2 Esdras 6
GNV1560Tap a verse number to view it individually, or to play chapter audio from that verse when it’s loaded. Tap any word for its 1828 dictionary definition.
1And he said vnto me, In the beginning when the rounde worlde was made, and before the borders of the worlde were set, and before the windes blewe one against another: 2Before the noyce of thundres sounded, before the bright lightening did shine forthe, before the fundacions of Paradise were laide: 3Before the faire floures did appeare, before the moueable powers were stablished, before the innumerable armies of Angels were gathered: 4Before the heights of the aire were lifted vp, before the measures of the heauens were named, before the chimneis in Sion were hote: 5Before the present yeres were soght out, and before the affections of them that now sinne, were turned away, and they that haue laid vp the treasure of faith, were sealed, 6Then did I purpose these things, & they were made by me alone, and by none other; by me also they shalbe ended, and by none other. 7Then answered I, and said, What shalbe the diuision of times? or when shalbe the end of the first, and the beginning of it that followeth? 8And he said vnto me, From Abraham vnto Isaac, when Iacob and Esau were borne of him, *Iacobs hand helde first the hele of Esau. 9For Esau is the end of this worlde, and Iacob is the beginning of it that followeth. 10The hand of man is betwixt the hele and the hand. Other thing, Esdras, aske thou not. 11¶I answered then, & said, O Lord, Lord, if I haue founde fauour in thy sight, 12I beseche thee, make an end to shewe thy seruant thy tokens, whereof thou shewedst me parte the last night. 13So he answered me, and said, Stand vp vpon thy fete, and heare a mightie sounding voyce. 14There shal come as an earthquake, but the place where thou standest, shal not be moued. 15And therefore when he speaketh, be not afraied: for of the end shal be the worde, & of the fundacion of the earth shal it be vnderstand. 16Therefore while one speaketh of them, it trembleth and is moued: for it knoweth, that it must be changed at the end. 17And when I had heard it, I stode vp vpon my fete, and hearkened, and beholde, there was a voyce that spake, and the sounde of it was like the sounde of many waters: 18And it said, Beholde, the daies come, that I wil come & inquire of them that dwell vpon the earth, 19And when I beginne to inquire of them, who by their vnrighteousnes haue hurt others, and when the affliction of Sion shal be fulfilled, 20And the worlde, that shal vanish away, shalbe sealed, then wil I shewe these signes: the bokes shalbe opened before the heauen, and they shal se all it together. 21And the children of a yere olde shal speake with their voyces: the women with-child shal bring forthe vntimelie children of thre or foure moneths olde, and they shal liue that are raised vp. 22Then suddenly shal the sowen places appeare as the vnsowne, & the ful store houses shal suddenly be founde emptie. 23And the trumpet shal sounde, and all they that heare it, shalbe suddenly afraied. 24At that time shal friends fight with friends, as with enemies, and the earth shal feare with them: the springs of the welles shal stand stil, & in thre houres they shal not renne. 25Whosoeuer remaineth from all these 26And the men that are receiued, shal se it: they that haue not tasted death from their birth, and the heart of the inhabitants shal be changed, and turned to another meaning. 27For euil shal be put out, and disceate shal be quenched, 28But faith shal flourish: corruption shalbe ouercome, and the trueth which hathe bene so long without frute, shal come forthe. 29¶And when he talked with me, beholde, I loked a litle vpon him before whome I stode. 30And these wordes said he vnto me, I am come to shewe thee the time of the night to come. 31If thou wilt pray againe, and fast seuen daies more, I wil tel thee more things, & greater then these, which I haue heard in the day. 32For thy voyce is heard before the Highest: surely the mightie hathe sene thy righteous dealing: he hathe sene also thy chastitie, which thou hast kept since thy youth. 33Therefore hathe he sent me to shewe thee all these things, and to say vnto thee, Be of good comfort, and feare not, 34And haste not in the vaine consideration of the first times, nor make haste to the latter times. 35And after this I wepte againe and fasted seuen daies in like maner, that I might fulfil the thre wekes, which he had appointed me. 36And in the eight night was mine heart vexed within me againe, and I began to speake before the moste High. 37For my spirit was greatly set on fyer, & my soule was in distresse, 38And I said, ô Lord, thou spakest expresly in the first creation (euen the first day) and commandedst * that the heauen and the earth shulde be made, and the worke followed thy worde. 39And then was there the spirit, and the darknes was on euerie side with silence: there was no mans voyce as yet created of thee. 40Then commandedst thou a bright light to come forthe out of thy treasures, that it might giue light to thy worke. 41Vpon the second day thou createdst the heauenlie ayre, and commandedst it, that, going betwene, it shulde make a diuision betwene the waters, that the one parte might remaine aboue, and the other beneth. 42Vpon the third day thou commandedst, that the waters shulde be gathered together in the seuenth parte of the earth: six partes didest thou drye, & kept them to the intent that of these there shulde be that shulde serue thee, being sowen of God and tilled. 43Assone as thy worde went forthe, the worke was incontinently made. 44For immediatly great and innumerable frute did spring vp, and manie diuerse pleasures for the taste, and floures of vnchangeable colour, and odours of a moste wonderful smel & these things were created the third day. 45* Vpon the fourth day thou createdst the light of the sunne, and of the moone, and the order of the starres, 46And gauest them a charge, to do *seruice euen vnto man that was for to be made. 47And vpon the fift day thou saidest vnto the seuenth parte * where the waters were gathered, that it shulde bring forthe beasts, as foules and fishes: and it was so. 48For the domme waters, and without life broght forthe liuing things at the commandement of God that the nations might praise thy wonderous workes. 49Then didest thou prepare two liuing things: the one thou calledst Behemoth, & the other thou calledst Leuiathan, 50And didest separate the one from the other: for the seuenth parte, where the water was gathered, colde not holde them. 51Vnto Behemoth thou gauest one parte, which was dryed vp the third day, that he shulde dwell in the same parte, wherein are a thousand hilles. 52But vnto Leuiathan thou gauest the seuenth parte, that is wett, and hast prepared him to deuoure what thou wilt, and when thou wilt. 53Vpon the sixt day thou gauest commandement vnto the earth, that before thee it shulde bring forthe beasts, catel and creping things. 54And besides this Adam, whome thou madest lord ouer all the workes which thou hast created, of him come we all, and the people also, whome thou hast chosen. 55All this haue I spoken before thee, ô Lord, because thou hast created the worlde for our sakes. 56As for the other people, which also come of Adam, thou hast declared them that they are nothing before thee, but be like vnto spitle, and hast compared their riches vnto a drop that falleth from a vessel. 57And now, ô Lord, beholde these heathen which haue bene reputed as nothing, haue begonne to be lords ouer vs, and to deuoure vs. 58And we thy people (whome thou hast called the first borne, the onely begotten, and thy feruent louer) are giuen into their hands. 59If the worlde then be created for our