I said may be rendered “I answered” (Good News Bible) or “I replied.”

O sovereign Lord, what is plentiful is of less worth, for what is more rare is more precious: For sovereign Lord as an address to an angel, see the comments on 2 Esd 4.38. What is plentiful is of less worth, for what is more rare is more precious may be translated “common things are cheap, while rare things are valuable” (similarly Contemporary English Version).

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.