For Zion, the mother of us all, is in deep grief and great affliction: The conjunction For may be left implied (so Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version). Zion is another name for “Jerusalem” (Good News Bible; see the comments on 1 Esd 8.81). For Jerusalem as a mother, compare Gal 4.26. In the next subsection Uriel will interpret the woman of Ezra’s vision to be the real Zion, the Jerusalem in heaven.

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Jerusalem [or, Zion] is the mother of all of us [Jews]. Think about how much grief she must be suffering.

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.