And the messenger who went to summon Micaiah said to him: And renders the common Hebrew conjunction. It may not be necessary to translate this conjunction that links verses 11 and 12 if a new paragraph is started here. But in order to mark the change of scene, some versions render it “Meanwhile” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version). The messenger refers to the official mentioned in verse 8.

Behold renders a Hebrew particle that draws attention to the importance of what the official is about to say. If a similar device exists in the receptor language, it will be appropriate here. New Revised Standard Version uses the word “Look.”

The words of the prophets with one accord are favorable to the king is literally “the words of the prophets [are] one mouth good to the king.” Good News Translation expresses the meaning well with “All the other prophets have prophesied success for the king.” NET Bible is similar with “the prophets are in complete agreement that the king will succeed.”

Let your word be like the word of one of them: This literal rendering will be quite unnatural in many languages. The official is simply asking Micaiah to agree with the message of the other prophets. The Hebrew particle of entreaty occurs in this clause, but neither Revised Standard Version nor Good News Translation expresses it. A model for this clause that keeps it is “Please let your words be like theirs” (similarly Complete Jewish Bible). New Jerusalem Bible also expresses it by saying “So I hope you will say the same thing as they do.”

Speak favorably is literally “speak good.” Complete Jewish Bible has “say something good.”

A part or all of the direct quotation in this verse may be made indirect if it is more natural to do so. Moffatt, for example, turns the first part of the official’s message into indirect speech by translating the verse as follows:

• The messenger who went for Micaiah told him that the prophets with one consent were predicting good for the king; “Pray let your message be like any one of theirs; say a good word.”

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 .