If integrated into the book of Daniel: 3.43-44

In Revised Standard Version verse 21 begins with the clause let them be disgraced. The first part of the sentence is in verse 20. Neither of the printed Greek texts divides the verses at this point. New Revised Standard Version has moved the verse number to agree with Good News Translation, Contemporary English Version, and other versions, but Revised English Bible retains the peculiar numbering of Revised Standard Version. Deliver us in accordance with thy marvelous works: The sense of the Greek here is “Rescue us in your wondrous manner,” or we may say “Use your marvelous power to rescue us.” The speaker is not necessarily asking for a “miracle” in the modern sense.

Give glory to thy name. O Lord: Compare Psa 115.1. The speaker is saying that a wondrous rescue of God’s people would demonstrate God’s glory, and be something celebrated wherever God’s wondrous deeds are recounted. A problem is to translate idiomatically here without it sounding like “You would be doing yourself a favor.” In this case we may say “so that people will praise you.” Note that Good News Translation places the phrase O Lord at the beginning of the verse. Some translators will find this reordering helpful.

Let all who do harm to thy servants …: At this point there is a shift in the subject matter. Azariah has been talking about repentance, but now he asks God to punish their enemies. Good News Translation signals this with a paragraph break. Good News Translation simply renders thy servants as “us,” but Contemporary English Version keeps this phrase by saying “We, your servants, pray that those who have harmed us….”

The writer wishes his enemies ill in four verbs: they should be put to shame … disgraced … deprived of all power and dominion, and their strength should be broken. The first two verbs state essentially the same thought, while the last two echo each other. Good News Translation and Contemporary English Version therefore place the first two verbs in one sentence. Good News Translation has “Bring disgrace and shame on all who harm us,” and Contemporary English Version has combined put to shame and disgraced by saying “We, your servants, pray that those who have harmed us will be disgraced.” But we may also cast this in the active voice with “We, your servants, pray that you will bring disgrace on those who have harmed us.” Good News Translation also places the second pair of verbs in one sentence with “Take away their might and power and crush their strength.” However, in many languages the terms power, dominion, and strength will be difficult to translate. In such cases we may combine power and dominion, saying “They have tremendous power. Please take it away from them and leave them powerless.”

An alternative translation model for verse 21 is:

• We, your servants, pray that you will bring disgrace on [or, cause loss of face to] those who have harmed us. They have tremendous power. Please take it away from them and leave them powerless.

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.