2 Esdras 4
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1ANd the Angel that was sent vnto me, whose name was Vriel, answered, 2And said, Thine heart hathe taken to muche vpon it in this worlde, and thou thinkest to comprehende the waies of the Hiest. 3Then said I, Yea, my lord. And he answered me, and said, I am sent to shewe thee thre waies, and to set forthe thre similitudes before thee, 4Whereof if thou canst declare me one, I wil shewe thee also the way, that thou desirest to se, and I wil shewe thee from whence the wicked heart cometh. 5And I said, Tell on, my lord. Then said he vnto me, Go thy way: weigh me the weight of the fyre, or measure me the blast of the winde, or call me againe the daye that is past. 6Then answered I, and said, What man is borne, that can do that, which thou requirest me, concerning these things? 7And he said vnto me, If I shulde aske thee how depe dwellings are in the middes 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 heauen, or which are the borders of Paradise, 8Peraduenture thou woldest say vnto me, I neuer went downe to the depe, nor yet to the hell, nether did I euer clime vp to heauen. 9But now haue I asked thee but of fyre & winde, and of the day, whereby thou hast passed, and from the which things thou canst not be separated, and yet canst thou giue me none answer of them. 10He said moreouer vnto me, Thine owne things, and suche as are growen vp with thee, canst thou not knowe: 11How shulde thy vessel then be able to comprehend the wayes of the Hiest, and now outwardly in the corrupt worlde, to vnderstand the corruption, that is euident in my sight? 12Then said I vnto him, It were better that we were not at all, then that we shulde liue in wickednes, and to suffer, and not to knowe wherefore. 13And he answered me, & said, I came to a forest in the plaine where the trees helde a counsel, 14And said, Come, let vs go fight against the sea, that it may giue place to vs, and that we may make vs more woods. 15Likewise the floods of the sea toke counsel and said, Come, let vs go vp and fight against the trees of the wood, that we may get another countrey for vs. 16But the purpose of the wood was vaine: for the fyre came and consumed it. 17Likewise also the purpose of the floods of the sea: for the sand stode vp and stopped them. 18If thou were iudge betwene these two, whome woldest thou iustifie, or whome woldest thou condemne? 19I answered and said, Verely it is a foolish purpose, that thei bothe haue deuised: for the grounde is appointed for the wood, and the sea hathe his place to beare his floods. 20Then answered he me, and said, Thou hast giuen a right iudgement: but why iudgest thou not thy self also? 21For like as the grounde is appointed for the wood, and the sea for his floods, so they that dwell vpon earth, can vnderstand nothing, but that which is vpon earth: & they that are in the heauens, the things that are aboue the height of the heauens. 22Then answered I, & said, I beseche thee, ô Lord, let vnderstanding be giuen me. 23For I did not purpose to inquire of thine hie things, but of suche as we daiely medle with all, namely wherfore Israel is made a reproche to the heathen, and for what cause the people, whome thou hast loued, is giuen ouer to wicked nacions, and why the Law of our fathers is abolished, and the writen ceremonies are come to none effect, 24Why we are tossed to and fro through the worlde as the greshoppers, and our life is a very feare, and we are not thoght worthie to obteine mercie. 25But what wil he do to his Name, which is called vpon ouer vs? Of these things haue I asked the question. 26Then answered he me, and said, The more thou searchest, the more thou shalt maruel: for the worlde hasteth fast to passe away, 27And can not comprehend the things, that are promised to the righteous in time to come: for this worlde is ful of vnrighteousnes and weakenes. 28But to declare thee the things whereof thou askest, the euil is sowen, but the destruction thereof is not yet come. 29If the euil now that is sowen, be not turned vp side downe, and if the place where the euil is sowen, passe not away, then can not the thing come, that is sowen with good. 30For the corne of euil sede hathe bene sowen in the heart of Adam from the beginning, & how muche vngodlines hathe he broght vp vnto this time? & how much shal he bring forthe vntil the haruest come? 31Pondre with thy self, how muche frute 32And when the stalkes shalbe cut downe, which are without nomber, how great an haruest must be prepared. 33Then I answered, and said, How, & when shal these things come to passe? wherefore are our yeres fewe and euil? 34And he answered me, saying, Haste not to be aboue the moste High: for thou laborest in vaine to be aboue him, thogh thou indeuer neuer so muche. 35Did not the soules also of the righteous aske question of these things in their chambers, saying, How long shal I thus hope? & when cometh the frute of my barne and our wages? 36And vpon this Ieremiel the Archangel answered, and said, When the nomber of the sedes is filled in you: for he hathe weighed the worlde in the balance. 37The measure of the times is measured: the ages are counted by nomber, and they shal not be moued or shaken, til the measure thereof be fulfilled. 38Then answered I, & said, O lord, lord, we are all euen full of sinne, 39And for our sake paraduenture the haruest of the righteous is not fulfilled, because of the sinne of them that dwell vpon earth. 40So he answered me, and said, Go, & aske a woman with childe, when she hathe fulfilled her nine moneths, if her wombe may kepe the birth anie longer within her. 41Then said I, No, lord, she can not. And he said vnto me, In the graue the places of soules are like the wombe. 42For as she that is with childe, hasteth to escape the necessitie of the trauail, so do these places hast to deliuer those things that are committed vnto them. 43That which thou desirest to se, shalbe shewed thee from the beginning. 44Then answered I, and said, If I haue founde grace in thy sight, and if it be possible, and if I be mete therefore, 45Shewe me whether there be more to come then is past, or more things past, then are to come. 46What is past, I knowe, but what is to come, I knowe not. 47And he said vnto me, Stand on the right side, and I wil expounde thee this by example. 48So I stode, and beholde, a whote burning ouen passed before me: and when the flame was gone by, I loked, & beholde, the smoke had the vpper hand. 49After this there passed before me a waterie cloude, and sent downe muche raine with a storme: and when the stormie raine was past, the droppes came after. 50Then said he vnto me, Consider with thy self, as the raine is more then the droppes, and as fyre exceadeth the smoke, so the porcion that is past, hathe the vpper hand, & the droppes and the smoke were muche. 51Then I praied, & said, Maie I liue, thinkest thou vntil that time? or what shal come to passe in those daies? 52He answered me, and said, Of the tokens whereof thou askest me, I can tell thee a parte: but I am not sent to shewe thee of thy life: for I do not knowe it.