1Men allerede samme år i den syvende måned kom Ishmael til Mitzpa med ti mand og opsøgte Gedalja. Ishmael var af kongelig herkomst og en af den tidligere konges betroede embedsmænd. Gedalja inviterede dem til spisning dér i Mitzpa.2Under måltidet sprang Ishmael og hans mænd pludselig op, trak deres sværd og dræbte Gedalja.3Derefter løb de ud og dræbte samtlige judæiske embedsmænd og babyloniske soldater i guvernørens hovedkvarter.4Næste dag, før nogen vidste noget om mordet på Gedalja,5var en gruppe på 80 mænd fra Sikem, Shilo og Samaria på vej til Jerusalem med korn og røgelse for at ofre til Herren. De havde raget skægget af, revet flænger i tøjet og skåret sig i huden for at vise deres sorg over Jerusalems fald.6Da de nærmede sig Mitzpa, kom Ishmael dem grædende i møde og sagde: „Kom og se, hvad der er sket med Gedalja.”7Men så snart de var kommet ind i byen, begyndte Ishmael og hans mænd at slå dem ihjel og kaste ligene i et vandreservoir.8Ti af dem undgik døden ved at love at give ham deres forråd af hvede, byg, olivenolie og honning, som de havde skjult i nærheden af byen.9Det vandreservoir, som Ishmael kastede de 70 mænd ned i, havde kong Asa ladet bygge, dengang han befæstede Mitzpa i krigen mod kong Basha af Israel.10Ishmael tog så resten af byens indbyggere til fange, både kongens døtre og alle dem, som Nebuzaradan havde overladt i Gedaljas varetægt i Mitzpa, og flygtede til ammonitternes land.11Men da Johanan og de øvrige officerer hørte, hvad Ishmael havde gjort,12samlede de alle deres mænd og satte efter ham, og de indhentede ham ved dammen nær Gibeon.13-14Så snart Ishmaels fanger fra Mitzpa fik øje på Johanan og hans mænd, jublede de af glæde og sluttede sig til ham.15Ishmael undslap med nød og næppe sammen med otte af sine mænd og nåede i sikkerhed i Ammon.16-17Johanan og hans mænd tog nu alle dem, de havde befriet, soldater, kvinder, børn og hoffolk, og førte dem til landsbyen Gidrot-Kimham ved Betlehem. De havde nemlig planer om at tage til Egypten,18for de var bange for, hvordan babylonierne ville reagere på budskabet om Gedaljas død. Gedalja var jo blevet indsat som guvernør af selveste den babyloniske konge.
Jeremias 41
King James Version
1Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.2Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.3Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.4And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it ,5That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.6And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.7And it was so , when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.8But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.9Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.10Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king' daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.11But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,12Then 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.13Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.14So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.15But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.16Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon:17And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,18Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.