Do according to all for which the foreigner calls to thee: This sounds rather awkward in English. The meaning is better expressed as “respond to the call which the foreigner makes to you” (Revised English Bible), “grant all that the foreigner asks You for” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh) or simply “answer their prayers” (Contemporary English Version).

The Hebrew says all the peoples of the earth, and most modern versions are literal renderings of the Hebrew. But the focus is on peoples as groups and not as individuals. For this reason the rendering “all nations in the world” (Moffatt) may provide a good model.

Know thy name: A literal translation of these words may give the wrong meaning that people of other countries would know that the God of Israel is named “Yahweh.” To “know the name” of someone in Hebrew is to know the character of that person. So this expression may be better translated as “know you” (Good News Translation).

Fear: See the comments on this verb in verse 40.

This house which I have built is called by thy name: A literal translation of the words called by thy name may have the wrong meaning in other languages. The sense is that the building belongs to God. Compare “is dedicated to your honor” (New American Bible) and “is truly consecrated to you” (Bible en français courant). These passive models may have to be translated actively in certain languages. If this is the case, it will be possible to say “[the house that I have built] I have also dedicated to your honor.” The Temple is the place where people know that God is present, so it is here that they are to worship God (see the comments on verse 16).

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 .