וַיְהִי בַּחֹדֶשׁ הַשְּׁבִיעִי בָּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה בֶן־אֱלִישָׁמָע מִזֶּרַע הַמְּלוּכָה וְרַבֵּי הַמֶּלֶךְ וַעֲשָׂרָה אֲנָשִׁים אִתּוֹ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָם הַמִּצְפָּתָה וַיֹּאכְלוּ שָׁם לֶחֶם יַחְדָּו בַּמִּצְפָּה

It was in the seventh month, on the first of the month, Rosh HaShana. The term baḥodesh, in the month, often refers specifically to the first day of the month. Yishmael, son of Netanya, son of Elishama, who was of royal descent, and the king’s captains, the officers of Tzidkiya; alternatively, the verse means that Yishmael was a royal descendant as well as one of the king’s chiefs, and ten men with him came to Gedalya son of Ahikam to the Mitzpa, and they ate bread together there, at the Mitzpa. Gedalya received them warmly, ignoring the warnings he had received about Yishmael.

וַיָּקָם יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה וַעֲשֶׂרֶת הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־הָיוּ אִתּוֹ וַיַּכּוּ אֶת־גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָם בֶּן־שָׁפָן בַּחֶרֶב וַיָּמֶת אֹתוֹ אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִיד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בָּאָרֶץ

Yishmael son of Netanya rose with the ten men who were with him, and they smote Gedalya, son of Ahikam, son of Shafan by the sword, and he killed him, the person whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.

וְאֵת כָּל־הַיְּהוּדִים אֲשֶׁר־הָיוּ אִתּוֹ אֶת גְּדַלְיָהוּ בַּמִּצְפָּה וְאֶת־הַכַּשְׂדִּים אֲשֶׁר נִמְצְאוּ־שָׁם אֵת אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה הִכָּה יִשְׁמָעֵאל

And Yishmael slew all the Jews who were with him, with Gedalya, at the Mitzpa, and the Chaldeans who were found there, the men of war. The Mitzpa was not a fortress, but simply the location where Gedalya was stationed as the civilian governor, together with a number of his close friends, acquaintances, and workers. Perhaps he had a guard of some sort, but evidently this protection was merely symbolic, and its members were not prepared for violence. Consequently, the soldiers of Yishmael, who came prepared, succeeded in killing all those present.

וַיְהִי בַּיּוֹם הַשֵּׁנִי לְהָמִית אֶת־גְּדַלְיָהוּ וְאִישׁ לֹא יָדָע

It was on the second day to the killing of Gedalya, and no man yet knew what had occurred, as Yishmael had killed all of Gedalya’s men and taken captive anyone else he found. As stated above, this occurred on Rosh HaShana, a day on which people do not travel.

וַיָּבֹאוּ אֲנָשִׁים מִשְּׁכֶם מִשִּׁלוֹ וּמִשֹּׁמְרוֹן שְׁמֹנִים אִישׁ מְגֻלְּחֵי זָקָן וּקְרֻעֵי בְגָדִים וּמִתְגֹּדְדִים וּמִנְחָה וּלְבוֹנָה בְּיָדָם לְהָבִיא בֵּית ה'

Men came from Shekhem, from Shilo, and from Samaria, cities that previously served as centers of the Israelite kingdom, eighty men, with shaved beards and rent garments, and who had cut themselves as signs of mourning for the terrible destruction in the land, and with a meal offering and frankincense in their hand to bring to the House of the Lord. Perhaps they were on their way to the Temple with their offerings when they were informed that it had been destroyed. Alternatively, it is possible that even after the destruction of the Temple, an altar remained on its site on which they would sacrifice offerings.

וַיֵּצֵא יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה לִקְרָאתָם מִן־הַמִּצְפָּה הֹלֵךְ הָלֹךְ וּבֹכֶה וַיְהִי כִּפְגֹשׁ אֹתָם וַיֹּאמֶר אֲלֵיהֶם בֹּאוּ אֶל־גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶן־אֲחִיקָם

Yishmael son of Netanya came out toward them from the Mitzpa, weeping as he walked. It was upon meeting them, he said to them: Come, enter the city to meet Gedalya son of Ahikam.

וַיְהִי כְּבוֹאָם אֶל־תּוֹךְ הָעִיר וַיִּשְׁחָטֵם יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה אֶל־תּוֹךְ הַבּוֹר הוּא וְהָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ

It was upon their arrival inside the city, that Yishmael son of Netanya slaughtered them into the pit, he, and the men who were with him, to prevent the discovery of the murders.

וַעֲשָׂרָה אֲנָשִׁים נִמְצְאוּ־בָם וַיֹּאמְרוּ אֶל־יִשְׁמָעֵאל אַל־תְּמִתֵנוּ כִּי־יֶשׁ־לָנוּ מַטְמֹנִים בַּשָּׂדֶה — חִטִּים וּשְׂעֹרִים וְשֶׁמֶן וּדְבָשׁ וַיֶּחְדַּל וְלֹא הֱמִיתָם בְּתוֹךְ אֲחֵיהֶם

But ten men were found among them, the travelers, and they said to Yishmael: Do not kill us, as we have buried stores in the field: wheat and barley, and oil, and honey. They promised to give him their storehouses of crops. In his greed, he refrained and did not kill them among their brethren, although it is unclear whether he released them entirely or killed them at a later stage.

וְהַבּוֹר אֲשֶׁר הִשְׁלִיךְ שָׁם יִשְׁמָעֵאל אֵת כָּל־פִּגְרֵי הָאֲנָשִׁים אֲשֶׁר הִכָּה בְּיַד גְּדַלְיָהוּ הוּא אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה הַמֶּלֶךְ אָסָא מִפְּנֵי בַּעְשָׁא מֶלֶךְ־יִשְׂרָאֵל אֹתוֹ מִלֵּא יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָהוּ חֲלָלִים

The pit into which Yishmael cast all the corpses of the men whom he smote with [beyyad] Gedalya; alternatively, whom he smote because of Gedalya; or, whom he smote in his attack against Gedalya, was the same as that which King Asa made because of Baasha king of Israel. This large excavated area had served as part of the fortifications constructed by King Asa. Yishmael son of Netanya filled it, that same pit, with bodies.

וַיִּשְׁבְּ יִשְׁמָעֵאל אֶת־כָּל־שְׁאֵרִית הָעָם אֲשֶׁר בַּמִּצְפָּה אֶת־בְּנוֹת הַמֶּלֶךְ וְאֶת־כָּל־הָעָם הַנִּשְׁאָרִים בַּמִּצְפָּה אֲשֶׁר הִפְקִיד נְבוּזַרְאֲדָן רַב־טַבָּחִים אֶת גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָם וַיִּשְׁבֵּם יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה וַיֵּלֶךְ לַעֲבֹר אֶל־בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

Yishmael took all the remnant of the people who were still at the Mitzpa captive, including the king’s daughters. The daughters of Tzidkiya had not been taken into exile but remained in Judah under Gedalya’s authority. Yishmael felt that they had value as captives. And he also took captive all the people who remained at the Mitzpa, whom Nevuzaradan, the captain of the guards, had entrusted with Gedalya son of Ahikam. Some of the individuals who served in various official positions had not been killed. Yishmael son of Netanya took them captive, and he went to cross over to the children of Amon, as he had acted as the emissary of the king of Amon, with the aim of destroying all traces of the Babylonian empire in Israel, thereby causing anarchy in the land.

וַיִּשְׁמַע יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־קָרֵחַ וְכָל־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ אֵת כָּל־הָרָעָה אֲשֶׁר עָשָׂה יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה

Since Yishmael was traveling with a large amount of spoils and many captives, he was unable to move quickly. Meanwhile, Yohanan son of Kare’ah and all the captains of the soldiers who were with him heard all the evil that Yishmael son of Netanya had performed.

וַיִּקְחוּ אֶת־כָּל־הָאֲנָשִׁים וַיֵּלְכוּ לְהִלָּחֵם עִם־יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה וַיִּמְצְאוּ אֹתוֹ אֶל מַיִם רַבִּים אֲשֶׁר בְּגִבְעוֹן

They took all the men that were with them and they went to fight with Yishmael son of Netanya, and they found him encamped by the great waters that are in Givon.

וַיְהִי כִּרְאוֹת כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר אֶת־יִשְׁמָעֵאל אֶת־יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־קָרֵחַ וְאֵת כָּל־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים אֲשֶׁר אִתּוֹ וַיִּשְׂמָחוּ

It was when all the people who were captives with Yishmael saw Yohanan son of Kare’ah and all the captains of the soldiers who were with him, that they rejoiced. They knew that Yohanan’s forces were opposed to Yishmael, and therefore they anticipated that they would soon be freed from captivity.

וַיָּסֹבּוּ כָּל־הָעָם אֲשֶׁר־שָׁבָה יִשְׁמָעֵאל מִן־הַמִּצְפָּה וַיָּשֻׁבוּ וַיֵּלְכוּ אֶל־יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־קָרֵחַ

All the people who Yishmael took captive from the Mitzpa turned, and they returned and went to join the side of Yohanan son of Kare’ah.

וְיִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה נִמְלַט בִּשְׁמֹנָה אֲנָשִׁים מִפְּנֵי יוֹחָנָן וַיֵּלֶךְ אֶל־בְּנֵי עַמּוֹן

But Yishmael son of Netanya fled from Yohanan together with eight men, as he did not have sufficient manpower to fight Yohanan’s army. Although he had murdered many people, Yishmael was apparently not a warrior, and was not even prepared for battle. He therefore fled in the initial confusion of the encounter with Yohanan. And he went to the children of Amon, who had given him his orders. It is possible that Yishmael did nothing of his own accord but acted solely under the command of the king of Amon. He therefore returned with his men after fulfilling his mission, which was the destruction of the Chaldean stronghold in Judah.

וַיִּקַּח יוֹחָנָן בֶּן־קָרֵחַ וְכָל־שָׂרֵי הַחֲיָלִים אֲשֶׁר־אִתּוֹ אֵת כָּל־שְׁאֵרִית הָעָם אֲשֶׁר הֵשִׁיב מֵאֵת יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה מִן־הַמִּצְפָּה אַחַר הִכָּה אֶת־גְּדַלְיָה בֶּן־אֲחִיקָם — גְּבָרִים אַנְשֵׁי הַמִּלְחָמָה וְנָשִׁים וְטַף וְסָרִסִים אֲשֶׁר הֵשִׁיב מִגִּבְעוֹן

Yohanan son of Kare’ah and all the captains of the soldiers who were with him took all the remnant of the people whom he had retrieved from Yishmael son of Netanya from Mitzpa, after he had smitten Gedalya son of Ahikam: the men, the men of war, and women and children and officials whom he brought back from Givon.

וַיֵּלְכוּ וַיֵּשְׁבוּ בְּגֵרוּת כִּמְהָם אֲשֶׁר־אֵצֶל בֵּית לָחֶם לָלֶכֶת לָבוֹא מִצְרָיִם

They gathered the people together and turned southward. They went and dwelled in a place called Gerut Kimham, which is near Bethlehem, in order to go and to come to Egypt.

מִפְּנֵי הַכַּשְׂדִּים כִּי יָרְאוּ מִפְּנֵיהֶם כִּי־הִכָּה יִשְׁמָעֵאל בֶּן־נְתַנְיָה אֶת־גְּדַלְיָהוּ בֶּן־אֲחִיקָם אֲשֶׁר־הִפְקִיד מֶלֶךְ־בָּבֶל בָּאָרֶץ

They decided to flee because of the Chaldeans, for they feared them, because Yishmael son of Netanya had smitten Gedalya son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon appointed over the land. They feared that the Chaldeans might avenge the murder of their appointed governor by killing anyone who remained in the region, without distinguishing between those who were responsible for the crime and those who opposed it. Therefore, Yohanan and his men decided to seek refuge in Egypt, which at the time was not subject to Nebuchadnezzar’s rule.