Jeremiah 41

1 Ishmael was a member of the king’s family. He had been one of King Zedekiah’s important officials. In October of that year, he went to Mizpah with ten other men to [talk with] Gedaliah. While they were eating together,

But it happened that in the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, from the royal family, and some officers of the king, came—ten men were with him—to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. They ate food together there in Mizpah.

2 Ishmael and the other ten men jumped up, and with their swords they killed Gedaliah—the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed to be their governor!

But Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him rose up and attacked Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan, with the sword. Ishmael killed Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had put in charge of the land.

3 Ishmael [and the other men] also killed all the Jews and the soldiers from Babylonia who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah.

Then Ishmael killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah in Mizpah and the Chaldean fighting men found there.

4 The next day, before anyone had found out that Gedaliah had been murdered,

Then it was the second day after the killing of Gedaliah, but no one knew.

5 eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria [cities] came to worship at the temple of Yahweh [in Mizpah]. They had shaved off their beards and torn their clothes and cut themselves [to show that they were mourning]. And they had brought grain offerings and incense [to burn on the altar].

Some men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria—eighty men who had shaved their beard, torn their clothes, and cut themselves—with food offerings and frankincense in their hands to go to Yahweh's house.

6 Ishmael went out of the city to meet them, crying as he went. When he reached them, he said, “Come [and see what has happened to] Gedaliah!”

So Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them as they went, walking and weeping. Then it happened that as he encountered them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam!”

7 But as soon as they had all entered the town, Ishmael and his men killed [most of] them and threw their corpses into a well.

It came about that when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah slaughtered them and threw them into a pit, he and the men who were with him.

8 There were [only] ten of them whom they (spared/did not kill). They were not killed because they promised to Ishmael that [if he allowed them to remain alive, they would bring him] lots of wheat and barley and olive oil and honey that they had hidden.

But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for there are provisions of ours in a field: Wheat and barley, oil and honey.” So he did not kill them with their other companions.

9 The well where Ishmael’s men had thrown the corpses of the men whom they had murdered was the deep well that King Asa’s [men] had dug [in order that they would have water in the city] if the army of King Baasha of Israel would surround the city. Ishmael’s men filled that well with corpses.

The cistern where Ishmael threw all the dead bodies that he had killed, was a large cistern that King Asa dug to make a defense against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it in with the dead.

10 Then Ishmael [and his men] captured the king’s daughters and some of the other people who had been left in Mizpah by Nebuzaradan in order that Gedaliah would take care of them. Ishmael and his men took those people and started back toward the Ammon area.

Next Ishmael captured all the other people who were in Mizpah, the king's daughters and all the people who were left in Mizpah whom Nebuzaradan the chief guard had assigned to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. So Ishmael son of Nethaniah captured them and went to cross over to the people of Ammon.

11 But Johanan and all the other leaders of the Israeli soldiers who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia heard about what Ishmael [and his men] had done.

But Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him heard of all the harm that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done.

12 So they [immediately] went with all their men to stop them. They caught up with them at the large pool near Gibeon [city].

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

13 When all the people whom Ishmael and his men had captured saw Johanan and the soldiers who were with him, they [shouted] joyfully.

Then it happened that when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders who were with him, they were very happy.

14 So all those who had been captured in Mizpah escaped, and they started to help Johanan.

So all the people whom Ishmael had captured at Mizpah turned around and went to Johanan son of Kareah.

15 But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped and fled to the Ammon area.

But Ishmael son of Nethaniah fled with eight men from Johanan. He went to the people of Ammon.

16 Then Johanan and the men who were with him [gathered together] all the people whom they had rescued at Gibeon. They included soldiers and women and children and some of the king’s palace officials. They were all people whom Ishmael [and his men] had captured after they had killed Gedaliah.

Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him took from Mizpah all the people who had been rescued from Ishmael son of Nethaniah. This was after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Johanan and his companions took the strong men, the fighting men, the women and children, and the eunuchs who had been rescued at Gibeon.

17 They took them all to Geruth-Kimham [village] near Bethlehem. And they all prepared to go to Egypt.

Then they went and stayed for a while in Geruth Kimham, which is near Bethlehem. They were going to go to Egypt

18 They were worried about what the soldiers of Babylonia [would do to them when they found out] that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, who had been appointed by the King of Babylonia to be their governor.

because of the Chaldeans. They were afraid of them since Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had put in charge of the land.