This verse, which gives the content of the king’s proclamation, contains a quotation within a quotation, but Good News Translation provides a model that avoids the need to have two levels of quotation.
Thus says Cyrus king of Persia is the first level of quotation. These words formally introduce the following message of Cyrus. New Living Translation and God’s Word render this clause as “This is what King Cyrus of Persia says.”
The LORD, the God of heaven, has given me all the kingdoms of the earth: Cyrus, a non-Jew, appears to give credit to Yahweh for his victory and success. The expression the God of heaven is found frequently in Ezra and Nehemiah (see, for example, Ezra 7.12, 21, 23). Heaven refers to the dwelling place of God. In Hebrew the form is plural, “the heavens” (so Anchor Bible, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). In English either the singular or the plural form may be used, but the singular is the more common. The God of heaven may be translated “the God who is in the heavens.” The title of the Zoroastrian god was also “the god of heaven,” and Cyrus would probably have been familiar with this title. All the kingdoms of the earth refers to the world that was known by Cyrus. For this whole clause Contemporary English Version has “The LORD God of heaven has made me the ruler of every nation on earth.”
And he has charged me to build him a house … may be rendered “and he has appointed me to build a temple for him…” (New International Version). See Isa 44.28.
Whoever is among you of all his people may be translated simply “Anyone of his people among you” (New International Version).
May the LORD his God be with him is literally “Yahweh his God with him.” These words are a form of blessing or benediction pronounced by King Cyrus upon the Jews. The pronoun him refers back to the word Whoever and refers to anyone who is a part of the people of God. This clause and the previous one may be rendered “Now may the LORD your God be with all of you who are his people” (New Century Version; similarly God’s Word).
Let him go up: These final words of the book may be confusing. 2 Chronicles breaks off where the parallel text in Ezra continues with “to Jerusalem … and rebuild the house of the LORD….” But in translating 2 Chronicles, it is necessary to make sense of the text as it stands. Osty-Trinquet ends the book with an ellipsis, suggesting that something is missing. What the writer seems to imply is that the faithful should go to Jerusalem, even in the context of 2 Chronicles. For this reason Good News Translation translates “go there,” referring back to Jerusalem. New Century Version makes this even more explicit by saying “You are free to go to Jerusalem.” This sets the stage for the rebuilding of the Temple as described in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah which follow.
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 .