The priests sit: The published Greek text, following the most authoritative manuscript, has “the priests ride in chariots.” Some manuscripts have other variations, and scholars have their conjectures. Most of the manuscripts have “sit.” There are some problems with this, but it is the most satisfactory solution, and virtually all translations interpret it as “sit.”

With their clothes rent, their heads and beards shaved, and their heads uncovered: This is shocking behavior because it describes practices that are forbidden to Israelite priests. See Lev 10.6; 21.5, 10. Good News Translation understands that it is shocking behavior because the priests attend the temple while in mourning (rent clothes, shaved heads and faces, uncovered heads being taken as signs of mourning). But this is not at all clear. They may well be participating in a ritual involving a dying god (see verse 32), but they are not “in mourning” for the death of a person. The Good News Translation translation could be sharpened a bit by saying,

• The priests sit in the temples with torn clothes, their beards shaved off, and their heads shaved and uncovered, as if they were in mourning.

This would lead nicely into the next observation the author makes.

Quoted with permission from Bullard, Roger A. and Hatton, Howard A. A Handbook on The Shorter Books of the Deuterocanon. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2006. For this and other handbooks for translators see here.