Now set your mind and heart to seek the LORD your God: Since David is speaking to the leaders of Israel, the verbs and pronouns in this verse are second person plural in the Hebrew text. The Hebrew word translated Now indicates that the actions in this verse are to follow on the basis of what was said about God in the previous verse. Mind and heart is literally “heart and soul” (Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible). See the comments on “heart” at 1 Chr 22.7. The Hebrew verb for seek appears frequently in 1–2 Chronicles and means that the subject of the verb should worship God with complete devotion. So translators should avoid using a verb meaning “to look for.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has the verb “worship.” Other possible verbs are “serve” (Good News Translation, God’s Word) and “obey” (New Century Version). For this whole sentence Bible en français courant has “Then apply your whole heart and your whole being to know the will of the Lord your God.”

Arise and build the sanctuary of the LORD God: As in verse 16, the Hebrew verb for Arise used with a second verb is better translated in English as “start” or “begin.” A literal translation of the Hebrew here suggests two separate actions, but the sense is simply “begin to build” or “set about building” (Revised English Bible). The Hebrew noun translated sanctuary may refer to anything or any place that is holy. Usually it refers to a holy or sacred building. In Ezekiel this Hebrew term often refers to the Temple and the courtyards surrounding it. Here it almost certainly refers to the Temple in general.

So that the ark of the covenant of the LORD and the holy vessels of God may be brought …: So that … may be brought is literally “for to cause to come” or “to bring” (King James Version), but the meaning is “so that you may bring” (New International Version, New American Standard Bible, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). The passive expression of Revised Standard Version will certainly have to be transformed to an active one in many languages. Parole de Vie provides another possible model, beginning a new sentence with the words “You can then place….” For the ark of the covenant of the LORD, see the comments on 1 Chr 6.31 and 17.1. The holy vessels of God may be rendered “all the objects for the worship of God” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente), “the objects dedicated to God” (Bible en français courant, El libro del Pueblo de Dios), or “the sacred articles belonging to God” (New International Version). The ark had already been brought to Jerusalem, but the holy vessels were still in Gibeon.

For the name of the LORD: See the comments on verses 7 and 8. Other translations include “in honor of Yahweh” (American Bible; similarly NET Bible, La Bible du Semeur) and “in his honor” (Bible en français courant).

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 .