The Second Book of Esdras

⭑ King James Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

- Chapter 5 -

Nevertheless as coming the tokens, behold, the days shall come, that they which dwell upon earth shall be taken in a great number, and the way of truth shall be hidden, and the land shall be barren of faith.

But iniquity shall be increased above that which now thou seest, or that thou hast heard long ago.

And the land, that thou seest now to have root, shalt thou see wasted suddenly.

But if the most High grant thee to live, thou shalt see after the third trumpet that the sun shall suddenly shine again in the night, and the moon thrice in the day:

And blood shall drop out of wood, and the stone shall give his voice, and the people shall be troubled:

And even he shall rule, whom they look not for that dwell upon the earth, and the fowls shall take their flight away together:

And the Sodomitish sea shall cast out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many have not known: but they shall all hear the voice thereof.

There shall be a confusion also in many places, and the fire shall be oft sent out again, and the wild beasts shall change their places, and menstruous women shall bring forth monsters:

And salt waters shall be found in the sweet, and all friends shall destroy one another; then shall wit hide itself, and understanding withdraw itself into his secret chamber,

And shall be sought of many, and yet not be found: then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied upon earth.

One land also shall ask another, and say, Is righteousness that maketh a man righteous gone through thee? And it shall say, No.

At the same time shall men hope, but nothing obtain: they shall labour, but their ways shall not prosper.

To shew thee such tokens I have leave; and if thou wilt pray again, and weep as now, and fast even days, thou shalt hear yet greater things.

Then I awaked, and an extreme fearfulness went through all my body, and my mind was troubled, so that it fainted.

So 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 it came to pass, that 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 bread, and forsake us not, as the shepherd that leaveth his flock in the hands of cruel wolves.

Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not nigh me. And he heard what I said, and went from me.

And so I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like as Uriel the angel commanded me.

And after seven days so it was, that the thoughts of my heart were very grievous unto me again,

And my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to talk with the most High again,

And said, O Lord that bearest rule, of every wood of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, thou hast chosen thee one only vine:

And of all lands of the whole world thou hast chosen thee one pit: and of all the flowers thereof one lily:

And of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one river: and of all builded cities thou hast hallowed Sion unto thyself:

And of all the fowls that are created thou hast named thee one dove: and of all the cattle that are made thou hast provided thee one sheep:

And among all the multitudes of people thou hast gotten thee one people: and unto this people, whom thou lovedst, thou gavest a law that is approved of all.

And now, O Lord, why hast thou given this one people over unto many? and upon the one root hast thou prepared others, and why hast thou scattered thy only one people among many?

And they which did gainsay thy promises, and believed not thy covenants, have trodden them down.

If thou didst so much hate thy people, yet shouldest thou punish them 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 instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more.

And I said, Speak on, my Lord. Then said he unto me, Thou art sore troubled in mind for Israel’s sake: lovest thou that people better than he that made them?

And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins pain me every hour, while I labour 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? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother’s womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?

And he said unto me, Number me the things that are not yet come, gather me together the dross that are scattered abroad, make me the flowers green again that are withered,

Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the winds that in them are shut up, shew me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou labourest to know.

And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men?

As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things whereof thou askest me?

Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto my people.

And I said, Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them that be reserved till the end: 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 liken my judgment unto a ring: like as there is no slackness of the last, even so there is no swiftness of the first.

So I answered and said, Couldest thou not make those that have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that thou mightest shew thy judgment the sooner?

Then answered he me, and said, The creature may not haste above the maker; neither may the world hold them at once that shall be created therein.

And I said, As thou hast said unto thy servant, that thou, which givest life to all, hast given life at once to the creature that thou hast created, and the creature bare it: even so it might now also bear them that now be present at once.

And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thou bringest forth children, why dost thou it not together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.

And I said, She cannot: but must do it by distance of time.

Then said he unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the earth to those that be sown in it in their times.

For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong to the aged, even so have I disposed the world which I created.

And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now given me the way, I will proceed to speak before thee: for our mother, of whom thou hast told me that she is young, draweth now nigh unto age.

He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that beareth children, and she shall tell thee.

Say unto her, Wherefore are unto they whom thou hast now brought forth like those that were before, but less of stature?

And she shall answer thee, They that be born in the the strength of youth are of one fashion, and they that are born in the time of age, when the womb faileth, are otherwise.

Consider thou therefore also, 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 favour in thy sight, shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.

“Nevertheless, concerning the signs, behold, the days will come when those who dwell on earth will be taken (a)with great amazement, and the way of truth will be hidden, and the land will be barren of faith.

Iniquity will be increased above what now you see, and beyond what you have heard long ago.

The land that you now see ruling will be a trackless waste, and men will see it desolate.

But if the Most High grants you to live, you will see what is after the third period will be troubled. The sun will suddenly shine in the night, and the moon in the day.

Blood will drop out of wood, and the stone will utter its voice. The peoples will be troubled, and the stars will fall.

He will rule whom those who dwell on the earth don’t expect, and the birds will fly away together.

The Sodomite sea will cast out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many have not known; but all will hear its voice.

There will also be chaos in many places. Fires will break out often, and the wild animals will change their places, and women will bring forth monsters.

Salt waters will be found in the sweet, and all friends will destroy one another. Then reason will hide itself, and understanding withdraw itself into its chamber.

It will be sought by many, and won’t be found. Unrighteousness and lack of restraint will be multiplied on earth.

One country will ask another, ‘Has righteousness, or a man that does righteousness, gone through you?’ And it will say, ‘No.’

It will come to pass at that time that men will hope, but won’t obtain. They will labor, but their ways won’t prosper.

I am permitted to show you such signs. If you will pray again, and weep as now, and fast seven days, you will hear yet greater things than these.”

Then I woke up, and an extreme trembling went through my body, and my mind was so troubled that it fainted.

So the angel who had come to talk with me held me, comforted me, and set me on my feet.

In the second night, it came to pass that (b)Phaltiel the captain of the people came to me, saying, “Where have you been? Why is your face sad?

Or don’t you know that Israel is committed to you in the land of their captivity?

Get up then, and eat some bread, and don’t forsake us, like a shepherd who leaves the flock in the power of cruel wolves.”

Then said I to him, “Go away from me and don’t come near me for seven days, and then you shall come to me.” He heard what I said and left me.

So I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like Uriel the angel had commanded me.

After seven days, the thoughts of my heart were very grievous to me again,

and my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to speak words before the Most High again.

I said, “O sovereign Lord of all the woods of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, you have chosen one vine for yourself.

Of all the lands of the world you have chosen one (c)country for yourself. Of all the flowers of the world, you have chosen one lily for yourself.

Of all the depths of the sea, you have filled one river for yourself. Of all built cities, you have consecrated Zion for yourself.

Of all the birds that are created you have named for yourself one dove. Of all the livestock that have been made, you have provided for yourself one sheep.

Among all the multitudes of peoples you have gotten yourself one people. To this people, whom you loved, you gave a law that is approved by all.

Now, O Lord, why have you given this one people over to many, and (d)have dishonored the one root above others, and have scattered your only one among many?

Those who opposed your promises have trampled down those who believed your covenants.

If you really do hate your people so much, they should be punished with your own hands.”

Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me the night before was sent to me,

and said to me, “Hear me, and I will instruct you. Listen to me, and I will tell you more.”

I said, “Speak on, my Lord.” Then said he to me, “You are very troubled in mind for Israel’s sake. Do you love that people more than he who made them?”

I said, “No, Lord; but I have spoken out of grief; for my heart is in agony every hour while I labor to comprehend the way of the Most High, and to seek out part of his judgment.”

He said to me, “You can’t.” And I said, “Why, Lord? Why was I born? Why wasn’t my mother’s womb my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the people of Israel?”

He said to me, “Count for me those who haven’t yet come. Gather together for me the drops that are scattered abroad, and make the withered flowers green again for me.

Open for me the chambers that are closed, and bring out the winds for me that are shut up in them. Or show me the image of a voice. Then I will declare to you the travail that you asked to see.”

And I said, “O sovereign Lord, who may know these things except he who doesn’t have his dwelling with men?

As for me, I lack wisdom. How can I then speak of these things you asked me about?”

Then said he to me, “Just as you can do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so you can’t find out my judgment, or the end of the love that I have promised to my people.”

I said, “But, behold, O Lord, you have made the promise to those who are alive at the end. What should they do who have been before us, or we ourselves, or those who will come after us?”

He said to me, “I will compare my judgment to a ring. Just as there is no slowness of those who are last, even so there is no swiftness of those who be first.”

So I answered, “Couldn’t you make them all at once that have been made, and that are now, and that are yet to come, that you might show your judgment sooner?”

Then he answered me, “The creature may not move faster than the creator, nor can the world hold them at once who will be created in it.”

And I said, “How have you said to your servant, that (e)you will surely make alive at once the creature that you have created? (f)If therefore they will be alive at once, and the creation will sustain them, even so it might now also support them to be present at once.”

And he said to me, “Ask the womb of a woman, and say to her, ‘If you bear ten children, why do you it at different times? Ask her therefore to give birth to ten children at once.”

I said, “She can’t, but must do it each in their own time.”

Then said he to me, “Even so, I have given the womb of the earth to those who are sown in it in their own times.

For just as a young child may not give birth, neither she who has grown old any more, even so have I organized the world which I created.”

I asked, “Seeing that you have now shown me the way, I will speak before you. Is our mother, of whom you have told me, still young? Or does she now draw near to old age?”

He answered me, “Ask a woman who bears children, and she will tell you.

Say to her, ‘Why aren’t they whom you have now brought forth like those who were before, but smaller in stature?’

She also will answer you, ‘Those who are born in the strength of youth are different from those who are born in the time of old age, when the womb fails.’

Consider therefore you also, how you are shorter than those who were before you.

So are those who come after you smaller than you, as born of the creature which now begins to be old, and is past the strength of youth.”

Then I said, “Lord, I implore you, if I have found favor in your sight, show your servant by whom you visit your creation.”

Footnotes

(a)5:1 So the syriac.

(b)5:16 The Syriac has Psaltiel.

(d)5:28 After the Oriental versions. The Latin reads have prepared.

(e)5:45 So the Syriac.

(f)5:45 The Latin omits If...alive at once.