The Israelites Punish the Benjamites

20 Then all Israel^(A) from Dan to Beersheba^(B) and from the land of Gilead came together as one^(C) and assembled^(D) before the Lord in Mizpah.^{(E) 2} The leaders of all the people of the tribes of Israel took their places in the assembly of God’s people, four hundred thousand men^(F) armed with swords. ³ (The Benjamites heard that the Israelites had gone up to Mizpah.) Then the Israelites said, “Tell us how this awful thing happened.”

⁵ Then Samuel^(A) said, “Assemble all Israel at Mizpah,^(B) and I will intercede^(C) with the Lord for you.” ⁶ When they had assembled at Mizpah,^(D) they drew water and poured^(E) it out before the Lord. On that day they fasted and there they confessed, “We have sinned against the Lord.” Now Samuel was serving as leader^[a](F) of Israel at Mizpah.

⁷ When the Philistines heard that Israel had assembled at Mizpah, the rulers of the Philistines came up to attack them. When the Israelites heard of it, they were afraid^(G) because of the Philistines. ⁸ They said to Samuel, “Do not stop crying^(H) out to the Lord our God for us, that he may rescue us from the hand of the Philistines.” ⁹ Then Samuel^(I) took a suckling lamb and sacrificed it as a whole burnt offering to the Lord. He cried out to the Lord on Israel’s behalf, and the Lord answered him.^(J)

¹⁰ While Samuel was sacrificing the burnt offering, the Philistines drew near to engage Israel in battle. But that day the Lord thundered^(K) with loud thunder against the Philistines and threw them into such a panic^(L) that they were routed before the Israelites. ¹¹ The men of Israel rushed out of Mizpah and pursued the Philistines, slaughtering them along the way to a point below Beth Kar.

¹² Then Samuel took a stone^(M) and set it up between Mizpah and Shen. He named it Ebenezer,^[b](N) saying, “Thus far the Lord has helped us.”

¹³ So the Philistines were subdued^(O) and they stopped invading Israel’s territory. Throughout Samuel’s lifetime, the hand of the Lord was against the Philistines. ¹⁴ The towns from Ekron^(P) to Gath that the Philistines had captured from Israel were restored to Israel, and Israel delivered the neighboring territory from the hands of the Philistines. And there was peace between Israel and the Amorites.^(Q)

¹⁵ Samuel^(R) continued as Israel’s leader^(S) all^(T) the days of his life. ¹⁶ From year to year he went on a circuit from Bethel^(U) to Gilgal^(V) to Mizpah, judging^(W) Israel in all those places.

41 In the seventh month Ishmael^(A) son of Nethaniah, the son of Elishama, who was of royal blood and had been one of the king’s officers, came with ten men to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah. While they were eating together there, ² Ishmael^(B) son of Nethaniah and the ten men who were with him got up and struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, with the sword,^(C) killing the one whom the king of Babylon had appointed^(D) as governor over the land.^{(E) 3} Ishmael also killed all the men of Judah who were with Gedaliah at Mizpah, as well as the Babylonian^[a] soldiers who were there.

⁴ The day after Gedaliah’s assassination, before anyone knew about it, ⁵ eighty men who had shaved off their beards,^(F) torn their clothes^(G) and cut^(H) themselves came from Shechem,^(I) Shiloh^(J) and Samaria,^(K) bringing grain offerings and incense^(L) with them to the house of the Lord.^{(M) 6} Ishmael son of Nethaniah went out from Mizpah to meet them, weeping^(N) as he went. When he met them, he said, “Come to Gedaliah son of Ahikam.”^{(O) 7} When they went into the city, Ishmael son of Nethaniah and the men who were with him slaughtered them and threw them into a cistern.^{(P) 8} But ten of them said to Ishmael, “Don’t kill us! We have wheat and barley, olive oil and honey, hidden in a field.”^(Q) So he let them alone and did not kill them with the others. ⁹ Now the cistern where he threw all the bodies of the men he had killed along with Gedaliah was the one King Asa^(R) had made as part of his defense^(S) against Baasha^(T) king of Israel. Ishmael son of Nethaniah filled it with the dead.

¹⁰ Ishmael made captives of all the rest of the people^(U) who were in Mizpah—the king’s daughters^(V) along with all the others who were left there, over whom Nebuzaradan commander of the imperial guard had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam. Ishmael son of Nethaniah took them captive and set out to cross over to the Ammonites.^(W)

¹¹ When Johanan^(X) son of Kareah and all the army officers who were with him heard about all the crimes Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, ¹² they took all their men and went to fight^(Y) Ishmael son of Nethaniah. They caught up with him near the great pool^(Z) in Gibeon. ¹³ When all the people^(AA) Ishmael had with him saw Johanan son of Kareah and the army officers who were with him, they were glad. ¹⁴ All the people Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah^(AB) turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. ¹⁵ But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped^(AC) from Johanan and fled to the Ammonites.

Flight to Egypt

¹⁶ Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the army officers^(AD) who were with him led away all the people of Mizpah who had survived,^(AE) whom Johanan had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had assassinated Gedaliah son of Ahikam—the soldiers, women, children and court officials he had recovered from Gibeon.