If you return in peace is literally “If to return you return in peace.” This Hebrew construction is emphatic. Compare Traduction œcuménique de la Bible: “If you truly return safe and sound.”

He said means Micaiah continued speaking in the second half of this verse. In some languages the intrusion of these words may be considered superfluous, but because the prophet addresses a different audience, it is better to translate them. In order to show that Micaiah is talking to the entire group, some may prefer to translate “Then he told the crowd.”

The last sentence in this verse, however, is not in the Septuagint. Further, the words of the prophet Micaiah here (Hear, all you peoples!) are identical to the first words of the prophet Micah (Micah 1.2). Many interpreters think that these words were added to the original Hebrew text by a scribe who incorrectly identified this Micaiah with the prophet Micah of Moresheth. For this reason a number of modern versions omit this last sentence (so Revised English Bible, New American Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, Anchor Bible, Moffatt, Bible en français courant) or place it within square brackets (so Osty-Trinquet).

Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament, however, gives a {B} rating to the Masoretic Text and argues that the translator of the Septuagint text omitted this last part of verse 28. So translators are advised to retain these words in the receptor language.

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 .