּם אִסְפוּ יַיִן וְקַיִץ וְשֶׁמֶן וְשִׂמוּ בִּכְלֵיכֶם וּשְׁבוּ בְּעָרֵיכֶם אֲשֶׁר־תְּפַשְׂתֶּם

And I have been appointed to govern the land; behold, I am residing at the Mitzpa, as I have been appointed to stand before the Chaldeans who will come to us, and represent the people to them. And you, gather wine and ripe fruit [kayitz], a term that refers particularly to ripe figs, and oil, and place them in your vessels. Perhaps there was not much grain left in the fields with which to bake bread, which is why it is not mentioned here. And dwell in your cities, any of the locations, of which you have taken hold.

וְגַם כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר־בְּמוֹאָב וּבִבְנֵי־עַמּוֹן וּבֶאֱדוֹם וַאֲשֶׁר בְּכָל־הָאֲרָצוֹת שָׁמְעוּ כִּי־נָתַן מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל שְׁאֵרִית לִיהוּדָה וְכִי הִפְקִיד עֲלֵיהֶם אֶת־גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָם בֶּן־שָׁפָן

Moreover, all the Jews who were in Moav and among the children of Amon and in Edom and who were in all the lands heard that the king of Babylon had allowed a remnant for Judah and that he had appointed over them Gedalya, son of Ahikam, son of Shafan.

וַיָּשֻׁבוּ כָל־הַיְּהוּדִים מִכָּל־הַמְּקֹמוֹת אֲשֶׁר נִדְּחוּ־שָׁם וַיָּבֹאוּ אֶרֶץ־יְהוּדָה אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ הַמִּצְפָּתָה וַיַּאַסְפוּ יַיִן וָקַיִץ הַרְבֵּה מְאֹד

And all the Jews returned from all places where they were banished, and they came to the land of Judah, to Gedalya, to the Mitzpa, and gathered very much wine and ripe fruits. A lot of these crops remained in the land, and they harvested them for their sustenance and to help them start new lives.

וְיוֹחָנָן בֶּן־קָרֵחַ וְכָל־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים אֲשֶׁר בַּשָּׂדֶה בָּאוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ הַמִּצְפָּתָה

Yohanan son of Kare’ah and all the captains of the soldiers who were in the field came to Gedalya to the Mitzpa.

וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֵלָיו הֲיָדֹעַ תֵּדַע כִּי בַּעֲלִיס מֶלֶךְ בְּנֵי־עַמּוֹן שָׁלַח אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה לְהַכֹּתְךָ נָפֶשׁ וְלֹא־הֶאֱמִין לָהֶם גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָם

They said to him: Do you know that Baalis king of the children of Amon sent Yishmael son of Netanya to smite you mortally, to assassinate you? But Gedalya son of Ahikam did not believe them. Gedalya, a righteous and fair individual, refused to believe that Yishmael, an acquaintance of his, would seek to kill him for no good reason. Although they differed in their political opinions, there was no personal quarrel between them. Therefore, he maintained that this accusation was unfounded.

וְיוֹחָנָן בֶּן־קָרֵחַ אָמַר אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ בַסֵּתֶר בַּמִּצְפָּה לֵאמֹר אֵלְכָה נָּא וְאַכֶּה אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה וְאִישׁ לֹא יֵדָע לָמָּה יַכֶּכָּה נֶּפֶשׁ וְנָפֹצוּ כָּל־יְהוּדָה הַנִּקְבָּצִים אֵלֶיךָ וְאָבְדָה שְׁאֵרִית יְהוּדָה!

Yohanan son of Kare’ah, possibly a close friend of the governor, spoke to Gedalya at the Mitzpa discreetly, saying: Please, let me go and I will smite Yishmael son of Netanya, and no man will know, as he has few supporters, and I have a battalion of soldiers at my disposal. Yohanan adds that the purpose of eliminating Yishmael is not merely to remove the personal threat: Why should he smite you mortally, and all of Judah who gathered to you will be dispersed, and the remnant of Judah will be lost? The hopes of the Jews in the land depend upon you, as it is unclear whether another suitable ruler can be found who will sustain the remnant of the people. If you are killed, the people will be unable to continue rebuilding the land, and all will be lost.

וַיֹּאמֶר גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָם אֶל־יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־קָרֵחַ אַל־תַּעֲשֵׂ אֶת־הַדָּבָר הַזֶּה כִּי־שֶׁקֶר אַתָּה דֹבֵר אֶל יִשְׁמָעֵאל

Gedalya son of Ahikam said to Yohanan son of Kare’ah: Do not do this thing, for you are speaking falsehood about Yishmael. You are slandering him. Despite the political disputes between us, Yishmael is a good captain. Gedalya, who was perhaps too naive for his position, did not heed Yohanan’s warnings and instructed him not to interfere.