Then Hezekiah said is literally “And Hezekiah answered and said” (similarly King James Version, NASB, Dillard). Since the king spoke last to the Levites in verse 30, it may be helpful to clarify that he is addressing the people of Judah here by adding “to the people” (Good News Translation, Bible en français courant, Biblia Dios Habla Hoy) or “to the crowd” (Contemporary English Version). For this whole clause Bible en français courant provides a helpful model with “Hezekiah spoke again and said to the people.”
You have now consecrated yourselves to the LORD is literally “Now you have filled your hand to the LORD.” See the discussion of this idiom at 1 Chr 29.5. Here Hezekiah is acknowledging that the people had been made ritually clean by the sin offering (see verse 24) and were therefore considered worthy to offer their sacrifices. Good News Translation says “Now that you are ritually clean.”
Come near: Good News Translation leaves this clause implied, which may be helpful in other languages.
Bring sacrifices and thank offerings to the house of the LORD: The Hebrew noun translated sacrifices refers to offerings of sheep, goats, or cattle in order to create communion between God and the people offering the sacrifices. The Hebrew noun rendered thank offerings refers to offerings in thanks to God for answered prayer. The Hebrew for bring sacrifices and thank offerings could be understood to mean “bring sacrifices, especially thank offerings.” This interpretation is probably the basis for the Good News Translation rendering “bring sacrifices as offerings of thanksgiving.”
In those languages where it would be more natural, the direct quotation of what Hezekiah said to the people may be transformed into indirect discourse according to the following model: “Hezekiah then told the people that since they had become ritually clean they should bring their sacrifices of thanksgiving to the LORD at the Temple.”
And the assembly brought sacrifices and thank offerings: The people followed Hezekiah’s orders, so Good News Translation says simply “They obeyed.”
And all who were of a willing heart brought burnt offerings: The sacrifices and thank offerings required that only part of the meat be burned. What was not burned was eaten by the people making the offerings. But the burnt offerings indicated a special generosity since all of the meat was burned on the altar (see the comments on 1 Chr 16.1). Offerings made with a willing heart refer to voluntary sacrifices (see, for example, Exo 35.5, 22). Good News Translation says that some people “voluntarily” made burnt offerings, but this rendering does not quite express the sense of the Hebrew that these people were particularly generous. Better models for this clause are “and those who were generous brought burnt offerings” (New Jerusalem Bible) and “those who were very generous brought burnt offerings also” (Bible en français courant).
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 .