Some translations (Good News Translation, Nova Tradução na Linguagem de Hoje) combine verses 26-27 in order to place the condition in verse 27 (if this people go up …) before the result in verse 26 (Now the kingdom will turn back …). This may be the most natural order in some languages.

And Jeroboam said in his heart: This verse is introduced with no indication of when Jeroboam had these thoughts. And renders the common Hebrew conjunction. Contemporary English Version begins with the words “One day, Jeroboam starting thinking.”

Said in his heart is a literal translation of the Hebrew. The words “said to himself” (Good News Translation) may suggest that he was talking out loud to himself. A better English translation is “thought to himself” (New Jerusalem Bible, New International Version).

Now the kingdom will turn back to the house of David: At the beginning of this clause, Good News Translation and New Jerusalem Bible add the words “As things are,” which are understood in the Hebrew. Jeroboam was naturally afraid that if the people in the north continued traveling to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices there they would eventually become loyal to Rehoboam and would turn against him. The kingdom refers to “the people of my kingdom” (so Bible en français courant) from Jeroboam’s perspective.

For the house of David, see the comments on verse 19.

If this people go up to offer sacrifices in the house of the LORD at Jerusalem: This people refers to the people in the northern kingdom, so Good News Translation says “my people.” The writer does not state why the people of the northern kingdom would decide to offer sacrifices at the Temple in Jerusalem. The Law of Moses required that sacrifices be offered only in Jerusalem, so Bible en français courant makes the reason explicit by saying “if they ought to go to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the Lord’s temple.” Parole de Vie similarly says “its inhabitants [those of Jeroboam’s kingdom] are used to going to Jerusalem to offer sacrifices in the LORD’s house.” (See verse 28, which says “You have gone up to Jerusalem long enough.”)

The verbs go up here and “gone up” in the next verse are literal renderings of the Hebrew. Since Jerusalem was located at an altitude of around 760 meters (2,500 feet), the Old Testament and New Testament often speak of going up to Jerusalem. However, it will be unnatural in some languages to focus on that upward movement. Since this is not crucial to the story at this point, translating it as “go to” (Good News Translation) may be good.

The heart of this people will turn again to their lord, to Rehoboam king of Judah: In certain languages it will be less than natural to retain the word heart as the subject of the verb turn. Also, since the words this people occur for a second time in this verse, they may be better rendered by the pronoun “they” (so Good News Translation). This whole clause may be transformed to say something like “they will change their loyalty back to…” or “they will commit themselves again to….” Although it is only implied by the context, the word again is significant because these people were once loyal to Rehoboam.

The Hebrew word rendered lord is another case where the word sometimes used of God refers to a human “master” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Since it stands in apposition with the proper name Rehoboam, which is followed by his title, it may be considered redundant information in some cases.

The Septuagint, which omits the final words and return to Rehoboam king of Judah, is followed by New Jerusalem Bible and Osty-Trinquet. Good News Translation also omits these words, but for a different reason. Good News Translation follows the Masoretic Text but restructures the text and avoids the repetition of the Hebrew. These words are not to be understood in a physical sense that the people who lived in the northern kingdom would move to live in Judah. The sense is that the people would change their loyalties from Jeroboam to Rehoboam.

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Ellington, John E. A Handbook on 1-2 Kings, Volume 1. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2008. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .