And all the prophets prophesied so: The other prophets said in agreement with Zedekiah that the Israelite army would defeat the Syrians. Since Zedekiah was also a prophet, Good News Translation renders all the prophets as “all the other prophets.” This whole clause may be translated “And all the other prophets agreed” or “… prophesied the same kind of thing.”

And said: As in the previous verse, some languages may add “to Ahab” to clarify who is being addressed here.

Go up to Ramoth-gilead and triumph; the LORD will give it into the hand of the king: See the comments on 2Chr 18.5. As there, the prophets speak first to King Ahab in the second person (Go up), and then in the third person (the king). Since this shifting from second to third person in direct address is not natural English style, Good News Translation uses only the second person for Ahab here. This will be a good model for most other languages to follow. As in verse 5, the verb Go up may be taken in this context as having a military meaning. Consequently, it is translated “March against” (Good News Translation, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh), “March on” (New Jerusalem Bible), and “Attack” (New International Version, New Century Version, Revised English Bible).

Contemporary English Version provides a good model for those languages where the direct quotation of this verse will be better translated as indirect speech, saying:

• All the prophets agreed that Ahab should attack the Syrians at Ramoth and promised that the LORD would help him defeat them.

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 .