Then thou didst command that a ray of light be brought forth from the treasuries: Here light is thought of as being kept in storehouses in the sky (compare 2 Esd 5.37). The passive construction be brought forth may be rendered in the active voice by saying “Then you commanded a ray of light to shine forth from the place in the sky where you kept it” or “Then you commanded bright light to shine from the storehouse of light” (Contemporary English Version).

So that thy works might then appear: This clause may present a problem in some languages, since it implies that someone was there to see God’s works, even though no living creatures had been created yet. The translator must find some way of expressing this verse without implying the existence of people or animals. See the following model for a way to do this:

• Then you commanded that a ray of light should come shining out of the place in the sky where it had been kept, so that it would shine on your creation [or, what you were creating].

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.