Virgins shall mourn because they have no bridegrooms: Compare Jer 7.34; Rev 18.23. In many languages virgins may be rendered “young women” (so Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version) or “young unmarried women.” This sentence may be translated “Young women will mourn because no one will be left to marry them.”

Women shall mourn because they have no husbands may be expressed as “and wives will mourn because their husbands will be dead” (Contemporary English Version).

Their daughters shall mourn, because they have no helpers: The pronoun their refers to the wives mentioned in the previous sentence. Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version leave it implied, which acceptable. They have no helpers means the daughters have no one to support them. This sentence may be rendered “and daughters will mourn because they have no one to support them [or, provide for them].”

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.