So I stood and looked, and behold …: Good News Bible says “So I stood by him and looked, and I saw…,” and Contemporary English Version has simply “As I stood there, I saw….” The word behold introduces different parts of the vision. Good News Bible renders it well by saying “I saw” each time.

A flaming furnace passed by before me: The Latin word for furnace refers to a container in which a hot fire was kept for smelting ore, firing ceramic ware, or some other purpose. It was made of brick or hardened clay, not metal. Passed by before me may be rendered “moved past me.”

And when the flame had gone by: The flame refers to the fire in the flaming furnace. Good News Bible says simply “and when it was gone.”

I looked, and behold: Good News Bible says simply “I saw,” but translators may also leave this part of the verse implied (so Contemporary English Version), since it repeats an earlier part of the verse.

The smoke remained refers to smoke trailing behind the furnace.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• As I stood there, I saw a fiery furnace move past me with a trail of smoke following behind [or, move past me, and smoke trailed behind it].

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.