Open English Translation JER Chapter 41

41 However, in the seventh month, Yishmael (son of Netanyah, son of Elishama from the royal family) and some officers of the king came—he had ten men with him. They came to Ahikam’s son Gedalyah at Mitspah and had a meal together.[ref] 2 Then Yishmael and the ten men who were with him, stood up and attacked with their swords. Yishmael killed Gedalyah, who the Babylonian king had put in charge of the region, 3 and they killed all the Judeans who were with Gedalyah there at Mitspah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there.

4 The next day before anyone found out that Gedalyah had been murdered, 5 eighty men from Shekem, Shiloh, and from Shomron came who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves in mourning. They were carrying grain offerings and incense to be offered at Yahweh’s residence. 6 Netanyah’s son Yishmael went out of Mitspah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he reached them, he told them to come and see what had happened to Ahikam’s son Gedalyah. 7 Then as they reached the middle of the town, Yishmael and his men slaughtered them and threw their bodies into a cistern.

8 However, ten of them bargained with Yishmael about some wheat, barley, oil, and honey that they’d left out in the countryside, so he didn’t kill them along with the others. 9 The water storage cistern when Yishmael had thrown all the bodies of those he’d killed including Gedalyah, had been dug by King Asa in defence against Yisrael’s King Baasha. Now Netanyah’s son Yishmael had filled it with dead bodies. 10 Next Yishmael captured the remaining people in Mitspah, including the king’s daughters and all the others who the chief bodyguard Nevuzar-Adan had assigned to Ahikam’s son Gedalyah. So Netanyah’s son Yishmael captured them to hand over to the Ammonites.

11 Meanwhile Kareah’s son Yohanan and all the army commanders with him, heard about all the evil things that Netanyah’s son Yishmael had done, 12 so they took all their men to fight against Yishmael. They came across him at the large pool near Giv’on city 13 When all the people who’d been captured by Yishmael saw Yohanan and all the army commanders they were very relieved. 14 So all those people that Yishmael had captured were freed and went back with Kareah’s son Yohanan. 15 Unfortunately, Netanyah’s son Yishmael escaped from Yohanan, along with eight of his men, and they went to the Ammonites.

16 Then Kareah’s son Yohanan and all the army commanders with him, took all the people from Mitspah who’d been rescued from Netanyah’s son Yishmael after he’d killed Ahikam’s son Gedalyah. They took those warriors, and women and children and court-officials that they’d saved at Giv’on, 17 and went and stayed at Gerut-Kimham near Beyt-Lehem, getting ready to go to Egypt 18 because of the Babylonians. (They worried about their response because Netanyah’s son Yishmael had assassinated Ahikam’s son Gedalyah who’d been appointed in the region by the Babylonian king.)