And now, father, look with pride and see the people coming from the east: The phrase And now indicates there is a change in addressees, which Revised Standard Version and Good News Bible also show by inserting a paragraph break. Here God is addressing Ezra directly and not the people of Israel. Good News Bible makes this clear by adding the name “Ezra,” which is helpful. God addresses Ezra as father, which indicates his status as a prophet (compare 2 Kgs 2.12), or perhaps as father of his people. Good News Bible begins this verse well with “Now, Father Ezra….” Look with pride may be rendered “look … and be proud” (see our model below). Identifying Christians as coming from the east is puzzling, but perhaps the writer is thinking of the Christians, God’s new people, taking over the Holy Land in the light of the prophetic promise that the Jews exiled in Babylonia would return home (compare Bar 4.36; 5.5). Here is a possible model for this verse:

• “Now, Father Ezra, look at all the people coming from the east, and be proud of them.

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.