And you, Ezra, according to the wisdom of God may be rendered “You, Ezra, use the wisdom God has given you.” The last part of the king’s letter (verses 23-24) is addressed again to Ezra. This is made explicit in the Greek text by the conjunction for And followed by the second person singular pronoun for you and the name Ezra. This shift of addressee must be clearly indicated in the translation both by person reference and by appropriate discourse marking. For example, a new paragraph should begin here to indicate the change in the king’s letter from addressing the royal treasurers to addressing Ezra. Some languages will use a vocative form of the name Ezra, that is, a special form for drawing Ezra’s attention.

Appoint judges and justices to judge all those who know the law of your God, throughout all Syria and Phoenicia: Artaxerxes gives Ezra authority to appoint people to govern all the Jews in the province of Phoenicia and Greater Syria according to their own religious law (the Torah). The Greek words for judges and justices apparently refer to two kinds of officers, perhaps one with greater duties than the other or who judged more serious cases. Translators who consider this distinction too minor to matter may legitimately combine the two words. These judges and justices had to be experts in Jewish law, and had to be seen as religious authorities as much as civil officers. Even today a rabbi is technically one who is trained and authorized to make judgments in Jewish law.

And those who do not know it you shall teach: Here the king provides for the perpetuation of God’s Law by making sure it is taught to those who do not know it. It is unlikely that Ezra was expected to teach everyone in the province about Jewish law. Probably he was to teach the Jewish children who needed to be taught, or non-Jewish residents in the Jewish communities, or those Jews who had not been taught in their own tradition. This sentence may be rendered “Also, you must arrange for those who do not know the Law to learn it” or “Also, you must have people teach God’s Law to those who do not know it.”

Here are alternative models for this verse:

• “In order to govern all the Jews in Phoenicia and Greater Syria who live according to the Law of your God, you, Ezra, must use the wisdom that God has given you and appoint judges [and justices] to decide cases [or, to interpret the Law]. Also, arrange for those who do not know the Law to learn it.

• “You, Ezra, use the wisdom that God has given you and appoint judges to judge [or, govern] all those Jews in Phoenicia and Greater Syria who live according to the Law of your God. Also, you must have people teach God’s Law to those who do not know it.

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.