7All the chiefs of the forces who were in the field—they and their men—heard that the king of Babel had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land and that he had appointed him over men and women and dependents and the needy of the land, those whom they had not exiled to Babylon.8And they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah and Johanan and Jonathan sons of Korah and Seraiah son of Tanhumeth and the sons of Ephai the Netophathite and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, they and their men.9Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan swore to them and to their men, saying, "Do not fear serving the Chaldeans. Dwell in the land and serve the king of Babel, and it will be good for you."10As for me, here I am, sitting in Mizpah to stand before the Chaldeans who will come to us. You gather wine and summer fruit and oil, put them in your vessels, and dwell in your cities that you have seized.11And also all the Jews who were in Moab and among the sons of Ammon and in Edom and in all the lands heard that the king of Babylon had given the remnant to Judah and that he had appointed over them Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan.12All the Judahites from all the places where they had been driven settled there. They came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and gathered a very large amount of wine and summer fruit.13Johanan son of Korah and all the captains of the forces who were in the fields came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.14And they said to him, "Do you know that Baalis king of the sons of Ammon has sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to strike your life?" But Gedaliah son of Ahikam did not believe them.15And Johanan son of Kareah said to Gedaliah in secret at Mizpah, saying, "Please let me go and strike Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know. Why should he strike you and scatter all the Judah who have gathered to you, so that the remnant of Judah perishes?"16And Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan son of Kareah, "Do not do this thing, for you are speaking falsely concerning Ishmael."
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Chapter 41
1And it was in the seventh month: Ishmael son of Nethaniah son of Elishama, of the royal seed and one of the king's captains, and ten men came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and they ate bread together there at Mizpah.2Ishmael son of Nethaniah arose, along with the ten men who were with him, and they struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam son of Shaphan with the sword and put him to death—the one whom the king of Babel had appointed over the land.3And all the Judahites who were with him, with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war, Ishmael struck.4And it was on the second day after he had put Gedaliah to death, though no one knew it.5And men came from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria—eighty men, each with his beard shaved, his garments torn, and his body gashed—and with grain offerings and frankincense in their hands to bring them to the house of the LORD.6Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said to them, "Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam."7But when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah slaughtered them and threw them into the cistern—he and the men who were with him.8But ten men were found among them who said to Ishmael, "Do not kill us, for we have hidden stores in the field—wheat and barley and oil and honey." And he stopped and did not kill them in the midst of their brothers.9Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the carcasses of the men he had struck down at the hand of Gedaliah—this was the cistern that King Asa had made because of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with slain.10Ishmael took captive all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah—the king's daughters and all the people who remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan, chief of the executioners, had appointed over Gedaliah son of Ahikam. And Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and went to cross over to the sons of Ammon.11Johanan son of Kareah and all the chiefs of the armies who were with him heard of all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done.12They took all the men and went to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and they found him by the great pool in Gibeon.13And when all the people who were with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the chiefs of the forces who were with him, they rejoiced.14And all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and went to Johanan son of Kareah.15Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped with eight men from Johanan and went to the sons of Ammon.