Ishmael, treacherously killing Gedaliah and others, purposeth with the residue to flee unto the Ammonites.

1 ¶ Now it came to pass² in the seventhº month,º [that] Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniahº the sonº of Elishama,º of the seedº² royal,º and the princesº of the king,º even tenº men¹² with² him, cameºª unto² Gedaliahº the sonº of Ahikamº to Mizpah;¹² and there² they did eatºª breadº togetherº in Mizpah.¹² 2 Then aroseºª Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniah,º and the tenº men¹² that² were² with² him, and smoteºª² Gedaliahº the sonº of Ahikamº the sonº of Shaphanº with the sword,º and slewºª him, whom² the kingº of Babylonº had made governorºª over the land.º 3 Ishmaelº also slewºª all² the Jewsº that² were² with² him, [even] with² Gedaliah,º at Mizpah,º and the Chaldeansº that² were foundºª there,² [and] the men¹² of war.º 4 And it came to pass² the secondº dayº after he had slainºª² Gedaliah,º and no² manº knewºª [it], 5 That there cameºª certain¹² from Shechem,º² from Shiloh,º² and from Samaria,º² [even] fourscoreº men,º having their beardsº shaven,ºª and their clothesº rent,ºª and having cut¹ª themselves,² with offeringsº and incenseº in their hand,º to bringºª [them] to the houseº of the LORD.º 6 And Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniahº went forthºª from² Mizpahº to meetºª them, weepingºª all along¹ª as he went:ºª and it came to pass,² as he metºª them, he saidºª unto² them, Comeºª to² Gedaliahº the sonº of Ahikam.º 7 And it was² [so], when they cameºª into² the midstº of the city,º that Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniahº slewºª them, [and cast them] into² the midstº of the pit,º he,² and the men¹² that² [were] with² him. 8 But tenº men¹² were foundºª among them that saidºª unto² Ishmael,º Slayºª us not:² for² we haveº treasuresº in the field,º of wheat,º and of barley,º and of oil,º and of honey.º So he forbare,ºª and slewºª them not² amongº their brethren.º 9 Now the pitº wherein²² Ishmaelº had castºª² all² the dead bodiesº of the men,¹² whom² he had slainºª becauseº of Gedaliah,º [was] it² which² Asaº the kingº had madeºª for fearº² of Baashaº kingº of Israel:º [and] Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniahº filledºª it with [them that were] slain.º 10 Then Ishmaelº carried away captiveºª² all² the residueº of the peopleº that² [were] in Mizpah,º [even]² the king'sº daughters,º and all² the peopleº that remainedºª in Mizpah,º whom² Nebuzaradanº the captainº of the guardº had committedºª to² Gedaliahº the sonº of Ahikam:º and Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniahº carried them away captive,ºª and departed¹ª² to go overºª to² the Ammonites.ºº

Johanan recovereth the captives, and mindeth to flee into Egypt.

11 ¶ But when Johananº the sonº of Kareah,º and all² the captainsº of the forcesº that² [were] with² him, heardºª of² all² the evilº that² Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniahº had done,ºª 12 Then they tookºª² all² the men,¹² and went¹ª² to fightºª with² Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniah,º and foundºª him by² the greatº watersº that² [are] in Gibeon.º 13 Now it came to pass,² [that] when all² the peopleº which² [were] with² Ishmaelº sawºª² Johananº the sonº of Kareah,º and all² the captainsº of the forcesº that² [were] with² him, then they were glad.ºª 14 So all² the peopleº that² Ishmaelº had carried away captiveºª from² Mizpahº cast aboutºª and returned,ºª and went¹ª² unto² Johananº the sonº of Kareah.º 15 But Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniahº escapedºª fromº² Johananº with eightº men,¹² and went¹ª² to² the Ammonites.ºº 16 Then tookºª Johananº the sonº of Kareah,º and all² the captainsº of the forcesº that² [were] with² him,² all² the remnantº of the peopleº whom² he had recoveredºª from²² Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniah,º from² Mizpah,º afterº [that] he had slainºª² Gedaliahº the sonº of Ahikam,º [even] mightyº men¹² of war,º and the women,º and the children,º and the eunuchs,º whom² he had brought againºª from Gibeon:º² 17 And they departed,¹ª² and dwelt² in¹ª the habitationº of Chimham,º which² is byº Bethlehem,º to go¹ª² to enter¹ª into² Egypt,º 18 Becauseº² of the Chaldeans:º for² they were afraidºª of²² them, because² Ishmaelº the sonº of Nethaniahº had slainºª² Gedaliahº the sonº of Ahikam,º whom² the kingº of Babylonº made governorºª in the land.º