1 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 Nebuzar-adan 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 Beth-lehem, 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.

1Now it came to passe in the seuenth moneth, that Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah the sonne of Elishamah of the seede royall, and the princes of the king, euen tenne men with him, came vnto Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam to Mizpah, and there they did eate bread together in Mizpah.

2Then arose Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the sonne of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whome the king of Babylon had made gouernour ouer the land.

3Ishmael also slew all the Iewes that were with him, euen with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Caldeans that were found there, and the men of warre.

4And it came to passe the second day after he had slaine Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

5That there came certaine from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, euen fourescore men, hauing their beards shauen, and their clothes rent, and hauing cut themselues, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the Lord.

6And Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah went foorth from Mizpah to meete them, weeping all along as hee went: and it came to passe as hee met them, he said vnto them, Come to Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam.

7And it was so when they came into the midst of the citie, that Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.

8But ten men were found among them, that said vnto Ishmael, Slay vs not: for we haue treasures in the field, of wheate, and of barley, and of oyle, and of hony: so he forbare, and slewe them not among their brethren.

9Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men (whom he had slaine because of Gedaliah) was it, which Asa the king had made, for feare of Baasha king of Israel, and Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slaine.

10Then Ishmael caried away captiue all the residue of the people, that were in Mizpah, euen the kings daughters, and al the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captaine of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, and Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah caried them away captiue, and departed to goe ouer to the Ammonites.

11 But when Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the forces that were with him, heard of all the euill that Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah had done,

12Then they tooke all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.

13Now it came to passe that when al the people which were with Ishmael, sawe Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the forces, that were with him, then they were glad.

14So all the people that Ishmael had caried away captiue from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went vnto Iohanan the sonne of Kareah.

15But Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah escaped from Iohanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.

16Then tooke Iohanan the sonne of Kareah, and all the captaines of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recouered from Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah, from Mizpah (after that he had slaine Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam,) euen mighty men of warre, and the women, and the children, and the eunuches whom he had brought againe from Gibeon.

17And they departed and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to goe to enter into Egypt,

18Because of the Caldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the sonne of Nethaniah had slaine Gedaliah the sonne of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made gouernour in the land.

II == 2nd Kings 25:25

V == Lev 19:27-28 ; Deut 14:1 ; 1st Sam 1:7 ; 2nd Kings 25:9 ; Isa 15:2

IX == 1st Kings 15:22 ; 2nd Chr 16:6

X == Jer 40:7 , 14 ; 43:6

XI == Jer 40:7-8 , 13

XII == 2nd Sam 2:13

XVII == 2nd Sam 19:37-38

XVIII == Jer 40:5 , 8 , 13 ; 41:11

1 In the seventh month Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of royal descent, one of the king's nobles, came with ten men to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. And while they were together at table in Mizpah,

2 Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, and the ten who were with him, rose up and attacked with swords Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon had made ruler over the land; and they killed him.

3 Ishmael also slew all the men of Judah of military age who were with Gedaliah and the Chaldean soldiers who were there.

4 The second day after the murder of Gedaliah, before anyone knew of it,

5 eighty men with beards shaved off, clothes in rags, and with gashes on their bodies came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, bringing food offerings and incense for the house of the LORD.

6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah, went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went.

7 "Come to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam," he said as he met them. When they were once inside the city, Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, and his men slew them and threw them into the cistern.

8 But there were ten among them who pleaded with Ishmael: "Do not kill us; we have stores buried in the field: wheat and barley, oil and honey." And so he spared them and did not kill them, as he had killed their companions.

9 The cistern into which Ishmael threw all the corpses of the men he had killed was the large one made by King Asa to defend himself against Baasha, king of Israel; this cistern Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, filled with the slain.

10 Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, led away the remnant of the people left in Mizpah and the princesses, whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the bodyguard, had confided to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam. With these captives, Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, set out to make his way to the Ammonites.

11 But when Johanan, son of Kareah, and the other army leaders with him heard of the crimes Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, had committed,

12 they took all their men and set out to attack Ishmael, son of Nethaniah. They overtook him at the Great Waters in Gibeon.

13 At the sight of Johanan, son of Kareah, and the other army leaders, the people who were Ishmael's captives rejoiced.

14 All of those whom Ishmael had brought away from Mizpah went over to Johanan, son of Kareah.

15 But Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites with eight men.

16 Then Johanan, son of Kareah, and all his army leaders took charge of the remnant of the people, both the soldiers and the women and children with their guardians, whom Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, had brought away from Mizpah after he killed Gedaliah, son of Ahikim. From Gibeon,

17 they retreated to the lodging place of Chimham near Bethlehem, where they stopped, intending to flee into Egypt.

18 They were afraid of the Chaldeans, because Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, had slain Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made ruler in the land of Judah.

v 1-3.  Ishmael and 10 men came deceitfully to eat with Gedaliah, then murdered him and the Jews and Babylonian soldiers with him at Mizpah. This was probably about 3 years later, Oct. 583 BC. Nebuchadnezzar made a small deportation, 52:13, presumably to restore order after Gedaliah was assassinated and the others killed.

v 4-9. The dastardly deed was undetected, and when 80 men from the northern area came sorrowing with offerings, probably for the feast of tabernacles, Ishmael made pretense of sorrowing and met them. He invited them to an appearance with Gedaliah, but after he got them inside, his men started killing them. Ten of the pilgrims escaped death by offering many supplies, which satisfied Ishmael’s greed. All bodies were thrown into the empty cistern Asa had dug for fear of siege. 

v 10. All those not killed were taken captive to go to Ishmael’s Ammonite allies.  

v 11-15. When the deed was discovered, Johanan and a sizable force of others pursued. In the confusion that followed, all the captives turned back to Johanan, but Ishmael and 8 of his 10 escaped to the Ammonites. Apparently the Ammonites got the results they were seeking, see comments on 40:13-16 and 41:1-3.

v 16-18. Instead of returning to Mizpah, Johanan took all the people to a place near Bethlehem, so they might escape the wrath of Babylon by going to Egypt.