I pitied your groanings may be rendered “I took pity on you [or, felt sorry for you] when I heard you groaning [or, moaning]” or “You were so miserable that I took pity on you.”

And gave you manna for food: Manna was the food that God provided for the Israelites while they wandered in the wilderness. Translators should refer to their translation of this term in Exo 16.14-35 and Num 11.7-9. For food may be translated “to eat.”

You ate the bread of angels: Manna is referred to as the bread of angels in Psa 78.25 and Wis 16.20. Angels are God’s messengers from heaven. Translators will have probably already struggled with the translation of this term both in the Old Testament (for example, Gen 16.7; 21.17) and the New Testament (for example, Matt 1.20; Luke 1.11; Acts 10.3). This clause may be translated “You ate the food that angels eat.”

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.