2 Esdras 5
1 In the latter times truth shall be hid. 6 Unrighteousness and all wickedness shall reign in the world. 23 Israel is rejected, and God delivers them. 35 God does all things in season.
NEVERTHELESS concerning the tokens, behold, the times shall come, that they which dwell upon earth, shall be taken in a great number, and the way of the truth shall be hid and the land shall be barren from faith,
And iniquity shall be increased more than thou hast seen now, or hast heard in time past.
And it shall come to pass, that one shall set in foot, and thou shalt see the land desolate, which now reigneth.
Yea, if God grant thee to live, thou shalt see after the third trumpet, that the sun shall suddenly shine again in the night, and the moon three times a day.
Blood shall drop out of the wood, and the stone shall give his voice, and the people shall be moved.
And he shall rule, of whom they hope not that dwell upon earth, and the fouls shall change place.
And the sea of Sodom shall cast out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many shall not know, but they shall all hear the voice thereof.
There shall be a confusion in many places, and the fire shall often break forth, and the wild beasts shall change their places, and menstruous women shall bear monsters,
And salt waters shall be found in the sweet, and all friends shall fight one against another: then shall wit hide itself, and understanding depart into his secret chamber.
It shall be sought of many, and yet not be found: then shall unrighteousness and voluptuousness have the upper hand upon earth.
One land also shall ask another, and say, Is righteous justice gone through thee? And it shall say, No.
At the same time shall men hope, but not obtain: they shall labor, but their enterprises shall not prosper.
To shew thee such tokens I have leave, and if thou wilt pray again and weep as now, and fast seven days, thou shalt hear yet greater things then these.
Then I awaked, and a fearfulness went through all my body, and my mind was feeble and fainted.
But the Angel that was come to talk with me, held me, comforted me, and set me up upon my feet.
And in the second night, Salathiel the captain of the people came unto me, saying, Where hast thou been? and why is thy countenance so heavy?
Knowest thou not that Israel is committed unto thee in the land of their captivity?
Up then and eat, and forsake us not, as the shepherd that leaveth his flock in the hands of the cruel wolves.
Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not near me: and when he heard it, he went from me.
And I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, as Vriel the Angel had commanded me.
And after seven days the thoughts of mine heart were very grievous unto me again.
And I had a desire to reason again, and I began to talk with the most High again,
And said, O Lord, Lord: of every forest of the earth, and of all the trees thereof thou hast chosen thee one only vineyard.
And of all the lands of the world thou hast chosen thee one pit, and of all the flowers of the ground thou hast chosen thee on lily.
And of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one river, and of all built cities thou hast sanctified Sion unto thyself.
And of all the fouls that are created, thou hast named thee one dove, and of all the cattle that are made, thou hast appointed thee one sheep.
And among all the multitude of people thou hast gotten thee one people, and unto this people whom thou lovest, thou gavest a Law, that is proved of all.
And now, o Lord, why hast thou given this one people over unto many? and upon one root thou hast set others, and hast scattered thine only people among many.
They tread them down, which have withstand thy promises, and believe not thy testimonies.
And if thou didst so much hat thy people, they should have been punished with thine own hands.
Now when I had spoken these words, the Angel that came to me the night afore, was sent unto me,
And said unto me, Hear me, and I will teach thee, and harken that I may instruct thee further.
And I said, Speak on, my lord. Then said he unto me, Thou art sore vexed and troubled for Israels sake. Lovest thou them better, than he doth that made them?
And I said, No, lord: but of very sorrow have I spoken: for my rains pain me every hour, while I labor to comprehend the way of the most High, and to seek out part of his judgment.
And he said unto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, lord, wherefore was I born? or why was not my mother’s womb then my grave? so had I not seen the trouble of Iacob, and the grief of the stock of Israel.
And he said unto me, Number unto me the things that are not yet come, or gather me the drops, that are scattered, or make me the withered flowers green again.
Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the winds, that are shut up therein: show me the image of a voice, and then will I declare thee the thing, that thou ask and labor to know.
And I said, O Lord, Lord, who can know these things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men?
But I that am ignorant, how can I speak of these things, whereof thou asked me?
Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things, that I have spoken of, so canst thou not find out my judgment, nor the least benefit, that I have promised unto my people.
Then I said, Behold, o Lord, the last things are present unto thee, and what shall they do that have been before me, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us?
And he said unto me, I will compare my judgment unto a ring: as there is no slackness of the last, so is there no swiftness of the first.
Then I answered, and said, Could thou not make at once those that have been, those that are now, and those that shall come, that thou mightest show thy judgment the sooner?
Then answered he me, The creature, said he, can not prevent the Creator, neither can the world hold them at once, that shall be created therein.
And I said, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, Why must thou have time before thou bringest forth? require her to bring forth ten at once.
And I said, Surely she can not, but by distance of time.
Then said he unto me, So have I decided the number of the earth by times when seed is sown upon it.
For as a young child begetteth not that that belongs to the aged, so have I ordained the time which I have created.
I asked again, and said, Seeing thou hast now showed me the way, I will proceed to speak before thee: for our mother, whom thou hast told me is young, draws she near unto age?
He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that travaileth, and she will tell thee.
Say unto her, Wherefore are not they (whom thou hast now brought forth) like those that were before thee, but less of stature?
And she shall answer thee, Some were born in the flower of youth, others were born in the time of age, when the womb failed.
Consider now thyself, how that ye are less of stature, than those that were before you,
And so are they that come after you, less than ye, as the creatures which now begin to be old, and have passed over the strength of youth.
Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show thy servant, by whom do thou govern thy workmanship?
2 Esdras 6
God foreseen all things in his secret counsel, and is author thereof, and has created them from his children. 25 The felicity of the age to come.
AND he said unto me, In the beginning when the round world was made, and before the borders of the world were set, and before the winds blew one against another:
Before the noise of thunders sounded, before the bright lightening did shine forth, before the foundations of Paradise were laid:
Before the fair flowers did appear, before the moveable powers were established, before the innumerable armies of Angels were gathered:
Before the heights of the air were lifted up, before the measures of the heavens were named, before the chimneys in Sion were hot:
Before the present years were sought out, and before the affections of them t hat now sin, were turned away, and they that have laid up the treasure of faith, were sealed,
Then did I purpose these things, and they were made by me alone, and by none other: by me also they shall be ended, and by none other.
Then answered I, and said, What shall be the division of times? or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of it that follows?
And he said unto me, From Abraham unto Isaac, when Iacob and Esau were born of him, Iacobs hand held first the heel of Esau.
For Esau is the end of this world, and Iacob is the beginning of it that follows.
The hand of man is between the heel and the hand. Other thing, Esdras, ask thou not.
I answered them, and said, O Lord, Lord, if I have found favor in thy sight,
I beseech thee, make an end to show thy servant thy tokens, whereof thou showed me part the last night.
So he answered me, and said, Stand up upon thy feet, and hear a mighty sounding voice.
There shall come as an earthquake, but the place where thou stand, shall not be moved.
And therefore when he speaks, be not afraid: for the end shall be the word, and of the foundation of the earth shall it be understood.
Therefore while one speaks of them, it trembles and is moved: for it knows, that it must be changed at the end.
And when I had heard it, I stood up upon my feet, and hearkened, and behold, there was a voice that spake, and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters:
And it said, Behold, the days come, that I will come and inquire of them that dwell upon the earth,
And when I begin to inquire of them, who by their unrighteousness have hurt others, and when the affliction of Sion shall be fulfilled,
And the world, that shall vanish away, shall be sealed, then will I show these signs: the books shall bring forth untimely children of three or four months old, and they shall live that are raised up.
Then suddenly shall the sown places appear as the unknown, and the full store houses shall be suddenly afraid.
At that time shall friends fight with friends, as with enemies, and the earth shall fear with them: the springs of the wells shall stand still, and in three hours they shall not rain.
Whosoever remains from all these things that i have told thee, shall be saved, and see my salvation, and end of your world.
And the men that are received, shall see it: they that have not tasted death from their birth, and the heart of the inhabitants shall be changed, and turned to another meaning.
For evil shall be put out, and disease shall be quenched,
But faith shall flourish: corruption shall be overcome, and the truth which hath been so long without fruit, shall come forth.
And when he talked with me, behold, I looked a little upon him before whom I stood.
And these words said he unto me, I am come to show thee the time of the night to come.
If thou wilt pray again, and fast seven days more, I will tell thee more things, and greater than these, which I have heard in the day.
For thy voice is heard before the Highest: surely the mighty hath seen thy righteous dealing: he hath seen also thy chastity, which thou hast kept since thy youth.
Therefore hath he sent me to show thee all these things, and to say unto thee, Be of good comfort, and fear not,
And haste not in the vain consideration of the first times, nor make haste to the latter times.
And after this I wept again and fasted seven days in like manner, that I might fulfill the three weeks, which he had appointed me.
And in the eight night was mine heart vexed with me again, and I began to speak before the most High.
For my spirit was greatly set on fire, and my soul was in distress,
And I said, o Lord, thou spoke expressly in the first creation (even the first day) and commanded that the heaven and the earth should be made, and the work followed thy word.
And then was there the spirit, and the darkness was on every side with silence: there was no mans voice as yet created of thee.
Then commanded thou a bright light to come forth out of thy treasures; that it might give light to thy work.
Upon the second day thou created the heavenly air, and commanded it, that, going between, it should make a division between the waters, that the one part might remain above, and the other beneath.
Upon the third day thou commanded, that the waters should be gathered together in the seventh part of the earth: six parts did thou dry, and kept them to the intent that of these there should be that should serve thee, being sown of God and tilled.
As soon as thy word went forth, the work was incontinently made.
For immediately great and innumerable fruit did spring up, and many diverse pleasures for the taste, and flowers of unchangeable color, and odors of a most wonderful smell and these things were created the third day.
Upon the fourth day thou created the light of the sun, and of the moon, and the order of the stars,
And gave them a charge, to do service even unto man that was for to be made.
And upon the first day thou said unto the seventh part where the waters were gathered, that it should bring forth the beasts, as fouls and fishes: and it was so.
For the dome waters, and without life brought forth living things at the commandment of God that the nations might praise thy wondrous works.
Then didst thou prepare two living things: the one thou called Behemoth, and the other thou called Leviathan,
And did separate the one from the other: for the seventh part, where the water was gathered, could not hold them.
Unto Behemoth thou gavest one part, which was dried up the third day, that he should dwell in the same part, wherein are a thousand hills.
But unto Leviathan thou gave the seventh part, that is wet, and hast prepared him to devour what thou wilt, and when thou wilt.
Upon the sixth day thou gavest commandment unto the earth, that before thee it should bring forth beasts, cattle and creeping things.
And besides this Adam, whom thou made lord over all the works which thou hast created, of him come we all, and the people also, whom thou hast chosen.
All this have I spoken before thee, o Lord, because thou hast created the world for our sakes.
As for the other people, which also come of Adam, thou hast declared them that they are nothing before thee, but be like unto spittle, and hast compared their riches unto a drop that falls from a vessel.
And now, o Lord, behold these heathen which have been reputed as nothing, have begun to be lords over us, and to devour us.
And we thy people (whom thou have called the first born, the only begotten, and thy servant lover) are given into their hands.
If the world then created for our sakes, why have we not the inheritance thereof in possession? or how long shall we suffer these things?
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