Jeremiah 41

1 Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethanyah the son of Elishama', of the royal seed, and the chiefs of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedalyahu the son of Achikam to Mizpah; and they ate there bread together in Mizpah.

Ishmael was a member of the king’s family. He had been one of King Zedekiah’s important officials. In October of that year, he went to Mizpah with ten other men to [talk with] Gedaliah. While they were eating together,

2 Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethanyah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedalyahu the son of Achikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and put to death him, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor over the land.

Ishmael and the other ten men jumped up, and with their swords they killed Gedaliah—the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed to be their governor!

3 And all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedalyahu, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, even the men of war, did Ishmael slay.

Ishmael [and the other men] also killed all the Jews and the soldiers from Babylonia who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah.

4 And it came to pass on the second day after he had put Gedalyahu to death, while no man knew of it,

The next day, before anyone had found out that Gedaliah had been murdered,

5 That there came certain men from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, eighty men [in all], having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with meat-offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring the same to the house of the Lord.

eighty men from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria [cities] came to worship at the temple of Yahweh [in Mizpah]. They had shaved off their beards and torn their clothes and cut themselves [to show that they were mourning]. And they had brought grain offerings and incense [to burn on the altar].

6 And Ishmael the son of Nethanyah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, going along and weeping: and it came to pass as he met them, that he said unto them, Come to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam.

Ishmael went out of the city to meet them, crying as he went. When he reached them, he said, “Come [and see what has happened to] Gedaliah!”

7 And it happened, as they entered into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethanyah slaughtered them, [and cast them] into the midst of the cistern, he, and the men that were with him.

But as soon as they had all entered the town, Ishmael and his men killed [most of] them and threw their corpses into a well.

8 But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not; for we have some things hidden in the field, [such as] wheat, and barley, and oil, and honey. So he forbore, and slew them not in the midst of their brethren.

There were [only] ten of them whom they (spared/did not kill). They were not killed because they promised to Ishmael that [if he allowed them to remain alive, they would bring him] lots of wheat and barley and olive oil and honey that they had hidden.

9 And the cistern wherein Ishmael cast all the corpses of the men, whom he had slain in company with Gedalyahu, is the same which king Assa had made on account of Ba'sha the king of Israel: this did Ishmael the son of Nethanyah fill with slain persons.

The well where Ishmael’s men had thrown the corpses of the men whom they had murdered was the deep well that King Asa’s [men] had dug [in order that they would have water in the city] if the army of King Baasha of Israel would surround the city. Ishmael’s men filled that well with corpses.

10 Then did Ishmael carry away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, the king's daughters, and all the people that were remaining in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had entrusted to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethanyah carried them away captive, and went off to pass over to the children of Ammon.

Then Ishmael [and his men] captured the king’s daughters and some of the other people who had been left in Mizpah by Nebuzaradan in order that Gedaliah would take care of them. Ishmael and his men took those people and started back toward the Ammon area.

11 But when Jochanan the son of Kareach, and all the captains of the armies that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethanyah had done:

But Johanan and all the other leaders of the Israeli soldiers who had not surrendered to the army of Babylonia heard about what Ishmael [and his men] had done.

12 Then did they take all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethanyah, and found him by the great water[-pool] that is near Gib'on.

So they [immediately] went with all their men to stop them. They caught up with them at the large pool near Gibeon [city].

13 And it came to pass, when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Jochanan the son of Kareach, and all the captains of the armies that were with him, that they were rejoiced.

When all the people whom Ishmael and his men had captured saw Johanan and the soldiers who were with him, they [shouted] joyfully.

14 And all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah turned about and returned, and went unto Jochanan the son of Kareach.

So all those who had been captured in Mizpah escaped, and they started to help Johanan.

15 But Ishmael the son of Nethanyah escaped with eight men from the presence of Jochanan, and he went to the children of 'Ammon.

But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped and fled to the Ammon area.

16 Then took Jochanan the son of Kareach, and all the captains of the armies that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethanyah, from Mizpah, after he had slain Gedalyah the son of Achikam, the adult males, the men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gib'on;

Then Johanan and the men who were with him [gathered together] all the people whom they had rescued at Gibeon. They included soldiers and women and children and some of the king’s palace officials. They were all people whom Ishmael [and his men] had captured after they had killed Gedaliah.

17 And they went, and remained in Geruth-Kimham, which is by Beth-lechem, to go to enter into Egypt,

They took them all to Geruth-Kimham [village] near Bethlehem. And they all prepared to go to Egypt.

18 Because of the Chaldeans; for they were afraid of them; because Ishmael the son of Nethanyah had slain Gedalyahu the son of Achikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor over the land.

They were worried about what the soldiers of Babylonia [would do to them when they found out] that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, who had been appointed by the King of Babylonia to be their governor.