1 But in the seventh month, Ishmael came to Mizpah with ten of his soldiers. He had been one of the king's officials and was a member of the royal family. Ishmael and his men were invited to eat with Gedaliah. 2 During the meal, Ishmael and his soldiers killed Gedaliah, the man chosen as ruler of Judah by the king of Babylonia. 3 Then they killed the Jews who were with Gedaliah, and they also killed the Babylonian soldiers who were there.
4 The next day, the murders had still not been discovered, 5 when 80 men came down the road toward Mizpah from the towns of Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They were on their way to the temple to offer gifts of grain and incense to the Lord. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and cut themselves, because they were mourning.
6 Ishmael went out the town gate to meet them. He pretended to be weeping, and he asked them to come into Mizpah to meet with Gedaliah, the ruler of Judah. 7 But after they were inside the town, Ishmael ordered his soldiers to kill them and throw their bodies into a well. 8 He let ten of the men live, because they offered to give him supplies of wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey they had hidden in a field. 9 The well that he filled with bodies had been dug by King Asa of Judah to store rainwater, because he was afraid that King Baasha of Israel might surround Mizpah and keep the people from getting to their water supply.
10 Nebuzaradan, King Nebuchadnezzar's officer in charge of the guard, had left King Zedekiah's daughters and many other people at Mizpah, and he had put Gedaliah in charge of them. But now Ishmael took them all prisoner and led them toward Ammon, on the other side of the Jordan River.
11 Johanan and the other army officers heard what Ishmael had done. 12 So they and their troops chased Ishmael and caught up with him at the large pit at Gibeon. 13 When Ishmael's prisoners saw Johanan and the officers, they were happy 14 and turned around and ran toward Johanan. 15 But Ishmael and eight of his men escaped and went to Ammon.
Johanan Decides To Take the People to Egypt
16 Johanan and the officers had rescued the women, children, and royal officials that Ishmael had taken prisoner after killing Gedaliah. Johanan led the people from Gibeon 17-18 toward Egypt. They wanted to go there, because they were afraid of what the Babylonians would do when they found out that Ishmael had killed Gedaliah, the ruler appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar.
The People Ask Jeremiah To Pray for Them
On the way to Egypt, we stopped at the town of Geruth Chimham near Bethlehem.
1 Momwedhi omutiheyali gwomumvo ngoka Ismael yaNetania, omutekulu gwaElishama, gwomezimo lyaawa, gumwe gwomomalenga omakuluntu, okwa yi kuMispa e na aalumentu omulongo, a ka talele po Gedalia. Manga ya li taa li uulalelo, 2 Ismael pamwe naalumentu omulongo oya pweya mo omagongamwele gawo e taa dhipaga Gedalia. 3 Ismael okwa dhipaga Aaisraeli ayehe ya li puGedalia puMispa, osho wo aakwiita Aababilonia mboka ya li po.
4 Ongula sho kwa shi, manga aantu kaaye shi po sha, 5 aalumentu omilongo hetatu oya thiki ya zi kuShekem, Shilo naSamaria. Oya li ya kulula oombenzi dhawo, ya tuula oonguwo dhawo, yo yi ishata oontsa. Oya li ye na iikulya niitsinino, ya ka yambele motempeli yOmuwa. 6 Ismael okwa zi muMispa, e ke ya tsakaneke, te ende ta lili. Sho a thiki kuyo, okwa ti: “Ileni mu tale Gedalia yaAhikam.” 7 Nanziya sho ya yi meni lyoshilando, Ismael naantu ye oye ya dhipaga po e taa umbile omidhimba dhawo momuthima.
8 Ihe mongundu yawo omwa li aalumentu omulongo, mboka ya lombwele Ismael ya ti: “Ino tu dhipaga. Otu na osiima, iishokelya, omagadhi gooholivi nomagadhi goonyushi ga holekwa momapya.” Onkee okwe ya hupitha ko. 9 Momuthima moka Ismael u umbile omidhimba dhaantu mboka a dhipaga, ogwa li omunene gwa hupilwe komukwaniilwa Asa, sho a li a homonwa komukwaniilwa gwaIsrael Baasha. Ismael okwe gu udha omidhimba. 10 Opo ihe okwa kwata po oonkwatwa aakadhona aana yokombanda noshihupe shaantu mboka ya li muMispa, oomboka Nebusaradan, elenga ekuluntu lyaalangeli, lye ya thigile melelo lyaGedalia yaAhikam. Ismael okwe ya kwata po e tu uka nayo lwokoshilongo Ammon.
11 Johanan yaKarea noondjayi dhiita ndhoka dha li puye, odha kundana iihuna mbyoka Ismael a longo. 12 Odhe mu landula dhi li naantu yadho e tadhi mu adha petale lyaGibeon. 13 Oonkwatwa dhaIsmael sho dha mono Johanan noondjayi adhihe dhi li puye, oya nyanyukwa 14 noya galuka e taa matukile kudho. 15 Ihe Ismael naalumentu ye yahetatu oya fadhuka po Johanan e taa ka holama mevi lyaAmmon.
16 Johanan noondjayi dhiita odha kutha aantu mboka ya li ya kwatwa po kuIsmael, sho a dhipaga po Gedalia — aakwiita, aakulukadhi, aanona naathonwantu. 17-18 Oya li ya tila Aababilonia, oshoka Ismael okwa dhipaga Gedalia, ngoka omukwaniilwa gwaBabilonia e mu langeke omuleli gwoshilongo. Onkee oya dhiladhila okutembukila kuEgipiti, ya ka holame Aababilonia. Mondjila oya kankama puGerut-Kimham popepi naBetlehem.
