And he gathered all Judah and Benjamin, and those from Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon …: Asa summoned all the people of Judah and Benjamin as well as the people from the tribes of Ephraim, Manasseh, and Simeon who had defected to him. Contemporary English Version renders Manasseh as “West Manasseh,” but we do not advise doing this.

Who were sojourning with them is better translated “who were residing as aliens with them” (New Revised Standard Version).

For great numbers had deserted to him from Israel when they saw that the LORD his God was with him: The Hebrew conjunction rendered for introduces why many Israelites from the northern kingdom were living in the southern kingdom. They defected there because they saw that the LORD was on Asa’s side. As in the time of Rehoboam (2 Chr 11.13-16), they came to Judah, where the inhabitants generally worshiped God according to the Law of Moses. This logical connector may be rendered “because.” Had deserted to him is literally “had fallen upon him.” These people from Israel had abandoned their loyalty to the leaders in the northern kingdom and had willingly become subject to King Asa. New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “had thrown in their lot with him.”

Good News Translation reorders this verse by first mentioning the Israelites who defected to the southern kingdom and then referring to the whole assembly brought together by Asa. Such restructuring may be a helpful model for translators in other languages.

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 .