For thy law has been burned: Again the connector For may be kept. Here it introduces the reason why the people of the world do not have the light of God’s Law. Revised Standard Version gives the impression that there was only one copy of the Law by saying thy law has been burned. However, this clause is better rendered “all the copies of your Law have been burned” or “people have burned all the copies of your Law.” Compare 2 Esd 4.23, where it says the Law was lost during the destruction of the Temple.

And so no one knows the things which have been done or will be done by thee may be translated “and so no one knows the things that you have done in the past or the things that you are going to do.” Contemporary English Version says “and so no one knows what you have done in the past or what you plan to do in the future.”

An alternative model for this verse is:

• For all the copies of your Law have been burned, and so there is no way for people to know the things you did in the past or the things you are going to do.

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.