Jeremiah 41
1 In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of royal descent, and the king’s officers, along with ten men, came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. They ate bread together there at Mizpah.
2 Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him got up and struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword and killed him. He was the one the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
3 Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were there, the men of war.
4 The day after Gedaliah was killed, no one yet knew.
5 Eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, with their beards shaved, their clothes torn, and their bodies cut. They had grain offerings and frankincense in their hands to bring to the house of the LORD.
6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah came out from Mizpah to meet them, walking along and weeping. When he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”
7 When they came into the middle of the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, together with the men who were with him, slaughtered them and threw them into the cistern.
8 But ten men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have stores hidden in the field: wheat, barley, oil, and honey.” So he stopped and did not kill them along with their brothers.
9 The cistern where Ishmael threw all the bodies of the men he had struck down on account of Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made because of Baasha, king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.
10 Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were at Mizpah: the king’s daughters and all the people left at Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had entrusted to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
11 Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers with him heard about all the evil Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done.
12 They took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him by the great waters at Gibeon.
13 When all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers with him, they were glad.
14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around, came back, and went to Johanan son of Kareah.
15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites.
16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers with him took all the rest of the people whom he had brought back from Ishmael son of Nethaniah at Mizpah, after Ishmael had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the men of war, the women, the children, and the court officials whom he had brought back from Gibeon.
17 They went and stayed at Geruth Chimham, near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt.
18 They did this because of the Chaldeans, for they were afraid of them, since Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
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