Would I have dealt with you so violently…?: Verses 52-53 form a long rhetorical question in Revised Standard Version. In many languages it will be helpful to break up this question into several statements (so Good News Bible). This clause may be rendered “I would not punish you so severely” (Good News Bible) or “I would not deal with you so harshly.”

Says the Lord: See the comments on 2Esdras 15.5 and 2 Esd 1.14. This quote frame reminds the reader that God is still the speaker. It should be kept if possible (so Good News Bible). However, some languages may prefer to place it at the beginning of verse 52 (see the second model below). Or they may translate it “I, the Lord.”

If you had not always killed my chosen people: My chosen people refers to the Jews (compare “my elect” in verse 21).

Exulting and clapping your hands: Exulting may be rendered “take great delight in” (Good News Bible), “cheered” (Contemporary English Version), or even “with joy [or, glee].” The Latin phrase translated clapping your hands is ambiguous. Good News Bible, following New English Bible, takes it to mean striking God’s people with their hands. This is certainly possible, and translators may follow Good News Bible. We prefer Revised Standard Version‘s approach by rendering exulting and clapping your hands as “clapping your hands in joy” or “you cheered and clapped your hands.”

And talking about their death when you were drunk may be expressed as “then boasting about killing them whenever you got drunk.”

We suggest the following models for verses 52-53:

• 52 I would not deal with you so harshly,” says the Lord, 53 “if you had not always been killing my chosen people, then talking about it whenever you got drunk, clapping your hands in glee [or, joy].

• 52 The Lord says, “I would not have punished you so severely, 53 if you had not been always killing my chosen people, then talking about it whenever….

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.