Jeremiah 41 | New International Reader’s Version

New International Reader’s Version

1 In the seventh month Ishmael came with ten men to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. Ishmael was the son of Nethaniah. Nethaniah was the son of Elishama. Ishmael was a member of the royal family. He had been one of the king’s officers. Ishmael and his ten men were eating together at Mizpah. 2 They got up and struck down Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, with their swords. They killed him even though the king of Babylon had appointed him as governor over Judah. Ahikam was the son of Shaphan. 3 Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. And he killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there. 4 On the next day, people still hadn’t found out that Gedaliah had been murdered. 5 On that day 80 men came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards. They had torn their clothes. And they had cut themselves. They brought grain offerings and incense with them. They took them to the LORD’s house. 6 Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, went out from Mizpah to meet them. He was weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, ‘Come to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam.’ 7 They went with him into the city. Then Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the men who were with him killed them. And they threw them into an empty well. 8 But ten of the men had spoken to Ishmael. They had said, ‘Don’t kill us! We have some wheat and barley. We also have olive oil and honey. We’ve hidden all of it in a field.’ So he didn’t kill them along with the others. 9 But he had thrown into the empty well all the bodies of the men he had killed. That included Gedaliah’s body. The well was the one King Asa had made. He had made it when he strengthened Mizpah against attack by Baasha, the king of Israel. Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, filled it with the bodies of those he had killed. 10 Nebuzaradan was the commander of the royal guard. He had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over all the people at Mizpah. But Ishmael made prisoners of the people left at Mizpah. These prisoners included women who were members of the royal court. The prisoners also included everyone else left at Mizpah. Then Ishmael started out to go across the River Jordan to the land of Ammon. 11 Johanan, the son of Kareah, was told what had happened. And so were all the other army officers with him. They heard about all the crimes Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had committed. 12 So they brought all their men together. Then they went to fight against Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the large pool in Gibeon. 13 Ishmael had many people with him. They saw Johanan, the son of Kareah. And they saw the other army officers who were with him. So the people who had been forced to go with Ishmael were glad. 14 Ishmael had taken those people from Mizpah as prisoners. But now they turned and went over to the side of Johanan, the son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and eight of his men escaped from Johanan. They ran away to the land of Ammon.

Some Jews take Jeremiah to Egypt

16 Then Johanan, the son of Kareah, led away all the people of Mizpah who were still alive. All the other army officers with Johanan helped him do this. He had taken them away from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah. That happened after Ishmael had murdered Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. The people Johanan had taken away included soldiers, women, children and court officials. He had brought them from Gibeon. 17 They went on their way. They stopped at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem. They were going to Egypt. 18 They wanted to get away from the Babylonians. They were afraid of them. That’s because Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. The king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah as governor over Judah.

Nuova Riveduta 2006

from Società Biblica di Ginevra

Assassinio di Ghedalia

1 Il settimo mese Ismael, figlio di Netania, figlio di Elisama, della stirpe reale e uno dei grandi del re, andò con dieci uomini da Ghedalia, figlio di Aicam, a Mispa; là, a Mispa, mangiarono assieme. 2 Poi Ismael, figlio di Netania, si alzò con i dieci uomini che erano con lui e colpirono con la spada Ghedalia, figlio di Aicam, figlio di Safan. Così fecero morire colui che il re di Babilonia aveva stabilito sul paese. 3 Ismael uccise pure tutti i Giudei che erano con Ghedalia a Mispa e i Caldei, uomini di guerra, che si trovavano là. 4 Il giorno dopo che egli ebbe ucciso Ghedalia, prima che se ne sapesse nulla, 5 giunsero da Sichem, da Silo e da Samaria ottanta uomini che avevano la barba rasa, le vesti stracciate e delle incisioni sul corpo; avevano in mano delle offerte e dell’incenso per presentarli nella casa del Signore. 6 Ismael, figlio di Netania, uscì loro incontro da Mispa e, camminando, piangeva; come li ebbe incontrati, disse loro: «Venite da Ghedalia, figlio di Aicam». 7 Quando furono entrati in mezzo alla città, Ismael figlio di Netania, assieme agli uomini che aveva con sé, li scannò e li gettò nella cisterna. 8 Fra quelli ci furono dieci uomini che dissero a Ismael: «Non ci uccidere, perché abbiamo nei campi provviste nascoste: grano, orzo, olio e miele». Allora egli si trattenne e non li mise a morte con i loro fratelli. 9 La cisterna nella quale Ismael gettò tutti i cadaveri degli uomini che egli uccise con Ghedalia è quella che il re Asa aveva fatta fare per timore di Baasa, re d’Israele; Ismael, figlio di Netania, la riempì di uccisi. 10 Poi Ismael condusse via prigionieri tutto il rimanente del popolo che si trovava a Mispa: le figlie del re e tutto il popolo che era rimasto a Mispa, sul quale Nebuzaradan, capo delle guardie, aveva stabilito Ghedalia, figlio di Aicam; Ismael, figlio di Netania, li condusse via prigionieri e partì per recarsi dagli Ammoniti. 11 Ma quando Iocanan, figlio di Carea, e tutti i capi degli uomini armati che erano con lui furono informati di tutto il male che Ismael, figlio di Netania, aveva fatto, 12 presero tutti gli uomini e andarono a combattere contro Ismael, figlio di Netania; e lo trovarono presso le grandi acque che sono a Gabaon. 13 Quando tutto il popolo che era con Ismael vide Iocanan, figlio di Carea, e tutti i capi degli uomini armati che erano con lui, si rallegrò; 14 tutto il popolo che Ismael aveva condotto prigioniero da Mispa fece voltafaccia e andò a unirsi a Iocanan, figlio di Carea. 15 Ma Ismael, figlio di Netania, scampò con otto uomini davanti a Iocanan e se ne andò fra gli Ammoniti. 16 Iocanan, figlio di Carea, e tutti i capi degli uomini armati che erano con lui presero tutto il rimanente del popolo che Ismael, figlio di Netania, aveva condotto via da Mispa, dopo che egli ebbe ucciso Ghedalia, figlio di Aicam: uomini, gente di guerra, donne, bambini, eunuchi; e li ricondussero da Gabaon. 17 Partirono e si fermarono a Gerut-Chimam, presso Betlemme, per poi continuare e giungere in Egitto, 18 a causa dei Caldei, dei quali avevano paura perché Ismael, figlio di Netania, aveva ucciso Ghedalia, figlio di Aicam, che il re di Babilonia aveva stabilito sul paese.