Jeremiah 41

A murder at Mizpah

1In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, a man of royal descent and one of the king's officers, came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah with ten men. They shared a meal there at Mizpah. 2Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword. Ishmael killed the man the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. 3Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with the Chaldean soldiers found there.

The visitors and the cistern

4The day after Gedaliah was killed, before anyone knew about it, 5eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. Their beards were shaved, their clothes torn, and their bodies cut. They carried a grain offering and frankincense to bring to the house of the LORD. 6Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he walked. When he reached them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” 7Once they were inside the town, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into the cistern. 8But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don't kill us! We have stores hidden in the fields: wheat, barley, oil, and honey.” So he held back and did not kill them with the others. 9The cistern where Ishmael threw the bodies of the men he had killed alongside Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made because of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

Captives and survivors

10Ishmael took captive all the people left in Mizpah: the king's daughters and everyone else whom Nebuzaradan, 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. 11Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him heard about all the evil Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done. 12They gathered all their men and set out to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him by the great pool at Gibeon. 13When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army commanders with him, they were glad. 14All those 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. 16Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him gathered the people he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after the murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the men of war, women, children, and eunuchs taken from Mizpah and brought back from Gibeon. 17They went and stayed at Geruth-chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go on into Egypt, 18away from 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.