And do not seek ever to have peace with them means the Jews should never make seek peaceful relations with Gentiles (compare Exo 34.12, 15). This clause says something rather different from the parallel passage of Ezra 9.12, which only says that the Jews should not seek the well-being (shalom in Hebrew) of the Gentiles. The idea here is that there should be no compromising with them. This clause may be rendered “The prophets also told us never to compromise with these people [or, these foreigners].”

In order that you may be strong and eat the good things of the land and leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever: The result of obeying the prohibitions in verses 84-85b is to be a threefold blessing: to be strong (Deut 11.8); to eat the good things of the land (Deut 8.11-12; compare Isa 1.19; Jer 2.7); and to leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever (Deut 11.9; compare Ezek 37.25). The first blessing is the well-being of the nation, the second is the well-being of the people, and the third is the well-being of the people’s descendants. Be strong may be translated “find strength” or “become strong as a nation.” Eat the good things of the land is more than a literal reference to eating crops grown in the land, although that is certainly involved. It is better to say “enjoy the good things of the land.” And leave it for an inheritance to your children for ever may be translated “and some day pass it on [or, leave it] to your descendants forever.”

Here is an alternative model that uses indirect speech for this verse:

• They [or, The prophets] also told us never to compromise with these people, so that we could remain strong, enjoy the good things of this land, and then pass it on to our descendants forever.

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.