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the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal family and one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating a meal together there in Mizpah, 2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. 3 Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.
4 Then on the second day after he had killed Gedaliah, when no one yet knew about it, 5 eighty men arrived from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria. They had shaved their beards off, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, and they brought grain offerings and incense in their hands to present at the House of the Lord. 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” 7 But when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them, and threw them into a cistern.
8 But ten men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have a horde of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in a field.” So he stopped and did not kill them with along with their companions. 9 Now the cistern where Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was a large one that King Asa had made for defence against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled the cistern with the bodies of the slain.
10 Then Ishmael made captives of all the remnant of the people of Mizpah, including the daughters of the king and all the people who remained in Mizpah, over whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
11 But when Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies that were with him heard about all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done, 12 they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and they found him by the great pool in Gibeon. 13 When all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they were glad. 14 So all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned around and came back, and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites.
16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him led away all the survivors from Mizpah whom Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken captive after he had murdered Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children, and court officials, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. 17 And they set out, stopping at Gerath Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, as they went on their way to Egypt, 18 because of the Chaldeans. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.