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41 Men i den syvende måned kom Jisjmael, Elisjamas søn Netanjas søn, en mand af kongelig Æt, der hørte til Kongens Stormænd, fulgt af ti Mænd til Gedalja, Ahikams Søn, i Mizpa; og de holdt Måltid sammen der i Mizpa. Jisjmael, Netanjas Søn, og de ti Mænd, der fulgte ham, stod da op og huggede Gedalja, Sjafans Søn Ahikams Søn, ned med Sværdet og dræbte således den Mand, Babels Konge havde sat over Landet; også alle de Judæere, som var hos ham i Mizpa, og alle de Kaldæere, som fandtes der, alle Krigerne huggede Jisjmael ned.

Dagen efter Gedaljas Mord, endnu før nogen kendte dertil, kom firsindstyve Mænd fra Sikem, Silo og Samaria med afklippet Skæg, sønderrevne Klæder og Flænger i Huden; de havde Afgrødeoffer og Røgelse med til at ofre i Herrens Hus" Jisjmael, Netanjas Søn, gik dem i Møde fra Mizpa og græd hele Vejen, og da han traf dem, sagde han: "Kom med til Gedalja, Ahikams Søn!" Men da de var kommet ind i Byen, huggede Jisjmael og hans Mænd dem ned og kastede dem i Cisternen. Men der var ti Mænd iblandt dem, som sagde til Jisjmael: "Dræb os ikke, thi vi har skjulte Forråd på Marken, Hvede, Byg, Olie og Honning." Så lod han dem være og dræbte dem ikke med de andre. Cisternen, hvori Jisjmael kastede Ligene af alle dem, han havde hugget ned, var den store Cisterne, Kong Asa havde bygget i Kampen mod Kong Basja af Israel; den fyldte Jisjmael, Netanjas Søn, med dræbte. 10 Derpå bortførte Jisjmael som Fanger hele Resten af Folket i Mizpa, Kongedøtrene og hele Folket, der var ladt tilbage i Mizpa, og over hvem Livvagts øverste Nebuzaradan havde sat Gedalja, Ahikams Søn; dem bortførte Jisjmael, Netanjas Søn, som Fanger og gav sig på Vej til Ammoniterne.

11 Men da Johanan, Kareas Søn, og alle de Hærførere, som var hos ham, hørte om al den Ulykke, Jisjmael, Netanjas Søn, havde gjort, 12 tog de alle deres Mænd og drog imod ham, og de traf ham ved den store Dam i Gibeon; 13 og da alt Folket, der var hos Jisjmael, så Johanan, Kareas Søn og alle Hærførerne, der var med ham, blev de glade; 14 og alt Folket, som Jisjmael havde ført fanget fra Mizpa, vendte om og gik over til Johanan, Kareas Søn. 15 Men Jisjmael Netanjas Søn, slap fra Johanan med otte Mand og drog til Ammoniterne.

16 Johanan, Kareas Søn, og alle Hærførerne, der var med ham, tog derpå hele Resten af Folket, som Jisjmael, Netanjas Søn, efter at have myrdet Gedalja, Ahikams Søn, havde ført bort fra Mizpa, de Mænd, Krigere, Kvinder, Børn og Hofmænd, som han bragte tilbage fra Gibeon, 17 og de drog hen og slog sig ned i Gidrot-Kimham i BetlehemsNabolag for at drage til Ægypten. 18 af Frygt for Kaldæerne; thi de frygtede dem, fordi Jisjmael, Netanjas Søn, havde dræbt Gedalja, Ahikams Søn, som Babels Konge havde sat over Landet.

Ishmaels oprør og Gedaljas død

41 Men allerede samme år i den syvende måned kom Ishmael til Mitzpa med ti mand og opsøgte Gedalja. Ishmael var af kongelig herkomst og en af den tidligere konges betroede embedsmænd. Gedalja inviterede dem til spisning dér i Mitzpa. Under måltidet sprang Ishmael og hans mænd pludselig op, trak deres sværd og dræbte Gedalja. Derefter løb de ud og dræbte samtlige judæiske embedsmænd og babyloniske soldater i guvernørens hovedkvarter.

Næste dag, før nogen vidste noget om mordet på Gedalja, var en gruppe på 80 mænd fra Sikem, Shilo og Samaria på vej til Jerusalem med korn og røgelse for at ofre til Herren. De havde raget skægget af, revet flænger i tøjet og skåret sig i huden for at vise deres sorg over Jerusalems fald. Da de nærmede sig Mitzpa, kom Ishmael dem grædende i møde og sagde: „Kom og se, hvad der er sket med Gedalja.”

Men så snart de var kommet ind i byen, begyndte Ishmael og hans mænd at slå dem ihjel og kaste ligene i et vandreservoir. Ti af dem undgik døden ved at love at give ham deres forråd af hvede, byg, olivenolie og honning, som de havde skjult i nærheden af byen. Det vandreservoir, som Ishmael kastede de 70 mænd ned i, havde kong Asa ladet bygge, dengang han befæstede Mitzpa i krigen mod kong Basha af Israel.

10 Ishmael tog så resten af byens indbyggere til fange, både kongens døtre og alle dem, som Nebuzaradan havde overladt i Gedaljas varetægt i Mitzpa, og flygtede til ammonitternes land.

11 Men da Johanan og de øvrige officerer hørte, hvad Ishmael havde gjort, 12 samlede de alle deres mænd og satte efter ham, og de indhentede ham ved dammen nær Gibeon. 13-14 Så snart Ishmaels fanger fra Mitzpa fik øje på Johanan og hans mænd, jublede de af glæde og sluttede sig til ham. 15 Ishmael undslap med nød og næppe sammen med otte af sine mænd og nåede i sikkerhed i Ammon.

16-17 Johanan og hans mænd tog nu alle dem, de havde befriet, soldater, kvinder, børn og hoffolk, og førte dem til landsbyen Gidrot-Kimham ved Betlehem. De havde nemlig planer om at tage til Egypten, 18 for de var bange for, hvordan babylonierne ville reagere på budskabet om Gedaljas død. Gedalja var jo blevet indsat som guvernør af selveste den babyloniske konge.

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, 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) Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian[a] soldiers who were there.

The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, eighty men who had shaved off their beards,(F) torn their clothes(G) and cut(H) themselves came from Shechem,(I) Shiloh(J) and Samaria,(K) bringing grain offerings and incense(L) with them to the house of the Lord.(M) Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping(N) as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”(O) When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.(P) But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.”(Q) So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa(R) had made as part of his defense(S) against Baasha(T) king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

10 Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people(U) who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters(V) 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.(W)

11 When Johanan(X) son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, 12 they took all their men and went to fight(Y) Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool(Z) in Gibeon. 13 When all the people(AA) Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. 14 All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah(AB) turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. 15 But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped(AC) from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt

16 Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers(AD) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,(AE) 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(AF) near Bethlehem(AG) on their way to Egypt(AH) 18 to escape the Babylonians.[b] They were afraid(AI) of them because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had killed Gedaliah(AJ) son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed as governor over the land.

Footnotes

  1. Jeremiah 41:3 Or Chaldean
  2. Jeremiah 41:18 Or Chaldeans

41 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.

Then 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.

Ishmael 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.

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

That 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.

And 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.

And 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.

But 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.

Now 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.

10 Then 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.

11 But 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,

12 Then 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.

13 Now 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.

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

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

16 Then 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:

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

18 Because 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.