²³ When all the commanders of the armies—they and their men—heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah, they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah.^(A) The commanders included Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan son of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth the Netophathite, and Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.^(B)

⁵ When Jeremiah had not yet turned to go, Nebuzaradan said to him,^[a] “Return^[b] to Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, whom the king of Babylon has appointed over the cities of Judah, and stay with him among the people or go wherever it seems right for you to go.” So the captain of the guards gave him a ration^(A) and a gift^(B) and released him. ⁶ Jeremiah therefore went to Gedaliah son of Ahikam at Mizpah,^(C) and he stayed with him among the people who remained in the land.

Gedaliah Advises Peace

⁷ All the commanders of the armies that were in the countryside—they and their men—heard that the king of Babylon had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam over the land. He had been put in charge of the men, women, and children from among the poorest of the land, who had not been deported to Babylon. ⁸ So they came to Gedaliah at Mizpah. The commanders included Ishmael^(D) son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan the sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, and Jezaniah son of the Maacathite—they and their men.

⁹ Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, swore an oath to them and their men, assuring them, “Don’t be afraid to serve the Chaldeans. Live in the land and serve the king of Babylon, and it will go well for you.^{(E) 10} As for me, I am going to live in Mizpah to represent you^[c] before the Chaldeans^(F) who come to us. As for you, gather wine, summer fruit, and oil, place them in your storage jars, and live in the cities you have captured.”

¹¹ When all the Judeans in Moab^(G) and among the Ammonites and in^(H) Edom and in all the other lands^(I) also heard that the king of Babylon had left a remnant in Judah and had appointed Gedaliah son of Ahikam, son of Shaphan, over them, ¹² they all returned from all the places where they had been banished^(J) and came to the land of Judah, to Gedaliah at Mizpah, and harvested a great amount of wine and summer fruit.