The last part of the king’s letter (verses 25-26) is addressed again to Ezra. This is made explicit in the original text by the connective conjunction And followed by the second person singular masculine pronoun you and the name Ezra. This shift of addressee must be clearly indicated in the translation both by person reference and by appropriate discourse marking. For example, a new paragraph should begin here to indicate the change in the king’s letter from addressing the royal treasurers to addressing Ezra. Some languages will use a vocative form of the name Ezra, that is, a special form for drawing Ezra’s attention.

Revised Standard Version follows the Aramaic text literally with the wisdom of God which is in your hand (similarly English Standard Version, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible). Wisdom is defined in Old Testament Wisdom literature as “the fear of the LORD” (Pro 1.7; 9.10; see also 1 Kgs 3.28). Here, however, Ezra is said to have wisdom in his hand. Some take this to mean that Ezra was actually holding the Torah of Moses in his hand (see verse 14 above). Others understand it as an idiomatic expression that refers to Ezra’s skill that had been given to him by God to apply the Law. The latter meaning is most likely in this context because it is his skill and not the Torah itself that would help him in choosing judges (so New Revised Standard Version, Good News Translation, Nouvelle version Segond révisée).

Magistrates and judges have the same meaning but may have referred to the officials for the two kinds of Persian courts: 1) ordinary courts for cases of customary law; and 2) royal courts for cases involving the government. Revised English Bible calls them “arbitrators and judges,” while Contemporary English Version uses very general terms, “officials and leaders.”

Who may judge all the people: Since these officials are to make decisions about the law, judge is the appropriate translation for the Aramaic verb here.

The province Beyond the River: See the comments at Ezra 4.10.

The laws of your God: The same Aramaic word for “law” is used here as in verses 12, 14, and 21 above, but it is in the plural. The plural form laws can be understood to refer to the “Law of your God” as Good News Translation translates, but it is preferable to retain the plural form used here by the king to refer to the various laws given by God (so Revised English Bible, Traduction œcuménique de la Bible).

Those who do not know them, you shall teach: See Ezra’s role as a teacher in verse 6 above. The meaning of the verb teach is “to show, to explain.” The translator may need to make explicit that it is the “laws of your God” that Ezra is told to teach to those who do not know them.

A question arises here concerning the extent of Ezra’s authority. All the people in the province Beyond the River, all such as know the laws of your God would indicate all the Jews who live in the province. But those who do not know them could refer to everyone else. You teach is in the plural form referring to both Ezra and the judges. But who are they to teach? It is unlikely that Ezra was given authority to teach everyone in the province about Jewish law. Probably he was to teach the children who needed to be taught, or non-Jewish residents in the Jewish communities, or those Jews who had not been taught in their own tradition.

Quoted with permission from Noss, Philip A. and Thomas, Kenneth J. A Handbook on Ezra. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 2005. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .