Then: there may be better ways in some languages to mark the transition between the king’s hearing the news about disobedience and his subsequent anger. Some possible models are “As soon as he heard that…” or “Immediately….”

Furious rage: this translates two nouns in Aramaic, but the two actually describe a single violent reaction on the part of the king. What is important in translation is to reflect the intensity of Nebuchadnezzar’s response. In some cases translators may have to say simply “he was very, very angry.”

Be brought: this verb in Revised Standard Version presents two common translation problems: firstly, it is a passive form and will have to be rendered actively in many languages; and secondly, it does not state where the young men were to be brought. It may be clearer to say something like “that they (indefinite) go and get … and bring them to the king” or “that the king’s men seize … and make them appear before the king.”

Good News Translation does not say that the king’s command to bring the Jewish youths to him was actually carried out. However, it is probably better in most languages to include this, with something like “Therefore these men appeared before the king,” or “So they (indefinite) brought them into the king’s presence,” or in this context simply “So this was done.”

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René & Ellington, John. A Handbook on Daniel. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1994. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .