Jeremiah 41

Revised Standard Version

Insurrection against Gedaliah

41 In the seventh month, Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah, son of Elish′ama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedali′ah the son of Ahi′kam, at Mizpah. As they ate bread together there at Mizpah, ² Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedali′ah the son of Ahi′kam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor in the land. ³ Ish′mael also slew all the Jews who were with Gedali′ah at Mizpah, and the Chalde′an soldiers who happened to be there.

⁴ On the day after the murder of Gedali′ah, before any one knew of it, ⁵ eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samar′ia, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing cereal offerings and incense to present at the temple of the Lord. ⁶ And Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah came out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, “Come in to Gedali′ah the son of Ahi′kam.” ⁷ When they came into the city, Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah and the men with him slew them, and cast them into a cistern. ⁸ But there were ten men among them who said to Ish′mael, “Do not kill us, for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the fields.” So he refrained and did not kill them with their companions.

⁹ Now the cistern into which Ish′mael cast all the bodies of the men whom he had slain was the large cistern^[a] which King Asa had made for defense against Ba′asha king of Israel; Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah filled it with the slain. ¹⁰ Then Ish′mael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people who were left at Mizpah, whom Nebu′zarad′an, the captain of the guard, had committed to Gedali′ah the son of Ahi′kam. Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

¹¹ But when Joha′nan the son of Kare′ah and all the leaders of the forces with him heard of all the evil which Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah had done, ¹² they took all their men and went to fight against Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah. They came upon him at the great pool which is in Gib′eon. ¹³ And when all the people who were with Ish′mael saw Joha′nan the son of Kare′ah and all the leaders of the forces with him, they rejoiced. ¹⁴ So all the people whom Ish′mael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went to Joha′nan the son of Kare′ah. ¹⁵ But Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah escaped from Joha′nan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. ¹⁶ Then Joha′nan the son of Kare′ah and all the leaders of the forces with him took all the rest of the people whom Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah had carried away captive^[b] from Mizpah after he had slain Gedali′ah the son of Ahi′kam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Joha′nan brought back from Gib′eon. ¹⁷ And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt ¹⁸ because of the Chalde′ans; for they were afraid of them, because Ish′mael the son of Nethani′ah had slain Gedali′ah the son of Ahi′kam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.