And the king answered them harshly: The king again refers to Rehoboam and may be replaced by his proper name (so Contemporary English Version) if this is more natural in the receptor language. The pronoun them refers to “the people” mentioned in the previous verse, and this may be made explicit in languages where the reader may be uncertain about who is intended. The Hebrew adjective translated harshly comes from the same root as the verb rendered “made … heavy” in verse 4. Here it qualifies the speaking of the king as being done in a severe and unkind way. For this whole clause International Children’s Bible translates “Then King Rehoboam spoke to them in a cruel way,” while Contemporary English Version has “He spoke bluntly.” Another possible model is “Rehoboam gave them a bad response.”

And forsaking the counsel of the old men refers back to verse 8. See the comments there, especially on the verb “forsook.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Chronicles, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2014. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .