If integrated into the book of Daniel: 3.37

For: This introductory conjunction needs to be expressed in some manner, since a stark contrast is about to be drawn between the great promises to the Jewish ancestors and the reduced numbers of the current Jewish population. “But now” in Good News Translation does this quite well (also New English Bible).

We … have become fewer than any nation, and are brought low this day in all the world because of our sins: New English Bible interprets this well, saying “we have been made the smallest of all nations; for our sins we are today the most abject in the world.” The problem here is that “the smallest of all nations” sounds like territory is in view rather than population. The Greek rendered are brought low this day in all the world can be understood as meaning that “we Jews are now in disgrace anywhere in the world we may be” (so Good News Translation). Another understanding is “we are today the most abject [degraded] people in the world” (so New English Bible). The majority of versions seem to favor the first interpretation.

It is possible to reverse the order of the clauses in this verse, placing the final clause first as follows:

• But we sinned, Lord, and so now we have fewer people than any other nation, and we live in disgrace wherever we may be.

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.