Jeremiah

Now it came to pass in the seventh month, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah the son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and the princes of the king, even ten men with him, came unto Gedaliah the son of Ahikam to Mizpah; and there they did eat bread together in Mizpah.

1In the seventh month, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, grandson of Elishama, came to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. Ishmael was from the royal family and was one of the king's officers. Ten men came with him, and they ate a meal together there.

2Then arose Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, and smote Gedaliah the son of Ahikam the son of Shaphan with the sword, and slew him, whom the king of Babylon had made governor over the land.

2Then Ishmael son of Nethaniah and his ten men stood up. They struck Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with a sword and killed him. He was the man the king of Babylon had put in charge of the land.

3Ishmael also slew all the Jews that were with him, even with Gedaliah, at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans that were found there, and the men of war.

3Ishmael also killed all the Jewish men who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with the Babylonian soldiers who were there.

Note"Chaldeans" is the older name for the people of Babylon. This chapter uses it for Babylonian soldiers.

4And it came to pass the second day after he had slain Gedaliah, and no man knew it,

4The day after Gedaliah was killed, no one yet knew what had happened.

5That there came certain from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria, even fourscore men, having their beards shaven, and their clothes rent, and having cut themselves, with offerings and incense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD.

5Eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut their own skin to show grief. They carried grain offerings and incense to bring to the house of the LORD.

NoteShaving the beard, tearing clothes, and cutting the skin were ways people in that time showed deep sadness, often after a death or a disaster.

6And Ishmael the son of Nethaniah went forth from Mizpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it came to pass, as he met them, he said unto them, Come to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam.

6Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, crying as he walked. When he met them he said, "Come and see Gedaliah son of Ahikam."

7And it was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah slew them, and cast them into the midst of the pit, he, and the men that were with him.

7When they had come into the middle of the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and his men killed them and threw their bodies into a deep water pit.

NoteThe "pit" was a cistern, a large tank dug out of rock to store water.

8But ten men were found among them that said unto Ishmael, Slay us not: for we have treasures in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he forbare, and slew them not among their brethren.

8But ten of the men said to Ishmael, "Do not kill us. We have supplies hidden in a field: wheat, barley, oil, and honey." So he stopped and did not kill them with the others.

Note"So he forbare" in the King James Version simply means he held back and did not kill them.

9Now the pit wherein Ishmael had cast all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had slain because of Gedaliah, was it which Asa the king had made for fear of Baasha king of Israel: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah filled it with them that were slain.

9The pit where Ishmael threw the bodies of the men he killed along with Gedaliah was a large one. King Asa had dug it long before, when he was afraid of Baasha king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

10Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king’s daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the son of Ahikam: and Ishmael the son of Nethaniah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the Ammonites.

10Then Ishmael took prisoner everyone left in Mizpah, including the king's daughters and all the other people there. Nebuzaradan, the commander of the guard, had placed them under Gedaliah's care. Ishmael took them away as prisoners and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.

11But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had done,

11Johanan son of Kareah and all the army commanders with him heard about every evil thing Ishmael son of Nethaniah had done.

12Then they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.

12So they gathered all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They found him near the great pool at Gibeon.

13Now it came to pass, that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad.

13When all the people Ishmael was holding saw Johanan son of Kareah and the commanders with him, they were glad.

14So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah cast about and returned, and went unto Johanan the son of Kareah.

14All the people Ishmael had taken from Mizpah turned around and went over to Johanan son of Kareah.

15But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.

15But Ishmael son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight of his men and went to the Ammonites.

16Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after that he had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, even mighty men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon:

16Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders with him took charge of everyone left from Mizpah. These were the people they had taken back from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after he killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. They included soldiers, women, children, and palace officials brought back from Gibeon.

17And they departed, and dwelt in the habitation of Chimham, which is by Bethlehem, to go to enter into Egypt,

17They set out and stayed at Geruth Chimham, near Bethlehem, planning to go on into Egypt.

18Because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael the son of Nethaniah had slain Gedaliah the son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon made governor in the land.

18They were running from the Babylonians. They were afraid of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah, the man the king of Babylon had put in charge of the land.