Eight kings shall arise in it, whose times shall be short and their years swift: There is no agreement among scholars concerning who these Eight kings are. Shall arise may be rendered “will rule.” The clauses times shall be short and their years swift are parallel in meaning, so Contemporary English Version combines them, saying these kings will rule “for only a short time.” Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• Eight rulers/kings will arise in [or, rule] the kingdom, but each of them will rule for only a short time.

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.