Jeremiah 41
41
Gedaliah Assassinated
1Now it was in the seventh month, that Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama—of royal descent and one of the chief officers of the king, along with ten men—came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam to Mizpah. While they were eating bread there together in Mizpah,
2Ishmael son of Nethaniah rose up with the ten men that were with him and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword—putting to death the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
3Ishmael also slew all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were found there.
4Now it was the next day after he had slain Gedaliah, when no one knew about it,
5that 80 men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, with their beards shaved off, their clothes rent, and having gashed themselves, with grain offerings and frankincense in their hand to bring to the House of Adonai.
6So Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went, and as he came to meet them, he said to them: “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”
7Yet it was that as soon as they came within of the city that Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them within the cistern-pit.
8However ten men were found among them that said to Ishmael: “Don’t kill us! For we have hidden stores in the field—wheat, barley, oil and honey!” So he held off and did not kill them along with their companions.
9Now the cistern where Ishmael cast all the corpses of the men whom he killed, because they were on Gedaliah’s side, was the one which King Asa had made for fear of King Baasa of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.
10Then Ishmael carried away captive all the rest of the people that were in Mizpah, including the king’s daughters—all the people who were left in Mizpah over whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had put under the charge of Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and set off to cross over to Ammon’s children.
11But Johanan son of Kareah, and all the commanders of the forces that were with him heard about all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done.
12So they took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great pool in Gibeon.
13Now when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him, they were glad.
14So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.
15But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to Ammon’s children.
16Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the forces that were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had rescued from Ishmael son of Nethaniah from Mizpah, after he had murdered Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the men, the soldiers, women, children, and court officials whom he had brought back from Gibeon—
17and they left and stayed at Chimham’s lodge, which is near Beth-lehem, in order to go on to enter Egypt,
18away from the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, since Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
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Copyright © 2014 - Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society
Jeremiah 41
41
Murder
1-3But in the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, came. He had royal blood in his veins and had been one of the king’s high-ranking officers. He paid a visit to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah with ten of his men. As they were eating together, Ishmael and his ten men jumped to their feet and knocked Gedaliah down and killed him, killed the man the king of Babylon had appointed governor of the land. Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah in Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were stationed there.
4-5On the second day after the murder of Gedaliah—no one yet knew of it—men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, eighty of them, with their beards shaved, their clothing ripped, and gashes on their bodies. They were pilgrims carrying grain offerings and incense on their way to worship at the Temple in Jerusalem.
6Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to welcome them, weeping ostentatiously. When he greeted them he invited them in: “Come and meet Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”
7-8But as soon as they were inside the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and his henchmen slaughtered the pilgrims and dumped the bodies in a cistern. Ten of the men talked their way out of the massacre. They bargained with Ishmael, “Don’t kill us. We have a hidden store of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey out in the fields.” So he held back and didn’t kill them with their fellow pilgrims.
9Ishmael’s reason for dumping the bodies into a cistern was to cover up the earlier murder of Gedaliah. The cistern had been built by King Asa as a defense against Baasha king of Israel. This was the cistern that Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled with the slaughtered men.
10Ishmael then took everyone else in Mizpah, including the king’s daughters entrusted to the care of Gedaliah son of Ahikam by Nebuzaradan the captain of the bodyguard, as prisoners. Rounding up the prisoners, Ishmael son of Nethaniah proceeded to take them over into the country of Ammon.
11-12Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers with him heard about the atrocities committed by Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They set off at once after Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him at the large pool at Gibeon.
13-15When all the prisoners from Mizpah who had been taken by Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers with him, they couldn’t believe their eyes. They were so happy! They all rallied around Johanan son of Kareah and headed back home. But Ishmael son of Nethaniah got away, escaping from Johanan with eight men into the land of Ammon.
16Then Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers with him gathered together what was left of the people whom Ishmael son of Nethaniah had taken prisoner from Mizpah after the murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam—men, women, children, eunuchs—and brought them back from Gibeon.
17-18They set out at once for Egypt to get away from the Chaldeans, stopping on the way at Geruth-kimham near Bethlehem. They were afraid of what the Chaldeans might do in retaliation of Ishmael son of Nethaniah’s murder of Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor of the country.
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THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson. All rights reserved. Used by permission of NavPress. Represented by Tyndale House Publishers.