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.
基大利被殺
1七月，王室宗親、猶大王的大臣、以利沙瑪的孫子、尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利帶著十個人去米斯巴見亞希甘的兒子基大利。趁在米斯巴一同吃飯的時候， 2尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利和同來的十個人突然起來拔刀殺了巴比倫王委任管理猶大的沙番的孫子、亞希甘的兒子基大利， 3還殺了所有在米斯巴與基大利在一起的猶大人和那裡的迦勒底士兵。
4第二天，基大利被殺的事仍無人知道。 5當天，從示劍、示羅和撒瑪利亞來了八十個人，他們剃了鬍鬚，撕裂衣服，割破身體，手裡拿著素祭和乳香要去耶和華的殿。 6以實瑪利就從米斯巴出來迎接他們，邊走邊哭，見面後邀請他們去見亞希甘的兒子基大利。 7到了城中，以實瑪利和部下便屠殺他們，棄屍於蓄水池中。 8其中有十個人對以實瑪利說：「請不要殺我們，我們在田野裡藏了許多大麥、小麥、油和蜜。」他就沒有殺他們。 9以實瑪利拋屍的地方是個很大的蓄水池，是從前亞撒王為抵禦以色列王巴沙而修建的。尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利用被殺者的屍體填滿了蓄水池。 10以實瑪利還擄去了留在米斯巴的公主和其他人。護衛長尼布撒拉旦曾委任亞希甘的兒子基大利管理這些人。尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利帶著俘虜前往亞捫。
11加利亞的兒子約哈難和其他將領聽說尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利的所作所為， 12便率領部下去攻打他，在基遍的大水池邊追上了他。 13-14被以實瑪利從米斯巴擄走的人看見約哈難和眾將領，喜出望外，都轉身投奔約哈難。 15尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利帶著八個人逃脫約哈難的追擊，前往亞捫。 16加利亞的兒子約哈難和眾將領從基遍救回了那些被擄走的士兵、婦孺和宮廷侍臣。 17他們啟程前往埃及，途中在伯利恆附近的基羅特金罕住下。 18他們是害怕迦勒底人才逃往埃及的，因為尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利殺了巴比倫王委任管理猶大的亞希甘的兒子基大利。
