The Hebrew Prophets

and they say unto him, `Dost thou really know that Baalis king of the sons of Ammon hath sent Ishmael son of Nethaniah to smite thy soul?' And Gedaliah son of Ahikam hath not given to them credence.

And Johanan son of Kareah hath spoken unto Gedaliah in secret, in Mizpah, saying, `Let me go, I pray thee, and I smite Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one doth know; why doth he smite thy soul? and scattered have been all Judah who are gathered unto thee, and perished hath the remnant of Judah.'

And Gedaliah son of Ahikam saith unto Johanan son of Kareah, `Thou dost not do this thing, for falsehood thou art speaking concerning Ishmael.'

And it cometh to pass, in the seventh month, come hath Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the seed royal, and of the chiefs of the king, and ten men with him, unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam, to Mizpah, and they eat there bread together in Mizpah.

And Ishmael son of Nethaniah riseth, and the ten men who have been with him, and they smite Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, and he putteth him to death whom the king of Babylon hath appointed over the land.

And all the Jews who have been with him, with Gedaliah, in Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who have been found there--the men of war--hath Ishmael smitten.

And it cometh to pass, on the second day of the putting of Gedaliah to death, (and no one hath known,)

that men come in from Shechem, from Shiloh, and from Samaria--eighty men--with shaven beards, and rent garments, and cutting themselves, and an offering and frankincense in their hand, to bring in to the house of Jehovah.

And Ishmael son of Nethaniah goeth forth to meet them, from Mizpah, going on and weeping, and it cometh to pass, at meeting them, that he saith unto them, `Come in unto Gedaliah son of Ahikam.'

And it cometh to pass, at their coming in unto the midst of the city, that Ishmael son of Nethaniah doth slaughter them, at the midst of the pit, he and the men who are with him.

And ten men have been found among them, and they say unto Ishmael, `Do not put us to death, for we have things hidden in the field--wheat, and barley, and oil, and honey.' And he forbeareth, and hath not put them to death in the midst of their brethren.

And the pit whither Ishmael hath cast all the carcases of the men whom he hath smitten along with Gedaliah, is that which the king Asa made because of Baasha king of Israel--it hath Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled with the pierced.

And Ishmael taketh captive all the remnant of the people who are in Mizpah, the daughters of the king, and all the people who are left in Mizpah, whom Nebuzar-Adan, chief of the executioners, hath committed to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, and Ishmael son of Nethaniah taketh them captive, and goeth to pass over unto the sons of Ammon.

And hear doth Johanan son of Kareah, and all the heads of the forces that are with him, of all the evil that Ishmael son of Nethaniah hath done,

and they take all the men, and go to fight with Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and they find him at the great waters that are in Gibeon.

And it cometh to pass, when all the people who are with Ishmael see Johanan son of Kareah, and all the heads of the forces who are with him, that they rejoice.

And all the people whom Ishmael hath taken captive from Mizpah turn round, yea, they turn back, and go unto Johanan son of Kareah.

And Ishmael son of Nethaniah hath escaped, with eight men, from the presence of Johanan, and he goeth unto the sons of Ammon.

And Johanan son of Kareah, and all the heads of the forces who are with him, take all the remnant of the people whom he hath brought back from Ishmael son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah--after he had smitten Gedaliah son of Ahikam--mighty ones, men of war, and women, and infants, and eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Gibeon,

and they go and abide in the habitations of Chimham, that are near Beth-Lehem, to go to enter Egypt,

from the presence of the Chaldeans, for they have been afraid of them, for Ishmael son of Nethaniah had smitten Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

And they come nigh--all the heads of the forces, and Johanan son of Kareah, and Jezaniah son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest--

and they say unto Jeremiah the prophet, `Let, we pray thee, our supplication fall before thee, and pray for us unto Jehovah thy God, for all this remnant; for we have been left a few out of many, as thine eyes do see us;

and Jehovah thy God doth declare to us the way in which we walk, and the thing that we do.'

And Jeremiah the prophet saith unto them, `I have heard: lo, I am praying unto Jehovah your God according to your words, and it hath come to pass, the whole word that Jehovah answereth you, I declare to you--I do not withhold from you a word.'