[1] Now it happened in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of
Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal and [one of] the chief
officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the son of
Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they ate bread together in Mizpah. [2] Then
arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him, and
struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and
killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. [3]
Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with him, [to wit], with
Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of
war. [4] It happened the second day after he had killed Gedaliah, and no
man knew it, [5] that there came men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from
Samaria, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes
torn, and having cut themselves, with meal-offerings and frankincense in
their hand, to bring them to the house of Yahweh. [6] Ishmael the son of
Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he
went: and it happened, as he met them, he said to them, Come to Gedaliah
the son of Ahikam. [7] It was so, when they came into the midst of the
city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them, [and cast them] into
the midst of the pit, he, and the men who were with him. [8] But ten men
were found among those who said to Ishmael, Don`t kill us; for we have
stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of
honey. So he stopped, and didn`t kill them among their brothers. [9] Now
the pit in which Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had
killed, by the side of Gedaliah (the same was who which Asa the king had
made for fear of Baasha king of Israel,) Ishmael the son of Nethaniah
filled it with those who were killed. [10] Then Ishmael carried away
captive all the residue of the people who were in Mizpah, even the king`s
daughters, and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the
captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam; Ishmael
the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to
the children of Ammon. [11] But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the
captains of the forces who were with him, heard of all the evil that
Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, [12] then they took all the men, and
went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great
waters that are in Gibeon. [13] Now it happened that, when all the people
who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains
of the forces who were with him, then they were glad. [14] So all the
people who Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and
came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. [15] But Ishmael the son
of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children
of Ammon. [16] Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of
the forces who were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had
recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had
killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, [to wit], the men of war, and the women,
and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon:
[17] and they departed, and lived in Geruth Chimham, which is by
Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt, [18] because of the Chaldeans; for
they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed
Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the
land.
