Whenever a case comes to you from your brethren who live in their cities: In some languages it will be awkward to use the word case as the subject of the verb comes. It will be much more natural to speak of the people bringing their cases to the judges, as in Good News Translation. Your brethren refers to any member of the tribe of Judah and does not have the more limited sense of “your brothers.” This phrase is better rendered “your relatives” (God’s Word) in a very large sense, or “your compatriots” (La Bible du Semeur). This whole clause may be restructured in some languages to make your brethren the subject as Good News Translation has done by saying “Whenever your fellow citizens from any of the cities bring before you a case.” Contemporary English Version is similar with “The people of Judah will bring you legal cases.”

Bloodshed is literally “between blood and blood.” The meaning of the Hebrew words here is not clear. Some understand the Hebrew to mean “murder” (Contemporary English Version, Nouvelle Bible Segond). Good News Translation uses the more technical term “homicide.” Or perhaps “between blood and blood” refers to a distinction between involuntary murder (manslaughter) and intentional murder (see Exo 21.12-14; Num 35.19-34; Deut 19.1-13). A more literal translation is likely to give the impression that any crime in which a person loses blood might be intended here, but this is not the case. Murder is in view here.

Law or commandment, statutes or ordinances: This list may be confusing after the mention of a specific crime. New International Version attempts to clarify the meaning by saying “or other concerns of the law, commands, decrees or ordinances.” This may be a helpful model to follow in other languages. For the Hebrew nouns rendered law, commandment, statutes and ordinances, see the comments on 1 Chr 22.12-13 and 2 Chr 7.19. In some languages it will be difficult to find four different synonyms for God’s will as found here. Translators face the same problem in Psa 119 and elsewhere (for example, 1 Kgs 2.3 and Neh 9.13). Good News Translation reduces the number of synonyms to two, saying “or any other violation of a law or commandment,” while Contemporary English Version speaks simply of “every type of crime.” It is possible to understand the words commandments, statutes or ordinances as elaborations of the first word law. Osty-Trinquet, for example, says “for all questions … of the Law—whether it be a matter of commandments, decrees or rules.”

Then you shall instruct them that they may not incur guilt before the LORD: The judges must provide the proper instruction so that their people do not become guilty of sinning against the LORD. A possible model here is “you must instruct them carefully how to conduct themselves, so that they do not become guilty of sinning against the LORD [again]” (similarly Good News Translation).

And wrath may not come upon you and your brethren: As in verse 2, wrath refers to God’s wrath, as Good News Translation makes explicit. La Bible Pléiade and Osty-Trinquet use the capitalized word “Wrath” to show that the writer is referring to God’s wrath, but the use of capital letters is not recommended since many people will only hear the text read. Some other ways of expressing this clause are “so that he [the LORD] won’t get angry and punish Judah” (Contemporary English Version) and “so that he will not be angry with you and them” (New Living Translation).

Thus you shall do, and you will not incur guilt: If the judges give the necessary instruction, they also will escape guilt. This sentence may be rendered “If you obey, you will be free of guilt” (similarly NET Bible).

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 .