For: The transition word used here in Hebrew normally shows a logical relationship, often one of cause and effect. It is left untranslated by Good News Translation, but why Good News Translation has left this logical relationship implicit is not clear. The relationship between verses 25 and 26-27 may not be clear in a rather literal translation. Therefore, the following translation of verses 26-27 by Contemporary English Version may provide a good model:

• The LORD helped Jeroboam do this because he had seen how terribly the Israelites were suffering, whether slave or free, and no one was left to help them. And since the LORD had promised that he would not let Israel be completely destroyed, he helped Jeroboam rescue them.

The LORD saw that the affliction of Israel was very bitter: As indicated by the Good News Translation footnote, the Hebrew text has the word “rebellious” in place of bitter. In Hebrew the consonants for these two words are the same. But most scholars agree that the reading of the ancient Greek version rendered in Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation is likely to reflect the original text and is certainly easier to translate. This expression would then be similar to the one in 2 Kgs 13.4, indicating that Yahweh took notice of the extreme difficulties of his people. Similar statements are also made of the earlier history of Israel in Exo 3.7 and Deut 26.7. Some possible renderings here are “the LORD had seen how bitterly Israel had suffered” (Revised English Bible) and “the LORD saw the intensity of the pain of the people of Israel.” In certain languages the image of “bitterness” may have to be replaced by some other figure indicating the painfulness or intensity of suffering since “bitterness” may not be appropriate.

Bond or free: This all-inclusive expression is intended to emphasize that there was absolutely no one who would come to the aid of Israel. Compare the translation of the similar expression in 1 Kgs 14.10; 21.21 and 2 Kgs 9.8. New International Version and New Century Version move this expression so that it becomes a part of the description of Israel rather than its potential helpers. But this is not recommended to translators.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 2. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .