Then all the people, small and great, and the captains of the forces, got up and went away to Egypt, for fear of the Chaldaeans. Verse ConceptsTravelGreat And SmallFear Of Enemies

Then all the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and ran to Kareah's son Johanan. Ishmael and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and fled to Ammon. 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. read more.
When they left Gibeon, they stayed near Bethlehem at Geruth Kimham on their way to Egypt. They were afraid of the Babylonians because Ishmael had killed Gedaliah whom the king of Babylon had appointed to govern the land.

If you say: We will not stay in this land, and you disobey Jehovah your God. Then you say: We will go to Egypt, where we will not have to see war, hear the sound of a ram's horn, or be hungry. We will stay there. Listen to the word of Jehovah, you people who are left in Judah. This is what Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: Suppose you are determined to go to Egypt, and you go and live there. read more.
Then the war that you fear will overtake you, and the hunger you dread will follow you, and you will die there in Egypt. All the people who are determined to go and live in Egypt will die either in war or of starvation or disease. Not one of them will survive, not one will escape the disaster that I am going to bring on them.' Jehovah, the God of Israel, says: 'Just as my anger and fury were poured out on the people of Jerusalem, so my fury will be poured out on you if you go to Egypt. You will be a horrifying sight. People will make fun of you and use your name as a curse. You will never see this place again.'