Then Ishmael carried away captive all the residue of the people that were in Mizpah, even the king's daughters, and all the people that remained in Mizpah, whom Nebuzaradan the captain of the guard had committed to Gedaliah the royal governor: Ishmael carried them away captive, and departed to go over to the children of Ammon.

But when Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, heard of all the evil that Ishmael had done, they took all the men, and went to fight with Ishmael, and found him by the great waters that are in Gibeon.

Now it came to pass that when all the people which were with Ishmael saw Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, then they were glad. So all the people that Ishmael had carried away captive from Mizpah deserted and returned, and went to Johanan the son of Kareah.

[{322}]

But Ishmael the son of Nethaniah escaped from Johanan with eight men, and went to the children of Ammon.

Then took Johanan the son of Kareah, and all the captains of the forces that were with him, all the remnant of the people whom he had recovered from Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, from Mizpah, after he had slain Gedaliah the royal governor, even the men of war, and the women, and the children, and the eunuchs, whom he had brought again from Gibeon: and they departed, and dwelt in Geruth Chimham, which is by Beth-lehem, to go to enter into Egypt, because of the Chaldeans: for they were afraid of them, because Ishmael had slain Gedaliah the royal governor, whom the king of Babylon made governor over the land.

VI
THE FLIGHT TO EGYPT

(The remnant of the people wish to take refuge in Egypt. They consult Jeremiah, who tells them that they must not desert the land.)

Then all the captains of the forces, and Johanan the son of Kareah, and Jezaniah the son of Hoshaiah, and all the people from the least even unto the greatest, came near, and said unto Jeremiah the prophet, "Let, we pray thee, our supplication be accepted before thee, and pray for us unto the Lord thy God, even for all this remnant; for we are left but a few of many, as thine eyes do [{323}] behold us: that the Lord thy God may shew us the way wherein we should walk, and the thing that we should do."

Then Jeremiah the prophet said unto them, "I have heard you; behold, I will pray unto the Lord your God according to your words; and it shall come to pass that whatsoever thing the Lord shall answer you, I will declare it unto you; I will keep nothing back from you."