Good News Translation keeps God’s direct quotation in verses 9-10 by beginning these verses with a quote frame.

Behold, a son shall be born to you: Good News Translation does not translate the Hebrew word rendered Behold. This word focuses attention on what follows. Compare “Look” in New Jerusalem Bible. In many English translations this verse begins with a conjunction such as “But” (Contemporary English Version, New International Version, Revised English Bible) or “however” (Good News Translation) because of the contrast between David’s original intention of building the Temple himself and the reality that it would be his son who would actually build it.

He shall be a man of peace is literally “he will be a man of rest” (similarly King James Version, New American Standard Bible, Nouvelle version Segond révisée, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). In Hebrew the pronoun he is emphatic. Knoppers expresses the emphasis by saying “he, he will be a man of rest.” This clause may be translated “he will have a peaceful reign” (Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente).

I will give him peace from all his enemies round about is literally “and I will give him rest from all his enemies round about.” The idea of “rest” here must be understood in terms of a safe, secure life in the land of Israel. All his enemies round about may refer to enemies within Israel as well as in other countries, but most likely the intended sense is “his enemies in all the surrounding lands” (New Living Translation).

For his name shall be Solomon: The Hebrew contains a play on the word peace and the name Solomon. This wordplay cannot be reproduced in most languages, so translators may explain the reason for the name Solomon in a footnote or in the text itself. If a footnote is used, there are good models in many modern versions (for example, Good News Translation, New International Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch). Good News Translation states that the name Solomon is formed from the Hebrew word shalom, which means “peace and security.” New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh has footnotes indicating that the Hebrew for Solomon is Shelomoh and that the Hebrew for “peace” is shalom. Nueva Versión Internacional states in a footnote “In Hebrew Solomon sounds like the word that means peace.” New International Version similarly states in a footnote “ Solomon sounds like and may be derived from the Hebrew for peace.” However, readers do not always look at footnotes, and those who only hear the text read will not be aware of footnotes. For this reason it may be helpful in the receptor language to indicate the significance of the name within the translation itself. This may be done with the use of parentheses, square brackets, or long dashes. For example, after the name Solomon, La Bible du Semeur and Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente add “the Peaceful One” in parentheses, and God’s Word adds “Peace” in square brackets. For this whole clause Bible en français courant has “He will be called Solomon,–which means ‘the Peaceful One’–,” and Revised English Bible says “his name will be Solomon, ‘Man of Peace.’ ”

And I will give peace and quiet to Israel in his days: In this context the Hebrew word translated quiet refers to political peace. Since quiet is often understood as merely the absence of noise, it may be better to translate peace and quiet as “peace and security” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Parola Del Signore: La Bibbia in Lingua Corrente). In his days may be rendered “during his reign” (Good News Translation, New International Version) or “while he lives” (El libro del Pueblo de Dios). Contemporary English Version translates this whole clause in a slightly different way, saying “because during his rule I will keep Israel safe and peaceful.”

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 .