This verse contains two embedded quotations. Ahab speaks to his wife and then, within his own words, he quotes what he said to Naboth in verse 2 and then he quotes what Naboth replied to him in verse 3. Good News Translation restructures the text and turns the two embedded quotations into indirect quotations. This may be a better model for many other languages to follow.

When Ahab responds to the questions of Jezebel, he leaves implicit the words “I am upset…” and begins with the word Because. But if it is necessary in the receptor language, these or similar words may be supplied at the beginning of the sentence.

Since Naboth has already been identified in verse 1 as the Jezreelite, Good News Translation omits the qualifying words following Naboth’s name.

Another vineyard is literally “a vineyard.” Revised Standard Version has supplied the word another according to the sense of the Hebrew text. For the translation of the word vineyard, see the comments at verse 1.

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 .