(Avoiding) Exile on Main Street
- Nebuzaradan releases Jeremiah from the other captives who are being exiled. He takes him aside and says that God's clearly brought this disaster on Judah and Jerusalem.
- If Jeremiah wants to come with him to Babylon, he can—he'll be provided for. But if he wants to go back to Jerusalem and stay with Gedaliah, he can do that, too.
- Jeremiah decides to go back to Jerusalem and Nebuzaradan gives him some food. So Jeremiah stays with Gedaliah.
- Gedaliah tells the Hebrew soldiers and commanders to live in peace under Babylonian rule and everything will be OK. They can lead a normal life, gathering fruits and wine and oil, catching up on the HIMYM episodes they've missed during the siege.
- Judeans from Moab, Edom, and other places return to Judah now that Gedaliah's the governor.
- The commander Johanan and the remaining Hebrew forces tell Gedaliah that the king of the Ammonites hired one of their fellow Judean commanders, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, to kill him (Gedaliah), which will just cause more trouble and violence in Judah.
- But Gedaliah doesn't believe them, and won't give Johanan permission to kill Ishmael.
- You can probably guess what happens next.