Ezra 5:12

5:12 But after our ancestors ¹  angered the God of heaven, he delivered them into the hands ²  of King Nebuchadnezzar of Babylon, the Chaldean, who destroyed this temple and exiled the people to Babylon. ³ 

Ezra 10:3

10:3 Therefore let us enact ⁴  a covenant with our God to send away all these women and their offspring, in keeping with your counsel, my lord, ⁵  and that of those who respect ⁶  the commandments of our God. And let it be done according to the law.

[5:12]  ¹ tn Aram “fathers.”

[5:12]  ² tn Aram “hand” (singular).

[5:12]  ³ sn A reference to the catastrophic events of 586 b.c.

[10:3]  ⁴ tn Heb “cut.”

[10:3]  ⁵ tn The MT vocalizes this word as a plural, which could be understood as a reference to God. But the context seems to suggest that a human lord is intended. The apparatus of BHS suggests repointing the word as a singular (“my lord”), but this is unnecessary. The plural (“my lords”) can be understood in an honorific sense even when a human being is in view. Most English versions regard this as a reference to Ezra, so the present translation supplies “your” before “counsel” to make this clear.

[10:3]  ⁶ tn Heb “who tremble at”; NAB, NIV “who fear.”