DESTRUCTION OF JERUSALEM.

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and husbandmen. And the pillars of brass that were in the house of Jehovah, and the bases and the brazen sea that were in the house of Jehovah, the Chaldeans brake in pieces, and carried the brass of them to Babylon. And the pots, and the shovels, and the snuffers, and the spoons, and all the vessels of brass wherewith they ministered, took they away. And the firepans and the basins, whatsoever was of gold or of silver, the captain of the guard took away.

And the captain of the guard took Seraiah the chief priest, and Zephaniah the second priest, and the three keepers of the door; and out of the city he took an officer that was set over the men of war, and five men of them that saw the king's face, who were found in the city; and the secretary of the captain of the host, who mustered the people of the land; and sixty men of the people of the land, that were found in the city. And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took them, and brought them to the king of Babylon to Riblah. And the king of Babylon smote them, and put them to death at Riblah in the land of Hamath. So Judah was carried away captive out of his land. And over the people that were left in the land of Judah, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon had left, he set Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, to be governor.

CHAPTER XI.

JEREMIAH, xxxix.-xliv., xlvi. Ezekiel, xxix.

THE REMNANT OF JUDAH.

Jeremiah Released-He Joins Gedaliah-Guerrilla Chiefs - They Join Gedaliah-Johanan's Warning-Ishmael's Treachery-Samaritan Pilgrims Murdered-Carried Captive to Ammon—Johanan Rescues the Captives-Afraid of the Chaldeans—Inquiring of Jeremiah-They Must Stay in the Land-Disobedience-Flight to Egypt-Idolatry-Feast of the Moon Goddess-Answering Jeremiah-Destruction of the Remnant-Conquest of Egypt-Ezekiel's Prophecy-Jacob shall be Brought back.

Now Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon gave charge concerning Jeremiah to Nebuzaradan captain of the guard, saying: Take him, and look well to him, and do him no harm; but do unto him whatsoever he shall say to thee. And Nebuzaradan captain of the guard took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard, and brought him manacled, among all the captives of Jerusalem, unto Ramah. Then he took Jeremiah, and said to him: Behold, I loose thee this day from the chainswhich are upon thine hand. If it seem good to thee to come with me to Babylon, come, and I will look well unto thee; but if it seem ill to thee to come with me to Babylon, forbear. Behold, all the land is before thee; whither it seemeth good and right to thee to go, thither go. But Jeremiah would not go with him to Babylon. Then said Nebuzaradan : Go back to Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, whom the king of

GEDALIAH RECOGNIZED AS GOVERNOR.

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Babylon hath made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people; or go wheresoever it seemeth right to thee to go. And the captain of the guard gave him food and a present, and let him go. And Jeremiah went unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam to Mizpah, and dwelt with him among the people that were left in the land.

Then all the captains of the forces which were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had made Gedaliah son of Ahikam governor of the land, and committed unto him men, and women, and children, and the poorest of the land, those that were not carried away captive to Babylon. And they came to Gedaliah to Mizpah; namely, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ophai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite, they and their men. And Gedaliah son of Ahikam sware unto them and their men, saying: Fear not because of the Chaldeans; dwell in the land, and serve the king of Babylon, and it shall be well with you. As for me, behold, I will dwell at Mizpah, to stand before the Chaldeans, that come unto us; but gather ye wine and summer fruits and oil, and put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that ye have taken in possession. Moreover all the Jews that were in Moab, and among the children of Ammon, and in Edom, and in all the countries, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant of Judah, and that he had set over them Gedaliah son of Ahikam; and all the Jews returned out of all places whither they were scattered, and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah, unto Mizpah, and gathered wine and summer fruits very much.

Then Johanan son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were in the field, came to Gedaliah to Mizpah, and said to him: Dost thou know that Baalis king of the children of Ammon hath sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to take thy life? But Gedaliah son of Ahikam believed them not. And Johanan son of Kareah spake to Gedaliah in Mizpah secretly, saying: Let me go and slay Ishmael son of Nethaniah, no man knowing it. Wherefore should he take thy life, and all the Jews that are gathered unto thee be scattered, and the remnant of Judah perish? But Gedaliah said to Johanan: Thou shalt not do this thing; for thou speakest falsely of Ishmael.

And it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and they ate bread together there in Mizpah. Then Ishmael arose, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. And Ishmael slew all the men of war, both Jews and Chaldeans, that were found with Gedaliah at Mizpah.

And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, no man knowing it, that there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty men, with beards shaven, and clothes rent, and bodies cut; with oblations and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to the house of Jehovah at Jerusalem. And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went along. And it came to pass, when he came up to them, he said to them: Come unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam. And when they were come into the midst of the city, Ishmael slew them, and cast them

AFRAID OF THE CHALDEANS.

539

into the midst of the cistern, he, and the men that were with him. But ten men were found among them that said to Ishmael: Slay us not; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and barley, and oil, and honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren. And the pit wherein Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had slain-that great cistern which King Asa made for fear of Baasha king of Israel-was filled with the slain.

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Then Ishmael carried away captive all the remnant of the people that were in Mizpah; the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, and set out to pass over to the children of Ammon. But Johanan son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done, and they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael, and found him by the great pool in Gibeon. And it came to pass that when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, they were glad. And all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and returned and came unto Johanan. But Ishmael escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon.

Then Johanan son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, the men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon; and they departed, and dwelt in the caravanserai of Chimham, which is by Beth