יִרְמְיָהוּ 41

1 וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בָּ֣א יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֣ה בֶן־אֱלִישָׁמָ֣ע מִזֶּ֣רַע הַ֠מְּלוּכָה וְרַבֵּ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אִתּ֛וֹ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֖ם הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה וַיֹּ֨אכְלוּ שָׁ֥ם לֶ֛חֶם יַחְדָּ֖ו בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃

In the seventh month of the year, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, a member of the royal family and one of the king's chief officers, came with ten of his men to see Gedaliah at Mizpah. While they were eating to have a meal together,

2 וַיָּקָם֩ יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֜ה וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים ׀ אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ אִתּ֗וֹ וַ֠יַּכּוּ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֧ם בֶּן־שָׁפָ֛ן בַּחֶ֖רֶב וַיָּ֣מֶת אֹת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃

suddenly Ishmael and his ten men got up and attacked Gedaliah, killing him—the one appointed by the king of Babylon as the country's governor.

3 וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הָי֨וּ אִתּ֤וֹ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצְאוּ־שָׁ֑ם אֵ֚ת אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה הִכָּ֖ה יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל׃

Ishamel also killed all the other Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with the Babylonian soldiers there.

4 וַיְהִ֛י בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י לְהָמִ֣ית אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֑הוּ וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֥א יָדָֽע׃

The day after Gedaliah had been murdered and before anyone knew about it,

5 וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אֲ֠נָשִׁים מִשְּׁכֶ֞ם מִשִּׁל֤וֹ וּמִשֹּֽׁמְרוֹן֙ שְׁמֹנִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ מְגֻלְּחֵ֥י זָקָ֛ן וּקְרֻעֵ֥י בְגָדִ֖ים וּמִתְגֹּֽדְדִ֑ים וּמִנְחָ֤ה וּלְבוֹנָה֙ בְּיָדָ֔ם לְהָבִ֖יא בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃

a group of eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves. They were carrying grain offerings and frankincense for the Lord's Temple.

6 וַ֠יֵּצֵא יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֤ה לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִן־הַמִּצְפָּ֔ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ הָלֹ֖ךְ וּבֹכֶ֑ה וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּפְגֹ֣שׁ אֹתָ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם בֹּ֖אוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָֽם׃ ס

Ishmael came out to meet them from Mizpah, weeping as he went along. When Ishmael met the men, he said, “Come and see what's happened to Gedaliah son of Ahikam!”

7 וַיְהִ֕י כְּבוֹאָ֖ם אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֞ם יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הַבּ֔וֹר ה֖וּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּֽוֹ׃

But when they arrived in town, Ishmael and his men killed most of them and threw their bodies into a cistern.

8 וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֜ים נִמְצְאוּ־בָ֗ם וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ אַל־תְּמִתֵ֔נוּ כִּֽי־יֶשׁ־לָ֤נוּ מַטְמֹנִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה חִטִּ֥ים וּשְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְשֶׁ֣מֶן וּדְבָ֑שׁ וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל וְלֹ֥א הֱמִיתָ֖ם בְּת֥וֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃

But ten of them pleaded with Ishmael, “Don't kill us! We've got some good things hidden in the fields—wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey.” So Ishmael didn't kill them along with the others.

9 וְהַבּ֗וֹר אֲשֶׁר֩ הִשְׁלִ֨יךְ שָׁ֤ם יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ אֵ֣ת ׀ כָּל־פִּגְרֵ֣י הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִכָּה֙ בְּיַד־גְּדַלְיָ֔הוּ ה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֔א מִפְּנֵ֖י בַּעְשָׁ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֹת֗וֹ מִלֵּ֛א יִשְׁמָעֵ֥אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֖הוּ חֲלָלִֽים׃

(The cistern where Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he'd killed, including Gedaliah, was a large one that King Asa had dug because of the threat of attack by Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael filled it with bodies.)

10 וַיִּ֣שְׁבְּ ׀ יִ֠שְׁמָעֵאל אֶת־כָּל־שְׁאֵרִ֨ית הָעָ֜ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּצְפָּ֗ה אֶת־בְּנ֤וֹת הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעָם֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִפְקִ֗יד נְבֽוּזַרְאֲדָן֙ רַב־טַבָּחִ֔ים אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָ֑ם וַיִּשְׁבֵּם֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֔ה וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ לַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ ס

Then Ishmael took all the people left in Mizpah prisoner, including the daughters of the king, as well as everyone else living there. These were the people that Nebuzaradan the commander of the guard had put under the care of Gedaliah. Ishmael took them prisoner and left to go to the Ammonites.

11 וַיִּשְׁמַע֙ יוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־קָרֵ֔חַ וְכָל־שָׂרֵ֥י הַחֲיָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ אֵ֤ת כָּל־הָֽרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָֽה׃

Johanan and all the army commanders of the armies with him found out about all of Ishmael's crimes.

12 וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם עִם־יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֑ה וַיִּמְצְא֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ אֶל־מַ֥יִם רַבִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּגִבְעֽוֹן׃

So they assembled all their men and went to attack Ishmael. They caught up with him near the large pool in Gibeon.

13 וַיְהִ֗י כִּרְא֤וֹת כָּל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל אֶת־יֽוֹחָנָן֙ בֶּן־קָרֵ֔חַ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־שָׂרֵ֥י הַחֲיָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׂמָֽחוּ׃

When Ishmael's prisoners saw Johanan and all the army commanders with him, they were happy.

14 וַיָּסֹ֙בּוּ֙ כָּל־הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁבָ֥ה יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל מִן־הַמִּצְפָּ֑ה וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ אֶל־יֽוֹחָנָ֖ן בֶּן־קָרֵֽחַ׃

All those that Ishmael had taken prisoner at Mizpah turned around and ran back to Johanan.

15 וְיִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֗ה נִמְלַט֙ בִּשְׁמֹנָ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים מִפְּנֵ֖י יֽוֹחָנָ֑ן וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ ס

Ishmael and eight of his men managed to escape from Johanan and get away to the Ammonites.

16 וַיִּקַּח֩ יוֹחָנָ֨ן בֶּן־קָרֵ֜חַ וְכָל־שָׂרֵ֧י הַחֲיָלִ֣ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּ֗וֹ אֵ֣ת כָּל־שְׁאֵרִ֤ית הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר הֵ֠שִׁיב מֵאֵ֨ת יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה֙ מִן־הַמִּצְפָּ֔ה אַחַ֣ר הִכָּ֔ה אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֖ה בֶּן־אֲחִיקָ֑ם גְּבָרִ֞ים אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֗ה וְנָשִׁ֤ים וְטַף֙ וְסָ֣רִסִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר הֵשִׁ֖יב מִגִּבְעֽוֹן׃

Then Johanan and all the army commanders with him took charge of the survivors from Mizpah he'd rescued from Ishmael in Gibeon—the soldiers, women, children, and court officials that Ishmael had taken prisoner after he'd killed Gedaliah.

17 וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ וַיֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙ בְּגֵר֣וּת כִּמְהָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אֵ֖צֶל בֵּ֣ית לָ֑חֶם לָלֶ֖כֶת לָב֥וֹא מִצְרָֽיִם׃

They set off for Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem and stayed there, before leaving for Egypt

18 מִפְּנֵי֙ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים כִּ֥י יָרְא֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־הִכָּ֞ה יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֗ה אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ ס

to get away from the Babylonians. They were afraid of what the Babylonians would do because Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah, the governor of the country appointed by the king of Babylon.