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¹ Now it happened in the seventh month, that Yishma'el the son of Netanyah, the son of Elishama, of the seed royal and [one of] the chief officers of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam to Mitzpah; and there they ate bread together in Mitzpah. ² Then arose Yishma'el the son of Netanyah, and the ten men who were with him, and struck Gedalyahu the son of Achikam the son of Shafan with the sword, and killed him, whom the king of Bavel had made governor over the land. ³ Yishma'el also killed all the Yehudim who were with him, [to wit], with Gedalyahu, at Mitzpah, and the Kasdim who were found there, the men of war. ⁴ It happened the second day after he had killed Gedalyahu, and no man knew it, ⁵ that there came men from Shekhem, from Shiloh, and from Shomron, even eighty men, having their beards shaved and their clothes torn, and having cut themselves, with meal-offerings and frankincense in their hand, to bring them to the house of the LORD. ⁶ Yishma'el the son of Netanyah went forth from Mitzpah to meet them, weeping all along as he went: and it happened, as he met them, he said to them, Come to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam. ⁷ It was so, when they came into the midst of the city, that Yishma'el the son of Netanyah killed them, [and cast them] into the midst of the pit, he, and the men who were with him. ⁸ But ten men were found among those who said to Yishma'el, Don't kill us; for we have stores hidden in the field, of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey. So he stopped, and didn't kill them among their brothers. ⁹ Now the pit in which Yishma'el cast all the dead bodies of the men whom he had killed, by the side of Gedalyahu (the same was who which Asa the king had made for fear of Ba`sha king of Yisra'el,) Yishma'el the son of Netanyah filled it with those who were killed. <sup>10</sup> Then Yishma'el carried away captive all the residue of the people who were in Mitzpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people who remained in Mitzpah, whom Nevuzar'adan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedalyahu the son of Achikam; Yishma'el the son of Netanyah carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of `Ammon.

¹¹ But when Yochanan the son of Kareach, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, heard of all the evil that Yishma'el the son of Netanyah had done, ¹² then they took all the men, and went to fight with Yishma'el the son of Netanyah, and found him by the great waters that are in Giv`on. <sup>13</sup> Now it happened that, when all the people who were with Yishma'el saw Yochanan the son of Kareach, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, then they were glad. <sup>14</sup> So all the people who Yishma'el had carried away captive from Mitzpah turned about and came back, and went to Yochanan the son of Kareach. <sup>15</sup> But Yishma'el the son of Netanyah escaped from Yochanan with eight men, and went to the children of `Ammon. ¹⁶ Then took Yochanan the son of Kareach, and all the captains of the forces who were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Yishma'el the son of Netanyah, from Mitzpah, after that he had killed Gedalyahu the son of Achikam, [to wit], the men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought back from Giv`on: ¹⁷ and they departed, and lived in Gerut-Kimaham, which is by Beit-Lechem, to go to enter into Mitzrayim, ¹⁸ because of the Kasdim; for they were afraid of them, because Yishma'el the son of Netanyah had killed Gedalyahu the son of Achikam, whom the king of Bavel made governor over the land.