APOCRYPHA – 2 Esdras 9 & 10

2 Esdras 9

3 All things in this world have a beginning and an end. 10 Torments for the wicked after this life. 15 The number of the wicked is more than of the good. 29 The Jews ingratitude: 36 Therefore they perish. 38 The vision of a woman lamenting.

HE answered me then, and said, Measure the time with itself, and when thou see that one part of the tokens come to pass, which I have told thee before,

Then shalt thou understand, that it is the time wherein the most High will begin to visit the world which he made.

Therefore when there shall be seen an earthquake in the world, and an uproar of the people,

Then shalt thou understand that the most High spoke of those things, from the days that were before thee, even from the beginning.

For as all that is made in the world, hath a beginning and an end, and the end is manifest,

So the times also of the most High have plain beginnings in wonders and signs, and end in effect and miracles.

And every one that shall escape safe, and shall be delivered by his works, and by the faith wherein ye have believed,

Shall be preserved from the said perils and shall see my salvation in my land, and within my borders: for I have kept me holy from the world.

Then shall they have pity of themselves, which now have abused my ways: and they have cast them out despitefully, shall dwell in pains.

For such as in their life have received benefits, and have not known me,

But have abhorred my Law, while they were yet in liberty, and when they had yet leisure of amendment, and would not understand but despised it,

They must be taught it after death by pain.

And therefore be thou no more careful, to know how the ungodly shall be punished, but iniquity how the righteous shall be saved, and whose the world is, and for whom it is, and when.

Then answered I, and said,

I have afore said that which I say now and will speak it hereafter, that there be many of them which perish, then of them that shall be saved,

As the flood is greater than a drop.

And he answered me, saying, As the field is, so is also the seed: as the flowers be, so are the colours also: such as the workman is, such is the work: and as the husbandman is, so is his husbandry: for it was the time of the world.

Surely when I prepared the world, which was not yet made for them to dwell in that now live, no man spake against me.

For then every one obeyed, but now the manners of them that are created in this world, that is made, are corrupted by a perpetual seed, and by a Law, whereout they can not rid themselves.

So I considered the world, and behold, there was peril, because of the devises, that were sprung up into it.

Yet when I saw it, I spared it greatly, and have kept me one grape of the cluster, and a plant out of a great people.

Let therefore the multitude perish, which are born in vain: and let my grape be kept, and my plant, which I have dressed with great labor.

Nevertheless, if thou wilt cease seven days more (but thou shalt not fast in them,

But shalt go into a fair field, where no house is built, and shalt eat only of the flowers of the field, and eat no flesh, nor drink wine, but the flowers only,

And pray unto the most High continually) then will I come, and talk with thee.

So I went my way, as he had commanded me, into the field, which is called Ardath, and there I sat among the flowers, and did eat of the herbs of the field, and the meat of the same satisfied me.

And after seven days, as I sat upon the grass, and mine heart was vexed within me, as afore,

I opened my mouth, and began to talk before the most High, and to say,

O Lord, when thou would show thyself unto us, thou declared thyself unto our fathers in the wilderness, in a place where no man dwelleth, in a barren place, when they came out of Egypt,

And expressly spake unto them, saying, Hear me, o Israel, and mark my words, thou seed of Iacob.

For behold, I saw my Law in you, that it may bring forth fruit in you, and that ye may be honored by it for ever.

But our fathers, which received the Law, kept it not, neither did the fruit of the Law appear, neither could it, for it was thine.

For they that received it, perished because they kept not the thing that was sown in them.

And lo, it is a custom when the ground receives seed, or a sea a ship, or a vessel meat and drink, it that perish wherein a thing is sown, or wherein any thing is put,

Likewise the thing that is sown, or is put therein, and the things that are received, must perish: so the thing that are received, do not remain with us: but in us it comes not so to pass.

For we that have received the Law, perish in sin, and our heart also which received it.

But the Law perishes not, but remains in his force.

And when I spoke these things in mine heart, I looked about me, and upon the right side I saw a woman, which mourned sore, and lamented with a loud voice, and was grieved in heart, and rent her clothes, and she had ashes upon her head.

Then I left my thoughts, wherein I was occupied, and turned me unto her,

And said unto her, wherefore weep thou? why art thou so sorry in mind?

And she said unto me, Sir, let me alone, that I may bewail myself, and increase sorrow: for I am sore vexed in my mind, and brought very low.

Then I said unto her, what ails thee? tell me.

And she said unto me, I thy servant have been barren, and have had no child, having an husband thirty years.

And every hour, and every day these thirty years I pray to the most High day and night.

And after thirty years God heard me thine handmaid, and looked upon my misery, considered my trouble, and gave me a son, and I was glad of him: so was mine husband also, and all they of my country, and we gave great honor unto the Almighty.

And I nourished him with great travail.

So when he grew up, and came to take a wife, I made a feast.

2 Esdras 10

But when my son went into his chamber, he fell down, and died.

Then we all overthrew the lights, and all my neighbors rose up to comfort me: so I rested until the second day at night.

And when they had all left off to comfort me, that I should be quiet, then I rose up by night, and fled, and am come into this field as thou seest,

And am not purposed to return into the city, but to remain here, and neither to eat nor drink, but continually to mourn and fast, until I die.

Then left I my purpose wherein I was, and spake to her angrily, and said,

Thou foolish woman above all other, see thou not our heaviness, and what comes unto us?

For Sion our mother is all woeful and is sore afflicted, and mourns extremely.

Seeing we be all now in heaviness, and make our moan (for we be all sorrowful) art thou sorry for one son?

Demand the earth, and she shall tell thee that it is she which ought to mourn for the fall of so many that grow upon her.

For from the beginning all men are born of her, and other shall come, and behold, they walk almost all into destruction, and the multitude of them shall be destroyed.

Who should then rather mourn, she that hath lost so great a multitude, or thou which art sorry but for one?

But if thou would say unto me, My mourning is not like the mourning of the earth (for I have lost the fruit of my womb, which I brought forth with heaviness, and bare with sorrows,

But the earth is according to the manner of the earth, and the present multitude returns into her as it came)

Then say I unto thee, As thou hast born with travail, so the earth also from the beginning gives her fruit unto man, even to him that labored her.

Now therefore withhold thy sorrow in thyself, and bear constantly that which comes unto thee.

For if thou allowed God’s purpose, and receive his counsel in time, thou shalt be commanded therein.

Go thy way then into the city to thine husband.

Then she said unto me, I will not, I will not go into the city, but here will I die.

So I continued to speak more with her and said,

Do not so, but be counseled: for how many falls has Sion? Be of good comfort because of the sorrow of Jerusalem.

For thou see thou our Sanctuary is laid waste: our altar is broken down: our Temple is destroyed.

Our psalterion faints, and the song ceases, and our mirth is vanished away, and the light of our candlestick is quenched, and the Ark of our covenant is taken away, and our holy things are defiled, and the Name that is called upon over us, is almost dishonored, and our children are put to shame, and our Priests are burnt, and our Levites are carried into captivity, and our virgins are defiled, and our wives ravished, and our righteous men spoiled, and our children destroyed, and our young men are brought in bondage, and our strong men are become weak,

And, which is the greatest of all, Sion the seal has lost her worship: for she is delivered into the hands of them that hate us.

And therefore shake of thy great heaviness, and put away the multitude of sorrows, that the Almighty may be merciful unto thee, and that the most High may give thee rest and ease from thy labor.

And when I was talking with her, her face and beauty shined suddenly, and her countenance was bright, so that I was afraid of her and mused what it might be.

And behold, immediately, the woman appeared unto me no more: but there was a city built, and a place was showed from the ground and foundation. Then was I afraid, and cried with a loud voice, and said,

Where is Vriel the Angel which came to me at the first? for he hath caused me to come into many and deep considerations, and mine end is turned into corruption, and my prayer to rebuke.

And as I was speaking these words, behold, he came unto me, and looked upon me.

And lo, I lay as one dead, and mine understanding was altered, and he took me by the right hand and comforted me, and set me upon my feet, and said unto me,

What aileth thee? and why is thine understanding vexed? and the understanding of thine heart? and wherefore art thou sorry?

And I said, Because thou hast forsaken me, and I have done according unto thy words: I went into the field, and there have I seen things, and see that I am not able to express.

Then said he unto me, Stand up manly, and I will give thee exhortation.

Then said I, Speak unto me, my lord, and forsake me not, lest I die through rashness.

For I have seen that I knew not, and hear that I do not know.

Or is mine understanding deceived, or doth my mind, being haughty, err?

Now therefore I beseech thee that thou wilt show thy servant this wonder.

Then he answered me, and said, Hear me, and I will inform thee, and tell thee wherefore thou art afraid: for the most High hath revealed many secret things unto thee.

He hath seen thy good purpose, that thou art sorry continually for thy people, and make it great lamentation for Sion.

This therefore is the understanding of the vision, which appeared unto thee a little while ago.

Thou sawest a woman mourning, and thou began to comfort her:

But now see thou the likeness of the woman no more, but there appeared unto thee a city built.

And where as she told thee of the death of her son, this is the solution,

This woman, which thou saw, she is Sion: and where as she told thee (even she which thou see now as a city built)

And as touching that she said unto thee, that she was barren thirty years, this was concerning that, there was even thirty years wherein there was no offering offered in her.

But after thirty years, Salomon built the city, and offered offerings: then bare the barren a son.

And where as she told thee, that she nourished him with labor, that was the inhabiting of Jerusalem.

But where as she told thee that her son, as his chance was, died when she came into her chamber, that is the fall that is come to Jerusalem.

And when thou saw her like one that mourned for her son, thou began to comfort her: of these things which have chanced these are to be opened unto thee.

For now the most High sees, that thou art sorry in thy mind, and because thou suffer with all thine heart for her, he showed thee the clearness of her glory, and the fairness of her beauty.

And therefore I bade thee remain in the field where no house was built.

For I knew that the most High would show these things unto thee.

Therefore I commanded thee to go into the field, where no foundation nor building is.

For the work of man’s building can not stand in that place where the city of the most High should be showed.

And therefore fear not, neither let thine heart be afraid, but go in, and see the beauty and greatness of the building as much as thou art able to see with thine eyes.

And after this shalt thou hear, as much as thine ears may comprehend.

For thou art blessed above many, and art called with the most High among the few.

But tomorrow at night thou shalt remain here,

And the most High shall show thee visions of high things, which the most High will do unto them that dwell upon earth, in the last days. So I slept the same night and another, as he had commanded me.