Jeremiah 41

Gedaliah Assassinated

1 In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of royal blood and one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating a meal together there,

2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword. So he killed the man the king of Babylon had appointed governor over the land.

3 Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.

The Massacre at Mizpah

4 The day after Gedaliah was killed, before anyone knew about it.

5 Eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria with beards shaved, clothes torn, and cuts on themselves. They had grain offerings and incense with them to bring to the house of the LORD.

6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he walked. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”

7 But when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.

8 However, ten of the men said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey in the field.” So he stopped and did not kill them with the others.

9 The cistern where Ishmael threw all the dead bodies of the men he killed because of Gedaliah was the large cistern King Asa had made to defend against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

The Captives Taken

10 Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people left there whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had placed under Gedaliah’s care. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

Johanan Pursues Ishmael

11 When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed,

12 They took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him by the great pool in Gibeon.

13 When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders with him, they were glad.

14 So all the captives Ishmael had taken from Mizpah turned around and went back to Johanan son of Kareah.

15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites.

Fear of Babylon’s Retaliation

16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces with him took charge of all the remnant of the people they had rescued from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after the murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, soldiers, women, children, and court officials, and brought them back from Gibeon.

17 They went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt,

18 Because they were afraid of the Chaldeans. For Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor over the land.