The second wrote, “The king is strongest”: See the comments on the previous verse. Good News Bible provides a helpful model for this verse also. Contemporary English Version has “The second man’s answer was, ‘The king is the strongest.’ ”

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.