CHAPTER 41
1 And it was done in the seventh month, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the king’s seed, and the principal men of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, in Mizpah; and they ate there loaves together in Mizpah.
2 Forsooth Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, rose up, and killed with sword Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; and they killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made sovereign of the land.
3 Also Ishmael killed all the Jews, that were with Gedaliah in Mizpah, and the Chaldees, that were found there, and the men warriors.
4 Forsooth in the second day, after that he had slain Gedaliah, while no man knew yet,
5 fourscore men with shaven beards, and rent clothes, and pale men, came from Shechem, and from Shiloh, and from Samaria; and they had gifts and incense in the hand, for to offer in the house of the Lord.
6 Therefore Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, went out of Mizpah into the meeting of them; and he went going and weeping. Soothly when he had met them, he said to them, Come ye to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam;
7 and when they were come to the midst of the city, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, killed them about the midst of the pit, he and the men that were with him.
8 But ten men were found among them, that said to Ishmael, Do not thou slay us, for we have treasures of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey, in the field. And he ceased, and killed not them with their brethren.
9 Forsooth the pit into which Ishmael casted forth all the carrions of [the] men, which he killed for Gedaliah, is that pit, which king Asa made for Baasha, the king of Israel; Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, filled that pit with slain men.
10 And Ishmael led prisoners all the remnants of the people, that were in Mizpah, the daughters of the king, and all the people that dwelled in Mizpah, which Nebuzaradan, the prince of [the] chivalry, had betaken to keeping to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. And Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, took them, and went to pass over to the sons of Ammon.
11 Forsooth Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, heard all the evil, which Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had done.
12 And when they had taken all [the] men, they went forth to fight against Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah; and they found him at the many waters, that be in Gibeon.
13 And when all the people, that was with Ishmael, had seen Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, they were glad.
14 And all the people, whom Ishmael had taken in Mizpah, turned again; and it turned again, and went to Johanan, the son of Kareah.
15 Forsooth Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fled with eight men from the face of Johanan, and went to the sons of Ammon.
16 Therefore Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, took all the remnants of the common people, which they brought again from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, that were of Mizpah, after that he killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; he took strong men to battle, and women, and children, and geldings, which he had brought again from Gibeon.
17 And they went, and sat being pilgrims in Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, that they should go, and enter into Egypt, from the face of Chaldees;
18 for they dreaded those Chaldees, for Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had slain Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, whom the king Nebuchadnezzar had made sovereign in the land of Judah.