Johanan Rescues the Captives

Johanan and the other commanders hear about Ishmael's crimes and take their men to fight him, overtaking him near the great pool at Gibeon. When the captives see Johanan they are glad and turn back from Ishmael, but Ishmael himself escapes with eight men and goes to the Ammonites.

W¹¹hen Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him heard of all the crimes that Ishmael son of Nethaniah had committed, ¹²they took all their men and went to fight Ishmael son of Nethaniah. And they found him near the great pool in Gibeon. ¹³When all the people with Ishmael saw Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the army with him, they rejoiced, ¹⁴and all the people whom Ishmael had taken captive at Mizpah turned and went over to Johanan son of Kareah. ¹⁵But Ishmael son of Nethaniah and eight of his men escaped from Johanan and went to the Ammonites.

Johanan gathers the rescued soldiers, women, children, court officials, and others whom he recovered from Ishmael after Gedaliah's murder. They stop near Bethlehem on their way toward Egypt because they fear the Chaldeans, reasoning that Babylon will blame them for Ishmael's assassination of Gedaliah.

¹⁶Then Johanan son of Kareah and all the commanders of the armies with him took the whole remnant of the people from Mizpah whom he had recovered from Ishmael son of Nethaniah after Ishmael had killed Gedaliah son of Ahikam: the soldiers, women, children, and court officials he had brought back from Gibeon. ¹⁷And they went and stayed in Geruth Chimham, near Bethlehem, in order to proceed into Egypt ¹⁸to escape the Chaldeans. For they were afraid of the Chaldeans because Ishmael son of Nethaniah had struck down Gedaliah son of Ahikam, whom the king of Babylon had appointed over the land.