The Short Rule of Gedaliah

⁷ Some officers and their men from the army of Judah were still out in the open country. They heard that the king of Babylon had ·put [appointed] Gedaliah son of Ahikam ·in charge of the people [^Lgovernor of those] who ·were left [remained] in the land: the men, women, and children who were the poorest. They were the ones who were not ·taken to Babylon as captives [exiled to Babylon]. ⁸ So these soldiers came to Gedaliah at Mizpah: Ishmael son of Nethaniah, Johanan and Jonathan sons of Kareah, Seraiah son of Tanhumeth, the sons of Ephai the Netophathite, Jaazaniah son of the Maacathite, and their men.

⁹ Gedaliah son of Ahikam, the son of Shaphan, ·made a promise [swore] to them, saying, “Do not be afraid to serve the ·Babylonians [^LChaldeans]. Stay in the land and serve the king of Babylon. Then everything will go well for you. ¹⁰ I myself will live in Mizpah and will ·speak for you [represent you; ^Lstand] before the ·Babylonians [^LChaldeans] who come to us here. Harvest the wine, the summer fruit, and the oil, and put what you harvest in your storage jars. Live in the towns you control.”