On the third day thou didst command the waters to be gathered together in the seventh part of the earth: See Gen 1.9-10. The passive clause thou didst command the waters to be gathered together may be put into the active voice as follows: “you commanded the water that covered the earth to come together in one place” (Good News Bible). The seventh part of the earth may be translated “one-seventh of the earth’s surface” (Good News Bible) or more simply “one-seventh of the world” (Contemporary English Version). The idea that water covers only one-seventh of the earth may be an old tradition; it is not found elsewhere. Actually seventy percent of the earth is covered by the oceans.

Six parts thou didst dry up and keep: Contemporary English Version says “You dried up the other six parts.”

So that some of them might be planted and cultivated and be of service before thee: See Gen 1.11-12. The existence of the land area has a religious purpose. It exists so that it can be farmed, and be of service to God, presumably so that it could provide the material for sacrifices. This clause may be rendered “in order that those parts might be useful for you for planting and harvesting crops.”

Translators should study Good News Bible‘s model of this verse. But we also provide the following model based on Contemporary English Version:

• “On the third day you commanded the water to come together and cover one-seventh of the world. You dried up the other six parts to make them useful in your service for planting and harvesting crops.

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.