The Murder of Gedaliah
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, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah, and they ate a meal together there.
וַיָּקָם֩ יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֜ה וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים׀ אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ אִתּ֗וֹ וַ֠יַּכּוּ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֧ם בֶּן־שָׁפָ֛ן בַּחֶ֖רֶב וַיָּ֣מֶת אֹת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.
וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הָי֨וּ אִתּ֤וֹ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצְאוּ־שָׁ֑ם אֵ֚ת אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה הִכָּ֖ה יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל׃
Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Chaldean soldiers who were there.
וַיְהִ֛י בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י לְהָמִ֣ית אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֑הוּ וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֥א יָדָֽע׃
On the second day after the murder of Gedaliah, when no one yet knew about it,
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אֲ֠נָשִׁים מִשְּׁכֶ֞ם מִשִּׁל֤וֹ וּמִשֹּֽׁמְרוֹן֙ שְׁמֹנִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ מְגֻלְּחֵ֥י זָקָ֛ן וּקְרֻעֵ֥י בְגָדִ֖ים וּמִתְגֹּֽדְדִ֑ים וּמִנְחָ֤ה וּלְבוֹנָה֙ בְּיָדָ֔ם לְהָבִ֖יא בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃
eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their garments, and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, carrying grain offerings and frankincense for the house of the LORD.
וַ֠יֵּצֵא יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֤ה לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִן־הַמִּצְפָּ֔ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ הָלֹ֖ךְ וּבֹכֶ֑ה וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּפְגֹ֣שׁ אֹתָ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם בֹּ֖אוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָֽם׃ ס
And Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When Ishmael encountered the men, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”
וַיְהִ֕י כְּבוֹאָ֖ם אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֞ם יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הַבּ֔וֹר ה֖וּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּֽוֹ׃
And when they came into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.
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 the men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have hidden treasure in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey!” So he refrained from killing them with the others.
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׃
Now the cistern into which Ishmael had thrown all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was a large one that King Asa had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.
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 captive all the remnant of the people of Mizpah—the daughters of the king along with all the others who remained in Mizpah—over whom Nebuzaradan captain of the guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set off to cross over to the Ammonites.
Johanan Rescues the Captives
וַיִּשְׁמַע֙ יוֹחָנָ֣ן בֶּן־קָרֵ֔חַ וְכָל־שָׂרֵ֥י הַחֲיָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ אֵ֤ת כָּל־הָֽרָעָה֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר עָשָׂ֔ה יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָֽה׃
When Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him heard of all the crimes that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed,
וַיִּקְחוּ֙ אֶת־כָּל־הָ֣אֲנָשִׁ֔ים וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ לְהִלָּחֵ֖ם עִם־יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֑ה וַיִּמְצְא֣וּ אֹת֔וֹ אֶל־מַ֥יִם רַבִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר בְּגִבְעֽוֹן׃
they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. And they found him near the great pool in Gibeon.
וַיְהִ֗י כִּרְא֤וֹת כָּל־הָעָם֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵ֔אל אֶת־יֽוֹחָנָן֙ בֶּן־קָרֵ֔חַ וְאֵ֛ת כָּל־שָׂרֵ֥י הַחֲיָלִ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר אִתּ֑וֹ וַיִּשְׂמָֽחוּ׃
When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they rejoiced,
וַיָּסֹ֙בּוּ֙ כָּל־הָעָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁבָ֥ה יִשְׁמָעֵ֖אל מִן־הַמִּצְפָּ֑ה וַיָּשֻׁ֙בוּ֙ וַיֵּ֣לְכ֔וּ אֶל־יֽוֹחָנָ֖ן בֶּן־קָרֵֽחַ׃
and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.
וְיִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֗ה נִמְלַט֙ בִּשְׁמֹנָ֣ה אֲנָשִׁ֔ים מִפְּנֵ֖י יֽוֹחָנָ֑ן וַיֵּ֖לֶךְ אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ ס
But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and went to the Ammonites.
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 son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him took the whole remnant of the people from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children, and court officials he had brought back from Gibeon.
וַיֵּלְכ֗וּ וַיֵּֽשְׁבוּ֙ בְּגֵר֣וּת כִּמְהָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־אֵ֖צֶל בֵּ֣ית לָ֑חֶם לָלֶ֖כֶת לָב֥וֹא מִצְרָֽיִם׃
And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, near Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt
מִפְּנֵי֙ הַכַּשְׂדִּ֔ים כִּ֥י יָרְא֖וּ מִפְּנֵיהֶ֑ם כִּֽי־הִכָּ֞ה יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֗ה אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָ֔ם אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃ ס
to escape the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of the Chaldeans because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.