OET interlinear 1 KI 12:20

uW Translation Notes:

Note 1 topic: writing-newevent

וַ⁠יְהִ֞י

and=he/it_was

See how you translated the phrase “And it happened” in 8:10, where it similarly introduces a new development.

Note 2 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

וַֽ⁠יִּשְׁלְח֗וּ

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_was just,as_heard all/each/any/every Yisrael that/for/because/then/when returned Yārāⱱəˊām/(Jeroboam) and,they_sent and,they_called DOM=him/it to/towards the,congregation and,they_made_king DOM=him/it on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in all/each/any/every Yisrael not it_became after house_of Dāvid except tribe_of Yehuda for=him/it=being_alone )

See how you translated the similar expression in 12:3. Alternate translation: [that they sent messengers]

Note 3 topic: grammar-connect-exceptions

לֹ֤א הָיָה֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י בֵית־דָּוִ֔ד זוּלָתִ֥י שֵֽׁבֶט־יְהוּדָ֖ה לְ⁠בַדּֽ⁠וֹ

not it_became after house_of (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_was just,as_heard all/each/any/every Yisrael that/for/because/then/when returned Yārāⱱəˊām/(Jeroboam) and,they_sent and,they_called DOM=him/it to/towards the,congregation and,they_made_king DOM=him/it on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in all/each/any/every Yisrael not it_became after house_of Dāvid except tribe_of Yehuda for=him/it=being_alone )

If it would appear in your language that the author was making a statement and then contradicting it, you could reword this as a positive statement. Alternate translation: [Only the tribe of Judah by itself was after the house of David]

Note 4 topic: figures-of-speech / ellipsis

לֹ֤א הָיָה֙

not it_became

The author is leaving out some of the words that in many languages a sentence would need in order to be complete. You can supply these words from the context if that would be clearer in your language. Alternate translation: [One tribe was not] or [No tribe was]

Note 5 topic: figures-of-speech / idiom

לֹ֤א הָיָה֙ אַחֲרֵ֣י בֵית־דָּוִ֔ד

not it_became after house_of (Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_was just,as_heard all/each/any/every Yisrael that/for/because/then/when returned Yārāⱱəˊām/(Jeroboam) and,they_sent and,they_called DOM=him/it to/towards the,congregation and,they_made_king DOM=him/it on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in all/each/any/every Yisrael not it_became after house_of Dāvid except tribe_of Yehuda for=him/it=being_alone )

The author is using was after the house of David as a common expression of his culture to mean “was loyal to the house of David” or “remained subject to the house of David.” If this phrase does not have that meaning in your language, you could use a comparable expression from your language that does have that meaning, or you could state the meaning plainly. Alternate translation: [One was not loyal to the house of David] or [One did not remain subject to the house of David]

Note 6 topic: figures-of-speech / explicit

שֵֽׁבֶט־יְהוּדָ֖ה

(Some words not found in UHB: and=he/it_was just,as_heard all/each/any/every Yisrael that/for/because/then/when returned Yārāⱱəˊām/(Jeroboam) and,they_sent and,they_called DOM=him/it to/towards the,congregation and,they_made_king DOM=him/it on/upon/above/on_account_of//he/it_went_in all/each/any/every Yisrael not it_became after house_of Dāvid except tribe_of Yehuda for=him/it=being_alone )

See how you translated the similar expression in 11:13. Alternate translation: [the united tribe of Judah and Benjamin]