The king said is literally “the king answered and said.” Good News Translation again adds the proper name “Jeroboam” in order to make the participants in the story perfectly clear. Instead of the verb said, Contemporary English Version has “begged” while New American Bible uses “appealed” to introduce the quotation here more precisely.

Entreat … the favor of the LORD is literally “Appease … the face of the LORD.” This is a common Old Testament idiom, meaning “to calm the LORD’s anger and cause him to act favorably” toward someone. New Jerusalem Bible (similarly Revised English Bible) says “I beg you to placate Yahweh.” This idiom occurs also in 2 Kgs 13.4, where Revised Standard Version renders it “besought the LORD.”

Now translates the Hebrew particle of entreaty, meaning “please.” Here it accompanies the verb Entreat.

Since King Jeroboam was also an Israelite, he too worshiped the God of Israel. A literal translation of the words the LORD your God may suggest in some languages that the God of the prophet was not the same God whom Jeroboam worshiped. For this reason some languages may require the omission of the possessive pronoun your. Others may have to say “the LORD God whom you serve.”

The words pray for me are not in the ancient versions, which are followed by some modern translations (New Jerusalem Bible, Osty-Trinquet). Even if the Masoretic Text is followed, which is the recommendation of this Handbook, translators should recognize that the clauses Entreat … the favor of the LORD and pray for me are parallel in meaning; that is, only one action is being requested, not two separate and distinct actions. For this reason New Living Translation combines the two clauses into one as follows: “Please ask the LORD your God.”

That my hand may be restored to me: Literally the Hebrew says “that my hand may return to me.” The idea is that the king wanted his arm to return to its condition prior to the sudden numbness that had paralyzed it. Some may prefer to translate “so that I can use my arm again” (God’s Word). The text goes on to state that this is exactly what happened by saying the same thing in two different ways: the king’s hand was restored to him, and became as it was before. In some languages it will be more natural to say this only once (see Good News Translation).

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 .