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 defense 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.
基大利被殺
1七月，猶大王室宗親、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起來，拔刀刺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尼探雅的兒子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，尼探雅的兒子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尼探雅的兒子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人那裡。
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一切惡行後， 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加利亞的兒子約哈難和眾將領，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倖存的士兵、婦孺和宮廷侍臣，他們都是尼探雅的兒子以實瑪利殺了亞希甘的兒子基大利之後從米斯巴擄走的。 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。
