Our harp has been laid low, our song has been silenced, and our rejoicing has been ended: Our harp does not refer to one particular harp. It stands for all the musical instruments used in Temple worship, just as our song refers to all the vocal music, not one particular song. The harp is a stringed instrument with strings of unequal length. The musician plucks the strings by hand. Our rejoicing refers to the happiness with which the music was performed and heard. We may render these three clauses as “There is no more music or singing there. All our happy worship has ended.” Translators should also study Good News Bible‘s model.
The light of our lampstand has been put out: The lampstand was an ornamental stand with branches for holding seven oil lamps, which gave light in the Temple (see Exo 25.31-40; 37.17-24). Possible models for lampstand are “lamp holder” or “thing on which oil lamps were placed.” This clause may be rendered “the flames of the oil lamps on the sacred lamp holder have been put out.”
The ark of our covenant has been plundered: The ark of our covenant was the wooden chest in which the Israelites kept the text of God’s covenant with them, that is, the two stone tablets displaying the Ten Commandments (see the comments on 1 Esd 1.3; 2 Esd 2.5). Good News Bible translates this phrase as “our Covenant Box,” and Contemporary English Version has “the sacred chest.” The Latin verb for plundered means basically “destroyed,” and since the ark was wooden, translators may say “chopped to pieces.”
Our holy things have been polluted: Our holy things refers to other objects used during Temple worship, all of which were dedicated to God and thus holy (see, for example, Num 4.15). We may translate this phrase as “the things belonging to God” or even “the things that God considered his own.” Have been polluted means these objects were desecrated by enemies, that is, made unfit for worship.
And the name by which we are called has been profaned: The name by which we are called is Yahweh, the name of God (compare 2 Esd 4.25). Israel was known as Yahweh’s people. Their enemies profaned God’s name, that is, used it in unholy ways.
Our free men have suffered abuse: The Latin word for free men is ambiguous. Some versions prefer “children” (Revised Standard Version footnote, New Revised Standard Version, Contemporary English Version). However, since “children” are mentioned later in this list as virgins, little ones and young men, this sense is unlikely here. Free men may be rendered “citizens,” but in this context probably refers to “noblemen” or “leading citizens” (compare Neh 2.16; 4.14; 5.7). Good News Bible says “leaders,” and Myers has “nobles.”
Our priests have been burned to death: For priests see the comments on 1 Esd 1.2. In languages that do not have the passive voice, this clause may be rendered “Our enemies have burned our priests to death.”
Our Levites have gone into captivity may be translated “Our Levites have been taken away to Babylonia” or “They took our Levites away to Babylonia.” But since Ezra was living in Babylonia, this clause may be expressed as “Our enemies brought our Levites here to Babylonia.” For Levites see the comments on 1 Esd 1.3.
Our virgins have been defiled, and our wives have been ravished: The verbs defiled and ravished both refer to rape in this context. Virgins may be rendered “daughters” or “young women” (Contemporary English Version) since they are presumed to be virgins until they become wives.
Our righteous men have been carried off: It is important to understand the point of view here. Ezra was in Babylonia, the place of exile, but the writer was in Judea. Our righteous men probably refers to the recognized leaders of the Jewish community. These men were singled out to be taken away from the land. This clause may be rendered “Our devout leaders were forced out of their land” or “They forced our leading faithful citizens to come here [to Babylonia].”
Our little ones have been cast out: The Latin word for little ones refers to babies. Have been cast out means they were left alone and exposed. This clause may be translated “Our babies were thrown away [or, abandoned]” or “They abandoned our babies.”
Our young men have been enslaved may be expressed as “Our young men have been forced to become slaves.”
And our strong men made powerless: The strong men, who were expected to defend the land, have had their power taken from them.
The first model of this verse keeps all the passive forms, while the second one puts them all into the active voice as follows:
• There is no more music there, no singing, no happy worship. That is all ended. There are no flames on our sacred lamp holder, the Covenant Box has been chopped to pieces, and all our other holy objects have been made unclean. The name of the God we worship has been profaned [or, is regarded as of no worth]. Our leading citizens have been abused [or, mistreated]. Our priests have been burned to death. Our Levites have been taken captive. Our young daughters and our wives have been raped. Our leading devout citizens have been forced out of the land. Our babies have been thrown away [or, abandoned], our young men taken into slavery, and our strong men made helpless.
• No one is playing music there anymore, no one is singing, and there are no more people worshiping happily. There are no more flames on our sacred oil lamps. Our enemies have chopped the Covenant Box to pieces, and have made all the other sacred objects [or, objects that belonged to the Lord] unclean [or, unfit for worship]. They have profaned [or, made of no worth] the name of the God whom we worship. They have mistreated our leading citizens. They have burned our priests to death. They have brought our Levites here to Babylonia as captives. They have raped our young daughters and our wives. They have forced our leading faithful citizens out of our land. They have abandoned our babies, and have brought our young men here as slaves. They have made our strong men powerless.
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.