Now is a marker that indicates a shift or a development in the thought of the writers of the letter. It is a shift to the next appeal, which is to the honor of the king. The writers suggest that a successful rebellion by the people of Jerusalem will be to his shame.
We eat the salt of the palace is literally “our salt is the salt of the palace.” This is a statement symbolizing the fact that they are under obligation to the king. It is an expression of loyalty to the king. It may be a reference to a covenant or solemn pledge (see Lev 2.13). In many cultures to eat what is offered by someone is a sign of dependency or loyalty. Or here it may mean to be in the king’s service, as indicated in the Traduction œcuménique de la Bible footnote for this verse.
And it is not fitting for us to witness the king’s dishonor: Because they “are under obligation” to the king (Good News Translation), they say that it is not proper for them to see the king’s dishonor, which is literally “the king’s nakedness.” The figurative meaning is dishonor or shame, and here it is applied to the possible political and economic humiliation of the king. Good News Translation implies this when it says “we do not want to see this happen.” It would be preferable for the translator to specify that they do not want to see the king dishonored. Some cultures may describe it as “we do not want to see the king fall” in a metaphorical sense, or they may say something like “… to see shame seize the king” or “… to see the king lose face.” Note that Good News Translation is structured to show the causal relationship between the two clauses connected by and in Revised Standard Version.
They send this letter to inform the king about a course of action. The two verbs convey the two distinct actions of sending the message and of causing the king to know certain information. In some languages this will be treated as a single combined action through the use of a serial verb construction: “we send inform the king.”
Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .