Now on the second night Phaltiel, a chief of the people, came to me and said: The second night refers to the night after Ezra saw the vision. The name Phaltiel occurs nowhere in Scripture, but is similar to the name Paltiel in Num 34.26 and 2 Sam 3.15. Stone (page 116) suggests that the name may be intended to mean “God has spared,” and that he represents those who were spared when Jerusalem was destroyed (see 2 Esd 12.44; see also the comments on 2 Esd 3.1.) The phrase a chief of the people does not indicate any specific office, only that the man was a Jewish leader of some kind. The verb said may be rendered “asked” (Good News Bible), since it introduces several questions.

Where have you been? And why is your face sad?: For the second question Good News Bible has “And why do you look so sad?” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

Good News Bible provides a helpful model for this verse.

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.