Jeremiah 41
Expanded Bible
41 In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah and ten of his men came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam [C the Babylonian appointed governor] at Mizpah [40:6]. (Nethaniah was the son of Elishama.) Now Ishmael was a member of the ·king’s [royal] family and had been one of the officers of the king of Judah. While they were eating ·a meal with Gedaliah [L bread together] at Mizpah, 2 Ishmael and his ten men got up and killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with a sword. (Gedaliah was the man the king of Babylon had ·chosen [appointed] as governor over Judah.) 3 Ishmael also killed all the ·Jews [L Judeans] and the ·Babylonian [L Chaldean] soldiers who were there with Gedaliah at Mizpah.
4 The day after Gedaliah was murdered, before anyone knew about it, 5 eighty men came to Mizpah bringing ·grain [L gift; tribute] offerings [Lev. 2:1] and incense to the ·Temple [L house] of the Lord. Those men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria [C important centers in northern Israel] had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and ·cut [gashed] themselves [C mourning rituals]. 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, crying as he walked. When he ·met [encountered] them, he said, “Come with me to meet Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” 7 So they went into Mizpah. Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and his men ·killed [slaughtered] seventy of them and threw the bodies into a deep ·well [cistern; pit]. 8 But the ten men who were ·left alive [L still found] said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have stores of wheat and barley and oil and honey that we have hidden in a field.” So ·Ishmael let them live [L he stopped] and did not kill them with the others. 9 Now the ·well [cistern; pit] where he had thrown all the bodies had been made by King Asa [C ruled 913–873 bc] as a part of his defenses against Baasha king of Israel [C ruled 900–877 bc; 1 Kin. 15:9–24; 15:33—16:7]. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah put dead bodies in it until it was full.
10 Ishmael captured all the other people in Mizpah: the king’s daughters and all the other people who ·were left [remained] there. They were the ones whom Nebuzaradan commander of the guard had ·chosen Gedaliah son of Ahikam to take care of [appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor over]. So Ishmael son of Nethaniah captured those people, and he started to cross over to the country of the ·Ammonites [L sons of Ammon].
11 Johanan son of Kareah [40:13–14] and all his army officers with him heard about all the ·evil things [crimes] Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done. 12 So they took their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah and ·caught [L found] him near the ·big pool of water [L many waters] at Gibeon [C southwest of Mizpah; 2 Sam. 2:8–17]. 13 When ·the captives Ishmael had taken [L all the people who were with Ishmael] saw Johanan and the army officers, they were glad. 14 So all the people Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and ran to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and ran away to the ·Ammonites [L sons of Ammon].
16 So Johanan son of Kareah and all his army officers ·saved [L took] the captives that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken from Mizpah after he ·murdered [L struck] Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Among those left alive were soldiers, women, children, and ·palace officers [or eunuchs]. And Johanan brought them back from the town of Gibeon.
The Escape to Egypt
Jeremiah 41
King James Version
41 Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.
2 Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.
3 Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.
4 And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,
5 That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the Lord.
6 And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.
7 And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.
8 But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.
9 Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.
10 Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.
11 But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,
12 Then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.
13 Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.
14 So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.
15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.
16 Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon:
17 And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,
18 Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.
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