Once again the word Behold highlights the message that follows (see 2 Esd 6.18).

Says the Lord: See the comments on 2 Esd 1.14. Contemporary English Version omits this clause, but it should be kept since it emphasizes that this is an authoritative message from God.

I bring evils upon the world, the sword and famine and death and destruction: Compare Isa 51.19; Jer 6.19; 11.11. The word evils refers to “terrible disasters” (Good News Bible), four of which are named: sword, famine, death, and destruction. Here the word sword refers figuratively to “war” (Good News Bible; see the comments on 1 Esd 1.53). Contemporary English Version renders this sentence as “I plan to punish the world cruelly with war and starvation, with death and destruction.”

For iniquity has spread throughout every land may be translated “because sin has spread far over the earth” or “… has taken over the whole world.”

And their harmful deeds have reached their limit means that human evil has become so great that God is forced to do something drastic to end it. He cannot let it proceed any further. Alternatively, this clause could mean that people have become as evil as they can possibly get, and in certain languages it will be necessary to speak of people doing so much evil that the world cannot contain all their wickedness (see the second model below). New English Bible follows the second interpretation by saying “and there is no room for further deeds of violence,” which is closer to the literal Latin than Revised Standard Version. The first pronoun their refers to the people of every land. Harmful deeds are the same as iniquity and may be combined, or translators may use two words with similar meaning, for example, “wickedness” and “evil” (Good News Bible, Contemporary English Version).

We offer the following models for verses 5-6:

• 5 The Lord says, “I am about to bring disasters on the world: war and famine and death and ruin, 6 because sin has spread so far over the earth that there is no room for more evil [or, wickedness].

• 5 The Lord says, “I am about to cruelly punish the people of the world with war, famine, death and destruction, 6 because people all over the world are committing so much evil that there is no more room for their wickedness.

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.