3:5a
Afterward: This word refers to a future time after the “many days” referred to in 3:4a.
Here are some other ways to translate this word:
But the time will come when… (Good News Translation)
-or-
But later (Contemporary English Version)
the people of Israel will return and seek the LORD their God: In Hebrew, the phrase return and seek is literally “will turn…and will seek.” This combination of phrases probably means “they will again seek.” It means that they will turn their hearts again to the LORD in order to follow or worship him.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
will once again turn to the Lord their God (Good News Translation)
-or-
will return to the Lord their God and follow him (New Century Version)
-or-
will again worship and serve the LORD their God
Be careful not to translate seek in a way that implies that God is lost and they are not able to find him.
and David their king: This phrase does not refer to David himself, but to one of David’s descendants. This descendant would be king over a united Israel and Judah as David was. In many languages, it will be helpful to make explicit that this phrase refers to a descendant of David. For example:
and to a descendant of David their king (Good News Translation)
3:5b
They will come trembling to the LORD: In Hebrew, this clause means here that the people will feel awe and reverence for the LORD.
Here are some other ways to translate this clause:
they will tremble in awe of the Lord (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
turn with reverence to the Lord (Revised English Bible)
-or-
they will submit to the Lord in fear (NET Bible)
and to His goodness: This probably refers to the good things that the LORD promised to give the Israelites when they returned to him.
Here are some other ways to translate this phrase:
and he will be good to them (Contemporary English Version)
-or-
and will receive his good gifts (Good News Translation)
-or-
and he will bless them (New Century Version)
in the last days: This phrase is parallel to the word “Afterward” in 3:5a. It probably refers to an indefinite time in the future when the LORD has finished judging the people of Israel. It probably does not refer here to the time at the end of the world.
Here are some different ways to express this period of time:
in the days to come (Tanakh: The Holy Scriptures)
-or-
in the future (NET Bible)
General Comment on 3:5a–b
The word “Afterward” in 3:5a and the phrase “in the last days” in 3:5b are parallel. In some languages, it may be more natural to make explicit that these time phrases refer to the same period of time. For example:
But the time will come…Then (Good News Translation)
-or-
But later…At that time (Contemporary English Version)
In some languages, it may be more natural to combine and/or reorder these phrases into one phrase. For example:
But when that time has ended, the Israelites will turn again to the LORD their God…They will tremble with awe…
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