And thou didst command them to serve man, who was about to be formed: This verse refers specifically to Gen 1.14. The motions of the heavenly bodies determine the seasons of the year, when people go about the appropriate activity for each time, such as planting and harvesting. Good News Bible may serve as a model for this verse, as well as Contemporary English Version:

• And you gave them orders to serve the humans you would soon make.

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.