JeremiahChapter 41

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¹In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. Ishmael was the grandson of Elishama. He was from the royal family and was one of the king's chief officers. He brought ten men with him. They ate a meal together there. ²Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him got up. They struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword. They killed the man the king of Babylon had put in charge of the land. ³Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. He killed the Chaldean soldiers who were there too. ⁴On the second day after Gedaliah was murdered, no one knew about it yet. ⁵Eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves. They were bringing grain offerings and incense to the house of the LORD. ⁶Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them. He wept as he went. When he met the men, he said, "Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam." ⁷When they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and his men killed them. They threw them into a well.a ⁸But ten of the men said to Ishmael, "Don't kill us! We have food hidden in a field. We have wheat, barley, oil, and honey!" So he did not kill them with the others. ⁹Ishmael threw all the bodies of the men he had killed, along with Gedaliah, into a large well. King Asa had made it because he was afraid of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead. ¹⁰Then Ishmael took all the rest of the people at Mizpah as captives. Among them were the king's daughters and all the others left in Mizpah. Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had put Gedaliah son of Ahikam in charge of them. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive. He set off to cross over to the Ammonites. ¹¹Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done. ¹²So they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him near the big pool in Gibeon. ¹³All the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him. And they were glad. ¹⁴All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned around. They went over to Johanan son of Kareah. ¹⁵But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men got away from Johanan. They went to the Ammonites. ¹⁶Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam and taken the people from Mizpah. But Johanan son of Kareah got them back from him. Then Johanan and all the army commanders with him took all these people who were left. There were soldiers, women, children, and palace officials. He had brought them back from Gibeon. ¹⁷They went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem. They planned to go on into Egypt ¹⁸to get away from the Chaldeans. They were afraid of the Chaldeans because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. The king of Babylon had put Gedaliah in charge of the land.