It is most appropriate to mourn now, because we are all mourning may be translated “This is the right time to mourn, though, for we are all mourning.”

And to be sorrowful, because we are all sorrowing: These two clauses repeat what Ezra says in the first two. It is most appropriate is implied here. Some translators will wish to keep the repetition by rendering the first half of this verse as “This is the right time to mourn, though, and it is the right time to be sorrowful, for we are all sorrowful and mourning.”

Your are sorrowing for one son, but we, the whole world, for our mother: The words but we, the whole world, for our mother come from the Syriac (see the Revised Standard Version footnote). We agree with Stone (page 315) that these words are not needed and the Syriac is not sufficient justification for including them (so Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version, New English Bible, Myers).

While the edited Latin texts of this verse are clear enough, it is really not clear in the manuscripts, so a footnote to that effect is in order. We suggest the following model for this verse:

• This is certainly the right time to be sorrowful and mourn, though. You are mourning the death of one son, while the rest of us are mourning for the whole world.*
* The Latin of this verse is unclear.

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.