Jeremiah 41

1 And it was - in the month seventh he came Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah [the] son of Elishama one of [the] offspring of royalty and [the] chiefs of the king and ten men [who were] with him to Gedaliah [the] son of Ahikam Mizpah towards and they were eating there food together at 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 And he arose Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah and [the] ten the men - who they were with him and they struck down Gedaliah [the] son of Ahikam [the] son of Shaphan with the sword and he killed him whom he had appointed [the] king of Babylon 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 who they were with him with Gedaliah at Mizpah and the Chaldeans who they were found there [the] men of war he struck down Ishmael.

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

4 And it was on the day second of killing Gedaliah and anyone not he knew.

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

5 And they came men from Shechem from Shiloh and from Samaria eighty man shaven of beard and torn of clothes and having cut themselves and an offering and frankincense in hand their to bring [the] house of Yahweh.

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 he went out Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah to meet them from Mizpah going continually and weeping and it was when met them and he said to them come to Gedaliah [the] son of Ahikam.

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 was when came they into [the] middle of the city and he slaughtered them Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah into [the] middle of the cistern he and the men who [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 And ten men they were found among them and they said to Ishmael may not you kill us for there is [belonging] to us treasures in the field wheat and barley and oil and honey and he refrained and not he killed them in among relatives their.

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 where he threw there Ishmael - all [the] corpses of the men whom he had struck down by [the] hand of Gedaliah it [was [the] one] which he had made the king Asa because of Baasha [the] king of Israel it he filled Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah [those] slain.

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 And he took captive - Ishmael all [the] rest of the people which [was] in Mizpah [the] daughters of the king and all the people who remained at Mizpah whom he had appointed Nebuzaradan [the] chief of [the] bodyguards with Gedaliah [the] son of Ahikam and he took captive them Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah and he went to pass over to [the] people 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 And he heard Johanan [the] son of Kareah and all [the] commanders of the armies who [were] with him all the evil which he had done Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah.

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 And they took all the men and they went to do battle with Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah and they found him to water great which [is] in Gibeon.

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 was when saw all the people which [was] with Ishmael Johanan [the] son of Kareah and all [the] commanders of the armies who [were] with him and they were glad.

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 they turned round all the people which he had taken captive Ishmael from Mizpah and they turned back and they went to Johanan [the] son of Kareah.

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

15 And Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah he escaped with eight men from before Johanan and he went to [the] people of Ammon.

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

16 And he took Johanan [the] son of Kareah and all [the] commanders of the armies who [were] with him all [the] rest of the people which he had brought back from with Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah from Mizpah after he had struck down Gedaliah [the] son of Ahikam men [the] men of war and women and little one[s] and court-officials whom he had brought back from Gibeon.

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 they remained at Geruth (Kimham *Q(K)*) which [is] beside Beth-lehem to go to go Egypt.

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

18 From before the Chaldeans for they were afraid of them for he had struck down Ishmael [the] son of Nethaniah Gedaliah [the] son of Ahikam whom he had appointed [the] king of Babylon 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.