The Murder of Gedaliah
And it was in the seventh month that Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the seed of the kingship, and the chiefs of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah; and they ate bread there together at Mizpah.
And Ishmael son of Nethaniah rose up, and the ten men who were with him, and they struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword and put him to death — him whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
And all the Judeans who were with him, with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war, Ishmael struck.
And it was on the second day after he had put Gedaliah to death, and no man knew,
that men came from Shechem, from Shiloh and from Samaria — eighty men, with beards shaved and garments torn and gashing themselves — and a grain offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring to the house of the LORD.
And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, walking along and weeping. And it was, when he met them, that he said to them: Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.
And it was, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael son of Nethaniah slaughtered them into the midst of the pit — he and the men who were with him.
But ten men were found among them who said to Ishmael: Do not put us to death, for we have hidden stores in the field — wheat and barley and oil and honey. And he stopped and did not put them to death among their brothers.
And the pit into which Ishmael threw all the corpses of the men whom he struck by the hand of Gedaliah — it is the one that King Asa made because of Baasha king of Israel; Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.
And Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were at Mizpah — the daughters of the king and all the people remaining at Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the chief of the guards had committed to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. And Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and went to cross over to the sons of Ammon.
Johanan Rescues the Captives
And Johanan son of Kareah and all the princes of the forces who were with him heard all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done,
and they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah; and they found him at the great waters that are in Gibeon.
And it was, when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the princes of the forces who were with him, that they were glad.
And all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned about, and they returned and went to Johanan son of Kareah.
But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped with eight men from before Johanan, and he went to the sons of Ammon.
And Johanan son of Kareah and all the princes of the forces who were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had brought back from Ishmael son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam — mighty men, men of war, and women and little ones and eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon.
And they went and stayed at the lodging place of Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, to go on and come to Egypt,
because of the Chaldeans — for they feared them, because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.