In the spring of the year is literally “And at the turning of the year.” See the comments on 1 Chr 20.1. This would have been about March 597 B.C. Bible en français courant has “At the beginning of spring.”

King Nebuchadnezzar sent and brought him to Babylon may be rendered “… sent for him and brought him to Babylon” (New International Version) or “… sent his army to take him and bring him to Babylon” (La Bible du Semeur). Bible en français courant translates the meaning more simply with “… had him brought to Babylon.”

With the precious vessels of the house of the LORD: For the Hebrew expression rendered precious vessels, see the comments on 2 Chr 32.27, where it is translated “costly vessels.” Here it refers vaguely to those objects kept in the Temple that were of great worth. Some possible translations are “articles of value” (New International Version), “valuable treasures” (New Century Version), and “valuable items” (Contemporary English Version). The same expression is used again in verse 19.

And made his brother Zedekiah king over Judah and Jerusalem: Zedekiah was a younger brother of Joahaz and Jehoiakim (see the comments on 2Chr 36.1). Jehoiachin was the son of Jehoiakim (verse 8), so Zedekiah was Jehoiachin’s uncle (so Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), not his brother. The parallel text in 2 Kgs 24.17 says that Zedekiah was Jehoiachin’s “uncle.” Perhaps the Hebrew word translated brother is used here in the broader sense of “relative.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “kinsman.” Some modern versions follow the Septuagint by saying “father’s brother” (Revised English Bible, La Bible Pléiade), which has the same meaning as “uncle.” Bible en français courant attempts to avoid the problem by translating “close relative,” but then adds a footnote stating that “Zedekiah was the brother of Jehoiakim and therefore the uncle of Jehoiachin,” with references to 2 Kgs 24.17; Jer 37.1 and Ezek 17.13. However, Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament gives a rating of {B} to the Masoretic Text, which reads “brother,” clearly the more difficult reading. Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament claims that the readings in the Septuagint and the Syriac are clearly attempts to harmonize the text with other texts which say that Zedekiah was Jehoiachin’s uncle. Nevertheless, the Masoretic Text appears to be in error here. Translators should translate what the author wrote, but they may wish to state in a footnote that Zedekiah was in fact an uncle, not a brother, of Jehoiachin.

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 .