And utterly destroyed all its glorious things: The pronoun its refers to Jerusalem, which translators should make clear. Contemporary English Version does so by saying “Beautiful Jerusalem lay in ruins” (see also the model below).

The survivors he led away to Babylon with the sword: Here the author/translator has misunderstood the source in 2 Chr 36.20, which speaks of “those who had escaped from the sword.” As the Greek text stands, Myers gives the best translation for this clause, saying “The survivors he led away at sword point to Babylon.” Translations do not need to mention the sword if the meaning is conveyed that the people of Jerusalem were led away by force, unwillingly, under threat of death if they did not do as their captors told them (so Good News Bible). The pronoun he refers to “Nebuchadnezzar” (Good News Bible). In this context Babylon refers to the country of “Babylonia” (Good News Bible).

Here are possible models for this verse:

• Anyone left alive after this was forced [at sword point] to go to Babylonia. Jerusalem, that beautiful city, lay in ruins.

• Nebuchadnezzar forced everyone left alive [after this] to go to Babylonia, either that or die. He had completely destroyed the beautiful city of Jerusalem.

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.