Embrace your children: God tells the woman to hold her children close to her body, to show them her love.

Until I come refers to God’s coming in judgment, so this clause may be rendered “until I come to judge the world.”

And proclaim mercy to them means the mother should tell her children about God’s mercy.

Because my springs run over, and my grace will not fail: For springs see verse 19. Here springs is a metaphor for God’s mercy and grace (compare Jer 17.13). Both Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version change this metaphor into a simile for clarity. Here the Latin word for mercy refers to God’s compassion and willingness to forgive, while the word for grace points to his loving kindness.

This verse ends God’s speech that began with verse 10. Here are two possible models:

• Hold your children close to you until I come [to judge the world]. Tell them about my mercy. My mercy and grace [or, loving kindness] are like springs of water that never run dry.”

• Until I come, hold your children close to you and assure them of my mercy. My mercy and grace are like a spring [of water] that never runs dry.”

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.