And you renders an emphatic address in Hebrew to Ezekiel. Only a few translations include special emphasis here (so New Revised Standard Version, New American Standard Bible, New American Bible), but translators need to be guided by the discourse requirements of their own language to decide whether or not to include it. However, it is important to make it clear that God is speaking to Ezekiel here; for example, Good News Translation begins this verse with “The LORD told me…” (similarly Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch), and Contemporary English Version has “The LORD said: ‘Ezekiel….’ ” Translators who want to capture the emphasis of And you may say “The LORD said to me, ‘Now, Ezekiel….’ ”

Take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel: The Hebrew word for lamentation means “funeral song” (Contemporary English Version, New Century Version). In those cultures where songs are only associated with times of joy, it will be strange to speak of a “funeral song” or a “song of sorrow” (Good News Translation). In such cases translators may adapt to appropriate local funeral customs by saying “speech of mourning.” This is not a normal funeral song because it is like a parable. But because its theme is the end of the nation and the Davidic kingship, it is appropriate to call it a funeral song. The princes of Israel may be rendered “the kings of Israel” (Die Bibel im heutigen Deutsch) or “the rulers of Israel” (Revised English Bible). Since the song talks about two kings of Judah who ruled just before and during the time of Ezekiel, Contemporary English Version says “two of Israel’s leaders” (similarly Good News Translation). Take up a lamentation for the princes of Israel does not mean sing a funeral song in their presence but rather sing it about them, so translators may say “sing a song to mourn the rulers of Israel.”

Quoted with permission from Gross, Carl & Stine, Philip C. A Handbook on Ezekiel. (UBS Helps for Translators). Miami: UBS, 2016. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .