And he said to me introduces Uriel’s explanation of the vision. Contemporary English Version says simply “Uriel said.”

Consider it for yourself: Here Uriel encourages Ezra to interpret the vision. This clause may be rendered “Think about what you have just seen” or “I want you to think about what you just saw” (Contemporary English Version).

For as the rain is more than the drops, and the fire is greater than the smoke, so the quantity that passed was far greater: The rainstorm and the blazing furnace represent past history (the time that has passed), and it will be justifiable to bring this out in the translation by saying “Human history is like what you have seen. The greater part, like the rainstorm and the blazing fire, is already over.”

But drops and smoke remained: The drizzle and the smoke represent what is left of history. Good News Bible makes this clear by saying “The time that is left is like the light rain and the smoke.”

Other possible models of this verse that convey clearly the comparisons here are:

• “Think about it,” said Uriel. “Human history is like what you have seen. The greater part, like the rainstorm and the blazing fire, is already over. The time remaining is like the smoke and the light drizzle.”

• Uriel said, “Think about what you have just seen. Human history is just like that. The downpour [or, heavy rain] was greater than the drizzle [or, drops of rain], and the fire was greater [or, hotter] than the smoke. In the same way the time that has already passed is much greater [or, longer] than the time you have to wait, and the time that you have to wait is like the drizzle and the smoke.”

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.