And at this house, which is exalted: At the time God made this statement the Temple was exalted or considered very valuable and honored by people. Good News Translation expresses this sense by saying “The Temple is now greatly honored.” It is possible to understand the Hebrew to mean “And at this once-exalted Temple” (New Jerusalem Bible). The meaning is basically the same, whether the reference is the present time, when the Temple is honored (so Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation), or whether the reference is the future when people will look back at what the Temple once was (so New Jerusalem Bible, Bible en français courant, La Bible du Semeur, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). The ancient Syriac, followed by Revised English Bible, says “This house will become a ruin.” However, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {B} rating to the reading in the Masoretic Text.

Every one passing by will be astonished may be rendered “everyone who passes by it will be shocked” ( NET Bible).

And say: Since a question follows this quote frame, the verb say may be rendered “ask” (Good News Translation).

Why has the LORD done thus to this land…?: This is the same question that Moses said people from other nations would ask (Deut 29.24). But the writer here goes on to add and to this house. Not only would the land of Israel be treated badly by the LORD, but also the Temple in which the Israelites worshiped him would suffer disgrace. This question is a quotation within a quotation. Here Good News Translation maintains the form of the Hebrew, but in some languages it may be better to use an indirect quotation by saying “and they will ask why I, the LORD, did such a terrible thing to this land and to this Temple.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .