de Biblica1Mas no sétimo mês[1] daquele ano, Ismael, filho de Netanias e neto de Elisama, membro da família real, que tinha sido um dos membros mais evidentes do conselho do rei, chegou a Mizpá, acompanhado de dez homens. Gedalias convidou-o para uma refeição juntos.2Enquanto comiam, Ismael e os dez homens, seus companheiros, saltaram-lhe repentinamente em cima e, puxando das espadas, mataram Gedalias.3Seguidamente, saíram e assassinaram todos os judeus chefes da administração pública e os soldados caldeus que viviam ali em Mizpá com Gedalias.4No dia seguinte, antes que toda a gente tomasse conhecimento do que tinha acontecido,5oitenta homens aproximaram-se de Mizpá, vindos de Siquem, de Silo e de Samaria, dirigindo-se ao local onde estivera o templo do SENHOR para o adorar. Todos eles tinham rapado a barba, rasgado os vestidos e também ferido a si mesmos; vinham com dádivas e com incenso para oferecerem.6Ismael saiu da cidade e foi ao encontro deles, chorando à medida que se aproximavam. Quando chegaram junto dele, disse-lhes: “Oh! Venham até onde se encontra Gedalias!”7Então, quando todos estavam dentro da povoação, Ismael e os seus homens mataram-nos, deixando apenas dez com vida; os corpos dos outros setenta atiraram-nos para dentro dum poço.8Os dez que não foram mortos foi porque prometeram trazer-lhes grandes quantidades de trigo, cevada, azeite e mel que tinham escondido no campo.9A cisterna em que Ismael lançou os corpos dos que foram assassinados tinha sido construída pelo rei Asa, quando este fortificou Mizpá, para se proteger contra os ataques de Bacha, rei de Israel.10Ismael prendeu as filhas do rei, assim como o resto do povo que Nebuzaradão, o comandante da guarda, tinha deixado em Mizpá, ao cuidado de Gedalias. Pouco tempo depois, levou aquela gente consigo, quando decidiu ir para a terra dos amonitas.11No entanto, Joanã, filho de Careá, e os outros oficiais do exército, ao saberem o que Ismael tinha feito,12reuniram os seus homens e foram detê-lo, e apanharam-no no tanque que está junto de Gibeão.13-14Aqueles que iam presos, com Ismael, começaram a gritar de alegria, quando viram Joanã e os companheiros, e correram ao seu encontro.15Entretanto, Ismael conseguiu escapar-se com oito dos seus homens para os amonitas.
Fuga para o Egito
16-17Então Joanã e os seus homens foram para a povoação de Gerute-Quimã, perto de Belém, levando consigo os que tinham livrado das mãos de Ismael, soldados, mulheres, crianças e eunucos, preparando-se para se passarem para o Egito.18Eles tinham receio do que poderiam fazer os caldeus, quando soubessem da notícia que Ismael tinha matado Gedalias, o governador, pois este tinha sido escolhido e nomeado pelo próprio imperador da Babilónia.
1In the seventh month, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the royal family, one of the chief officers of the king, came with ten men to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. As they ate bread together there at Mizpah, (2 Rs 25:25; Sl 41:9; Jr 40:6; Jr 40:8; Jr 40:10)2Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor in the land. (2 Sm 13:28; Jr 40:5)3Ishmael also struck down all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldean soldiers who happened to be there. (Jr 41:1)4On the day after the murder of Gedaliah, before anyone knew of it,5eighty men arrived from Shechem and Shiloh and Samaria, with their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, bringing grain offerings and incense to present at the temple of the Lord. (Dt 14:1; Js 17:7; Js 18:1; 1 Rs 16:24; 2 Rs 25:9; Is 15:2; Jr 23:13; Jr 36:24; Jr 48:37)6And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah came out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he came. As he met them, he said to them, “Come in to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.” (Jr 40:6; Jr 40:8; Jr 40:10)7When they came into the city, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and cast them into a cistern.8But there were ten men among them who said to Ishmael, “Do not put us to death, for we have stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey hidden in the fields.” So he refrained and did not put them to death with their companions. (Jz 6:11)9Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men whom he had struck down along with[1] Gedaliah was the large cistern that King Asa had made for defense against Baasha king of Israel; Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. (1 Rs 15:22; 2 Cr 16:6)10Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah, the king’s daughters and all the people who were left at Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam. Ishmael the son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites. (Jr 38:23; Jr 40:7; Jr 40:14)11But when Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done, (Jr 40:8; Jr 40:13)12they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They came upon him at the great pool that is in Gibeon. (Js 9:3; Js 9:17; 2 Sm 2:13)13And when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him, they rejoiced. (Jr 40:13)14So all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned around and came back, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah. (Jr 41:10; Jr 41:16)15But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites. (Jr 40:14)16Then Johanan the son of Kareah and all the leaders of the forces with him took from Mizpah all the rest of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, after he had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, whom Johanan brought back from Gibeon. (Js 9:3; Js 9:17; Jr 40:7; Jr 41:13)17And they went and stayed at Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt (Gn 35:19; 2 Sm 19:37; Mt 2:1; Mt 2:14)18because of the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land. (Jr 40:5; Jr 41:2)