He walked in all the way in which his father walked: The verb walked, which occurs twice in this verse, is a figurative way of speaking of the manner of living or behavior of the two kings (see 1 Kgs 3.3; 2 Kgs 8.18). Revised English Bible translates this part of the verse using the English idiom “Following in his father’s footsteps.” But other languages may find one of the following models easier to follow: “He followed exactly the path his father had trod” (New American Bible), “In every respect he followed the example of his father” (New Jerusalem Bible), or “He lived in the same way his father had lived” (New Century Version).
Served the idols that his father served: The wording of this second part of the verse, like the first part with its repetition of the verb, seems to indicate that Amon’s imitation of his father was absolute. For the word idols, see verse 11 and the discussion on the meaning of the Hebrew noun used here in 1 Kgs 15.12.
The verb worshiped is virtually synonymous in this context with served. In some languages where the resources are limited, it will be acceptable to translate the two verbs with a single verb (so Good News Translation).
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 .