Gedaliah Assassinated^(A)

⁷ When all the army officers and their men who were still in the open country heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam as governor^(B) over the land and had put him in charge of the men, women and children who were the poorest^(C) in the land and who had not been carried into exile to Babylon, ⁸ they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah^(D)—Ishmael^(E) son of Nethaniah, Johanan^(F) and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite,^(G) and Jaazaniah^[a] the son of the Maakathite,^(H) and their men. ⁹ Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, took an oath to reassure them and their men. “Do not be afraid to serve^(I) the Babylonians,^[b](J)” he said. “Settle down in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well with you.^(K)

41 In the seventh month Ishmael^(A) 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, ² Ishmael^(B) 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,^(C) killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed^(D) as governor over the land.^{(E) 3} Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian^[a] soldiers who were there.

Flight to Egypt

¹⁶ Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(A) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,^(B) 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. ¹⁷ And they went on, stopping at Geruth Kimham^(C) near Bethlehem^(D) on their way to Egypt^{(E) 18} to escape the Babylonians.^[a] They were afraid^(F) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah^(G) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.