He answered me and said may be rendered simply “The angel said” (Good News Bible) or “Uriel said” (Contemporary English Version).

Listen to me and I will inform you, and tell you about the things which you fear, for the Most High has revealed many secrets to you: The verbs inform and tell have exactly the same meaning, so Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version combine them with the verb “explain.” For the Most High, see the comments on 2 Esd 3.3.

For he has seen your righteous conduct, that you have sorrowed continually for your people, and mourned greatly over Zion: Compare verse 50. The conjunction For introduces why Uriel is justified in explaining the meaning of the vision to Ezra. He has seen your righteous conduct may be rendered “he knows about your righteous life,” “he knows what a good person you have been,” or even “he knows you are a good man” (Contemporary English Version). Zion refers to the city of Jerusalem (see the comments on 1 Esd 8.81). The clauses you have sorrowed continually for your people and mourned greatly over Zion are very similar in meaning. Translators may combine them by saying “you have always mourned greatly for Jerusalem and your people,” or they may keep them separate as follows: “you have been in constant sorrow for your people, and have sincerely mourned for Jerusalem.” Because Ezra is so sincerely disturbed by the distress of his people, God will grant him knowledge that is denied to most people. Stone (page 336) quotes the following saying from the Talmud (Baba Batra 60b): “Everyone who mourns over Jerusalem will have the privilege of seeing her joy.”

Contemporary English Version provides the following helpful model for verses 38-39:

• 38 Uriel said: Listen carefully, and I will explain the vision that frightened you so much. God Most High has been showing you many secret things, 39 because he knows that you are a good man who has always worried about Jerusalem and the people of Israel.

A model that combines these two verses is:

• Uriel said, “Listen and I will tell you about these things that scare you. God Most High knows about your righteous life, and he knows how you have been in constant sorrow for your people, and how sincerely you have mourned for Jerusalem. Because of this he has revealed many secrets to you.

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.