Now then: Once again the narrator uses the connective conjunction with the temporal adverb Now to mark a dramatic call for action (compare verse 3 above). Ezra announces to the people the action that must be taken as a result of their deeds, so New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh renders this expression “So now.”

Make confession: See verse 1 above. The Hebrew text can mean literally “give praise” or “give thanks.” “Making confession” and “giving praise” are closely related concepts. By giving praise to God one recognizes one’s own sin and confesses to God one’s trust in God’s justice and mercy. New Jerusalem Bible renders it “give thanks.” However, in the context of the faithlessness of the Israelites that has been recounted by Shecaniah and Ezra’s own confession and prayer in verse 1 above, the translation here should be “make confession.”

The LORD the God of your fathers: See Ezra 7.27.

Do his will: The Hebrew word for will means “delight, will, pleasure.” To do God’s will is to keep the Law of God (see Ezra 7.18). Very simply, this means to do what God wants or to “obey him” (so Contemporary English Version). Good News Translation says “do what pleases him.”

Separate yourselves from the peoples of the land and from foreign wives: The command to separate themselves from other peoples reflects the Law in Lev 20.22-26. The command to separate themselves from their foreign wives is expressed idiomatically in Good News Translation. Contemporary English Version states it very bluntly: “Divorce your foreign wives.” For comments on the verb “to separate,” see Ezra 6.21.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .