plague

The Hebrew, Greek, Latin, and Ge’ez that is translated as “plague” in English is translated in Bariai as “killing-off” (source: Bariai Back Translation).

In the German New Testament translation by Berger / Nord (publ. 1999) as Katastrophe or Katastrophenschlag, i.e. “disaster” or “disastrous strike.”

Translation commentary on 2 Esdras 15:11

But I will bring them out with a mighty hand and with an uplifted arm: The connector but may be rendered “Instead.” The phrases mighty hand and uplifted arm are symbols of God’s power (compare Deut 4.34). Good News Bible uses nonfigurative language by rendering this clause as “I will use all my strength and power to bring them out of that land.”

And will smite Egypt with plagues, as before, and will destroy all its land: In this context the Latin verb for smite means “punish” (Contemporary English Version), and the word for plagues refers to terrible diseases and other disasters.

Good News Bible provides a helpful model for this verse. Another possible one is:

• Instead, I will use my great power and strength to bring them out of that land, and then I will punish the people of Egypt with terrible diseases and other disasters, just as before, and I will destroy their land.

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.