1
Now it came to pass in the seventhmonth, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seedroyal, and the princes of the king, even tenmen with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eatbreadtogether in Mizpah.
2
Then aroseIshmael the son of Nethaniah, and the tenmen that were with him, and smoteGedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.
3Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.
4
And it came to pass the secondday after he had slainGedaliah, and no manknew it,
5
That there camecertain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscoremen, having their beardsshaven, and their clothesrent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.
6
And Ishmael the son of Nethaniahwentforth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.
7
And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniahslew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.
8
But tenmen were foundamong them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we havetreasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.
9
Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slainbecause of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baashaking of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniahfilled it with them that were slain.
10
Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.
11
But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that 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 greatwaters that are in Gibeon.
13
Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with IshmaelsawJohanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.
14
So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.
15
But Ishmael the son of NethaniahescapedfromJohanan with eightmen, and went to the Ammonites.
16
Then tookJohanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that 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 slainGedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mightymen of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon:
17
And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is byBethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,
18Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, becauseIshmael the son of Nethaniah had slainGedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.