He answered me and said may be rendered simply “Uriel replied” (Contemporary English Version).

You have judged rightly, but why have you not judged so in your own case?: With this rhetorical question Uriel points out that Ezra has no more right to understand God than the forest has the right to overcome the sea or the sea to overcome the forest. This sentence may be translated “That’s right. But don’t you see that the same is true in your case?” or “You have given the correct answer, so you should be able to answer your own questions.”

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.