[Today’s English Version A.8; Revised Standard Version 11.9]

On the … righteous nation see 11.7 (A.6).

Troubled is from the same word in Greek as was used to describe the state existing on the earth in 11.5, 8 (A.4, 7). There was “confusion,” and now that state of tumult and turmoil reigned among the entire nation of the just.

The evils that threatened them: the Greek says literally “their own bad things.” “Bad things” is not a reference to their own deeds but to “what was about to befall them” (Today’s English Version). Revised Standard Version makes it explicit that they were afraid of evils (so also Traduction œcuménique de la Bible and Bible en français courant). A possible translation model is “the hard things that were about to fall on them.”

Were ready to perish: other translations say, similarly to Today’s English Version, that “they prepared to die” (so New Jerusalem Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible, Bible en français courant). To perish translates a Greek verb meaning “to be destroyed” or more simply “to die.” The translator may use appropriate idioms; for example, “they fixed themselves for being lost.”

Quoted with permission from Omanson, Roger L. and Noss, Philip A. A Handbook on the Book of Esther — Deuterocanon: The Greek Text. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1997. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .