“Then Johanan,
The son of Kareah,
With all the leaders
Of the forces with him,
Took all the rest
Of the people
Whom Ishmael,
The son of Nethaniah,
Had carried away captive
From Mizpah.
This was after
He had slain Gedaliah,
The son of Ahikam.
This included
Soldiers,
Women,
Children,
Eunuchs,
Whom Johanan brought back
From Gibeon.
They set out.
They stopped at
Geruth Chimham
Near Bethlehem.
They intended
To go to Egypt
Because of the Chaldeans.
They were afraid of them.
Because Ishmael,
The son of Nethaniah,
Had killed Gedaliah,
The son of Ahikam,
Whom the king of Babylon
Had made governor
Over the land.”
Johanan and his forces, along with the now freed captives of Mizpah that included soldiers, women, children, and eunuchs, were going to go to Egypt. They set out on their way in a reverse kind of Exodus. However, they stopped at Geruth Chimham, near Bethlehem, south of Jerusalem. They were afraid that the Chaldeans would be mad at them, because of the death of Governor Gedaliah, who had been appointed by King Nebuchadnezzar, the king of Babylon.