Introduction

The Second Book of Ezra, also known as 2 Esdras, presents prayers, conversations, and visions in the name of Ezra. The central account places him in Bavel (Babylon), grieving over the destruction of Yerushalem (Jerusalem). He asks why God’s people suffer, why nations that do worse things seem to prosper, and why so many human lives end in failure and judgement.

The messenger Uriel responds with questions and comparisons that expose the limits of Ezra’s understanding. Their conversations consider human wrongdoing, God’s timing, life after death, and the world to come. Ezra continues to plead for his people and for humanity, while the answers call him to trust God’s justice and recognise that the present world isn’t the whole of God’s purpose.

The later visions include a grieving woman who becomes a city, an eagle confronted by a lion, and a man who rises from the sea. The explanations within the account connect these images with Yerushalem, oppressive kingdoms, and God’s promised rescue. Ezra is then commissioned to restore the sacred writings. The opening and closing chapters add messages of warning, hope, and encouragement to remain faithful. As with Daniyel’s visions and Yohan’s Revelation, the imagery needs to be read alongside the explanations the document itself provides.

The Second Book of Ezra is included in the Slavonic Bible as 3 Ezra, but is not found in the Greek Septuagint. It is included in the Appendix to the Latin Vulgate Bible as 4 Ezra. It is considered to be Apocrypha by most church traditions. It is preserved here for its supplementary historical value.

This is still an early look into the unpolished text of the Open English Translation of the Bible. Please double-check the text in advance before using in public.