All the utensils which King Ahaz discarded in his reign when he was faithless: The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb rendered discarded is “to reject.” In the form used here the sense is “to declare rejected” or “to put out of action.” Revised Standard Version translates the same form of the verb “cast … off” in 1 Chr 28.9. Here Revised English Bible says “cast aside,” and New Revised Standard Version has “repudiated.” But perhaps the best model for some languages will be “had thrown away” (New American Bible). For the Hebrew verb rendered was faithless, see the comments on 1 Chr 10.13. For this first half of the verse New Century Version has “When Ahaz was king, he was unfaithful to God and removed some things from the Temple.”

We have made ready and sanctified means they brought back the discarded Temple equipment and made it ritually pure. New Century Version says “But we have put them back and made them holy for the LORD.” For the pronoun we, see the comments on the previous verse. For the verb sanctified, see 2Chr 29.5.

And behold, they are before the altar of the LORD: The Hebrew focusing particle rendered behold highlights the location of the restored Temple equipment. The altar of the LORD refers to the altar for burnt offerings.

If the receptor language requires it, the direct quotation of verses 18-19 may be made indirect by saying:

• 18 Then the priests and Levites went to the palace and reported to King Hezekiah that they had purified the entire Temple of the LORD, the altar for burnt offerings and its utensils, and the table for the holy bread and all its utensils. 19 They reminded the king that when Ahaz ruled the kingdom, he had been unfaithful to God and removed some things from the Temple. But they had now put them back and made them holy for the LORD. So these items were once again in front of the LORD’s altar.

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 .

Revised Standard Version begins with the connector For, which seems to suggest that this verse is a further explanation of the previous verses, but Good News Translation makes it clear that this verse is “In addition” to the earlier statement. The Hebrew conjunction here has a wide variety of uses, including causal (because), temporal (when), conditional (if), concessive (even though), and adversative (but). Most translations understand the conjunction as expressing the cause or reason that the people depended on the Levites to kill the lambs for them. The Good News Translation rendering seems to suggest that the unclean people mentioned in verse 17 must have been from the south. Translators may follow either understanding of the Hebrew conjunction here.

A multitude of people, many of them from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves: This part of the verse may be expressed in more modern English as “The greater part of the people, in fact, chiefly from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun, had not cleansed themselves” (New American Bible) or “most of the people—many from Ephraim and Manasseh, Issachar and Zebulun—had not purified themselves” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). New Century Version has “many people from Ephraim, Manasseh, Issachar, and Zebulun had not purified themselves for the feast.” This rendering ignores the fact that the writer seems to be speaking of the majority of the Israelite people in general before specifying that they were mainly from the northern tribes mentioned.

Yet they ate the passover: The connector yet renders the same Hebrew conjunction translated For at the beginning of this verse, but here the context calls for some kind of contrast since the expected behavior would be for people who were not properly purified not to participate in the Passover meal. Other translations here include “Nevertheless” (New American Bible) and “but” (Contemporary English Version).

Otherwise than as prescribed: They ate the Passover meal in a manner that was not according to what was written in the Law of Moses. NET Bible says “in violation of what is prescribed in the law.” See the comments on 2Chr 30.5.

For Hezekiah had prayed for them: For renders the same Hebrew conjunction as the one beginning this verse. Here it is better translated “So” (New Century Version). Since many of the people had not followed the regulations of the Law regarding purification before they ate the Passover meal, King Hezekiah prayed for God to forgive them. While the prayer of Hezekiah begins at the end of this verse in Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation opens the quotation at the beginning of the next verse. This seems to be an error on the part of Good News Translation and should not be imitated in other translations.

The good LORD pardon every one: It is unusual for the Hebrew to use an adjective to modify the name of Yahweh. This clause may be expressed as “May Yahweh in his goodness pardon…” (New Jerusalem Bible). In some languages it may be necessary to address God directly, saying “LORD, you are good. So I beg you to forgive….”

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 .

And when Hezekiah saw …: Instead of Hezekiah, the Masoretic Text reads “Jehizkiyahu,” but the context shows that Hezekiah is the intended name (see the comments on 2 Chr 28.27). Instead of the verb saw, it will be more natural in some languages to say “learned,” “knew” (New Century Version), or “realized” (New Living Translation).

That Sennacherib had come and intended to fight against Jerusalem: Intended to fight is literally “his face [was] for war,” which means he planned to attack. As in the previous verse, the verb had come may be left implied (so Good News Translation). It is also possible to keep it by rendering this last half of the verse as “that Sennacherib had come into Judah and intended to attack Jerusalem.” La Bible du Semeur is similar with “that Sennacherib had come with the intention of attacking Jerusalem.” Since Sennacherib had already attacked other cities in Judah, Good News Translation adds the word “also” after Jerusalem.

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 .

And he built altars for all the host of heaven: The altars mentioned here were used to make sacrifices to all the heavenly bodies in the sky. For all the host of heaven, see 2Chr 33.3.

In the two courts of the house of the LORD: Regarding the two courts of the Temple, see the comments on 2 Chr 4.9. Good News Translation provides a helpful model for this phrase, saying “In the two courtyards of the Temple.”

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 .

They have emptied out the money that was found in the house of the LORD: Continuing the quotation in which Shaphan includes himself among the “servants” of the king, Good News Translation uses the pronoun “We” in place of They. The Hebrew verb translated emptied out may mean either “to pour out” or “to melt down.” Both make sense in this context. The first meaning seems to be the basis for the renderings emptied out the money and “paid out the money” (New International Version). The sense in this case would be that the money was emptied out of the container that held the money. The second meaning is the basis for renderings such as “turned into bullion the metals” (New American Bible) and “melted down the silver” (Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The sense in this case would be that the silver was melted down to produce a better grade of metal.

The literal rendering the money that was found in the house of the LORD may incorrectly suggest that the money was accidentally discovered, just as the book of the Law was discovered by chance. But since this was money that people had brought to the Temple (verse 9), it may be better to say “the money that was kept in the Temple” (Good News Translation) or simply “the money that was in the Temple” (similarly New International Version). In some languages it may even be natural to say “the money that stayed/slept in the Temple.”

And have delivered it into the hand of the overseers and the workmen: Good News Translation keeps the imagery of the hand here by saying “and handed it over to the workers and their supervisors.”

Here is a possible model for changing the direct quotation of verses 16 and 17 into indirect discourse:

• Shaphan reported that he and all the other officials were doing everything the king had told them to do. 17 He explained that they had taken the money that people had donated in the Temple and had given it to the supervisors and the workers.

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 .

And the people of Israel …: And translates the common Hebrew conjunction. But verse 17 functions as a summary of the preceding verses, so a better connector is “Thus” (An American Translation). The people of Israel includes people from both the northern and southern kingdoms.

Passover … and the feast of unleavened bread: See Exo 12.1-20 for the origins of these two festivals. See also the comments on 2 Chr 8.13 and 30.1.

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 .

Now in the first year of Cyrus king of Persia: This expression is ambiguous. Cyrus began ruling over Persia in 559 B.C.; but as the Good News Translation footnote indicates, he took control of Babylon only in 539 B.C. So the meaning here seems to be “In the first year that King Cyrus of Persia ruled over the whole empire, including Babylonia.” God’s Word says “in Cyrus’ first year as king of Persia,” which is not correct. The first year does not refer to his first year as king of Persia, but to his first year as emperor of the Babylonian Empire. A helpful model for this whole phrase is “In the first year that Cyrus of Persia was emperor of Babylonia” (similarly Good News Translation).

That the word of the LORD by the mouth of Jeremiah might be fulfilled: God wanted his prophecy through Jeremiah to take place. Before the exile of the Jews to Babylonia, Jeremiah had announced that they would return to Judah from Babylonia after 70 years (see er 29.10; 2 Chr 36.21). For by the mouth of Jeremiah, see the comments on the previous verse. For this whole clause New Century Version has “This happened so that the LORD’s message spoken by Jeremiah would come true.”

The LORD stirred up the spirit of Cyrus: The LORD acted within the spirit of Cyrus in such a way that the king acted as God wanted him to act. For stirred up the spirit, see the comments on \jmp 1 Chr 5.26. Some other ways of expressing this clause are “the LORD inspired King Cyrus” (New American Bible) and “the LORD moved King Cyrus” ( NET Bible).

So that he made a proclamation throughout all his kingdom and also put it in writing: Cyrus made a proclamation is literally “caused to pass over a voice.” In the Persian Empire royal messages were communicated through heralds who proclaimed the messages orally to the people. In addition, Cyrus’s message was put in writing. This was an official royal document. It was probably written in Aramaic, the official language of the Persian Empire. Revised Standard Version supplies the verb put; it is not in the Hebrew text.

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 .