The conjunction Then may be rendered “While the king was asleep” (see the comments on “and then awoke” in the previous verse).

The three young men of the bodyguard, who kept guard over the person of the king …: The king’s bodyguard was a group of men who stayed with the king at all times, to protect him from bodily harm. The clause who kept guard over the person of the king says nothing that the word bodyguard does not. If this repetition is unnatural in a language, the translators may omit it (so Good News Bible; see also the models below). Here we are told that the king’s bodyguard consisted of three young men. See the models below on how to introduce these men into the narrative naturally.

A translation problem is presented by the phrase said to one another, which is followed by the quote in verses 5-7. This phrase makes it sound like all three men are reciting the words of verses 5-7 together. Actually, these verses summarize the result of the conversation. We will suggest a way of translating verses 5-7 not as a quotation, but indirect speech (see the first model for verse 5), and in the following models for this verse we prepare the way for this. However, there will be languages in which verses 5-7 will have to be direct speech (see the second model for verse 5).

Here are alternative models for this verse:

• Now the king had three young men who went with him everywhere to protect him. While the king was sleeping, they were talking to each other, and came up with an idea.

• While the king was sleeping, the three young men who went with him everywhere to protect him, were talking….

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.