Yet thou didst not take away from them their evil heart, so that thy law might bring forth fruit in them: The conjunction Yet may be rendered “But” (Contemporary English Version, Revised English Bible) or “However.” The ancient Jewish teachers believed that humans possessed an inclination to do good and an inclination to do evil. Here their evil heart is an image that refers to the latter, that is, the tendency to sin (see 2 Esd 4.4). Fruit is an image that refers to the desired result of obeying the Law. Rather than guarantee the desired result, the Lord allowed the Israelites free will to make their own decisions. Alternative models for this verse that use nonfigurative language are:

• However, you did not take away their tendency to sin, so that your Law might have the results you wanted.

• You could have taken away their tendency to sin, so that your Law might have the results you wanted, but you did not [choose to do so].

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.