Then Ishmael took captive all the people who were still left alive in Mizpah. This included the royal princesses<n id="1" /> and all the rest of the people in Mizpah that Nebuzaradan, the captain of the royal guard, had put under the authority of Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took all these people captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.p>

I for my part will stay at Mizpah to represent you before the Babylonians<n id="1" /> whenever they come to us. You for your part go ahead and harvest the wine, the dates, the figs,<n id="2" /> and the olive oil, and store them in jars. Go ahead and settle down in the towns that you have taken over.&#8221;<n id="3" />

Then Johanan son of Kareah spoke privately to Gedaliah there at Mizpah, &#8220;Let me go and kill Ishmael the son of Nethaniah before anyone knows about it. Otherwise he will kill you<n id="1" /> and all the Judeans who have rallied around you will be scattered. Then what remains of Judah will disappear.&#8221;

<p class="bodytext">But in the seventh month<n id="1" /> Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama who was a member of the royal family and had been one of Zedekiah&#8217;s chief officers, came with ten of his men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating a meal together with him there at Mizpah,

Ishmael also killed all the Judeans<n id="1" /> who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah and the Babylonian<n id="2" /> soldiers who happened to be there.<n id="3" />p>