6:24 “If your people Israel are defeated by an enemy 1 because they sinned against you, then if they come back to you, renew their allegiance to you, 2 and pray for your help 3 before you in this temple,
6:26 “The time will come when 4 the skies 5 are shut up tightly and no rain falls because your people 6 sinned against you. When they direct their prayers toward this place, renew their allegiance to you, 7 and turn away from their sin because you punish 8 them,
1 tn Or “are struck down before an enemy.”
2 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
3 tn Heb “and they pray and ask for help.”
4 tn Heb “when.” In the Hebrew text vv. 26-27a actually contain one lengthy conditional sentence, which the translation has divided into two sentences for stylistic reasons.
5 tn Or “heavens” (also in v. 12). The Hebrew term שָׁמַיִם (shamayim) may be translated “heaven(s)” or “sky” depending on the context.
6 tn Heb “they.”
7 tn Heb “confess [or perhaps, “praise”] your name.”
8 tn The Hebrew text reads “because you answer them,” as if the verb is from עָנָה (’anah, “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 (tÿ’annem, “you afflict them”), a Piel verb form from the homonym עָנָה (“afflict”).