The nations shall envy you: Good News Bible renders The nations as “The other nations,” which is not quite right since the word “other” is not in the Latin text and the mother (the Church) here is not pictured as a nation. Also the Latin word for nations does not necessarily refer to political units, but to ethnic groups, peoples. This phrase is better rendered “The peoples of the world” or “The world’s peoples.”

But they shall not be able to do anything against you may be translated “but they will not be able to hurt you in any way” or “but there will be nothing they can do to hurt you.”

Says the Lord: See the comments on 2 Esd 1.14. Both Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version omit this clause, but the following model of this verse keeps it:

• The world’s peoples will envy you, but there will be nothing they can do to hurt you. I, the Lord, am saying this.

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.