Verses 4-5 form a conditional sentence. Verse 4 expresses the conditions that Solomon must fulfill, and verse 5 states what God will do if Solomon does what is expected of him. Since this verse expresses several conditions, Good News Translation repeats the word “if.”

And as for you: This verse begins in Hebrew with the words “and you.” The pronoun gives extra emphasis, which is not preserved in Good News Translation. New Revised Standard Version, New American Bible, New Living Translation, and New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh express this emphasis by saying “As for you.” Revised English Bible keeps this nuance by saying “If you, for your part.” Compare also New Jerusalem Bible: “For your part, if you.”

If you will walk before me, as David … walked: Regarding the figurative use of the Hebrew verb “to walk,” see the comments on 1 Kgs 3.3.

Integrity of heart: The Hebrew noun rendered integrity comes from a root meaning “to be complete.” When the noun is used in an ethical sense, it means “to be perfect” or “to have integrity.” The heart was considered the center of one’s desires and intentions (see the comments on 1 Kgs 8.23). Some other possible translations of this expression are “fair” (New Century Version), “honest” (Contemporary English Version), and “sincerely” (New American Bible).

Uprightness: See the comments on this noun in 1 Kgs 3.6, where it occurs in the expression “uprightness of heart.” The two expressions integrity of heart and uprightness refer to essentially the same quality. But most translations try to find synonymous expressions, such as “fair and sincere” (New Century Version) or “honest and fair” (Contemporary English Version).

Statutes … ordinances: See the comments on these nouns in 1 Kgs 2.3.

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 .