Nov 2nd

in the eleventh year of Zedekiah, in the fourth month, in the ninth day of the month, the city was breached.

Then all the officials of the king of Babylon came in and sat down at the Middle Gate: Nergal-sar-ezer, Samgar-nebu, Sar-sekim the Rab-saris, Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag, and all the rest of the officials of the king of Babylon.

Now it happened that when Zedekiah the king of Judah and all the men of war saw them, they fled and went out of the city at night by way of the king’s garden through the gate between the two walls; and he went out toward the Arabah.

But the military force of the Chaldeans pursued them and overtook Zedekiah in the plains of Jericho; and they took him and brought him up to Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon at Riblah in the land of Hamath, and he spoke judgment on him.

Then the king of Babylon slaughtered the sons of Zedekiah before his eyes at Riblah; the king of Babylon also slaughtered all the nobles of Judah.

He then blinded Zedekiah’s eyes and bound him in fetters of bronze to bring him to Babylon.

The Chaldeans also burned with fire the house of the king and the houses of the people, and they tore down the walls of Jerusalem.

And as for the rest of the people who remained in the city, the defectors who had gone over to him and the rest of the people who remained, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard took them away into exile in Babylon.

But some of the poorest people who had nothing, Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had them remain in the land of Judah and gave them vineyards and fields at that time.

Now Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon gave a command about Jeremiah through Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, saying,

“Take him and set your eyes to look after him and do nothing harmful to him, but rather deal with him just as he speaks to you.”

So Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard sent word, along with Nebushazban the Rab-saris and Nergal-sar-ezer the Rab-mag and all the leading officers of the king of Babylon;

they even sent and took Jeremiah out of the court of the guard and gave him over to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, to take him home. So he stayed among the people.

Now the word of Yahweh had come to Jeremiah while he was confined in the court of the guard, saying,

“Go and speak to Ebed-melech the Ethiopian, saying, ‘Thus says Yahweh of hosts, the God of Israel, “Behold, I am about to bring My words on this city for calamity and not for prosperity; and they will take place before you on that day.

But I will deliver you on that day,” declares Yahweh, “and you will not be given into the hand of the men of whom you are terrified.

For I will certainly provide you escape, and you will not fall by the sword; but you will have your own life as spoil because you have trusted in Me,” declares Yahweh.’ ”

The word which came to Jeremiah from Yahweh after Nebuzaradan captain of the bodyguard had released him from Ramah, when he had taken him bound in chains among all the exiles of Jerusalem and Judah who were being exiled to Babylon.

And the captain of the bodyguard had taken Jeremiah and said to him, “Yahweh your God promised this calamity against this place;

and Yahweh has brought it on and done just as He promised. Because you people sinned against Yahweh and did not listen to His voice, therefore this thing has happened to you.

So now, behold, I am freeing you today from the chains which are on your hands. If it is good in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, come along, and I will set my eyes to look after you; but if it is displeasing in your eyes to come with me to Babylon, never mind. Look, the whole land is before you; go wherever it seems good and right in your eyes to go.”

But as Jeremiah had not yet set out to return, he said, “Return 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 go anywhere that is right in your eyes to go.” So the captain of the bodyguard gave him a ration and a gift and let him go.

Then Jeremiah went to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and stayed with him among the people who remained in the land.

Then all the commanders of the military forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had appointed him over the men, women, little ones, and those of the poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon.

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.

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 go well with you.

Now as for me, behold, I am going to stay at Mizpah to stand for you before the Chaldeans who come to us; but as for you, gather in wine and summer fruit and oil and put them in your storage vessels and stay in your cities that you have seized.”

And also all the Jews, who were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom and who were in all the other lands, heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant for Judah and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan.

Then all the Jews returned from all the places to which they had been banished and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered in wine and summer fruit in great abundance.

Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah

and said to him, “Do you indeed know that Baalis the king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to strike down your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them.

Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “Let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know! Why should he strike down your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the remnant of Judah would perish?”

But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “Do not do this thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael.”

Now it happened in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal seed and one of the chief officers of the king, along with ten men, came to Mizpah to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. And they were eating bread together there in Mizpah.

Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him arose and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword and put to death the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with him, that is with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war.

Now it happened on the next day after putting Gedaliah to death, when no one knew about it,

that eighty men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria with their beards shaved off and their clothes torn and their bodies gashed, having grain offerings and frankincense in their hands to bring to the house of Yahweh.

Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went; and it happened that as he encountered them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam!”

But it happened that as soon as they came inside the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men that were with him slaughtered them and cast them into the cistern.

But ten men who were found among them said to Ishmael, “Do not put us to death; for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the field.” So he refrained and did not put them to death along with their companions.

Now as for the cistern where Ishmael had cast all the corpses of the men whom he had struck down because of Gedaliah, it was the one that King Asa had made on account of Baasha, king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

Then Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people who remained in Mizpah, over whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; thus Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and went to cross over to the sons of Ammon.

But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done.

So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and they found him by the great pool that is in Gibeon.

Now it happened as soon as all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him, they were glad.

So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and returned and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.

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

Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were with him took from Mizpah all the remnant of the people whom he had returned from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, that is, the mighty men who were men of war, the women, the little ones, and the eunuchs, whom he had returned from Gibeon.

And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt

because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, since Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

All who are under the yoke as slaves are to regard their own masters as worthy of all honor so that the name of God and our doctrine will not be slandered.

But those who have believers as their masters must not be disrespectful to them because they are brothers, but must serve them all the more, because those who partake of the benefit are believers and beloved. Teach and exhort these things.

If anyone teaches a different doctrine and does not agree with sound words—those of our Lord Jesus Christ—and with the doctrine conforming to godliness,

he is conceited, understanding nothing but having a morbid interest in controversial questions and disputes about words, out of which arise envy, strife, slander, evil suspicions,

and constant friction between men of depraved mind and deprived of the truth, who suppose that godliness is a means of gain.

But godliness actually is a means of great gain, when accompanied by contentment.

For we have brought nothing into the world, so we cannot take anything out of it either.

And if we have food and covering, with these we shall be content.

But those who want to get rich fall into temptation and a snare and many foolish and harmful desires which plunge men into ruin and destruction.

For the love of money is a root of all sorts of evils, and some by aspiring to it have wandered away from the faith and pierced themselves with many griefs.

But you, O man of God, flee from these things, and pursue righteousness, godliness, faith, love, perseverance, gentleness.

Fight the good fight of faith. Take hold of the eternal life to which you were called, and you made the good confession in the presence of many witnesses.

I charge you in the presence of God, who gives life to all things, and of Christ Jesus, who testified the good confession before Pontius Pilate,

that you keep the commandment without stain or reproach until the appearing of our Lord Jesus Christ,

which He will bring about at the proper time—He who is the blessed and only Sovereign, the King of kings and Lord of lords,

who alone has immortality and dwells in unapproachable light, whom no man has seen or can see. To Him be honor and eternal might! Amen.

Command those who are rich in this present age not to be haughty or to set their hope on the uncertainty of riches, but on God, who richly supplies us with all things to enjoy.

Command them to do good, to be rich in good works, to be generous and ready to share,

storing up for themselves the treasure of a good foundation for the future, so that they may take hold of that which is life indeed.

O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you, turning aside from godless and empty chatter and the opposing arguments of what is falsely called knowledge—

which some, while professing, have gone astray from the faith.

Grace be with you.