Verses 37-40 present still other situations in which the people may turn to God in prayer. Verses 33 and 35 begin in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation with the word “When.” The Hebrew construction is different now in verse 37, which the Revised Standard Version translation indicates by the word If. But since verse 37 is presenting another possible situation, Good News Translation maintains consistency of form in English by using “When.”

There is famine in the land: The Hebrew word for famine may be rendered “hunger,” but in this context it is clear that “great hunger” or “widespread hunger” is intended. In certain languages it will be more natural to translate “there is no food in the land.” The same idea is conveyed in Contemporary English Version as “the crops may dry up.”

As in the previous verse, the land is the Promised Land and not the earth in general. Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente says “our land.”

Pestilence refers to any kind of contagious sickness that causes people to die. In English this may be expressed as “plague” (New Revised Standard Version), “great sickness” (New Century Version), or “epidemic” (Good News Translation).

Blight or mildew: These two terms occur together five times in the Old Testament. Blight is the effect produced on crops by hot dry winds blowing from the Arabian desert. Mildew is a disease infecting grain as a result of too much moisture. These terms are translated in various ways in English as “blight either black or red” (Revised English Bible) and “wind-blast or mildew” (New Jerusalem Bible). Bible en français courant and Parole de Vie say “the grains will dry up or will rot.” New Living Translation translates both blight and mildew together as “crop disease.”

Locust or caterpillar: Both Hebrew nouns rendered here refer to jumping or leaping insects, including both locusts and grasshoppers. The first Hebrew noun refers to a fully developed insect and the second noun refers to an insect that is not yet fully developed, that is, to the larva. For this reason Revised English Bible says “locusts developing or fully grown.” De Vries says “grasshopper or locust.” The important point here is that these are insects capable of destroying growing plants.

Contemporary English Version may provide a helpful model for the first part of this verse:

• Sometimes the crops may dry up or rot or be eaten by locusts or grasshoppers, and your people will be starving.

If their enemy besieges them in any of their cities: The Hebrew verb translated besieges refers to a military procedure in which soldiers encircle a city in order to cut off its supplies of food, water, and weapons. The people inside the surrounded city will eventually have no choice but to fight their way out or surrender. In some languages this may be rendered “blockades” or “encircles … to defeat.”

Revised Standard Version follows the Septuagint with in any of their cities (also New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible, Anchor Bible). The Masoretic Text says “in the land of his gates.” This unusual word order in Hebrew may mean “the gates of his land,” referring to the regions along the Israelite border. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a {C} rating to the Masoretic Text. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates the Masoretic Text as “in any of the settlements of the land.”

Whatever plague, whatever sickness there is: The Hebrew word translated whatever is literally “all” or “any.” It is used here to indicate that regardless of what kind of difficulty the people of Israel suffer, they could present their problems to Yahweh in prayer. Plague translates a Hebrew noun that may be translated “blows.” Such “blows” refer to punishment by God. Sickness renders a Hebrew noun that refers to ill health in general.

For this whole verse the following translation may provide a simplified model for some languages:

• At times the land may become so dry that no food will grow, or it may rain so much that the grain will rot on the ground. Or, a great sickness may spread among the people. Sometimes all the crops may be destroyed by locusts or grasshoppers. Your people may be attacked in their cities by their enemies. Your people may become sick.

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 .