1 Chronicles 16:15

16:15 Remember ¹  continually his covenantal decree,

the promise he made ²  to a thousand generations –

1 Chronicles 16:26

16:26 For all the gods of the nations are worthless, ³ 

but the Lord made the heavens. ⁴ 

1 Chronicles 17:22

17:22 You made Israel your very own nation for all time. ⁵  You, O Lord, became their God.

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¹ tn The Hebrew text has a masculine plural imperative, addressed to the people. Some LXX mss harmonize the wording here to Ps 105:8, which has זָכַר (zakhar), the perfect third masculine singular form of the verb, “He (the Lord) remembers” (so NIV; NEB reads “He called to mind his covenant”).

² tn Heb “[the] word he commanded.” The text refers here to God’s unconditional covenantal promise to Abraham and the patriarchs, as vv. 16-18 make clear.

³ tn The Hebrew word אֱלִילִים (’elilim, “worthless”) sounds like אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”). The sound play draws attention to the statement. Many modern English translations render this term as “idols” here.

⁴ tn Or “the sky” (also in v. 31). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.

⁵ tn Heb “and you made your people Israel your own for a people permanently.”