1 Now in the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the royal offspring and one of the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they ate bread together in Mizpah. 2 Then Ishmael the son of Nethaniah arose, and the ten men who were with him, and struck Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. 3 Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans men of war who were found there.

4 The second day after he had killed Gedaliah, and no man knew it, 5 men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with meal offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to Yahweh’s house. 6 Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went, and as he met them, he said to them, "Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam." 7 It was so, when they came into the middle of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah killed them, and cast them into the middle of the pit, he, and the men who were with him. 8 But ten men were found among those who said to Ishmael, "Don’t kill us; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey."

So he stopped, and didn’t kill them among their brothers. 9 Now the pit in which Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had killed, by the side of Gedaliah (this was that which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel), Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with those who were killed.

10 Then Ishmael carried away captive all of the people who were left in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon.

11 But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who 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 when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, then they were glad. 14 So all the people who Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon.

16 Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—the men of war, with the women, the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon. 17 They departed and lived in Geruth Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt 18 because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.

1 No sétimo mês, Ismael, filho de Netanias, filho de Elisama, de família real e um dos capitães do rei, foi até Mispa com dez homens para se encontrar com Gedalias, filho de Aicão. Enquanto comiam juntos, em Mispa, 2 Ismael, filho de Netanias, e os dez homens que estavam com ele se levantaram e mataram a fio de espada Gedalias, filho de Aicão, filho de Safã. Assim mataram aquele que o rei da Babilônia havia nomeado governador da terra. 3 Ismael também matou todos os judeus que estavam com Gedalias, em Mispa, e os caldeus, homens de guerra, que se achavam ali.

4 No dia seguinte, antes que alguém soubesse da morte de Gedalias, 5 vieram alguns homens de Siquém, de Siló e de Samaria. Eram oitenta homens, com a barba raspada, as roupas rasgadas e com cortes na pele, trazendo consigo ofertas de cereais e incenso, para levarem à Casa do Senhor. 6 Ismael, filho de Netanias, saiu de Mispa para encontrar-se com eles, chorando enquanto caminhava. Ao encontrá-los, disse-lhes:

— Venham encontrar-se com Gedalias, filho de Aicão.

7 Mas, quando eles chegaram até o meio da cidade, Ismael, filho de Netanias, e os que estavam com ele mataram aqueles homens e jogaram os corpos num poço. 8 Mas houve dez homens entre eles que disseram a Ismael:

— Não nos mate, porque temos trigo, cevada, azeite e mel escondidos no campo.

Por isso, ele desistiu e não os matou como havia feito com os outros. 9 O poço em que Ismael jogou todos os cadáveres dos homens que havia matado, juntamente com o corpo de Gedalias, é o mesmo que o rei Asa havia cavado, na sua defesa contra Baasa, rei de Israel. Foi esse mesmo poço que Ismael, filho de Netanias, encheu de cadáveres. 10 Ismael levou cativo todo o resto do povo que estava em Mispa, isto é, as filhas do rei e todo o povo que havia ficado em Mispa, que Nebuzaradã, o chefe da guarda, havia confiado a Gedalias, filho de Aicão, o governador. Ismael, filho de Netanias, levou-os como prisioneiros e partiu em direção ao território dos filhos de Amom.

11 Quando Joanã, filho de Careá, e todos os comandantes dos exércitos que estavam com ele ouviram falar de todo o mal que Ismael, filho de Netanias, havia feito, 12 levaram consigo todos os seus homens e foram lutar contra Ismael, filho de Netanias. Acharam-no junto às grandes águas que há em Gibeão. 13 Ora, todo o povo que estava com Ismael se alegrou quando viu Joanã, filho de Careá, e todos os comandantes dos exércitos que vinham com ele. 14 Todo o povo que Ismael havia levado cativo de Mispa virou as costas, voltou e foi para o lado Joanã, filho de Careá. 15 Mas Ismael, filho de Netanias, escapou de Joanã com oito homens e se foi para o território dos filhos de Amom.

16 Então Joanã, filho de Careá, e todos os comandantes dos exércitos que estavam com ele reuniram todo o restante do povo que Ismael, filho de Netanias, havia levado cativo de Mispa, depois de ter matado Gedalias, filho de Aicão, isto é, reuniram os homens valentes de guerra, as mulheres, os meninos e os eunucos que havia recuperado em Gibeão. 17 Seguiram adiante e pararam em Gerute-Quimã, que fica perto de Belém, para dali irem para o Egito, 18 por causa dos caldeus. Estavam com medo dos caldeus porque Ismael, filho de Netanias, tinha matado Gedalias, filho de Aicão, a quem o rei da Babilônia havia nomeado governador da terra.