In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, a descendant of the royal family and of the king's officers went with ten men to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam, at Mizpah. They ate together at Mizpah.

When Kareah's son Johanan and all the army commanders who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah did,

Eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. Their beards were shaved off, their clothes were torn, and cuts were on their bodies. They brought grain offerings and incense to Jehovah's Temple.

Then Ishmael took captive the rest of the people who were at Mizpah. He captured the king's daughters and all the other people who had been left at Mizpah. They were the people whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had put under the control of Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and left for Ammon.

Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him got up, drew their swords, and killed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam and grandson of Shaphan. So they assassinated the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.

Then Kareah's son Johanan and all the army commanders who were with him brought back the rest of the people of Mizpah whom he had rescued from Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, son of Ahikam. Johanan brought back men, women, children, soldiers, and commanders from Gibeon.

When they left Gibeon, they stayed near Bethlehem at Geruth Kimham on their way to Egypt.

The cistern where Ishmael threw all the bodies of the men he had killed was the same one that King Asa made as a part of his defense against King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, filled it with the bodies.

Ishmael also killed all the Jews who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah as well as the Babylonian soldiers that he found there.

They were afraid of the Babylonians because Ishmael had killed Gedaliah whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.

Ishmael and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to Ammon.

Ten men from the group pleaded with Ishmael: Do not kill us! We have wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey hidden in the country. So he left them alone and did not kill them along with the others.

When they came into the city, Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, and his men slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.

Ishmael, son of Nethaniah, left Mizpah to meet them. He was crying as he went. When he met them, he said to them: Come to Gedaliah, son of Ahikam.

they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael. They caught up with him at the large pool in Gibeon.

When all the people who were with Ishmael saw Kareah's son Johanan and all the army commanders who were with him, they were glad.

Then all the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and ran to Kareah's son Johanan.

The day after the murder of Gedaliah, before anyone knew about it,