Then Eliezer the son of Dodavahu of Mareshah prophesied against Jehoshaphat: The common Hebrew conjunction rendered Then is taken as a temporal connector by Revised Standard Version and a number of other modern versions, but it is perhaps better to take it as marking contrast between the action of Jehoshaphat in the previous verse and the prophet’s condemnation of it in this verse. Good News Translation, Revised English Bible, and New American Bible express this contrast with the connector “But.” Apart from this account, nothing more is known of the prophet Eliezer. His hometown of Mareshah was located in the southern foothills of Judah (see the comments on 2 Chr 11.8 and 14.9). The information that Mareshah was a town may be made explicit (so Good News Translation, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). Eliezer’s message to Jehoshaphat was not so much a prophecy about Jehoshaphat as a direct warning to the king. For this reason it may be better to translate prophesied against as “spoke against” (New Century Version) or “warned” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version).

Saying, “Because you have joined with Ahaziah, the LORD will destroy what you have made”: In those languages where direct discourse is a problem, a possible model for this quotation is “He told him that the LORD would destroy the ships he had built because he had made the agreement with Ahaziah.”

And the ships were wrecked: This passive expression will have to be made active in some languages. This may be done by saying “So the ships had an accident” or “So the ships met with disaster” (New Living Translation).

And were not able to go to Tarshish means the ships were not able to go on voyages to distant lands (see the comments on the previous verse). Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version say “and never sailed.”

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 all the assembly made a covenant with the king in the house of God: All the assembly refers to all the Levites and clan leaders who had gathered at the Temple in Jerusalem. For made a covenant (literally “cut a covenant”), see the comments on 1 Chr 11.3 and 2 Chr 5.10. Here the Hebrew noun for covenant is the same one rendered “compact” in verse 1, but the verb is different. The king refers to the young King Joash (see 2 Chr 22.11). The house of God refers to the Temple in Jerusalem.

And Jehoiada said to them is literally “And he said to them.” But Revised Standard Version and many other versions (for example, New Revised Standard Version, NASB, English Standard Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible) substitute the proper name Jehoiada for the pronoun “he,” because the pronoun may be misunderstood as referring to the king just mentioned in the text. The quotation that begins here continues to the end of verse 7. For those languages where indirect discourse is preferred, see the model given at the end of the discussion on 2Chr 23.7.

Behold, the king’s son!: The Hebrew focusing particle rendered Behold draws attention to the physical presence of Joash, the son of King Ahaziah, and presents him. Some possible models for this clause are “Here is the king’s son!” (New Revised Standard Version, Revised English Bible) and “Look, the king’s son” (New Jerusalem Bible).

Let him reign: This literal rendering may give the false impression that the listeners were up to this point preventing Joash from reigning. But this was not the case. The meaning of the Hebrew verb here is better rendered “He must reign” (Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Osty-Trinquet) or “He should be king” (God’s Word).

As the LORD spoke concerning the sons of David: It was the will of the LORD that a descendant of David would be continually on the throne (see 1 Chr 17.12, 14). The sons of David means “David’s descendants” (Good News Translation, New Century Version).

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 .

The common Hebrew conjunction rendered But (also New Revised Standard Version, New Jerusalem Bible) may be translated in this way because there is an implied contrast between life in Judah before and after Jehoiada’s death. But since the contrast does not appear until several verses later, many versions omit the conjunction here (so Good News Translation).

Jehoiada grew old and full of days, and he died means he died after living a long time. Long life was seen as a reward for faithfulness to God. But a literal translation of grew old and full of days may be quite unnatural in other languages. So translators should seek the most natural way in their language to express the notion that Jehoiada became very old. Revised English Bible says “old and weighed down with years,” while New American Bible uses the idiom “lived to a ripe old age” (similarly New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

He was a hundred and thirty years old at his death may be rendered “He was 130 years old when he died” (God’s Word).

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 Joash king of Israel captured Amaziah king of Judah, the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah, at Beth-shemesh: As inverse 18, Good News Translation leaves implied king of Israel and king of Judah since this information is given earlier in the chapter. Nor does Good News Translation include the words at Beth-shemesh for the same reason (see verse 21). The words the son of Joash, son of Ahaziah are also omitted, but this information is not found in the immediate context, so it should be included. God’s Word renders these words as “son of Joash and grandson of Ahaziah.”

And brought him to Jerusalem: Contemporary English Version says “Jehoash took Amaziah with him when he went to attack Jerusalem.”

And broke down the wall of Jerusalem for four hundred cubits from the Ephraim gate to the Corner Gate: Jehoash and his army destroyed part of the wall around Jerusalem. Regarding the modern equivalents of the cubit, see the comments on 1 Chr 11.23. Four hundred cubits corresponds approximately to “two hundred yards” (Good News Translation) or “six hundred feet” (Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation) in the American system of measurements, but in the metric system it corresponds to about “one hundred eighty meters” (Biblia Dios Habla Hoy, Nueva Versión Internacional). Part of the northern wall of Jerusalem was destroyed, since the Ephraim Gate was located in the northern wall, facing the territory of Ephraim, and the Corner Gate was located in the northwest corner of the wall. The northwest part of Jerusalem was the most vulnerable to attack by enemy forces. The translation the Corner Gate follows the ancient versions and the parallel text of 2 Kgs 14.13. The Masoretic Text says “the gate of that which turns.” The difference in Hebrew between the word for “Corner” in 2 Kgs 14.13 and the participle meaning “which turns” here in verse 23 is very slight.

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 .

He fought with the king of the Ammonites: King Jotham and the Ammonite king were not the only ones who fought, but their two countries were at war, so it may be better to say “Jotham and his army fought with the king of the Ammonites and his army.” For Ammonites see the comments on 1 Chr 18.11.

And prevailed against them is literally “and he was stronger than them.” The Hebrew here may be rendered simply “defeated” (Good News Translation). The pronoun them refers to the Ammonite king and his soldiers.

And the Ammonites gave him that year a hundred talents of silver …: For talents see the comments on 1 Chr 19.6. A hundred talents was about “7,500 pounds” (New Living Translation, God’s Word) or “3,400 kilogrammes” (GNT British edition).

Ten thousand cors of wheat and ten thousand of barley: For cors see the comments on 2 Chr 2.10. According to Good News Translation, the equivalent for ten thousand cors in bushels is “fifty thousand.” Others calculate the amount to be between 65,000 and 140,000 bushels. Moffatt, for example, says “a hundred thousand bushels.” Bible en français courant has “three thousand tons,” but this is in metric tons. For wheat see 1 Chr 21.20; for barley see 1 Chr 11.13.

The Ammonites paid him the same amount in the second and the third years: NET Bible says “The Ammonites also paid this same amount of annual tribute the next two years.” Good News Translation combines this sentence with the previous one, saying “Then he forced the Ammonites to pay him the following tribute each year for three years…” (similarly Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

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 .

Therefore translates the common Hebrew conjunction. Here it serves to introduce the result of the people’s sinful behavior.

The wrath of the LORD came on Judah and Jerusalem is literally “the wrath of the LORD was on Judah and Jerusalem.” This clause may be translated “the anger of the LORD struck Judah and Jerusalem” (Nouvelle Bible Segond) or “the LORD became very angry with Jerusalem and the rest of Judah” (similarly New Century Version).

He has made them an object of horror, of astonishment, and of hissing: The three terms horror, astonishment, and hissing again have a cumulative effect (compare Jer 29.18). They emphasize the response of other people to the LORD’s punishment of the people of Judah. The basic meaning of the Hebrew word for horror is “trembling” or “fright.” The Hebrew word for astonishment refers to the shock felt by people at the sight of a horrible thing. The Hebrew word for hissing refers to a whistling sound made by people who wish to belittle and ridicule others. If whistling is used in this way in the receptor language, then a literal rendering will be acceptable. Otherwise it will be important to translate the meaning of “ridicule.” Unfortunately, Good News Translation omits this idea. For this whole clause Moffatt has “he has left them to be an awful example, at which men shudder and hiss,” and God’s Word says “He made them something that shocks and terrifies people and that people ridicule.”

As you can see with your own eyes may be rendered “as you well know,” “as you can so plainly see” (New Living Translation), or “as you can see for yourselves” (Moffatt). In some languages this clause will come more naturally at the beginning of the verse rather than at the end.

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 .

For if you return to the LORD: See the comments on 2Chr 30.6. The Hebrew conjunction rendered For introduces the grounds for obeying the LORD.

Your brethren and your children will find compassion with their captors, and return to this land: If the people of Israel and Judah return to the LORD, the Assyrians who captured their relatives and children will have compassion on them and release them to return to Israel. For your brethren, see the comments on 2Chr 30.7. Revised Standard Version has supplied the verb find as the context requires. New Living Translation renders the first half of this sentence in more idiomatic English by saying “your relatives and your children will be treated mercifully by their captors.” Another possible model is “those who have taken your relatives and children as prisoners will have compassion on them.”

For the LORD your God is gracious and merciful: For renders the same Hebrew conjunction as the one at the beginning of this verse. Here it is also a logical connector. The Hebrew word rendered gracious is related to a verb meaning “to be kind” (so New Century Version). The Hebrew word translated merciful is related to the word for “womb” and suggests a very deep level of compassion.

And will not turn away his face from you: The image of God turning his face toward or away from a group of people is common in the Old Testament. It refers to acceptance or rejection. Instead of a literal translation here, some languages will require a nonfigurative rendering, such as “and he will not reject you” or “and he will welcome you.”

If you return to him: In many languages this conditional clause will come more naturally before stating the result of turning to the LORD. The last half of this verse may be rendered “If you turn back to the LORD, he will not turn away from you, because the LORD your God is gracious and compassionate.”

If the direct quotation of the king’s invitation in verses 6b-9 has to be reworded as indirect discourse in a given language, the following model may be helpful:

• The king’s message urged the people of Israel that they should return to the LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, so that the LORD might return to those remaining after the conquest by the Assyrian kings. 7 The king told them that they should not be stubborn like their ancestors and relatives who abandoned the LORD, the God of their ancestors, and became an object of derision, as everyone knows, 8 and that they should not be stubborn, as those ancestors were, but that they should submit themselves to the LORD. He then invited them to come to the Temple, which the LORD had set apart as holy forever, and to worship the LORD God so that his fierce anger would turn away from them. 9 For if they would return to the LORD, those who had captured their relatives and children would be kind to those people by allowing them to return home. If they would return to the LORD God, he would not continue to turn his face from them, because he is gracious and merciful.

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 .

As noted in the footnote of Bible en français courant, the Hebrew text of verses 15-19 is often difficult to understand.

Eden … were faithfully assisting him in the cities of the priests: As in verse 13, Good News Translation indicates that the men named in this verse were “Levites.” As in verse 13, were … assisting him is literally “under his hand.” For this reason New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh begins this verse “Under him were…,” and NASB says “And under his authority were….” Anchor Bible translates “Supporting him … were….”

For the Hebrew noun rendered faithfully, see the comments on verse 12. According to the punctuation of this verse in the Masoretic Text, the word faithfully goes with the first part of the verse. However, New American Bible and Moffatt place this word with the verb distribute. Several other versions also follow this second interpretation (so God’s Word, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Nouvelle Bible Segond, La Bible du Semeur, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

The cities of the priests are also called Levitical cities (see Num 35.1-8; Josh 21.1-42). These cities were where the Levites lived when they were not on duty at the Temple in Jerusalem.

To distribute the portions to their brethren, old and young alike, by divisions: Their brethren refers to the fellow Levites of those in charge of the distribution of the food. New International Version has “their fellow priests,” but the reference here is to the Levites and not the priests. Old and young alike is literally “according to the great according to the small” (similarly NASB). Some interpreters understand this phrase to refer to both old and young people. Revised English Bible follows this interpretation but reverses the order into natural English, saying “young and old alike.” Others take this phrase to mean “high and low alike” in terms of social class (so the alternative translation in Revised English Bible). La Bible du Semeur speaks of “those of high rank and those of lesser rank.” And adopting the same meaning, La Bible de Jérusalem: Nouvelle édition revue et corrigée says “whether great or small.” Regardless of the exact sense of the Hebrew, the general sense seems to be that all Levites received their portions of food regardless of age, status, or importance. Good News Translation uses the general word “equally” to cover all categories.

For by divisions, see the comments on 2Chr 31.2. New American Bible says “according to their classes,” and Good News Translation has “according to what their duties were.”

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 .