If evil comes upon us, the sword, judgment, or pestilence, or famine: Evil is defined in the text itself as one of several possible calamities that might happen to the people of God: sword, judgment, pestilence, or famine. The word sword here is a figure of speech in which a part is used for the whole; that is, sword stands for “war” (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, New Living Translation, New Century Version, God’s Word, Revised English Bible).

Revised Standard Version and most other modern versions follow the Masoretic Text in reading judgment. However, some scholars think the Hebrew text originally read “flood” (God’s Word, Revised English Bible, New Jerusalem Bible). In Hebrew the difference between the consonants of the two words meaning “judgment” and “flood” is simply a reversal of the second and third consonants, that is, a case of metathesis. The word “flood” seems to fit the context of natural disasters better than judgment. But Critique Textuelle de l’Ancien Testament supports the reading judgment and notes that there is no textual evidence to support the correction of the Hebrew text to read “flood.”

Revised Standard Version renders sword and judgment as separate calamities, but some versions take them together as “sword of/in judgment” (New International Version, An American Translation, Moffatt) or “punishing sword” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh).

For pestilence and famine, see the comments on 2 Chr 6.28.

We will stand before this house, and before thee, for thy name is in this house: In Hebrew Yahweh’s name sometimes refers to Yahweh himself. To say that his name was in the Temple is the same as saying that he resided in the Temple (see the comments on 2 Chr 6.5). This whole part of the verse may be rendered “we will stand before this Temple where you are present.”

And cry to thee in our affliction may be rendered “and we will pray to you for help when we are in trouble” (similarly New Century Version).

And thou wilt hear and save: The verb hear implies a favorable hearing. For this whole clause New Living Translation says “and you will hear us and rescue us.”

This entire verse is an embedded quotation. It constitutes a declaration of what the people of God believed. In languages where direct quotations—and especially embedded quotations—are not acceptable, it may be rendered as indirect speech. Good News Translation provides one possible model for this, and so does Contemporary English Version by saying:

• They believed that whenever this land is struck by war or disease or famine, your people can pray to you at the temple, and you will hear their prayer and save them.

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 .