1 In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of royal descent and one of the king’s chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. They ate bread together there at Mizpah. 2 Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword. He killed the man the king of Babylon had appointed over the land. 3 Ishmael also struck down all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah and the Chaldean soldiers who were there. 4 On the day after Gedaliah was killed, while no one knew about it, 5 eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria with shaved beards, torn clothes, and cuts on their bodies. They carried grain offerings and frankincense to bring to the house of the LORD. 6 Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”

7 When they entered the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into the cistern. 8 But ten men among them said to Ishmael, “Do not kill us, for we have supplies hidden in the field—wheat, barley, oil, and honey.” So he held back and did not kill them with their brothers. 9 The cistern into which Ishmael threw all the corpses of the men he had struck down because of Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made because of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain. 10 Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people in Mizpah—the king’s daughters and all the people remaining in Mizpah whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had entrusted to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

11 Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the troops with him heard of all the evil Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done. 12 They took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him by the great waters at Gibeon. 13 When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the troops with him, they rejoiced. 14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive from Mizpah turned around and went back to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men and went to the Ammonites.

16 Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the troops with him took all the rest of the people he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah, who had taken them from Mizpah after striking down Gedaliah son of Ahikam. These were the soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs he had brought back from Gibeon. 17 They went and stayed at Geruth-chimham near Bethlehem, intending to go to Egypt, 18 because of the Chaldeans. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.