Then he made all who were present in Jerusalem and in Benjamin stand to it: The king required all those present to make the same promise that he had made. Made … stand to it is literally “made to stand.” Other translations include “made … stand up for it,” “had … pledge themselves to it” (New International Version, Dillard), “made … join with him in the promise” (God’s Word), and “required … to make a similar pledge” (New Living Translation). Instead of in Benjamin, some interpreters correct the Hebrew here to read “in the covenant” in agreement with the parallel text in 2 Kgs 23.3; for example, Revised English Bible renders this whole clause as “Then he took an oath, swearing with all who were present in Jerusalem to keep the covenant.” Hebrew Old Testament Text Project gives an {A} rating to the Masoretic Text here, but Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament does not even discuss this problem because there is no manuscript evidence for such a correction. Nearly all modern versions follow the Masoretic Text here. Good News Translation provides a helpful model for this whole clause.

And the inhabitants of Jerusalem did according to the covenant of God, the God of their fathers: Fathers refers to “ancestors” (Good News Translation). This clause may be rendered “So the people of Jerusalem obeyed the covenant they had made with God, the God of their ancestors” (similarly New Century Version).

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 .