Jeremiah 41
1 And it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama of the seed royal and chiefs of the king, and ten men with him, came in, unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam, at Mizpah, —and they did there eat bread together in Mizpah.
The word that came to Jeremias from the Lord (now Nabuchodonosor king of Babylon, and all his army, and all the country of his dominion, were warring against Jerusalem, and against all the cities of Juda, ) saying,
2 Then arose Ishmael son of Nethaniah—and the ten men who were with him and they smote Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan—with the sword and slew him whom the king of Babylon had set in charge, over the land.
Thus has the Lord said; Go to Sedekias king of Juda, and you shall say to him, Thus has the Lord said, This city shall certainly be delivered into the hands of the king of Babylon, and he shall take it, and shall burn it with fire:
3 And Ishmael smote, all the Jews who were with him even with Gedaliah in Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there the men of war.
and you shall not escape out of his hand, but shall certainly be taken, and shall be given into his hands; and your eyes shall see his eyes, and you shall enter into Babylon.
4 And it came to pass, on the second day, after he had slain Gedaliah, not, a man, knowing it,
But hear the word of the Lord, O Sedekias king of Juda; Thus says the Lord,
5 that men came in from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, —eighty men, with beards shaven and clothes rent who also had cut themselves, with a meal-offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring them into the house of Yahweh.
You shall die in peace: and as they wept for your fathers that reigned before you, they shall weep also for you, [saying], Ah lord! and they shall lament for you down to the grave: for I have spoken the word, said the Lord.
6 Then went forth Ishmael son of Nethaniah to meet them out of Mizpah, weeping all along as he went, —and it came to pass when he fell in with them, that he said unto them, Come ye in unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam.
And Jeremias spoke to king Sedekias all these words in Jerusalem.
7 And so it was when they had come into the midst of the city, that Ishmael son of Nethaniah slew them and cast them into the midst of a pit, he and the men who were with him.
And the host of the king of Babylon warred against Jerusalem, and against the cities of Juda, and against Lachis, and against Azeca: for these strong cities were left among the cities of Juda.
8 But, ten men, were found among them, who said unto Ishmael—Do not put us to death, for we have secret treasures in the field, wheat and barley and oil and honey, So he forbare and put them not to death in the midst of their brethren.
The word that came from the Lord to Jeremias, after king Sedekias had concluded a covenant with the people, to proclaim a release;
9 Now the pit whereinto Ishmael cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had smitten, was a large pit which King Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel, —the same, did Ishmael son of Nethaniah fill with the slain,
That every one should set at liberty his servant, and every one has handmaid, the Hebrew man and Hebrew woman, that no man of Juda should be a bondman.
10 Then did Ishmael take captive all the remnant of the people that was in Mizpah, —the daughters of the king, and all the people that were left remaining in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan chief of the royal executioners had committed unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam, —yea Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive, and departed to pass over unto the sons of Ammon.
Then all the nobles, and all the people who had entered into the covenant, [engaging] to set free every one his man-servant, and every one his maid, turned,
11 But when Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him heard of all the wickedness which Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done,
and gave them over to be menservants and maidservants.
12 then took they all the men, and went their way to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah, —and found him near the many waters which were in Gibeon.
And the word of the Lord came to Jeremias, saying,
13 And it came to pass, when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, then were they glad.
Thus says the Lord; I made a covenant with your fathers in the day wherein I took them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage, saying,
14 So all the people whom Ishmael had carried away captive out of Mizpah, compassed about, and returned and went their way unto Johanan son of Kareah.
When six years are accomplished, you shall set free your brother the Hebrew, who shall be sold to you: for he shall serve you six years, and [then] you shall let him go free: but they listened not to me, and inclined not their ear.
15 But, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, escaped with eight men, from the face of Johanan, —and departed unto the sons of Ammon.
And this day they turned to do that which was right in my sight, to proclaim every one the release of his neighbor; and they had concluded a covenant before me, in the house whereon my name is called.
16 Then did Johanan son of Kareah and all the captains of the forces who were with him take all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah out of Mizpah, after he had smitten Gedaliah son of Ahikam, —mighty men, men of war, and women and children and eunuchs, whom he had recovered out of Gibeon;
But you turned and profaned my name, to bring back every one his servant, and every one his handmaid, whom you had sent forth free [and] at their own disposal, to be to you menservants and maidservants.
17 and they departed, and dwelt in the khan of Chimham, which is near Bethlehem, —that they might go to enter Egypt;
Therefore thus said the Lord; You have not listened to me, to proclaim a release every one to his neighbor: behold, I proclaim a release to you, to the sword, and to the pestilence, and to the famine; and I will give you up to dispersion [among] all the kingdoms of the earth.
18 because of the Chaldeans, for they were afraid of them, —because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had smitten Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had set in charge over the land.
And I will give the men that have transgressed my covenant, who have not kept my covenant, which they made before me, the calf which they prepared to sacrifice with it,
the princes of Juda, and the men in power, and the priests, and the people;
I will even give them to their enemies, and their carcases shall be food for the birds of the sky and for the wild beasts of the earth.
And I will give Sedekias king of Judea, and their princes, into the hands of their enemies, and the host of the king of Babylon [shall come upon] them that run away from them.
Behold, I [will] give command, says the Lord, and will bring them back to this land; and they shall fight against it, and take it, and burn it with fire, and the cities of Juda; and I will make them desolate without inhabitants.
