The Murder of Gedaliah
(2 Kings 25:25–26)

1And it came to pass in the seventh month that Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the royal seed and of the officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. And there they ate bread together in Mizpah. 2And Ishmael son of Nethaniah rose up, and ten of the men who were with him, and they struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword, and he killed him whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. 3And also all the Jews who were with him, with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans† who were found there, the men of war, Ishmael struck down.

4And it came to pass on the second day after he had killed Gedaliah, and not a man knew it, 5that certain men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty men with their beards shaved and torn clothes and having cut themselves, and with offering and incense in their hands, to bring in to the house of YHWH. 6And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out to meet them from Mizpah, and weeping all along as he went.

And it came to pass as he met them that he said to them: “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. 7And it came to pass at their coming into the midst of the city that Ishmael son of Nethaniah slaughtered them into the midst of a cistern—he and the men who were with him.

8And ten men were found among them, and they said to Ishmael: “Do not put us to death, for we have treasures in the field—wheat, and barley, and oil, and honey.” And he held back, and he did not put them to death in the midst of their brothers.

9And the cistern into which Ishmael had cast there all the carcasses of the men whom he had struck down along with the hand of Gedaliah, was that which king Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. And Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.

10And Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the daughters of the king and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guards had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam; and Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and went off to cross over to the sons of Ammon.

Johanan Rescues the Captives

11And Johanan son of Kareah heard, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done, 12and they took all the men, and went to do battle with Ishmael son of Nethaniah; and they found him at the great pool that is in Gibeon.

13And it came to pass when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, that they were glad. 14And all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around, and they returned, and they went to Johanan son of Kareah. 15And Ishmael son of Nethaniah, with eight men, escaped from Johanan and went to the sons of Ammon.

16And Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces that were with him took all the rest of the people whom he had turned back from Ishmael son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he had struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the mighty men of war, and the women, and the sons, and the eunuchs† whom he had brought back from Gibeon. 17And they went and dwelt in the lodging-place of Chimham, which is beside Bethlehem, to go to enter Egypt, 18because of the Chaldeans;† for they were afraid of their face, because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed in the land.