New International Version | New Living Translation |
1In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king's officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, | 1But in midautumn of that year, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, who was a member of the royal family and had been one of the king’s high officials, went to Mizpah with ten men to meet Gedaliah. While they were eating together, |
2Ishmael 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 as governor over the land. | 2Ishmael and his ten men suddenly jumped up, drew their swords, and killed Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylon had appointed governor. |
3Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian soldiers who were there. | 3Ishmael also killed all the Judeans and the Babylonian soldiers who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah. |
4The day after Gedaliah's assassination, before anyone knew about it, | 4The next day, before anyone had heard about Gedaliah’s murder, |
5eighty men who had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes and cut themselves came from Shechem, Shiloh and Samaria, bringing grain offerings and incense with them to the house of the LORD. | 5eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria to worship at the Temple of the LORD. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, and had brought along grain offerings and frankincense. |
6Ishmael 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." | 6Ishmael left Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he reached them, he said, “Oh, come and see what has happened to Gedaliah!” |
7When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern. | 7But as soon as they were all inside the town, Ishmael and his men killed all but ten of them and threw their bodies into a cistern. |
8But ten of them said to Ishmael, "Don't kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field." So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. | 8The other ten had talked Ishmael into letting them go by promising to bring him their stores of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey that they had hidden away. |
9Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as part of his defense against Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead. | 9The cistern where Ishmael dumped the bodies of the men he murdered was the large one dug by King Asa when he fortified Mizpah to protect himself against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with corpses. |
10Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people who were in Mizpah--the king's daughters along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites. | 10Then Ishmael made captives of the king’s daughters and the other people who had been left under Gedaliah’s care in Mizpah by Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard. Taking them with him, he started back toward the land of Ammon. |
11When Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, | 11But when Johanan son of Kareah and the other military leaders heard about Ishmael’s crimes, |
12they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool in Gibeon. | 12they took all their men and set out to stop him. They caught up with him at the large pool near Gibeon. |
13When all the people Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. | 13The people Ishmael had captured shouted for joy when they saw Johanan and the other military leaders. |
14All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. | 14And all the captives from Mizpah escaped and began to help Johanan. |
15But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites. | 15Meanwhile, Ishmael and eight of his men escaped from Johanan into the land of Ammon. |
16Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived, whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam--the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon. | 16Then Johanan son of Kareah and the other military leaders took all the people they had rescued in Gibeon—the soldiers, women, children, and court officials whom Ishmael had captured after he killed Gedaliah. |
17And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham near Bethlehem on their way to Egypt | 17They took them all to the village of Geruth-kimham near Bethlehem, where they prepared to leave for Egypt. |
18to escape the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land. | 18They were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they heard that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the governor appointed by the Babylonian king. |
New International Version (NIV) Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide. | Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved. |
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