Jeremiah 41
41
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2 K 25.25. But in the seventh month,#41.1 seventh month: Tishri, also called Ethanim, the seventh month of the Hebrew calendar, from about mid-September to mid-October. Ishmael#41.1 Ishmael: Hebrew “Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama.” came to Mizpah with ten of his soldiers. He had been one of the king's officials and was a member of the royal family. Ishmael and his men were invited to eat with Gedaliah. 2During the meal, Ishmael and his soldiers killed Gedaliah, the man chosen as ruler of Judah by the king of Babylonia. 3Then they killed the Jews who were with Gedaliah, and they also killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
4The next day, the murders had still not been discovered, 5when 80 men came down the road toward Mizpah from the towns of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They were on their way to the temple to offer gifts of grain and incense to the Lord. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, because they were mourning.
6Ishmael went out the town gate to meet them. He pretended to be weeping, and he asked them to come into Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah, the ruler of Judah. 7But after they were inside the town, Ishmael ordered his soldiers to kill them and throw their bodies into a well. 8He let ten of the men live, because they offered to give him supplies of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey they had hidden in a field. 9The well that he filled with bodies#41.9 with bodies: One ancient translation; Hebrew “with bodies of those killed by Gedaliah.” had been dug by King Asa#41.9 Asa: Ruled 911–870 b.c. of Judah to store rainwater, because he was afraid that King Baasha#41.9 Baasha: Ruled 909–886 b.c. of Israel might surround Mizpah and keep the people from getting to their water supply.
10Nebuzaradan, King Nebuchadnezzar's#41.10 Nebuchadnezzar's: See the note at 21.2. officer in charge of the guard, had left King Zedekiah's#41.10 Zedekiah's: See the note at 1.3. daughters and many other people at Mizpah, and he had put Gedaliah in charge of them. But now Ishmael took them all prisoner and led them toward Ammon, on the other side of the Jordan River.
11Johanan and the other army officers heard what Ishmael had done. 12So they and their troops chased Ishmael and caught up with him at the large pit at Gibeon. 13When Ishmael's prisoners saw Johanan and the officers, they were happy 14and turned around and ran toward Johanan. 15But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped and went to Ammon.
Johanan Decides To Take the People to Egypt
16Johanan and the officers had rescued the women, children, and royal officials that Ishmael had taken prisoner after killing Gedaliah. Johanan led the people from Gibeon 17-18toward Egypt. They wanted to go there, because they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they found out that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the ruler appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar.#41.17,18 Nebuchadnezzar: See the note at 21.2.
The People Ask Jeremiah To Pray for Them
On the way to Egypt, we#41.17,18 we: The group of people included Jeremiah, since he had been staying with Gedaliah near Mizpah (see 40.6). stopped at the town of Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem.
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Jeremiah 41
41
1In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah (the son of Elishama) came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael came with ten of his men. They came to the town of Mizpah. Ishmael was a member of the king’s family. He had been one of the officers of the king of Judah. Ishmael and his men ate a meal with Gedaliah. 2While they were eating together, Ishmael and his ten men got up and killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam with a sword. Gedaliah was the man the king of Babylon had chosen to be governor of Judah. 3Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at the town of Mizpah. He also killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there with Gedaliah.
4-5The day after Gedaliah was murdered, 80 men came to Mizpah. They were bringing grain offerings and incense to the Lord’s Temple. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves.#41:4-5 shaved … cut themselves The men did this to show that they were sad about the destruction of the Lord’s Temple in Jerusalem. They came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. None of these men knew that Gedaliah had been murdered. 6Ishmael left Mizpah and went to meet the 80 men. He cried#41:6 He cried Ishmael was acting like he was sad about the destruction of the Temple. while he walked out to meet them. Ishmael met them and said, “Come with me to meet with Gedaliah son of Ahikam.” 7-8As soon as they were in the city, Ishmael and the men with him began to kill the 80 men and throw them into a deep cistern! But ten of the men said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have hidden some things in a field. We have wheat and barley and oil and honey.” So Ishmael stopped and didn’t kill them with the others. 9(Ishmael threw the dead bodies into the cistern until it was full, and that cistern was very big! It had been built by a king of Judah named Asa. King Asa had made the cistern so that during war there would be water in the city.#41:9 King Asa … city King Asa lived about 300 years before the time of Gedaliah. See 1 Kings 15:22 for the story about Asa building defenses for Mizpah. Asa did this to protect his city from King Baasha of Israel.)
10Ishmael captured all the other people in the town of Mizpah and started to cross over to the country of the Ammonites. They included the king’s daughters, and all those who were left there. Nebuzaradan, the commander of the king of Babylon’s special guards, had chosen Gedaliah to watch over those people.
11Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the evil things Ishmael had done. 12So Johanan and the army officers with him took their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught Ishmael near the big pool of water that is at the town of Gibeon. 13When the captives that Ishmael had taken saw Johanan and the army officers, they were very happy. 14Then all the captives who Ishmael had taken from the town of Mizpah ran to Johanan son of Kareah. 15But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and ran away to the Ammonites.
16So Johanan son of Kareah and all his army officers rescued the captives. Ishmael had murdered Gedaliah and then he had taken those people from Mizpah. Among the survivors were soldiers, women, children, and court officials. Johanan brought them back from the town of Gibeon.
The Escape to Egypt
17-18Johanan and the other army officers were afraid of the Chaldeans. The king of Babylon had chosen Gedaliah to be governor of Judah. But Ishmael murdered Gedaliah, and Johanan was afraid that the Chaldeans would be angry. So they decided to run away to Egypt. On the way to Egypt, they stayed at Geruth Kimham, near the town of Bethlehem.
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