When the young man went out: The young man is Zerubbabel and he should be named here (so Good News Bible), although a translator does not have to sacrifice the information that he was a young man. Went out refers to leaving the council chamber (see the comments on 1 Esd 3.15), which Good News Bible makes explicit.

He lifted up his face to heaven toward Jerusalem: Zerubbabel faced Jerusalem, but he looked upward toward heaven as he prayed.

And praised the King of heaven, saying: For the King of heaven, see verse 46. The word saying introduces Zerubbabel’s prayer in verses 59-60. English does not need this word to introduce the prayers, but translators who feel the need of such a word may say “Here is what he said.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• When the young man Zerubbabel left the throne room, he turned toward Jerusalem, looked up to the sky, and praised the King of heaven:….

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on 1-2 Esdras. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2019. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.