2 Esdras 8
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1ANd he answered me, saying, The most High made this worlde for manie, but the worlde to come for fewe. 2I wil tel thee a similitude, ô Esdras. As when thou askest the earth, it shal say vnto thee, that it giueth muche earthlie matter to make pottes, but litle dust that golde cometh of, so is it with the worke of this worlde. 3*There be manie created, but fewe shalbe saued. 4Then answered I, and said, Then swalowe vp the wit, ô my soule, and deuoure vnderstanding. 5For thou hast promised to heare, and thou wilt prophecie: for thou hast no longer space, but the life giuen thee. 6O Lord, if thou suffer not thy seruant, that we may intreat thee, that thou maist giue sede vnto our heart, and prepare our vnderstanding, that there may come frute of it, whereby euerie one which is corrupt, may liue, who can set him self for man? 7For thou art alone, and we all are one workemanship of thine hands, as thou hast said. 8For when the bodie is facioned now in the wombe, & thou hast giuen it members, thy creature is preserued by fyre & water, and the worke, created by thee, doeth suffer nine moneths the creature, which is facioned in it. 9But the thing that conteineth, and that which isconteined, shal bothe be preserued, and when time is come, the wombe, being preserued, deliuereth the things that grewe in it. 10For thou hast commanded the members, euen the breasts, to giue milke vnto the frute appointed to the breasts, 11That the thing, which is created, may be nourished for a time, til thou disposest it to thy mercie. 12Thou bringest it vp with thy righteousnes, nurturest it in thy Law, & reformest it with thy iudgement. 13Thou slayest it as thy creature, & giuest it life as thy worke. 14Seing then that thou destroyest him, which with so great labours is facioned, it is an easie thing to appoint by thy commandement, that the thing also which is made, might be preserued. 15Now therefore, ô Lord, I wil speake (as touching men in general thou shalt rather prouide) but concerning thy people, for whose sake I am sorie, 16And for thine inheritance for whose cause I mourne: for Israel, for whome I am woful, and for Iacob, for whose sake I am grieued. 17For them wil I pray before thee, aswel for my self, as for them: for I se our fautes that dwelt in the land. 18¶But I haue heard the sudden comming of the iudge, which is to come. 19Therefore heare my voyce, and vnderstand my wordes, which I wil speake before thee. The beginning of the wordes of Esdras, before he was taken vp. 20O Lord, that liuest for euer, which beholdest from aboue that which is aboue, and in the ayre, 21Whose throne is inestimable, & his glorie incomprehensible, before whome the hoste of the Angels stand with trembling, 22Whose keping is turned in winde and fyre, whose worde is true, and sayings stedfast, whose commandement is strong, and gouernement terrible, 23Whose loke dryeth vp the depths, and wrath maketh the mountaines to melt away as the thing beareth witnes. 24Heare the prayer of thy seruant, and receiue into thine eares the peticion of thy creature. 25For while I liue, I wil speake, and so long as I haue vnderstanding, I wil answer. 26Lkoe not vpon the sinnes of thy people, rather then thy faithful seruants. 27Haue not respect vnto the wicked dedes of men, rather then to them that haue thy testimonies in afflictions. 28Thinke not vpon those that haue walked fainedly before thee, but remember them that reuerence thy wil. 29Let it not be thy wil to destroye them, which haue liued like beasts, but loke vpon them that haue clearly taught thy Law. 30Take not displeasure with them, which appeare worse then beasts, but loue them, that alway put their trust in thy righteousnes and glorie. 31For we and our fathers haue all the same sicknes: but because of vs that are sinners, thou shalt be called merciful. 32If therefore thou wilt haue mercie vpon vs, thou shalt be called merciful towardes vs which haue no workes of righteousnes. 33For the righteous, which haue laid vp manie good workes, let them receiue the rewarde of their owne dedes. 34But what is man, that thou shuldest take displeasure at him? or what is this mortal generacion, that thou shuldest be so grieued towards it? 35*For verely there is no man among them that be borne, but he hathe done wickedly, nor anie that doeth confesse thee, which hathe not done amisse. 36For in this, ô Lord, thy righteousnes and thy goodnes shalbe praised, if thou be merciful vnto them, which haue not the substance of good workes. 37¶Then answered he me, and said, Some things hast thou spoken aright, and according vnto thy wordes it shalbe. 38For I wil not verely consider the workes of them, before the death, before the iudgement, before destruction: 39But *I wil reioyce in the wayes of the righteous, and I wil remember the pilgrimage, the saluation and the rewarde that they shal haue. 40Like as I haue spoken now, so shal it come to passe. 41For as the housband man soweth muche sede vpon the grounde, & planteth many trees, & yet alway the thing that is sowen, cometh not vp in time, nether yet doeth all that is planted, take roote: so nether shal thei all that are broght into the worlde, be saued. 42I answered then & said, If I haue founde grace, let me speake. 43Like as the housband mans sede perisheth, if it come not vp, and receiue not raine in due season, or if it be destroyed with to muche raine, 44So perisheth man, which is created with thine hands, & thou art called his patern, because he is created to thine image, for whose sake thou hast made all things, and lickened him vnto the housbandmans sede. 45Be not wroth with vs, ô Lord, but spare thy people & haue mercie vpon thine inheritance: for thou wilt be merciful vnto thy creature. 46Then answered he me, and said, The things present are for the present, and the things to come for suche as be to come. 47For thou art farre of that thou shuldest loue my creature aboue me: but I haue oft times drawen nere vnto thee and vnto it, but neuer to the vnrighteous. 48In this also thou art maruelous before the Highest, 49In that thou hast humbled thy self, as it becometh thee, and hast not iudged thy selfworthie to boast thy self greatly among the righteous. 50For many miseries & calamities remaine for them that shal liue in the latter time, because thei shal walke in great pride. 51But learne thou for thy self, and seke out the glorie for suche as be like thee. 52For vnto you is paradise opened: the tre of life is planted: the time to come is prepared, plenteousnes made ready: the citie is buylded, and rest is prepared, perfite goodnes and absolute wisdome. 53The roote of euil is sealed vp from you: the weakenes and moth is destroyed from you, and into hell fleeth corruption to be forgotten. 54Sorowes are vanished away, and in the end is shewed the treasure of immortalitie. 55Therefore aske thou no more questions concerning the multitude of them that perish. 56For when thei had libertie, thei despised the most High: they contemned his Law & forsoke his wayes. 57Moreouer, they haue troden downe his righteous, 58Saying in their heart, that there was no God, thogh they knewe that they shulde dye. 59For as the thing that I haue spoken of, is made readie for you: so is thirst and peine prepared for them: for God wolde not that man shulde perish: 60But they, after that they were created, haue defiled the Name of him that made them, & are vnthankeful vnto him, which prepared life for them. 61Therefore my iudgement is now at hand. 62These things haue I not shewed vnto all men, but vnto thee, and to a fewe like thee: then I answered, and said, 63Beholde now, ô Lord: thou hast shewed me the many wonders, which thou art determined to do in the last time, but in what time, thou hast not shewed me.