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Jeremiah had already received baleful prophecies about the [[Southern Kingdom]]. In the year that [[Jehoiachin]] was taken prisoner and deported to [[Babylon]], Jeremiah received from [[God]] the word that [[Zedekiah]] would come to a sad end and that the remainder of the people, or at least those having any influence, would in turn be deported as well. This was the "vision of the two baskets of [[fig]]s," one of good figs and one of bad.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Jeremiah|chap=24|verses=1-2,8-9|version=NASB}}</ref><ref name=Ussher10>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pgh. 808</ref> Jeremiah similarly warned against Zedekiah's attempts to broker an anti-[[Babylonia]]n alliance with the kings of [[Edom]], [[Moab]], [[Ammon]], [[Tyre]], and [[Sidon]]. Furthermore, Jeremiah advised all the deportees to become part of the Babylonian economy and society, if not necessarily part of the culture, and that they ''would'' eventually return, after seventy years had elapsed since the first deportation (in the fourth year of [[Jehoiakim]]).<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Jeremiah|chap=39|verses=1-18|version=NASB}}</ref><ref name=Ussher11>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pghh. 810-11</ref>

Jeremiah had already received baleful prophecies about the [[Southern Kingdom]]. In the year that [[Jehoiachin]] was taken prisoner and deported to [[Babylon]], Jeremiah received from [[God]] the word that [[Zedekiah]] would come to a sad end and that the remainder of the people, or at least those having any influence, would in turn be deported as well. This was the "vision of the two baskets of [[fig]]s," one of good figs and one of bad.<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Jeremiah|chap=24|verses=1-2,8-9|version=NASB}}</ref><ref name=Ussher10>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pgh. 808</ref> Jeremiah similarly warned against Zedekiah's attempts to broker an anti-[[Babylonia]]n alliance with the kings of [[Edom]], [[Moab]], [[Ammon]], [[Tyre]], and [[Sidon]]. Furthermore, Jeremiah advised all the deportees to become part of the Babylonian economy and society, if not necessarily part of the culture, and that they ''would'' eventually return, after seventy years had elapsed since the first deportation (in the fourth year of [[Jehoiakim]]).<ref>{{Bible ref|book=Jeremiah|chap=39|verses=1-18|version=NASB}}</ref><ref name=Ussher11>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pghh. 810-11</ref>

The high priest [[Seraiah]] and his second-in-command [[Zephaniah (priest)|Zephaniah]] did not appreciate such advice and denouced Jeremiah in writing to Zedekiah. Jeremiah, in turn, said that those two priests would themselves come to sad ends.<ref name=Ussher11>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pgh. 812</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Jeremiah|chap=30|verses=1-31,40|version=NASB}}</ref>

The high priest [[Seraiah]] and his second-in-command [[Zephaniah (priest)|Zephaniah]] did not appreciate such advice and denounced Jeremiah in writing to Zedekiah. Jeremiah, in turn, said that those two priests would themselves come to sad ends.<ref name=Ussher11>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pgh. 812</ref><ref>{{Bible ref|book=Jeremiah|chap=30|verses=1-31,40|version=NASB}}</ref>

=== The Fourth Year of Zedekiah ===

=== The Fourth Year of Zedekiah ===

Unhappily, Gedaliah's governorship would not last long. [[Ishmael (prince)|Ishmael]], a minor prince of the [[House of David]], took a sizeable bribe from King [[Baalis]] of [[Ammon]] to kill Gedaliah. Ishmael recruited ten associates and led them all to Mizpah, where Gedaliah received them graciously. Jeremiah warned Gedaliah that Ishmael was plotting murder, but Gedaliah did not listen. Ishmael killed Gedaliah and every Jew or Chaldean he found in Mizpah (though presumably Jeremiah escaped him).<ref name=Ussher22>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pghh. 856-7</ref>

Unhappily, Gedaliah's governorship would not last long. [[Ishmael (prince)|Ishmael]], a minor prince of the [[House of David]], took a sizeable bribe from King [[Baalis]] of [[Ammon]] to kill Gedaliah. Ishmael recruited ten associates and led them all to Mizpah, where Gedaliah received them graciously. Jeremiah warned Gedaliah that Ishmael was plotting murder, but Gedaliah did not listen. Ishmael killed Gedaliah and every Jew or Chaldean he found in Mizpah (though presumably Jeremiah escaped him).<ref name=Ussher22>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pghh. 856-7</ref>

Ishmael and his associates took several female hostages and ran away to [[Ammon]]. But another Jewish general, named [[Johanan]], accosted Ishmael and freed his prisoners. Ishmael, and the eight associates he now had left, continued their flight to Ammon.<ref name=Ussher23>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pgh. 858</ref>

Ishmael and his associates took several female hostages and ran away to Ammon. But another Jewish general, named [[Johanan]], accosted Ishmael and freed his prisoners. Ishmael, and the eight associates he now had left, continued their flight to Ammon.<ref name=Ussher23>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pgh. 858</ref>

Johanan, for his part, led his company to Egypt, in fear of Babylonian retaliation. Jeremiah tried to warn him that, if they fled to Egypt, every one of them would die before his time, but Johanan and most of his company did not listen.<ref name=Ussher24>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pgh. 859</ref>

Johanan, for his part, led his company to Egypt, in fear of Babylonian retaliation. Jeremiah tried to warn him that, if they fled to Egypt, every one of them would die before his time, but Johanan and most of his company did not listen.<ref name=Ussher24>[[James Ussher|Ussher]], ''[[The Annals of the World|op. cit.]]'', pgh. 859</ref>