Behold, God is the judge, fear him!: For the word Behold, which highlights what follows, see 2 Esd 6.18. Here it may be translated “Listen to me!” Translators often have trouble with the biblical concept of “fearing” God, but this is a context where fear is clearly an appropriate translation. This whole sentence may be rendered “Listen, God will be your judge! Fear him [or, You must be afraid of him]!”

Cease from your sins, and forget your iniquities, never to commit them again: Ezra tells his people to put their past sins behind and move forward into the future free of sin. The three clauses here mean substantially the same thing, and some translators may wish to combine some of them as Contemporary English Version does with “Stop sinning once and for all and turn from your wickedness!”

So God will lead you forth and deliver you from all tribulation: God will lead you forth and deliver you may be rendered simply “God will save [or, deliver] you.” All tribulation refers to all the disasters mentioned in verses 18-34.

We suggest the following alternative model for this verse:

• Listen to me! God will be your judge! Fear him! Stop sinning! Put sin behind you, and never sin again! Then God will save you from all these disasters.

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.