APOCRYPHA – 2 Esdras 3 & 4

2 Esdras 3

4 The wondrous works, which God did for the people, are recited. 31 Esdras marvels that God suffered the Babylonians to have rule over his people, which yet are sinners also.

IN the thirtieth year after the fall of the city, as I was at Babylon, I lay troubled upon my bed, and my thoughts came up to mine heart,

Because I saw the desolation of Sion, and the wealth of them that dwelt at Babylon.

So my spirit was sore moved, so that I began to speak fearful words to the most High, and said,

O Lord, Lord, thou spoke at the beginning when thou alone planted the earth, and gave commandment unto the people,

And a body unto Adam, without soul, who was also the workmanship of thine hands, and hast breathed in him the breath of life, so that he lived before thee,

And led him into Paradise, which thy right hand had planted, or ever the earth brought forth.

Even then thou gavest him commandment to love thy way: but he transgressed it, and immediately thou appointed death to him and his generation, of whom came nations, tribes, people and kindreds out of number.

And every people walked after their own will, and did wonderful things before thee, and despised thy commandments.

But at the time appointed thou brought the flood upon those that dwelt in the world and destroyed them,

So that by the flood, that came to every one of them, which came by death unto Adam,

Yet thou leftest one, even Noe, with his household, of whom came all righteous men.

And when they that dwelt upon the earth, began to multiply, and the number of the children, people and many nations were increased, they began to be more ungodly than the first.

Now when they lived wickedly before thee, thou didst choose thee a man from among them, whose name was Abraham.

Whom thou loved, and unto whom only thou showed they will,

And made an everlasting covenant with him, promising him that thou wouldest never forsake his seed.

And unto him thou gave Isahac, unto Isahac also thou gavest Jacob and Esau, and so Iacob became a great multitude.

And when thou leddest his seed out of Egypt, and brought them up to mount Sina,

And inclined the heavens and bowed down the earth, and did move the gound, and cause the depths to shake, and did astonish the world.

And thy glory went through four gates of fire, with earthquakes, wind and cold, and that thou might give the Law unto the seed of Iacob, and that which the generation of Israel should diligently observe.

Yet took thou not away from them the wicked heart, that thy Law might bring forth fruit in them.

For Adam first having a wicked heart, was overcome and vanquished, and all they that are born of him.

Thus remained weakness joined with the law in the hearts of the people, with the wickedness of the root: so that the good departed away, and the evil abode still.

So the times passed away, and the years were brought to an end, til thou did raise thee up a servant called David,

Whom thou commanded to build a city unto thy Name, to call upon thee therein with incense and sacrifice.

When this was done many years, the inhabitants forsook thee,

Following the ways of Adam and all his generation: for they also had a wicked heart.

Therefore thou gavest thy city over into the hands of thine enemies.

But do they that dwell at Babylon, any better, that they should have the dominion of Sion?

For when I came tither, and saw their wicked deeds without number (for this is the thirtieth year that I see many trespassing) I was discouraged.

For I saw, how thou suffered them that sin, and spared the wicked doers, where as thou have destroyed the wicked doers, where as thou hast destroyed thine own people, and preserved thine enemies, and thou hast not showed it.

I can not perceive how this comes to pass. Are the deeds of Babylon better than they of Sion?

Or is there any other people that know thee besides Israel? or what generation have so believed thy Testimonies, as Iacob?

And yet their reward appears not, and their labor has no fruit: for I have gone here and there throughout the heathen, and I see them flourish, and think not upon thy commandments.

Weigh then therefore our wickedness now in the balance, and their also that dwell in the world, and no mention of thee shall be found but in Israel.

Or when is it that they that dwell on the earth, have not sinned in thy sight? or what people hath so kept thy commandments?

Thou shalt surely find that Israel by name has kept thy precepts, but not the heathen.

2 Esdras 4

3 The Angel reproves Esdras, because he seemed to enter into the profound judgments of God.

AND the Angel that was sent unto me, whose name was Uriel, answered,

And said, Thine heart taken to much upon it in this world, and thou thinkest to comprehend the ways of the Highest.

Then said I, Yea, my lord. And he answered me, and said, I am sent to show thee three ways, and to set forth three similitudes before thee,

Whereof if thou can declare me one, I will shew thee also the way, that thou desire to see, and I will show thee from whence the wicked heart comes.

And I said, Tell on, my lord. Then said he unto me, Go thy way: weigh me the weight of the fire, or measure me the blast of the wind, or call me again the day that is past.

Then answered I, and said, What man is born, that can do that, which thou require me, concerning these things?

And he said unto me, If I should ask thee how deep dwellings are in the midst of the sea, or how great springs are in the beginning of the depth, or how great springs are in the stretching out of the heaven, or which are the borders of Paradise,

Peradventure thou would say unto me, I never went down to the deep, nor yet to the hell, neither did I ever climb up to heaven.

But now have I asked thee but of fire and wind, and of the day, whereby thou have passed, and from the which things thou canst not be separated, and yet can’t be separated, and yet can’t thou give me none answer of them.

He said moreover unto me, Thine own things, and such as are grown up with thee, can thou not know:

How should thy vessel then be able to comprehend the ways of the Highest, and now outwardly in the corrupt world, to understand the corruption, that is evident in my sight?

Then said I unto him It were better that we were not at all, than that we should live in wickedness, and to suffer, and not to know wherefore.

And he answered me, and said, I came to a forest in the plain where the trees held a counsel,

And said, Come, let us go fight against the sea, that it may give place to us, and that we may make us more woods.

Likewise the floods of the sea took counsel and said, Come let us go up and fight against the trees of the wood, that we may get another country for us.

But the purpose of the wood was vain: for the fire came and consumed it.

Likewise also the purpose of the floods of the sea: for the sand stood up and stopped them.

If thou were judge between these two, whom would thou justify, or whom would thou condemn?

I answered and said, Verily it is a foolish purpose, that they both have devised: for the ground is appointed for the wood, and the sea has his place to bear his floods.

Then answered he me, and said, Thou hast given a right judgment: but why judge thou not thyself also?

For like as the ground is appointed for the wood, and the sea for floods, so they that dwell upon earth, can understand nothing, but that which is upon earth: and they are in the heavens, the things that are above the height of the heavens.

Then answered I, and said, I beseech thee, o Lord, let understanding be given me.

For I did not purpose to inquire of thine high things, but of such as we daily meddle with all, namely wherefore Israel is made a reproach to the heathen, and for what cause the people, whom thou hast loved, is given over to wicked nations, and why the Law of our fathers is abolished, and the written ceremonies are come to none effect,

Why we are tossed to and fro through the world as the grasshoppers, and our life is a very fear, and we are not thought worthy to obtain mercy.

But what will he do to his Name, which is called upon over us? Of these things have I asked the question.

Then answered he me, and said, The more thou search, the more thou shalt marvel: for the world hastens fast to pass away,

And can not comprehend the things, that are promised to the righteous in time to come: for this world is full of unrighteousness and weakness.

But to declare thee the things whereof thou ask, the evil is sown with good.

For the corn of evil seed hath been sown in the hearts of Adam from the beginning, and how much ungodliness hath he brought up unto this time and how much shall he bring forth until the harvest come?

Ponder with thyself, how much fruit of wickedness the corn of evil seed brings forth,

And when t he stalks shall cut down, which are without number, how great an harvest must be prepared.

Then I answered, and said, How, and when shall these things come to pass? wherefore are our years few and evil?

And he answered me, saying, Haste not to be above the most High: for thou labors in vain to be above him, though thou endeavor never so much.

Did not the souls also of the righteous ask question of these things in their chambers, saying, How long shall I thus hope? and when comes the fruit of my barn and our wages?

And upon this Ieremiel the Archangel answered, and said, When the number of the seeds is filled in you: for he has weighed the world in the balance.

The measure of the times is measured: the ages are counted by number, and they shall not be moved or shaken, til the measure thereof be fulfilled.

Then answered I, and said, O lord, lord, we are all even full of sin,

And for our sake peradventure the harvest of the righteous is not fulfilled, because of the sin of them that dwell upon earth.

So he answered me, and said, Go, and ask a woman with child, when she has fulfilled her nine month, if her womb may keep the birth any longer within her.

Then said I, No, lord, she can not. And he said unto me, In the grave the places of souls are like the womb.

For as she that is with child, hastens to escape the necessity of the travail, so do these places hasten to deliver those things that are committed unto them.

That which thou desire to see, shall be showed thee from the beginning.

Then answered I, and said, If I have found grace in thy sight, and if it be possible, and if I be mete therefore,

Show me whether there be more to come than is past, or more things past, then are to come.

What is past, I know, but what is to come, I know not.

And he said unto me, Stand on the right side, and I will expound thee this by example.

So I stood, and behold, a hot burning oven passed before me: and when the flame was gone by, I looked, and behold, the smoke had the upper hand.

After this there passed before me a watery cloud, and sent down much rain with a storm: and when the storm rain was past, the drops came after.

Then said he unto me, Consider with thyself, as the rain is more than the drops, and as fire exceeds the smoke, so the portion that is past, has the upperhand, and the drops and the smoke were much.

Then I prayed, and said, May I live, think thou until that time? or what shall come to pass in those days?

He answered me, and said, Of the tokens whereof thou ask me, I can tell thee a part: but I am not sent to show thee of thy life: for I do not know it.