Because this verse presents a continuation of the discourse of Jehoshaphat, Good News Translation leaves out the words And Jehoshaphat said to the king of Israel. If translators prefer to retain these words, it may be more natural to say something like “And Jehoshaphat added” or “But Jehoshaphat said further to the king of Israel” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

Inquire first for the word of the LORD means find out first what God’s will is in this matter. Following the verb Inquire in the Hebrew is the particle of entreaty, which is often translated “please” or “I pray” (see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.12). Neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation attempts to express the force of this particle. Moffatt renders it by saying “But first of all … pray find out what the Eternal has to say,” but this is archaic-sounding English. A more natural English rendering is “Please, first inquire of the LORD” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). If there is a natural way of translating this particle in the receptor language, this nuance of meaning should be preserved. Some French translations, for example, say “je te prie” (“I beg you”).

First is literally “as today” (see the comments on 1 Kgs 1.51).

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