1Ki 8:35-36 | NET2full | STEP | “The time will come when the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place , renew their allegiance to you, and turn away from their sin because you punish them,

1 Kings 8:35-36

35 “The time will come when ^{▼▼tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 35-36a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.} the skies are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people ^{▼▼tn Heb “they”; the referent (your people) has been specified in the translation for clarity.} sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, ^{▼▼tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”} and turn away from their sin because you punish ^{▼▼tn The Hebrew text has “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (ʿanah, “to answer”). However, this reference to a divine answer is premature, since the next verse asks for God to intervene in mercy. It is better to revocalize the consonantal text as תְעַנֵּם (teʿannem, “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (ʿanah, “to afflict”).} them, 36 then listen from heaven and forgive the sin of your servants, your people Israel. Certainly ^{▼▼tn The translation understands כִּי (ki) in an emphatic or asseverative sense.} you will then teach them the right way to live ^{▼▼tn Heb “the good way in which they should walk.”} and send rain on your land that you have given your people to possess. ^{▼▼tn Or “for an inheritance.”}