But he will deliver in mercy the remnant of my people, those who have been saved throughout my borders …: Compare 2 Esd 9.8; 13.48. The remnant of my people, those who have been saved throughout my borders refers to the Jews who have survived the troubles brought on them by Roman rule and are still living in the land of Israel. The pronoun my refers to God even though the angel Uriel is the speaker. Once again the writer makes no distinction between God and the angel who delivers God’s message. Contemporary English Version makes it clear that his pronoun refers to God by beginning this verse with “But he will have mercy on the rest of God’s people who have survived and are living in his nation….”

And he will make them joyful until the end comes, the day of judgment: Compare 2 Esd 7.28. This verse implies a Messianic kingdom that begins with the destruction of God’s enemies and ends with final judgment.

Of which I spoke to you at the beginning: This clause refers to all the previous predictions found since chapter 3. The Latin phrase for at the beginning is more literally “from the beginning,” which some languages may prefer.

Alternative models for this verse are:

• But he will have mercy on the rest of God’s people, those who are left in the land; he will set them free and make them happy until the end comes. That is the Judgment Day that I have been telling you about all along [or, from the beginning].

• … and make them happy until that final Judgment Day that I have been….

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.