I have not shown this to all men, but only to you and a few like you: Compare 2 Esd 12.35-36; 13.53-54. The writer of this piece of apocalyptic literature knows of other such writings, and he places Ezra among the other righteous people who received such revelations. Contemporary English Version provides the following helpful model for this verse:

• No one besides you and a few other faithful followers know this.

Another possible model is:

• I have not let everyone know these things—only you and a few others like you.”

Then I answered and said: Here Ezra may be responding to the angel Uriel or to God. Contemporary English Version makes it clear that it is God by rendering this quote frame as “I said to the Lord.” However, translators may also say “I then said to the angel Uriel.” It may be best to have simply “I then said.”

Behold, O Lord, thou hast now shown me a multitude of the signs which thou wilt do in the last times: The word Behold places focus on the words that follow. For Lord (Latin dominus), see the comments on 1 Esd 1.1 and 2 Esd 2.44. For the multitude of the signs of the end of time shown earlier, see 2 Esd 4.51–5.13 and 6.11-34.

But thou hast not shown me when thou wilt do them: Ezra now wants to know just exactly when God intends to end the world.

Here is a possible model for verses 62b-63:

• I then said, 63 “Lord, you have told me about many signs [or, things] that you will bring about near the end of time, but you have not told me [just] when you are going to do these things.”

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.