Gedaliah swore …: The verb swore accurately reflects the idea of taking an oath, which is found in the Hebrew. Good News Translation drops this notion in the introductory words, but includes the idea in the direct quotation itself using the words “I give you my word” (similarly Bible en français courant, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders this “Gedaliah reassured….”

Them and their men refers to the Judean military leaders and to those who were loyal to them.

Do not be afraid because of the Chaldean officials; that is, have no fear of the Babylonian officials. The remaining Judeans are encouraged to submit to the Babylonian officials in order to have peace.

Chaldean officials is literally “Chaldean servants.” But this undoubtedly refers to rather high-level officials. As in previous references to the Chaldeans, this will probably be translated “Babylonian officials.” Regarding the name Chaldean, see the comments on 2 Kgs 24.2.

A number of interpreters think the word “servants” makes little sense here. So they propose that the vowels in the Hebrew noun should be slightly changed to read “to serve.” This change is also suggested in the notes of Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Compare American Bible: “Do not be afraid to serve the Chaldeans” (similarly Moffatt, Peregrino, em>Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente, La Bible Pléiade).

Since the ancient Syriac and some of the Septuagint manuscripts omit the word “servants,” some modern translations follow this shorter text and read “Do not be afraid of the Chaldaeans” (New Jerusalem Bible; similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch, Stuttgarter Erklärungsbibel). The words at the end of verse 26 (“for they were afraid of the Chaldeans”) give some support to this reading.

Dwell is better translated “live” as in New Revised Standard Version and most other modern versions.

It shall be well with you is literally “it will be good for you.”

In some languages it will be more natural to transform the words of Gedaliah into indirect discourse according to the following model, which is similar to the translation in Biblia Dios Habla Hoy:

• Gedaliah promised them that there was no need for them to be afraid of the Babylonian officials. He told them that if they would settle in the land and serve the king of Babylonia, everything would go well for them.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .