²⁵ In the seventh month, however, Ishmael son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood, came with ten men and assassinated^(A) Gedaliah and also the men of Judah and the Babylonians who were with him at Mizpah.^(B)

¹⁹ This is what the Lord Almighty says: “The fasts of the fourth,^(A) fifth,^(B) seventh^(C) and tenth^(D) months will become joyful^(E) and glad occasions and happy festivals for Judah. Therefore love truth^(F) and peace.”

⁵ “Ask all the people of the land and the priests, ‘When you fasted^(A) and mourned in the fifth and seventh^(B) months for the past seventy years,^(C) was it really for me that you fasted?

¹⁵ Then Johanan^(A) son of Kareah said privately to Gedaliah in Mizpah, “Let me go and kill^(B) Ishmael son of Nethaniah, and no one will know it. Why should he take your life and cause all the Jews who are gathered around you to be scattered^(C) and the remnant^(D) of Judah to perish?”

¹⁶ But Gedaliah son of Ahikam said to Johanan^(E) son of Kareah, “Don’t do such a thing! What you are saying about Ishmael is not true.”

41 In the seventh month Ishmael^(F) son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, ² Ishmael^(G) son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword,^(H) killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed^(I) as governor over the land.^{(J) 3} Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian^[a] soldiers who were there.

⁴ The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, ⁵ eighty men who had shaved off their beards,^(K) torn their clothes^(L) and cut^(M) themselves came from Shechem,^(N) Shiloh^(O) and Samaria,^(P) bringing grain offerings and incense^(Q) with them to the house of the Lord.^{(R) 6} Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping^(S) as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”^{(T) 7} When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.^{(U) 8} But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.”^(V) So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. ⁹ Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa^(W) had made as part of his defense^(X) against Baasha^(Y) king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

¹⁰ Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people^(Z) who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters^(AA) along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.^(AB)

¹¹ When Johanan^(AC) son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, ¹² they took all their men and went to fight^(AD) Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool^(AE) in Gibeon. ¹³ When all the people^(AF) Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. ¹⁴ All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah^(AG) turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. ¹⁵ But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped^(AH) from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Athaliah and Joash^(A)

11 When Athaliah^(B) the mother of Ahaziah saw that her son was dead, she proceeded to destroy the whole royal family.