O LORD the God of Israel: Ezra again addresses God. This time he calls upon the LORD the God of Israel (see Ezra 1.3). There is a progression in the prayer from “my God” in verse 6 to “our God” in verse 10 to the explicit identification here of the LORD the God of Israel.

Thou art just: If the answer to Ezra’s second question of the last verse is “yes,” then only condemnation by God can be expected for God is just. In normal Hebrew syntax the text reads literally “just [are] you” (see Neh 9.33; compare Psa 145.17). The word is the well-known Hebrew adjective tsadiq from the verb tsadaq, meaning “to be straight, to be righteous.” When applied to a human being it describes someone who is morally right or innocent before God. When applied to God as in this context, it refers to his absolute justice and rightness. New International Version renders it here as “righteous.” New Jerusalem Bible translates “you are upright,” while Amplified Bible says “You are rigidly just and righteous.”

For: The only hope for Ezra’s people is the fact that previously they escaped as “a remnant” (see verse 8 above). They can only acknowledge their guilt and recognize that they had no right to be acquitted. The Hebrew conjunction here may be translated either as “but” (New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation) or as “for” (Revised Standard Version, New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh, Revised English Bible, Osty-Trinquet). Is the interpretation to be as in Bible en français courant that because of God’s justice he allowed some to remain, or is it that even though God is righteous he has allowed some to remain? Some translations omit the conjunction and simply present the two statements one next to the other; for example, New International Version has “you are righteous! We are left this day….” (similarly Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Most commentators prefer “but” or “yet,” showing that in spite of the just requirements of God, God still exercises mercy, and this view is recommended.

We are left a remnant that has escaped: In a different form Ezra repeats the same ideas of the previous verse to emphasize the themes of remnant and escape.

As at this day: See verse 7 above. This is an archaic English expression, meaning “as … we are today” (New Jerusalem Bible) or “as is now the case” (New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh). Translators need to make it clear that the time referred to here is the time when Ezra was speaking and not the time today when listeners are hearing it read.

Behold: This archaic English expression translates the Hebrew word hinneh, which is a discourse marker that indicates focus on what follows. In many translations it appears to be omitted, but its function in the original text should not be lost in translation. New Revised Standard Version and New International Version render it “Here we are,” and Traduction œcuménique de la Bible similarly translates “Nous voici” in French.

We are before thee in our guilt: The Hebrew for before thee is literally “before your face,” meaning “in your presence.” Ezra presents the people and himself as though standing before God for judgment. He repeats the theme of their guilt (see verses 6, 7, 13 above).

For none can stand before thee because of this: See the discussion above for the translation of the connector for. “To stand before” was a legal term for acquittal; that is, being able to stand before God would mean that a person was justified or vindicated. In this case, however, the guilty ones cannot stand before God (see Psa 130.3). Ezra acknowledges that they are guilty (Good News Translation). New Jewish Publication Society’s Tanakh translates “we cannot face You on this account.”

This is the end of the direct quotation of Ezra’s prayer that began at verse 6. This is marked by closing quotation marks in both Revised Standard Version and Good News Translation.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .