The common Hebrew conjunction rendered Yet may signal contrast between the misconduct of the people of Judah and the gracious action of the LORD in spite of this (so Revised Standard Version). On the other hand, some versions take it as looking forward and showing contrast between God’s action and the inaction of the Judeans to whom he sent prophets (so New Century Version with “Even though” and New International Version with “Although”).

He sent prophets among them to bring them back to the LORD is a literal rendering of the Hebrew. But such a translation may suggest incorrectly that the pronoun he refers to someone other than the LORD. Good News Translation restates this sentence by saying that “the LORD sent prophets to warn them to return to him” (similarly New International Version, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje), and Revised English Bible has “The LORD sent prophets to bring them back to himself.”

These testified against them: The demonstrative pronoun these refers to the prophets. Testified against them means “denounced them” (Revised English Bible) or “put the case against them” (New Jerusalem Bible) by telling about the people’s sins.

But they would not give heed means the people of Judah would not listen.

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 .