1 In the seventh month of that year, Ishmael, the son of Nethaniah and grandson of Elishama, a member of the royal family and one of the king's chief officers, went to Mizpah with ten men to see Governor Gedaliah. While they were all eating a meal together, 2 Ishmael and the ten men with him pulled out their swords and killed Gedaliah. 3 Ishmael also killed all the Israelites who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah and the Babylonian soldiers who happened to be there.
4 The next day, before anyone knew about Gedaliah's murder, 5 eighty men arrived from Shechem, Shiloh, and Samaria. They had shaved off their beards, torn their clothes, and gashed themselves. They were taking grain and incense to offer in the Temple. 6 So Ishmael went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping as he went. When he came to them, he said, “Please come in to see Gedaliah.” 7 As soon as they were inside the city, Ishmael and his men killed them and threw their bodies in a well.
8 But there were ten men in the group who said to Ishmael, “Please don't kill us! We have wheat, barley, olive oil, and honey hidden in the fields.” So he spared them. 9 The well into which Ishmael threw the bodies of the men he had killed was the large one that King Asa had dug when he was being attacked by King Baasha of Israel. Ishmael filled the well with the bodies. 10 Then he made prisoners of the king's daughters and all the rest of the people in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the commanding officer had placed under the care of Gedaliah. Ishmael took them prisoner and started off in the direction of the territory of Ammon.
11 Johanan and all the army leaders with him heard of the crime that Ishmael had committed. 12 So they went after him with their men and overtook him near the large pool at Gibeon. 13 When Ishmael's prisoners saw Johanan and the leaders of the forces with him, they were glad, 14 and turned and ran to them. 15 But Ishmael and eight of his men got away from Johanan and escaped to the land of Ammon.
16 Then Johanan and the leaders of the forces with him took charge of the people whom Ishmael had taken away as prisoners from Mizpah after murdering Gedaliah—soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs. 17-18 They were afraid of the Babylonians because Ishmael had murdered Gedaliah, whom the king of Babylonia had made governor of the land. So they set out for Egypt, in order to get away from the Babylonians. On the way they stopped at Chimham near Bethlehem.
1 Mu mwedzi we butendeka, Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya, nkololo wa Elishama ali mmwe we bumambo ne we batungamili be babhayani, kazha ne balume bali gumi kuna Gedaliya nkololo wa Ahikamu ku Mizipa. Ngono bakati batjaja zojiwa bose ku Mizipa, 2 Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya ne balume bali gumi bakabe banaye bakamilika bakabhaya Gedaliya nkololo wa Ahikamu, nkololo wa Shafani nge thumo bakambulaya, iye wakabe abigwa ndi mambo we Bhabhiloni kuti abe nlauli mu shango. 3 Ishimaele kakale kabulaya Bajuta bakabe bana Gedaliya ku Mizipa kose ne babhayani be Bakhaladiya bakabe bali ipapo.
4 Mu zhuba shule kwe kubulayiwa kwa Gedaliya kusathu kukabe ne wakaziba nge kwako, 5 kukaswika balume bali makumi ali zhanakadzi (80), bedwa ku Shekemu ne Shilo ne Samariya bakatesegwa ndendu dzabo ne zwiambalo zwe makandana, bakazwitjeka mibili yabo bezha bowozhisa zwipo zwe mathunde ne motsha kuzwidusila Ng'umba ya Yahwe. 6 Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya kazha kabashangamidza ngono kati kubali, “Izhani kuna Gedaliya nkololo wa Ahikamu.”
7 Ngono bakati basinoswika pakati kwe nzi nkulu, Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya ne balume bakabe banaye bakababulaya bakabalashila mu tshime. 8 Koga kwakabe kuna balume bali gumi mubali bakadwa Ishimaele bakati, “Usitibulaye ngoti tina matula e mathunde e korong ne bhali ne mafuta ne butji gwe nyutji zwakasumbikwa mu minda.” Ndizo kazwidziba kasibabulaye ibo ne bakwinya babo.
9 Tshime Ishimaele laakabe alashila zwitumbu zose zwe balume kose ne tja Gedaliya lakabe lili ilo Mambo Asa laakabe athama lili zila yekuzwibakilila muna Bhaasha mambo we Iziraela. Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya kalizhadza nge zwitumbu.
10 Ipapo Ishimaeli katapa bathu bose bakabe bali ku Mizipa, bakololokadzi ba mambo ne bathu bose bakabe basala ku Mizipa, ibo Nebuzaradani ntungamili we balindi baakabe ababigila Gedaliya nkololo wa Ahikamu kube nlauli wabo. Ishimaeli nkololo wa Nethaniya kabatapa kayenda nabo kutjulukila ku Baamoni.
11 Koga kwakati Johanani nkololo wa Kareya ne batungamili bose be babhayani bakabe banaye behwa bubi gose gwakathamwa ndi Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya, 12 bakatola balume babo bakayenda bakanogwa na Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya. Bakazha kunli ku dziba gulu liku Gibiyoni. 13 Ngono kwakati bathu bose bakabe bana Ishimaele bebona Johanani nkololo wa Kareya ne batungamili bose be balauli be babhayani baakabe anabo bakashatha. 14 Ndizo bathu bose bakabe batapiwa ndi Ishimaele ku Mizipa bakashanduka bakabgwilila bakayenda na Johanani nkololo wa Kareya. 15 Koga Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya kasiya Johanani ana balume bali zhanakadzi etizhila ku Baamoni.
Tizhila ku Egipiti
16 Ipapo Johanani nkololo wa Kareya ne batungamili be balauli be babhayani bakabe banaye bakatola malimbelimbe wose e bathu bakabe batapiwa mu Mizipa ndi Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya shule kwe abulaya Gedaliya nkololo wa Ahikamu; Babhayani ne bakadzi ne bana ne ngomwa ibo Johanani baakabe atola ku Gibiyoni.
17 Bakayenda bakanogala ku Geruti Khimuhamu kubapa ne Bhetelehema, mazwimisilo ili kuyenda ku Egipiti 18 ngekwe Bakhaladiya ngoti bakabe bebatja, ngoti Ishimaele nkololo wa Nethaniya wakabe abulaya Gedaliya nkololo wa Ahikamu iye wakabe abigwa nlauli we shango ndi mambo we Bhabhiloni.