1In 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. 2They 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. 3Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. And he killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
4On the next day, people still hadn’t found out that Gedaliah had been murdered. 5On 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. 6Ishmael, 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.” 7They 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. 8But 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. 9But 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.
10Nebuzaradan 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 Jordan River to the land of Ammon.
11Johanan, 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. 12So 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. 13Ishmael 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. 14Ishmael had taken those people from Mizpah as prisoners. But now they turned and went over to the side of Johanan, the son of Kareah. 15But 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
16Then 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. 17They went on their way. They stopped at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem. They were going to Egypt. 18They 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.
1Ɔsram a ɛto so ason mu no, Elisama babarima Netania babarima Ismael a ɔyɛ ɔdehye a na anka ɔyɛ ɔhene adwumayɛfo no mu baako no ne mmarima du baa Ahikam babarima Gedalia nkyɛn wɔ Mispa. Bere a wɔn nyinaa gu so redidi no, 2Netania babarima Ismael ne ne mmarima du no a wɔka ne ho no sɔree na wɔde afoa wɔɔ Ahikam babarima Gedalia, a ɔyɛ Safan nena ne nea Babiloniahene ayi no sɛ amrado wɔ asase no so no kum no. 3Ismael kum Yudafo a na wɔka Gedalia ho wɔ Mispa ne Babilonia asraafo a na wɔwɔ hɔ no nso.
4Ade kyee no, ansa na obiara bɛte Gedalia wu no, 5mmarima aduɔwɔtwe a wɔayiyi wɔn abogyesɛ, asunsuane wɔn ntade mu na wɔasesa wɔn honam ani fi Sekem, Silo ne Samaria bae a wɔde aduan afɔrebɔde ne nnuhuam reba Awurade fi. 6Netania babarima Ismael de agyaadwo fi Mispa kohyiaa wɔn. Bere a ohyiaa wɔn no ɔkae se, “Mommra Ahikam babarima Gedalia nkyɛn.” 7Woduu kuropɔn no mu no, Netania babarima Ismael ne mmarima a wɔka ne ho no kum wɔn na wɔtow wɔn afunu guu abura bi mu. 8Nanso nnipa no mu du ka kyerɛɛ Ismael se, “Nkum yɛn! Yɛwɔ awi ne atoko, ngo ne ɛwo a yɛde asie wɔ afuw bi mu.” Enti ogyaa wɔn na wankum wɔn nso. 9Abura a Ismael tow nnipa a okunkum wɔn no afunu ne Gedalia guu mu no, na ɛyɛ nea ɔhene Asa tuu sɛ ne ho bammɔ fa bi de tiaa Israelhene Baasa. Netania babarima Ismael de afunu hyɛɛ no ma.
10Ismael faa nnipa a na wɔaka wɔ Mispa no nyinaa nnommum; ɔhene mmabea ne wɔn a wɔkaa hɔ no nyinaa, wɔn a Nebusaradan a otua ɔhene awɛmfo ano no ayi Ahikam babarima Gedalia sɛ ɔnhwɛ wɔn so no. Netania babarima Ismael faa wɔn nnommum na osii mu kɔɔ Amonfo nkyɛn.
11Bere a Karea babarima Yohanan ne asraafo mpanyimfo a wɔka ne ho no nyinaa tee awudisɛm a Netania babarima Ismael adi no, 12wɔfaa wɔn asraafo nyinaa sɛ wɔne Netania babarima Ismael rekɔko. Wɔkɔtoo no wɔ ɔtare kɛse bi a ɛwɔ Gibeon ho. 13Bere a nnipa a wɔka Ismael ho no nyinaa huu Karea babarima Yohanan ne asraafo mpanyimfo a wɔka ne ho no, wɔn ani gyei. 14Nnipa a na Ismael afa wɔn nnommum wɔ Mispa no nyinaa dan kɔɔ Karea babarima Yohanan afa. 15Nanso Netania babarima Ismael ne ne mmarima baawɔtwe, guan fii Yohanan anim kɔɔ Amonfo nkyɛn.
Woguan Kɔ Misraim
16Afei Karea babarima Yohanan ne asraafo mpanyimfo a wɔka ne ho no dii Mispa nkae a ogyee wɔn fii Netania babarima Ismael nsam bere a okum Ahikam babarima Gedalia no akyi no anim: Ɔde asraafo, mmea, mmofra ne asennii adwumayɛfo, fii Gibeon bae. 17Wosii mu sɛ wɔrekɔ Misraim no, wɔsoɛɛ wɔ Gerut Kimham a ɛbɛn Betlehem; 18na wɔreguan Babiloniafo no. Na wosuro wɔn, efisɛ na Netania babarima Ismael akum Ahikam babarima Gedalia a Babiloniahene yii no sɛ amrado a ɔhwɛ asase no so no.