But keep the seventy that were written last, in order to give them to the wise among your people: The verb keep may be rendered “do not make public.” The seventy that were written last were books on religious subjects that did not become part of the Bible. The author thinks of these books, probably apocalyptic books like this one, as containing secret knowledge that should not be shared with everyone. An alternative model for this verse is:

• But do not make public the last seventy books you wrote. Share them only with the wisest of your people.

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.