I answered and said: Good News Bible and Contemporary English Version say “Then I asked,” which fits well with the question that follows.

Will time therefore be given to the souls, after they have been separated from the bodies, to see what you have described to me?: Compare verse 75. The souls refers to “the souls of the righteous” (verse 99), which Good News Bible makes clear. Contemporary English Version is similar with “the souls of the faithful people.” We may also say “the souls of people who have obeyed God faithfully.” Ezra seems to ask if the souls of the righteous will be aware of all the things that Uriel has explained to him before they go to their places of rest (verse 95).

An alternative model for this verse is:

• Then I asked, “When the souls of the righteous have left their bodies, will you give them time to see the things that you have described to me?”

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.