1   In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal house, ^note came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were at table with him there, 2   Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose to their feet and assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor of the land. 3   They also murdered the Judaeans with him in Mizpah and the Chaldaeans who happened to be there. ^note 4   The second day after the murder of Gedaliah, while it was not yet common knowledge, 5   there came eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards, their clothes were rent and their bodies gashed, and they were carrying

Jeremiah after the capture of Jerusalem grain-offerings and frankincense to take to the house of the Lord. 6   Ishmael son of Nethaniah came out weeping from Mizpah to meet them and, when he met them, he said, ‘Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.’ 7   But as soon as they reached the centre of the town, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and his men murdered them and threw their bodies into a pit, 8   all except ten of them who said to Ishmael, ‘Do not kill us, for we have a secret hoard in the country, wheat and barley, oil and honey.’ 9   So he held his hand and did not kill them with the others. The pit into which he threw the bodies of those whose death he had caused by using Gedaliah's name was the pit which King Asa had made when threatened by Baasha king of Israel; and the dead bodies filled it. 10   He rounded up the rest of the people in Mizpah, that is the king's daughters and all who remained in Mizpah when Nebuzaradan captain of the guard appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam governor; and with these he set out to cross over into Ammon. 11   When Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the armed bands heard of the crimes committed by Ishmael son of Nethaniah, 12   they took all the men they had and went to attack him. They found him by the great pool in Gibeon. 13   The people with Ishmael were glad when they saw Johanan son of Kareah and the captains of the armed bands with him; 14   and all whom Ishmael had taken prisoner at Mizpah turned and joined Johanan son of Kareah. 15   But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and they made their way to the Ammonites.

16   Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the armed bands took from Mizpah the survivors whom he had rescued from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after the murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam—men, armed and unarmed, women, children, and eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. 17   They started out and broke their journey at Kimham's holding near Bethlehem, 18   on their way into Egypt to escape the Chaldaeans. They were afraid because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor of the country.

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