Exile
Ishmael kills Gedaliah and takes the people captive
Ishmael, of royal lineage, kills the Babylonian governor Gedaliah in Mizpah, massacres visiting pilgrims and throws them into a cistern, and takes the king's daughters captive before fleeing to the Ammonites. Jeremiah 41:1-10
Jeremiah 41,1-10
1In the seventh month Ishmael son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, who was of royal descent and one of the king's chief officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there at Mizpah,
וַיְהִ֣י ׀ בַּחֹ֣דֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִ֗י בָּ֣א יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֣ה בֶן־אֱלִישָׁמָ֣ע מִזֶּ֣רַע הַ֠מְּלוּכָה וְרַבֵּ֨י הַמֶּ֜לֶךְ וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֥ים אִתּ֛וֹ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֖ם הַמִּצְפָּ֑תָה וַיֹּ֨אכְלוּ שָׁ֥ם לֶ֛חֶם יַחְדָּ֖ו בַּמִּצְפָּֽה׃
2Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the ten men with him rose up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, with the sword, killing the man whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.
וַיָּקָם֩ יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֜ה וַעֲשֶׂ֥רֶת הָאֲנָשִׁ֣ים ׀ אֲשֶׁר־הָי֣וּ אִתּ֗וֹ וַ֠יַּכּוּ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֨הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָ֧ם בֶּן־שָׁפָ֛ן בַּחֶ֖רֶב וַיָּ֣מֶת אֹת֑וֹ אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִ֥יד מֶֽלֶךְ־בָּבֶ֖ל בָּאָֽרֶץ׃
3Ishmael also killed all the Judeans who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the fighting men.
וְאֵ֣ת כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִ֗ים אֲשֶׁר־הָי֨וּ אִתּ֤וֹ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֙הוּ֙ בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּ֖ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר נִמְצְאוּ־שָׁ֑ם אֵ֚ת אַנְשֵׁ֣י הַמִּלְחָמָ֔ה הִכָּ֖ה יִשְׁמָעֵֽאל׃
4On the second day after the murder of Gedaliah, before anyone knew of it,
וַיְהִ֛י בַּיּ֥וֹם הַשֵּׁנִ֖י לְהָמִ֣ית אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֑הוּ וְאִ֖ישׁ לֹ֥א יָדָֽע׃
5eighty men came from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria, their beards shaved, their clothes torn, and their bodies gashed, carrying grain offerings and frankincense to bring to the house of the LORD.
וַיָּבֹ֣אוּ אֲ֠נָשִׁים מִשְּׁכֶ֞ם מִשִּׁל֤וֹ וּמִשֹּֽׁמְרוֹן֙ שְׁמֹנִ֣ים אִ֔ישׁ מְגֻלְּחֵ֥י זָקָ֛ן וּקְרֻעֵ֥י בְגָדִ֖ים וּמִתְגֹּֽדְדִ֑ים וּמִנְחָ֤ה וּלְבוֹנָה֙ בְּיָדָ֔ם לְהָבִ֖יא בֵּ֥ית יְהוָֽה׃
6Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he met them, he said, "Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam."
וַ֠יֵּצֵא יִשְׁמָעֵ֨אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֤ה לִקְרָאתָם֙ מִן־הַמִּצְפָּ֔ה הֹלֵ֥ךְ הָלֹ֖ךְ וּבֹכֶ֑ה וַֽיְהִי֙ כִּפְגֹ֣שׁ אֹתָ֔ם וַיֹּ֣אמֶר אֲלֵיהֶ֔ם בֹּ֖אוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָ֥הוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָֽם׃ ס
7But when they had come into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.
וַיְהִ֕י כְּבוֹאָ֖ם אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הָעִ֑יר וַיִּשְׁחָטֵ֞ם יִשְׁמָעֵ֤אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה֙ אֶל־תּ֣וֹךְ הַבּ֔וֹר ה֖וּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁ֥ים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּֽוֹ׃
8Ten of them, however, said to Ishmael, "Do not kill us, for we have hidden stores of wheat, barley, oil, and honey in the fields." So he held back and did not kill them with the others.
וַעֲשָׂרָ֨ה אֲנָשִׁ֜ים נִמְצְאוּ־בָ֗ם וַיֹּאמְר֤וּ אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ אַל־תְּמִתֵ֔נוּ כִּֽי־יֶשׁ־לָ֤נוּ מַטְמֹנִים֙ בַּשָּׂדֶ֔ה חִטִּ֥ים וּשְׂעֹרִ֖ים וְשֶׁ֣מֶן וּדְבָ֑שׁ וַיֶּחְדַּ֕ל וְלֹ֥א הֱמִיתָ֖ם בְּת֥וֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶֽם׃
9The cistern where Ishmael threw all the bodies of the men he had struck down along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa had made as a defense against Baasha king of Israel; Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the slain.
וְהַבּ֗וֹר אֲשֶׁר֩ הִשְׁלִ֨יךְ שָׁ֤ם יִשְׁמָעֵאל֙ אֵ֣ת ׀ כָּל־פִּגְרֵ֣י הָאֲנָשִׁ֗ים אֲשֶׁ֤ר הִכָּה֙ בְּיַד־גְּדַלְיָ֔הוּ ה֗וּא אֲשֶׁ֤ר עָשָׂה֙ הַמֶּ֣לֶךְ אָסָ֔א מִפְּנֵ֖י בַּעְשָׁ֣א מֶֽלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵ֑ל אֹת֗וֹ מִלֵּ֛א יִשְׁמָעֵ֥אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֖הוּ חֲלָלִֽים׃
10Then Ishmael took captive all the rest of the people at Mizpah—the king's daughters and all the people who were left there, whom Nebuzaradan, captain of the guard, had entrusted to Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.
וַיִּ֣שְׁבְּ ׀ יִ֠שְׁמָעֵאל אֶת־כָּל־שְׁאֵרִ֨ית הָעָ֜ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר בַּמִּצְפָּ֗ה אֶת־בְּנ֤וֹת הַמֶּ֙לֶךְ֙ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעָם֙ הַנִּשְׁאָרִ֣ים בַּמִּצְפָּ֔ה אֲשֶׁ֣ר הִפְקִ֗יד נְבֽוּזַרְאֲדָן֙ רַב־טַבָּחִ֔ים אֶת־גְּדַלְיָ֖הוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָ֑ם וַיִּשְׁבֵּם֙ יִשְׁמָעֵ֣אל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָ֔ה וַיֵּ֕לֶךְ לַעֲבֹ֖ר אֶל־בְּנֵ֥י עַמּֽוֹן׃ ס