He will give up Israel: If there is any possibility of misunderstanding who is intended by the pronoun he, it is certainly legitimate to translate using the noun “LORD” as in Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version.

The Hebrew verb rendered give … up in Revised Standard Version and “abandon” in Good News Translation is literally “give.” Provan argues that it should be translated “deal with” in light of the promises of God to Israel expressed in 1 Kgs 8.22-53, and especially in 2 Kgs 13.23 and 14.27. But the theological perspective of the author of 1–2 Kings certainly allows for the translation “forsake” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “abandon” (Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible), or “give up” (Revised Standard Version/New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible). Indeed, “deal with” seems too weak in the total context.

The use of Israel here must be understood to be the same as in the previous verse, which is almost certainly a reference to the people of the northern kingdom of Israel.

Because of the sins of Jeroboam, which he sinned: This expression is redundant. It is possible to remove the repetition as Good News Translation has done and still translate the meaning faithfully. The Hebrew word translated because of is biglal. The noun translated “dung” in verse 10 is galal. Perhaps the author intended a play on words. Walsh notes that verse 16 could be translated “Yahweh will give up Israel for the dung of the sins of Jeroboam….” Although it is very possible that readers of Hebrew would have thought of the word “dung” in verse 10, translators should not attempt to capture this play on words unless it would be natural in the receptor language.

He made Israel to sin should not be understood in the sense of Jeroboam forcing the people to do wrong against their will. Rather, it refers to his leading them in such a way that they willfully did what was displeasing to the LORD. In some languages this will be best expressed by a causative verb form. One African language translates “he did it so that the Israelites themselves sinned.”

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 .