1And it was done in the seventh month, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, son of Elishama, of the king’s seed, and the principal men of the king, and ten men with him, came to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, in Mizpah; and they ate there loaves together in Mizpah. (And it was done in the seventh month, that Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, of the king’s descendants, and some of the king’s principal men, (or some of his leaders), that is, the ten men who were with him, came to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, in Mizpah; and they ate bread, (or a meal), together there in Mizpah.)

2Forsooth Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men that were with him, rose up, and killed with sword Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan; and they killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made sovereign of the land. (And then Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the ten men who were with him, rose up, and killed with the sword Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan; yea, they killed him, whom the king of Babylon had made the ruler of the land.)

3Also Ishmael killed all the Jews, that were with Gedaliah in Mizpah, and the Chaldees, that were found there, and the men warriors. (Ishmael also killed all the Jews, who were with Gedaliah in Mizpah, and the Chaldeans, who were found there, and the warriors.)

4Forsooth in the second day (or And on the second day), after that he had slain Gedaliah, (but) while no man knew (it) yet,

5fourscore men with shaven beards, and rent clothes, and pale men, came from Shechem, and from Shiloh, and from Samaria; and they had gifts and incense in the hand, for to offer in the house of the Lord. (eighty men with shaved beards, and torn clothes, and pale from cutting themselves, came from Shechem, and from Shiloh, and from Samaria; and they had gifts and incense in their hands, to offer in the House of the Lord.)

6Therefore Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, went out of Mizpah into the meeting of them; and he went going and weeping (or weeping as he went). Soothly when he had met them, he said to them, Come ye to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam;

7and when they were come to the midst of the city, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, killed them about the midst of the pit, he and the men that were with him. (and when they were come into the midst of the city, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, and the men who were with him, killed them there, and threw them into the midst of the pit.)

8But ten men were found among them, that said to Ishmael, Do not thou slay us, for we have treasure(s) of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey, in the field. And he ceased, and killed not them with their brethren. (But ten men were found among them, who said to Ishmael, Do not thou kill us, for we have treasures of wheat, and of barley, and of oil, and of honey, in the field. And so he ceased, and did not kill them with their kinsmen.)

9Forsooth the pit into which Ishmael casted forth all the carrions of [the] men, which he killed for Gedaliah, is that pit, which king Asa made for Baasha, the king of Israel; Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, filled that pit with slain men. (And the pit into which Ishmael cast forth all the dead bodies of the men, whom he had lured to their deaths using the name of Gedaliah, is that pit, which King Asa made for Baasha, the king of Israel; Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, filled that pit with dead men.)

10And Ishmael led (away as) prisoners all the remnants of the people, that were in Mizpah, the daughters of the king, and all the people that dwelled in Mizpah, which Nebuzaradan, the prince of [the] chivalry, had betaken to keeping to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. And Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, took them, and went to pass over to the sons of Ammon. (And Ishmael led away as prisoners all the remnant of the people who were in Mizpah, that is, the daughters of the king, and all the people who lived in Mizpah, which Nebuzaradan, the captain of the guard, had delivered to Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam. And Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, took them, and left to go over to the Ammonites.)

11Forsooth Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, (or Now Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the warriors, who were with him), heard (of) all the evil, which Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had done.

12And when they had taken all (their) men, they went forth to fight against Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah; and they found him at the many waters, that be in Gibeon.

13And when all the people, that was with Ishmael, had seen Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, they were glad. (And when all the people, who were with Ishmael, had seen Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the warriors, who were with him, they were happy.)

14And all the people, whom Ishmael had taken (prisoner) in Mizpah, turned again; and it turned again (or yea, they turned), and went (over) to Johanan, the son of Kareah.

15Forsooth Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fled with eight men from the face of Johanan, and went to the sons of Ammon. (But Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, fled from Johanan with eight men, and went to the Ammonites.)

16Therefore Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the princes of warriors, that were with him, took all the remnants of the common people, which they brought again from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, that were of Mizpah, after that he killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; he took strong men to battle, and women, and children, and geldings, which he had brought again from Gibeon. (And so Johanan, the son of Kareah, and all the leaders of the warriors, who were with him, took all the remnant of the common people, who were from Mizpah, whom he had rescued from Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, after that he had killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam; yea, he took the strong men of battle, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, and brought them back from Gibeon.)

17And they went (on their way), and sat being pilgrims in Chimham (for a time), which is beside Bethlehem, (before) that they should go, and enter into Egypt, from the face of Chaldees (or to escape from the Chaldeans);

18for they dreaded those Chaldees, for Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had slain Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, whom the king Nebuchadnezzar had made sovereign in the land of Judah. (for they feared those Chaldeans, for Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah, had killed Gedaliah, the son of Ahikam, whom King Nebuchadnezzar had made the ruler of the land of Judah.)