They howl and shout before their gods: This verse probably refers to ritual mourning for Tammuz at the time of the Babylonian New Year, such as Ezekiel refers to in Ezek 8.14. The writer is saying that the priests go into mourning over their gods in the same way that people do when someone dies. “Roar and shout” (Good News Translation) are not good choices in English for howl and shout; these are sounds more associated with anger than with mourning. The priests are wailing, howling, crying. One of the two verbs could be rendered by an adverb or adjective; for example, “wail loudly” or “put up a loud wailing.” Contemporary English Version keeps two verbs with “moan and shout.” Before their gods means “in the presence of their gods” (Good News Translation); a scene in the temple is being presented. So it is even possible to say “in the temples of these idols” (Contemporary English Version).

As some do at a funeral feast for a man who has died: In many languages, as in English (so Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version), for a man who has died is too repetitious. The idea of someone’s death is included in funeral. In such cases the Good News Translation rendering will be a good model: “as if they were taking part in a funeral feast.” Man can mean any person, either male or female.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.