Moff by section JER 41:1

⌂ ← JER 41:1–41:18 → ║ ©

Jeremiah 41

41 But in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the grandson of Elishama, a member of the royal family, came with ten men to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam at Mizpah; as they dined together, 2 Ishmael and his ten companions drew their swords and murdered Gedaliah the son of Ahikam and the grandson of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor of the country. 3 Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and all the Chaldean soldiers who happened to be there. 4 Next day, before any one knew about Gedaliah’s murder, 5 eighty pilgrims arrived from Shechem, Shilo, and Samaria, their beards shaved off, their bodies gashed, and their clothes torn, bringing vegetables and frankincense to be offered at the temple. 6 Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, as they marched along wailing. When he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.” 7 But as soon as they were inside the town, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and his companions murdered them and flung their bodies into an underground cistern. 8 Ten men among them, however, said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us; we have stores hidden in the fields, wheat, barley, oil, and honey.” So he let them alone and did not murder them along with their fellows. 9 (The cistern into which Ishmael flung all the corpses of the men he murdered, was the large cistern constructed by king Asa during his campaign against Baasha Mng of Israel; the men whom Ishmael murdered filled it full.) 10 Ishmael then carried off as prisoners all the rest of the people at Mizpah, and the princesses whom Nebuzaradan the commander-in-chief had left in charge of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.

He started across country for Ammon. 11 But as soon as Johanan the son of Kareah and the other leaders of the Jewish forces heard of all the crimes committed by Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, 12 they mustered all their men and set out to attack him. They came upon Ishmael the son of Nethaniah at the large pool of Gibeon. 13 When the prisoners whom Ishmael had carried off from Mizpah saw Johanan the son of Kareah and the other leaders of the forces with him, they all rejoiced 14 and broke away to join Johanan. 15 Ishmael escaped with eight of his men, and got away to the Ammonites, 16 while Johanan the son of Kareah and the other leaders of the forces with him took charge of all the people whom Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had carried off as prisoners from Mizpah after his murder of Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, men, women, children, and eunuchs. 17 They travelled on, stopping for a while at the sheepfolds of Kim- ham near Bethlehem, whence they intended to move on to Egypt; 18 for they were terrified of the Chaldeans, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had murdered Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor of the country.