2 Esdras 5
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1NEuertheles concerning the tokens, beholde, the times shal come, that thei which dwell vpon earth, shalbe taken in a great nomber, & the way of the trueth shalbe hid & the land shalbe baren from faith, 2And *iniquitie shalbe increased more then thou hast sene now, or hast heard in time past. 3And it shal come to passe, that one shal set in fote, and thou shalt se the land desolate, which now reigneth. 4Yea, if God grante thee to liue, thou shalt se after the third trumpet, that the sunne shal suddenly shine againe in the night, & the moone thre times a day. 5Blood shal drop out of the wood, and the stone shal giue his voyce, and the people shalbe moued. 6And he shal rule, of whome they hope not that dwell vpon earth, and the foules shal change place. 7And the sea of Sodom shal cast out fish, and make a noyse in the night, which many shal not knowe, but they shal all heare the voyce thereof. 8There shalbe a confusion in many places, and the fyre shal oft breake forthe, & the wilde beasts shal change their places, and menstruous women shal beare monstres, 9And salt waters shalbe founde in the swete, & all friends shal fight one against another: then shal wit hide it self, and vnderstanding departe into his secret chamber. 10It shalbe soght of many, and yet not be founde: then shal vnrighteousnes and voluptuousnes haue the vpper hand vpon earth. 11One land also shal aske another, & say, Is righteous iustice gone thorowe thee? And it shal say, No. 12At the same time shal men hope, but not obteine: they shal labour, but their enterprises shal not prosper. 13To shewe thee suche tokens I haue leaue, and if thou wilt praie againe and wepe as now, and fast seuen daies, thou shalt heare yet greater things then these. 14¶ Then I awaked, and a fearefulnes went 15But the Angel that was come to talke with me, helde me, comforted me, and set me vp vpon my fete. 16And in the seconde night, Salathiel the captaine of the people came vnto me, saying, Where hast thou bene? and why is thy countenance so heauie? 17Knowest thou not that Israel is committed vnto thee in the land of their captiuitie? 18Vp then and eat, & forsake vs not, as the shepherd that leaueth his flocke in the hands of the cruel wolues. 19Then said I vnto him, Go thy waies from me, and come not nere me: and when he heard it, he went from me. 20And I fasted seuen daies, mourning and weping, as Vriel the Angel had commanded me. 21And after seuen daies the thoghts of mine heart were very grieuous vnto me againe. 22And I had a desire to reason againe, and I beganne to talke with the moste High againe, 23And said, O Lord, Lord: of euerie forest of the earth, and of all the trees thereof thou hast chosen thee one onely vineyarde. 24And of all lands of the worlde thou hast chosen thee one pit, & of all the flours of the grounde thou hast chosen thee one lilie. 25And of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one riuer, and of all buylded cities thou hast sanctified Sion vnto thy self. 26And of all the foules that are created, thou hast named thee one doue, and of all the cattel that are made, thou hast appointed thee one shepe. 27And among all the multitude of people thou hast gotten thee one people, and vnto this people whome thou louedst, thou gauest a Law, that is proued of all. 28And now, ô Lord, why hast thou giuen this one people ouer vnto many? and vpon one roote thou hast set others, & hast scatred thine onelie people among many. 29They treade them downe, which haue withstand thy promises, and beleue not thy testimonies. 30And if thou didest somuche hate thy people, they shulde haue bene punished with thine owne hands. 31¶ Now when I had spoken these wordes, the Angel that came to me the night afore, was sent vnto me, 32And said vnto me, Heare me, and I wil teache thee, & hearken that I may instruct thee further. 33And I said, Speake on, my lord. Then said he vnto me, Thou art sore vexed and troubled for Israels sake. Louest thou them better, then he doeth that made them? 34And I said, No, lord: but of very sorow haue I spoken: for my raines paine me euerie houre, while I labour to comprehend the way of the moste High, & to seke out parte of his iudgement. 35And he said vnto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, lord, wherefore was I borne? or why was not my mothers wombe then my graue? so had I not sene the trouble of Iacob, and the grief of the stocke of Israel. 36And he said vnto me, Nomber vnto me the things that are not yet come, or gather me the droppes, that are scatred, or make me the withered floures grene againe. 37Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forthe the windes, that are shut vp therein: shewe me the image of a voyce, and then wil I declare thee the thing, that thou askest and laborest to knowe. 38And I said, O Lord, Lord, who can knowe these things, but he that hathe not his dwelling with men? 39But I that am ignorant, how can I speake of these things, whereof thou askest me? 40Then said he vnto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things, that I haue spoken of, so canst thou not finde out my iudgement, nor the least benefite, that I haue promised vnto my people. 41Then I said, Beholde, ô Lord, the last things are present vnto thee, and what shal they do that haue bene before me, or we that be now, or they that shal come after vs? 42And he said vnto me, I wil compare my iudgement vnto a ring: as there is no slacknes of the last, so is there no swiftnes of the first. 43Then I answered, and said, Coldest thou not make at once those that haue bene, those that are now, & those that shal come, that thou mightest shewe thy iudgement the soner? 44Then answered he me, The creature, said he, can not preuent the Creator, nether can the worlde holde them at once, that shalbe created therein. 45And I said, As thou hast taught thy seruant, that thou, which giuest strength to all, hast giuen life at once to all the worke created by thee, and hast susteined it, so might it now also conteine all men at once. 46And he said vnto me, Aske the wombe of a woman, and say vnto her, Why must thou haue time before thou bringest forthe? require her to bring forthe ten at once. 47And I said, Surely she can not, but by distance of time. 48Then said he vnto me, So haue I deuided the nomber of the earth by times when sede is sowen vpon it. 49For as a yong child begetteth not that that belongeth to the aged, so haue I ordeined the time which I haue created. 50¶I asked againe, and said, Seing thou hast now shewed me the way, I wil procede to speake before thee: for our mother, whome thou hast tolde me is yong, draweth she nere vnto age? 51He answered me, and said, Aske a woman that traueileth, and she wil tell thee. 52Say vnto her, Wherefore are not they (whome thou hast now broght forthe) like those that were before thee, but lesse of stature? 53And she shal answer thee, Some were borne in the floure of youth, others were borne in the time of age, when the wombe failed. 54Consider now thy self, how that ye are lesse of stature, then those that were before you, 55And so are they that come after you, lesse then ye, as the creatures which now beginne to be olde, and haue passed ouer the strength of youth. 56Then said I, Lord, I beseche thee, if I haue founde fauour in thy sight, shewe thy seruant, by whome doest thou gouerne thy workemanship?