Thus says the Lord Almighty: For a similar prophetic formula see the comments on verse 12. This clause may be rendered “The Lord who is more powerful than all other gods [also] says.” Since the Lord is speaking here, another possible model is “I, the Lord All-Powerful, say” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

The quails were a sign to you: In the wilderness God sent quails as food for the Israelites (see Exo 16.13). Quails are small plump birds known in many parts of the world today. They are light brown in color, with black and pale streaks. They migrate across certain parts of the Sinai Peninsula in spring and autumn, but after becoming exhausted they drop for shelter before migrating farther. In cultures where quails are unknown, translators may transliterate the term by saying “birds named ‘quail.’ ” Another option is to use the name of a medium-sized wild bird resembling the quail, one that is edible and locally known. Were a sign to you may be rendered “showed that I cared for you.”

I gave you camps for your protection, and in them you complained: The Latin word for camps refers to places where the Israelites stayed in tents for brief periods during their wilderness wanderings. God kept the camps safe, but from the safety of the camps the people complained about their condition. This sentence may be rendered “I provided safe places for you to set up your tents, but all you did there was complain.”

Good News Bible provides a helpful model for this verse.

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.