For first he will set them living before his judgment seat, and when he has reproved them, then he will destroy them: The connector For may be omitted (so Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version). Good News Bible begins this verse with “While they are still living, he will bring them to judgment.” However, this rendering does not fit the context, since if the author is speaking of all the Roman rulers, represented by all the wings and heads of the eagle, most of them will be dead. For them to stand before his judgment seat, they must be made alive. There is some inconsistency here, but consistency is not to be expected from writers of this kind of literature. We suggest that translators omit the word living, since it is clearly implied in the statement that he will destroy them. The first clause of this verse may be rendered “First he will bring them to judgment” or “First he will bring them to stand before his judgment seat to judge them.” The book known as 2 Baruch, which was written about the same time as chapters 3–14 of 2 Esdras, refers to this judgment rather clearly in 40.1-2: “1 The last ruler who is left alive at that time will be bound, whereas the entire host will be destroyed. And they will carry him on Mount Zion, and my Anointed One will convict him of all his wicked deeds and will assemble and set before him all the works of his hosts. 2 And after these things he will kill him and protect the rest of my people who will be found in the place that I have chosen” (Klijn, page 633). The destruction of the Roman Empire is described in verse 3, but without the involvement of the Messiah. A judgment seat is where a judge sits to hear cases and pronounce sentences. This phrase is also used in Matt 27.19; John 19.13; Rom 14.10; 2 Cor 5.10.

We suggest the following models for this verse:

• First, he will bring them to judgment, and after pronouncing them guilty, he will destroy them.

• First, he will bring them to stand before his judgment seat to judge them. Then after pronouncing them guilty….

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.