I call upon you, father, as a witness in addition to the mother of the children: Here the Lord is speaking directly to Ezra again, so translators may insert a paragraph break (so Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version). He wants Ezra, as father of the Israelites (see the comments on 2 Esd 1.38), to hear the same message that Jerusalem, the mother, heard from him. So we may render this clause as “The Lord [also] said, ‘Now, Father Ezra, I want you, along with Mother Jerusalem, to hear [as a witness] what I say.’ ”

Because they would not keep my covenant: In this context the Latin word for covenant refers to a strong agreement between two parties that involves promises and obligations. The covenant relationship is a central concept in Old Testament thought (see, for example, Gen 6.18; Exo 2.24; Lev 2.13). Translators should use a term or expression for a formal agreement that is made between two parties. This is more than a promise that is made by one person to another. It is more than a promise that is accompanied by an oath. A covenant is an agreement that is formalized by an oath and a gesture that is performed by the parties that make the agreement. It is a contract or an alliance from which the people who enter into the covenant receive a benefit. Here my covenant refers to the agreement that God initiated with Israel at the time of Moses on Mount Sinai.

Here is an alternative model for this verse:

• The Lord said, “Now, Father Ezra, I want you, along with Mother Jerusalem, to hear what I say. These people would not keep the covenant [or, agreement] that I made with 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.