^7 (A)Then all the ^[a]commanders of the military forces that were in the field, they and their men, heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah the son of Ahikam over the land and that he had appointed him over the men, women, little ones, and those of the ^(B)poorest of the land who had not been exiled to Babylon. ⁸ So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah, along with ^(C)Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and ^(D)Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, and Seraiah the son of Tanhumeth, and the sons of Ephai the ^(E)Netophathite, and ^(F)Jezaniah the son of the ^(G)Maacathite, both they and their men.

¹³ Now Johanan the son of Kareah and all the commanders of the military forces that were in the field came to Gedaliah at Mizpah ¹⁴ and said to him, “Do you indeed know that Baalis the king of the sons of ^(A)Ammon has sent Ishmael the son of Nethaniah to strike down your life?” But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam did not believe them. ¹⁵ Then Johanan the son of Kareah spoke secretly to Gedaliah in Mizpah, saying, “^(B)Let me go and strike down Ishmael the son of Nethaniah, and not a man will know! Why should he ^(C)strike down your life, so that all the Jews who are gathered to you would be scattered and the ^(D)remnant of Judah would perish?” ¹⁶ But Gedaliah the son of Ahikam said to Johanan the son of Kareah, “^(E)Do not do this thing, for you are telling a lie about Ishmael.”