Let the human race lament, but let the beasts of the field be glad; let all who have been born lament, but let the four-footed beasts and the flocks rejoice!: Beasts of the field are wild animals. All who have been born refers to humans. Four-footed beasts adds no information beyond beasts of the field, and the Latin word for flocks refers to domestic animals as opposed to wild animals. All these expressions may be simply a way of saying “mere animals.” This is probably the intent of Good News Bible‘s “dumb animals” (“dumb” meaning unable to speak). The two parts of this verse are parallel in meaning: humans should mourn while animals should rejoice. Animals are happier than humans because as long as they live, they never become aware that they must someday die.

Here are possible models for this verse:

• We humans mourn in sadness [or, worry about dying], but wild animals and farm animals should rejoice. They don’t have this worry.

• Four-footed animals are happier than we humans are! Wild animals! Farm animals! Only humans must worry about dying.

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.