Jeremiah 41:1-18

But in the seventh month of that same year, Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and grandson of Elishama, came to Mizpah with ten of his soldiers. He had been one of the king’s officials and was a member of the royal family. Ishmael and his men had a meal together with Gedaliah in Mizpah. Then suddenly Ishmael jumped up with his armed men and killed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, grandson of Shaphan. They killed Gedaliah, the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor in the land. Ishmael also struck down all the Israelites who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah and the Babylonian soldiers who happened to be there. The very next day, before anyone knew of it, eighty men arrived from the towns of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They were on their way to the temple to offer gifts of grain and incense to YAHWEH. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves because they were mourning. And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went from Mizpah to meet them at the town gate, pretending to be weeping as he came. He said to them, “Come in to see Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.” But after they had entered the gates, Ishmael and the men with him slaughtered them and cast their bodies into a cistern. He spared ten of the men who said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us,” because they offered to give him supplies of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey they had hidden in a field. (Now he threw all the bodies, including Gedaliah’s, into the large well that had been dug by King Asa of Judah when he was invaded by King Baasha of Israel.) Then Ishmael took captive the king’s daughters and all the people who were left at Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had committed to Gedaliah. Ishmael took them captive and crossed over the Jordan to join up with the Ammonites. But Johanan the son of Kareah and all the army officers with him heard of all the murderous evil that Ishmael had done. So they took all their men and went to fight against Ishmael the son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him at the great pool that is in Gibeon. And when all the captives who were with Ishmael saw Johanan and all the army officers, they rejoiced. So all Ishmael’s prisoners from Mizpah turned and ran to Johanan and the officers. But Ishmael escaped from Johanan with eight of his men and went to the Ammonites. So Johanan and all the army officers with him rescued all of Ishmael’s prisoners from Mizpah—the soldiers, women, children, and royal officials taken captive after Ishmael murdered Gedaliah. Johanan brought them all back alive from Gibeon. However, they were afraid of the Babylonians because Ishmael had murdered Gedaliah, the king of Babylon’s governor of the land. So, they set out for Egypt in order to avoid the Babylonians. On the way, they stopped at Geruth Chimham, near Bethlehem.