The people of Israel still refers only to the people of the northern kingdom and not to all the people of the original kingdom. In some languages the most natural rendering will be something like “Those people,” referring back to those mentioned in the previous verse.

Walked: See the comments on verse 8 and 1 Kgs 3.3. In this context it is clear that the subjects of the king “imitated” (so Osty-Trinquet) the practices of their sinful ruler.

All the sins which Jeroboam did: See 2 Kgs 3.3.

They did not depart from them: This final clause serves to emphasize what has already been said. But the emphasis is important and should be retained in translation (see 2 Kgs 3.3; 13.2). Instead of the negative expression of the text, it is also possible to state this positively by saying something like “they kept on sinning” or “they continued to practice those sins.” In languages that have a verb form that is used for repeated or habitual actions, that form should probably be used here.

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 .