Johanan

22Some people were still left in Judah. Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon chose Gedaliah to be their leader. Gedaliah was the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan.

And as for the people that remained in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon had left, even over them he made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ruler.

NoteA governor is a leader who runs a land for a faraway king. Gedaliah would rule Judah for the king of Babylon.

23Army leaders and their men heard that Gedaliah was now governor. So they came to him at a town called Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Careah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth from Netophah, and Jaazaniah the Maachathite. Their men came with them.

And when all the captains of the armies, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah governor, there came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan the son of Careah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah the son of a Maachathite, they and their men.

NoteMizpah was a small town a few miles north of Jerusalem. Jerusalem itself lay in ruins, so leaders met at Mizpah instead.

24Gedaliah made a promise to them and their men. He said, "Do not be afraid to serve the Babylonians. Live here in the land. Serve the king of Babylon, and things will go well for you."

And Gedaliah sware to them, and to their men, and said unto them, Fear not to be the servants of the Chaldees: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon; and it shall be well with you.

NoteGedaliah's promise was an oath, a very strong promise made before God.

25But in month seven, Ishmael came with ten men. He was the son of Nethaniah and the grandson of Elishama, and he came from the king's family. They killed Gedaliah. They also killed the men from Judah and Babylon who were with him at Mizpah.

But it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, came, and ten men with him, and smote Gedaliah, that he died, and the Jews and the Chaldees that were with him at Mizpah.

NoteIshmael came from the old royal family of Judah. Some people thought Gedaliah was helping the enemy.

26Then all the people, young and old, got up and left. The army leaders went too. They all ran away to Egypt because they were afraid of the Babylonians.

And all the people, both small and great, and the captains of the armies, arose, and came to Egypt: for they were afraid of the Chaldees.

NoteEgypt was far to the south. The king of Babylon did not rule there, so people felt safer.

7Some army leaders and their men were still out in the open country. They heard that the king of Babylon had put Gedaliah in charge of the land. Gedaliah was to care for the men, women, and children left behind. These were the poorest people, who had not been taken away to Babylon.

Now when all the captains of the forces which were in the fields, even they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah the son of Ahikam governor in the land, and had committed unto him men, and women, and children, and of the poor of the land, of them that were not carried away captive to Babylon;

NoteThese army leaders were soldiers from Judah. They had hidden out in the hills and fields when the war ended.

8So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. They were Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan, the sons of Kareah. Seraiah son of Tanhumeth came too. So did the sons of Ephai from Netophah, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite. Their men came with them.

Then they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, even 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 a Maachathite, they and their men.

NotePeople were often named after their fathers. "Son of Kareah" means his father was named Kareah.

9Gedaliah son of Ahikam made a promise to them and their men. He said, "Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans, the people of Babylon. Live here in the land and serve the king of Babylon. Then things will go well for you."

And Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan sware unto them and to their men, saying, Fear not to serve the Chaldeans: dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you.

NoteChaldeans was another name for the people of Babylon. When Gedaliah made this promise, he used God's name. That showed everyone he really meant it.

10"As for me, I will stay here in Mizpah. I will speak for you to the men from Babylon who come to us. You should gather grapes, summer fruit, and olive oil. Put them in your jars. Live in the towns you have taken."

As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to serve the Chaldeans, which will come unto us: but ye, gather ye wine, and summer fruits, and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken.

NoteSummer fruit meant figs and other fruit picked at the end of summer. Olive oil is squeezed out of olives. People cooked with it and burned it in their lamps. The jars were big clay pots for keeping food and drink.

11Some Jews were living in Moab, Ammon, Edom, and other lands. They heard that the king of Babylon had left some people alive in Judah. They also heard that he had put Gedaliah son of Ahikam in charge of them.

Likewise when all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the Ammonites, and in Edom, and that were in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan;

NoteMoab, Ammon, and Edom were lands close to Judah. Many Jews had run there to hide while the war was going on.

12So they all came back from the places where they had been sent. They came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah. There they gathered a very large amount of grapes and summer fruit.

Even all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were driven, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.

13Then Johanan son of Kareah came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The other army leaders from the open country came with him.

Moreover Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the fields, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah,

14They said to him, "Do you know what Baalis, the king of Ammon, has done? He has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to kill you." But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.

And said unto him, Dost thou certainly know that Baalis the king of the Ammonites hath sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to slay thee? But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam believed them not.

NoteAmmon was a country east of the Jordan River. Ishmael came from the family of Judah's old kings.

15Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke to Gedaliah alone at Mizpah. He said, "Please let me go and kill Ishmael son of Nethaniah. No one will know about it. Why should he kill you? Then all the Jews who came to you would be scattered. The few people left in Judah would die."

Then Johanan the son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying, Let me go, I pray thee, and I will slay Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and no man shall know it: wherefore should he slay thee, that all the Jews which are gathered unto thee should be scattered, and the remnant in Judah perish?

NoteScattered means the people would run off in every direction. Then no group of them would be left living together in Judah.

16But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, "Do not do this. What you are saying about Ishmael is not true."

But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said unto Johanan the son of Kareah, Thou shalt not do this thing: for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

11Johanan son of Kareah heard about all the terrible things Ishmael had done. The army leaders who were with him heard about it too.

But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,

NoteJohanan was a leader of soldiers from Judah. His men had not been in the town when Ishmael killed Gedaliah.

12So they gathered all their men and went to fight Ishmael. They found him beside the big pool of water at Gibeon.

Then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.

NoteGibeon was a town a few miles from Mizpah. It had a large pool of water where people came to fill their jars.

13The people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah coming. They saw all the army leaders with him, and they were glad.

Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.

14All the people Ishmael had taken from Mizpah turned around. They walked over and joined Johanan son of Kareah.

So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.

15But Ishmael got away from Johanan with eight of his men. He went to the land of the Ammonites.

But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.

16So Johanan and the army leaders took charge of the people who were left. He had won them back from Ishmael after Ishmael killed Gedaliah. Among them were soldiers, women, children, and palace servants. Johanan brought them all back from Gibeon.

Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon:

NoteThe King James calls these men eunuchs. They were servants who worked inside a king's house.

17They traveled on and stayed at a place called Chimham, near the town of Bethlehem. They planned to keep going and enter the land of Egypt.

And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,

NoteChimham was a resting place for travelers near Bethlehem. It was on the road that led south toward Egypt.

18They were afraid of the Chaldeans, the people of Babylon. Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the man the king of Babylon had put in charge of the land.

Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.

NoteThey were afraid Babylon would blame them all for Gedaliah's death. Egypt was far to the south, away from Babylon's army.

1Then the leaders of the soldiers came to Jeremiah. Johanan son of Kareah came. Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah came. All the people came too, from the least important to the greatest.

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near,

NoteThis happened after an army from Babylon knocked down Jerusalem. Only a small group of people was left in the land. The soldiers' leaders were the men in charge of the fighting men.

2They said to Jeremiah, a prophet who told people what God said, "Please listen to what we ask. Please pray to the LORD your God for us. Pray for all of us who are left. Only a few of us are left out of many. You can see that yourself."

And said unto Jeremiah the prophet, Let, we beseech thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the LORD thy God, even for all this remnant; (for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do behold us:)

NoteA prophet was a person who listened to God and told others his words. When you see LORD in big letters, it stands for God's own name.

3"Ask the LORD your God to show us which way to go. Ask him to show us what to do."

That the LORD thy God may shew us the way wherein we may walk, and the thing that we may do.

NoteThey were not asking about a road. They wanted to know what God wanted them to do next.

4Jeremiah the prophet said, "I have heard you. I will pray to the LORD your God, just as you asked. Whatever the LORD answers, I will tell you. I will not hold back one word."

Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the LORD your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass, that whatsoever thing the LORD shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you.

5Then they said to Jeremiah, "Let the LORD be a true and honest witness. May he judge us if we do not do all he tells you to say."

Then they said to Jeremiah, The LORD be a true and faithful witness between us, if we do not even according to all things for the which the LORD thy God shall send thee to us.

NoteA witness is someone who sees what happens and can tell about it. They were saying, "God is watching us make this promise."

6"Whether the answer is nice or hard, we will obey the LORD our God. He is the one we are sending you to. Then things will go well with us, because we obeyed him."

Whether it be good, or whether it be evil, we will obey the voice of the LORD our God, to whom we send thee; that it may be well with us, when we obey the voice of the LORD our God.

7Ten days later, a message from the LORD came to Jeremiah.

And it came to pass after ten days, that the word of the LORD came unto Jeremiah.

NoteJeremiah waited ten whole days for God's answer. He could not hurry God. He waited until the message came.

8So Jeremiah called Johanan son of Kareah. He called all the soldiers' leaders who were with him. He called all the people too, from the least important to the greatest.

Then called he Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were with him, and all the people from the least even to the greatest,

9He said to them, "You sent me to bring your request to God. Here is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says."

And said unto them, Thus saith the LORD, the God of Israel, unto whom ye sent me to present your supplication before him;

10"If you stay in this land, I will build you up and not tear you down. I will plant you here and not pull you up. I am sorry about the trouble I brought on you."

If ye will still abide in this land, then will I build you, and not pull you down, and I will plant you, and not pluck you up: for I repent me of the evil that I have done unto you.

NoteThe old words say "the evil that I have done unto you." Here evil means trouble or harm, not being bad. Building and planting are word pictures for keeping the people safe and letting them grow.

11"Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon. You are afraid of him now. Do not be afraid of him, says the LORD. I am with you. I will save you and keep you out of his hands."

Be not afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom ye are afraid; be not afraid of him, saith the LORD: for I am with you to save you, and to deliver you from his hand.

NoteBabylon was a strong country far away. Its army had beaten their land and taken many people away. That is why they were afraid of its king.

12"I will be kind to you. Then he will be kind to you too. He will let you go back to your own land."

And I will shew mercies unto you, that he may have mercy upon you, and cause you to return to your own land.

NoteBeing kind here means not punishing them. The king had power to hurt them, but he would let them stay instead.

13"But you might say, 'We will not stay in this land.' Then you would not be obeying the LORD your God."

But if ye say, We will not dwell in this land, neither obey the voice of the LORD your God,

14"You might say, 'No. We will go to Egypt instead. There we will not see war. We will not hear the war horn. We will not be hungry. We will live there.'"

Saying, No; but we will go into the land of Egypt, where we shall see no war, nor hear the sound of the trumpet, nor have hunger of bread; and there will we dwell:

NoteEgypt was a big country to the south, past the desert. People went there when there was no food at home. The war horn was a ram's horn blown very loud. It warned everyone that enemies were coming.

15"If you say that, then listen to the LORD's word, you few people of Judah who are left. The LORD who leads heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says this. 'Suppose you make up your minds to go and live in Egypt.'"

And now therefore hear the word of the LORD, ye remnant of Judah; Thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; If ye wholly set your faces to enter into Egypt, and go to sojourn there;

NoteJudah was their country, and Jerusalem was its main city. The old words say "the LORD of hosts." Hosts means armies. It is a way of saying God is very strong.

16"'Then the sword you are afraid of will catch you there in Egypt. The hunger you fear will follow right behind you. And you will die there.'"

Then it shall come to pass, that the sword, which ye feared, shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt, and the famine, whereof ye were afraid, shall follow close after you there in Egypt; and there ye shall die.

NoteThe sword means war and fighting. A sword was the long, sharp knife soldiers carried.

17"'That will happen to everyone who chooses to go live in Egypt. They will die by the sword, by hunger, and by sickness. Not one of them will get away from the trouble I bring.'"

So shall it be with all the men that set their faces to go into Egypt to sojourn there; they shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence: and none of them shall remain or escape from the evil that I will bring upon them.

NoteSickness here means a plague. A plague is an illness that spreads fast and makes many people die.

18"The LORD who leads heaven's armies, the God of Israel, says this. 'My anger poured out on the people of Jerusalem. My anger will pour out on you too if you go to Egypt. People will use your name when they curse. They will be shocked at you and make fun of you. You will never see this place again.'"

For thus saith the LORD of hosts, the God of Israel; As mine anger and my fury hath been poured forth upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem; so shall my fury be poured forth upon you, when ye shall enter into Egypt: and ye shall be an execration, and an astonishment, and a curse, and a reproach; and ye shall see this place no more.

NoteAnger poured out is a word picture, like water tipped from a jar. A curse was words wishing bad things on someone. If people used your name in a curse, your name had come to mean something terrible.

19Jeremiah said, "The LORD has spoken to you who are left of Judah. He said, 'Do not go to Egypt.' Be very sure of this. I have warned you today."

The LORD hath said concerning you, O ye remnant of Judah; Go ye not into Egypt: know certainly that I have admonished you this day.

20"You were not honest with yourselves when you sent me to the LORD your God. You said, 'Pray to the LORD for us. Tell us everything he says, and we will do it.'"

For ye dissembled in your hearts, when ye sent me unto the LORD your God, saying, Pray for us unto the LORD our God; and according unto all that the LORD our God shall say, so declare unto us, and we will do it.

NoteThey said they would obey God. But inside they had already made up their minds to go to Egypt.

21"Today I have told you what he says. But you have not obeyed the LORD your God. You have not done what he sent me to tell you."

And now I have this day declared it to you; but ye have not obeyed the voice of the LORD your God, nor any thing for the which he hath sent me unto you.

22"So be very sure of this. You will die by the sword, by hunger, and by sickness. It will happen in the place where you want to go and live."

Now therefore know certainly that ye shall die by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence, in the place whither ye desire to go and to sojourn.

1Jeremiah finished telling the people everything the LORD their God had said. God had sent him to tell them all these words.

And it came to pass, that when Jeremiah had made an end of speaking unto all the people all the words of the LORD their God, for which the LORD their God had sent him to them, even all these words,

NoteJeremiah was a prophet. A prophet is someone who told people what God said.

2Then Azariah son of Hoshaiah spoke up. Johanan son of Kareah spoke too, with all the proud men. They said to Jeremiah, "You are lying! The LORD our God did not send you to say, 'Do not go live in Egypt.'"

Then spake Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men, saying unto Jeremiah, Thou speakest falsely: the LORD our God hath not sent thee to say, Go not into Egypt to sojourn there:

NoteThe King James calls them "the proud men." It means men who thought they were always right.

3"Baruch son of Neriah is turning you against us. He wants the Chaldeans to catch us. Then they will kill us or take us far away to Babylon."

But Baruch the son of Neriah setteth thee on against us, for to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they might put us to death, and carry us away captives into Babylon.

NoteThe Chaldeans were the people of Babylon. Babylon was a strong country far away. Its army had already taken over Judah. Baruch was Jeremiah's helper. He wrote down the words Jeremiah spoke.

4So Johanan son of Kareah did not obey the LORD. The army leaders and all the people did not obey either. God had told them to stay in the land of Judah.

So Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, and all the people, obeyed not the voice of the LORD, to dwell in the land of Judah.

5Instead, Johanan son of Kareah and the army leaders took everyone who was left in Judah. These people had come back home from all the lands where they had been scattered.

But Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces, took all the remnant of Judah, that were returned from all nations, whither they had been driven, to dwell in the land of Judah;

Note"Scattered" means pushed away from home. War had sent these people to other lands. Now they had come back to Judah.

6They took the men, the women, and the children. They took the king's daughters too. They took everyone Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had left with Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan. They also took Jeremiah the prophet, a man who told people what God said, and Baruch son of Neriah.

Even men, and women, and children, and the king’s daughters, and every person that Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had left with Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan, and Jeremiah the prophet, and Baruch the son of Neriah.

NoteNebuzaradan led the soldiers who guarded the king of Babylon. Gedaliah was the man Babylon put in charge of Judah. He had been killed a short time before this.

7So they went into the land of Egypt, because they did not obey the LORD. They went all the way to a town called Tahpanhes.

So they came into the land of Egypt: for they obeyed not the voice of the LORD: thus came they even to Tahpanhes.

NoteTahpanhes was a town in Egypt, near the edge of the country.