Jeremiasʼ Bog 41 – BPH & NIVUK

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Jeremiasʼ Bog 41:1-18

Ishmaels oprør og Gedaljas død

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.

New International Version – UK

Jeremiah 41:1-18

1In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, 2Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. 3Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian41:3 Or Chaldean soldiers who were there.

4The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, 5eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the Lord. 6Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, ‘Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.’ 7When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. 8But ten of them said to Ishmael, ‘Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.’ So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. 9Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defence against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

10Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah – the king’s daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

11When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. 13When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt

16Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam – the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. 17And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt 18to escape the Babylonians.41:18 Or Chaldeans They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.