Jeremiah 41

1In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, who was of royal descent and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating a meal together there at Mizpah,

2Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword. So he killed the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

3Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers who were found there.

4On the second day after Gedaliah was murdered, before anyone knew about it,

5eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. Their beards were shaved off, their clothes were torn, and they had gashed themselves, and they were carrying grain offerings and frankincense to bring to the house of Yahweh.

6Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”

7But as soon as they came inside the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into the cistern.

8But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us! We have stores hidden in the field: wheat and barley, oil and honey.” So he held back and did not kill them along with their companions.

9Now the cistern into which Ishmael threw all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made for defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

10Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah: the king’s daughters and all the people who were left at Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had put in the charge of Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

11When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the troops who were with him heard about all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done,

12they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him by the great pool in Gibeon.

13When all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the troops who were with him, they were glad.

14All the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and went back to Johanan son of Kareah.

15But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites.

16Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the troops who were with him took all the rest of the people from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, the women, the children, and the eunuchs whom he had brought back from Gibeon.

17They went on and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, on their way to go to Egypt

18to escape the Chaldeans. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.