耶40:1 护卫长尼布撒拉旦在拉玛释放了耶利米以后，从耶和华那里有话临到耶利米。耶利米被提出来的时候，还被铁链锁着，在所有从耶路撒冷和犹大被掳到巴比伦去的人中间。
耶40:1 The word which came to Jeremiah from the Lord, after Nebuzaradan, the captain of the armed men, had let him go from Ramah, when he had taken him; for he had been put in chains, among all the prisoners of Jerusalem and Judah who were taken away prisoners to Babylon.
耶40:2 护卫长把耶利米提出来，对他说：“耶和华你的 神曾说要降这灾祸在这地方；
耶40:2 And the captain of the armed men took Jeremiah and said to him, The Lord your God gave word of the evil which was to come on this place:
耶40:3 现在耶和华使灾祸临到，照他所说的行了；因为你们得罪了耶和华，没有听从他的话，所以这事才临到你们。
耶40:3 *** and the Lord has made it come, and has done as he said; because of your sin against the Lord in not giving ear to his voice; and that is why this thing has come on you.
耶40:4 我现在解开你手上的铁链。你若认为与我一同到巴比伦去好，就一起去，我必好好照顾你；你若认为与我一同到巴比伦去不好，就不必去。看，全地都在你面前，你认为去哪里好、哪里合宜，就到哪里去吧！”
耶40:4 Now see, this day I am freeing you from the chains which are on your hands. If it seems good to you to come with me to Babylon, then come, and I will keep an eye on you; but if it does not seem good to you to come with me to Babylon, then do not come: see, all the land is before you; if it seems good and right to you to go on living in the land,
耶40:5 耶利米还没有回答，护卫长又说（“耶利米还没有回答，护卫长又说”原文意思难确定，有译本改作“你若认为回去好”）：“你可以回到沙番的孙子、亚希甘的儿子基大利那里去！基大利是巴比伦王指派管理犹大各城的。你可以和他一起住在人民中间；或是你认为去哪里合宜，就到哪里去吧！”于是护卫长给他粮食和礼物，就释放他走了。
耶40:5 Then go back to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made ruler over the towns of Judah, and make your living-place with him among the people; or go wherever it seems right to you to go. So the captain of the armed men gave him food and some money and let him go.
耶40:6 耶利米就到米斯巴去见亚希甘的儿子基大利，和他一同住在那地剩下的人民中间。
耶40:6 So Jeremiah went to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, in Mizpah, and was living with him among the people who were still in the land.
耶40:7 在田野的众将领和他们的士兵，听见巴比伦王委派了亚希甘的儿子基大利管理那地，也委派他管理那些没有被掳到巴比伦去的男人、妇女、孩童，和那地最贫穷的人，
耶40:7 Now when it came to the ears of all the captains of the forces who were in the field, and their men, that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, ruler in the land, and had put under his care the men and women and children, all the poorest of the land, those who had not been taken away to Babylon;
耶40:8 他们就来到米斯巴去见基大利；其中有尼探雅的儿子以实玛利、加利亚的两个儿子约哈难和约拿单、单户篾的儿子西莱雅、尼陀法人以斐的众子，和玛迦人的儿子耶撒尼亚，以及他们的士兵。
耶40:8 Then they came to Gedaliah in Mizpah, even Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and Johanan, the son of Kareah, and Seraiah, the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah, the son of the Maacathite, they and their men.
耶40:9 沙番的孙子、亚希甘的儿子基大利向他们和他们的士兵起誓，说：“你们不要惧怕服事迦勒底人，只管住在这地，服事巴比伦王，就可以平安无事。
耶40:9 And Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to them and their men, saying, Have no fear of the servants of the Chaldaeans: go on living in the land, and become the servants of the king of Babylon, and all will be well.
耶40:10 至于我，我要留在米斯巴，侍候那些来到我们这里的迦勒底人。你们只管收存酒、夏天的果子和油，放在器皿里，并且住在你们所占有的城中。”
耶40:10 As for me, I will be living in Mizpah as your representative before the Chaldaeans who come to us: but you are to get in your wine and summer fruits and oil and put them in your vessels, and make living-places for yourselves in the towns which you have taken.
耶40:11 那些在摩押、亚扪、以东和各地所有的犹大人，听见了巴比伦王在犹大留下一些余民，并且指派沙番的孙子、亚希甘的儿子基大利管理他们，
耶40:11 In the same way, when all the Jews who were in Moab and among the children of Ammon and in Edom and in all the countries, had news that the king of Babylon had let Judah keep some of its people and that he had put over them Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan;
耶40:12 所有的犹大人就从被赶逐到的各地方回来，到犹大地的米斯巴去见基大利，并且收存了许多的酒和夏天的果子。
耶40:12 Then all the Jews came back from all the places to which they had gone in flight, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, to Mizpah, and got in a great store of wine and summer fruit.
耶40:13 加利亚的儿子约哈难和在田野的众将领，都到米斯巴去见基大利，
耶40:13 Now Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces which were in the field, came to Gedaliah in Mizpah,
耶40:14 对他说：“亚扪王巴利斯派尼探雅的儿子以实玛利来杀你，你知道吗？”亚希甘的儿子基大利不相信他们。
耶40:14 And said to him, Has it come to your knowledge that Baalis, the king of the children of Ammon, has sent Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to take your life? But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, put no faith in what they said.
耶40:15 后来加利亚的儿子约哈难在米斯巴私下告诉基大利说：“请容我去把尼探雅的儿子以实玛利杀了，必没有人知道；为什么要让他杀你，以致集合到你那里来的所有犹大人都分散，犹大余剩的人都灭亡呢？”
耶40:15 Then Johanan, the son of Kareah, said to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, Let me now go and put Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, to death without anyone's knowledge: why let him take your life so that all the Jews who have come together to you may be sent in flight, and the rest of the men of Judah come to an end?
耶40:16 但亚希甘的儿子基大利对加利亚的儿子约哈难说：“你不可作这事，因为你所说关于以实玛利的事都是谎话！”
耶40:16 But Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, said to Johanan, the son of Kareah, You are not to do this: for what you say about Ishmael is false.