'Do not be afraid of the king of Babylon, of whom you are afraid; do not be afraid of him,' says the LORD, 'for I [am] with you, to save you and deliver you from his hand.

'then it shall be [that] the sword which you feared shall overtake you there in the land of Egypt; the famine of which you were afraid shall follow close after you there [in] Egypt; and there you shall die.

that Azariah the son of Hoshaiah, Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the proud men spoke, saying to Jeremiah, "You speak falsely! The LORD our God has not sent you to say, 'Do not go to Egypt to dwell there.'

"But Baruch the son of Neriah has set you against us, to deliver us into the hand of the Chaldeans, that they may put us to death or carry us away captive to Babylon."

But it happened in the seventh month that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family, came with ten men and struck and killed Gedaliah, the Jews, as well as the Chaldeans who were with him at Mizpah.

And you said, "No, for we will flee on horses" -- Therefore you shall flee! And, "We will ride on swift [horses" -- Therefore] those who pursue you shall be swift!

One thousand [shall flee] at the threat of one, At the threat of five you shall flee, Till you are left as a pole on top of a mountain And as a banner on a hill.

" I, [even] I, [am] He who comforts you. Who [are] you that you should be afraid Of a man [who] will die, And of the son of a man [who] will be made like grass?

And you forget the LORD your Maker, Who stretched out the heavens And laid the foundations of the earth; You have feared continually every day Because of the fury of the oppressor, When [he has] prepared to destroy. And where [is] the fury of the oppressor?

" And of whom have you been afraid, or feared, That you have lied And not remembered Me, Nor taken [it] to your heart? Is it not because I have held My peace from of old That you do not fear Me?

" And I say to you, My friends, do not be afraid of those who kill the body, and after that have no more that they can do.

"But I will show you whom you should fear: Fear Him who, after He has killed, has power to cast into hell; yes, I say to you, fear Him!

Now while Jeremiah had not yet gone back, [Nebuzaradan said,] "Go back to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has made governor over the cities of Judah, and dwell with him among the people. Or go wherever it seems convenient for you to go." So the captain of the guard gave him rations and a gift and let him go.