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.
1Pa mwezi wachisanu ndi chiwiri Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya, mdzukulu wa Elisama amene anali wa banja laufumu ndiponso mmodzi wa atsogoleri a ankhondo a mfumu, anabwera ku Mizipa kwa Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu ndi anthu khumi. Pamene ankadya naye kumeneko, 2Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya pamodzi ndi anthu khumi aja anayimirira ndi kupha ndi lupanga Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu, mdzukulu wa Safani. Choncho anapha munthu amene mfumu ya ku Babuloni inamusankha kukhala bwanamkubwa wa dzikolo. 3Ismaeli anaphanso Ayuda onse amene anali pamodzi ndi Gedaliya ku Mizipa, kuphatikizanso asilikali a Ababuloni amene anali ku Mizipako.
4Mmawa mwake, anthu asanadziwe kuti Gedaliya waphedwa, 5kunafika anthu 80 ochekera ku Sekemu, Silo ndi Samariya, amene anali atameta ndevu zawo, atangʼamba zovala zawo ndi kudzichekacheka. Iwowa anatenga chopereka cha ufa ndi lubani kuti adzapereke ku Nyumba ya Yehova. 6Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya anachoka ku Mizipa akulira kupita kukakumana nawo. Atakumana nawo, iye anati, “Bwerani mudzaonane ndi Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu.” 7Atafika pakati pa mzinda, Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya pamodzi ndi anthu amene anali naye anawapha anthuwo ndi kuwaponya mʼchitsime. 8Koma anthu khumi a gululo anawuza Ismaeli kuti, “Musatiphe! Tili ndi tirigu ndi barele, mafuta ndi uchi, zimene tabisa mʼmunda.” Choncho anawasiya ndipo sanawaphere pamodzi ndi anzawo aja. 9Tsono chitsime chimene anaponyamo mitembo ya anthu amene anawaphawo pamodzi ndi mtembo wa Gedaliya chinali chimene mfumu Asa anachikumba poopsedwa ndi Baasa mfumu ya Israeli. Ismaeli mwana wa Netaliya anachidzaza ndi mitembo.
10Pambuyo pake Ismaeli anatenga ukapolo anthu ena onse amene anali ku Mizipa: ana aakazi a mfumu pamodzi ndi ena onse amene anatsalira kumeneko, amene Nebuzaradani mtsogoleri wa asilikali olonda mfumu anapatsa Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu kuti akhale bwanamkubwa wawo. Ismaeli mwana wa Netaliya anatenga ukapolo anthuwa ndi kuwoloka nawo kumapita ku dziko la Aamoni.
11Pamene Yohanani mwana wa Kareya ndi atsogoleri onse a ankhondo amene anali naye pamodzi anamva zoyipa zonse zimene Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya anachita, 12anatenga ankhondo awo onse kupita kukamenyana ndi Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya. Anakamupeza kufupi ndi chidziwe chachikulu cha ku Gibiyoni. 13Pamene anthu onse amene Ismaeli anawagwira anaona Yohanani mwana wa Kareya pamodzi ndi atsogoleri a ankhondo amene anali naye, anasangalala. 14Anthu onse amene Ismaeli anawagwira ukapolo ku Mizipa anabwerera ndi kupita kwa Yohanani mwana wa Kareya. 15Koma Ismaeli pamodzi ndi anthu ake asanu ndi atatu, anathawa Yohanani ndi kuthawira kwa Aamoni.
Kuthawira ku Igupto
16Kenaka Yohanani mwana wa Kareya pamodzi ndi atsogoleri onse a ankhondo amene anali naye anatsogolera anthu onse otsala a ku Mizipa amene anawapulumutsa kwa Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya atapha Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu. Anthu amenewa anali: asilikali, akazi, ana ndi amuna ofulidwa otumikira mfumu amene anawatenga ku Gibiyoni. 17Ndipo ananyamuka nayima ku Geruti Kimuhamu pafupi ndi Betelehemu pa ulendo wawo wopita ku Igupto 18kuthawa Ababuloni. Iwo anaopa Ababuloniwo chifukwa Ismaeli mwana wa Netaniya anapha Gedaliya mwana wa Ahikamu, amene mfumu ya ku Babuloni inamuyika kukhala bwanamkubwa wa dzikolo.
