2 Esdras 9
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1HE answered me then, & said, Measure the time with it self, & when thou seest that one parte of the tokens come to passe, which I haue tolde thee before, 2Then shalt thou vnderstand, that it is the time wherein the mosteHigh wil begin to visite the worlde which he made. 3Therefore when there shalbe sene an erthquake in the worlde, and an vproare of the people, 4Then shalt thou vnderstand that the moste High spake of those things, from the daies that were before thee, euen from the beginning. 5For as all that is made in the worlde, hathe a beginning and an end, and the end is manifest, 6So the times also of the most High haue plaine beginnings in wonders and signes, and end in effect and miracles. 7And euerie one that shal escape safe, & shalbe deliuered by his workes, and by the faith wherein ye haue beleued, 8Shalbe preserued from the said perils and shal se my saluacion in my land, and within my borders: for I haue kept me holy from the worlde. 9Then shal they haue pitie of them selues, which now haue abused my waies: & thei that haue cast them out dispitefully, shal dwell in peines. 10For suche as in their life haue receiued benefites, and haue not knowen me, 11But haue abhorred my Law, while they were yet in libertie, and when they had yet leasure of amendement, and wolde not vnderstand but despised it, 12They must be taught it after death by peine. 13And therefore be thou no more careful, to knowe how the vngodlie shalbe punished, but inquire how the righteous shalbe saued, and whose the worlde is, and for whome it is, and when. 14Then answered I, and said, 15I haue afore said that which I say now & wil speake it hereafter, that there be many mo of them which perish, then of them that shalbe saued, 16As the flood is greater then a drop. 17And he answered me, saying, As the field is, so is also the sede: as the floures be, so are the colours also: suche as the workeman is, suche is the worke: and as the housbandman is, so is his housbandrie: for it was the time of the worlde. 18Surely when I prepared the worlde, which was not yet made for them to dwell in that now liue, no man spake against me. 19For then euerie one obeyed, but now the maners of them that are created in this worlde, that is made, are corrupted by a perpetual sede, & by a Law, whereout thei can not rid them selues. 20So I considered the worlde, & beholde, there was peril, because of the deuises, that were sprung vp into it. 21Yet when I sawe it, I spared it greatly, and haue kept me one grape of the cluster, and a plant out of a great people. 22Let therefore the multitude perish, which are borne in vaine: and let my grape be kept, and my plant, which I haue dressed with great labour. 23¶ Neuertheles, if thou wilt cease seuen daies mo( but thou shalt not fast in them, 24But shalt go into a faire field, where no house is buylded, & shalt eat onely of the floures of the field, and eat no flesh, nor drinke wine, but the floures onely, 25And pray vnto the moste High continually) then wil I come, and talke with thee. 26So I went my waye, as he had commanded me, into the field, which is called Ardath, & there I sate among the floures, & did eat of the herbes of the field, and the meat of the same satisfied me. 27And after seuen dayes, as I sate vpon the grasse, and mine heart was vexed within me, as afore, 28I opened my mouth, and began to talke before the moste High, and to say, 29O Lord, when thou woldest shewe thy self vnto vs, thou declaredst thy self vnto our fathers in the wildernes, in a place where no man dwelleth, in a baren place, when they came out of Egypt, 30And expressely spakest vnto them, saying, Heare me, ô Israel, and marke my wordes, thou sede of Iacob. 31For beholde, I sawe my Law in you, that it may bring forthe frute in you, and that ye may be honored by it for euer. 32But our fathers, which receiued the Law, kept it not, nether obserued thine ordinances, nether did the frute of the Law appeare, nether colde it, for it was thine. 33For they that receiued it, perished because they kept not the thing that was sowen in them. 34And lo, it is a custome when the grounde receiueth sede, or the sea a ship, or a vessel meat and drinke, if that perish wherein a thing is sowen, or wherein any thing is put, 35Likewise the thing that is sowen, or is put therein, and the things that are receiued, must perish: so the things that are receiued, do not remaine with vs: but in vs it cometh not so to passe. 36For we that haue receiued the Law, perish in sinne, and our heart also which receiued it. 37But the Law perisheth not, but remaineth in his force. 38¶ And when I spake these things in mine heart, I loked about me, & vpon the right side I sawe a woman, which mourned sore, and lamented with a loude voyce, and was grieued in heart, and rent her clothes, and she had ashes vpon her head. 39Then I left my thoghts, wherein I was occupied, and turned me vnto her, 40And said vnto her, wherefore wepest thou? why art thou so sory in minde? 41And she said vnto me, Syr, let me alone, that I may bewaile my self, and increase sorowe: for I am sore vexed in my minde, and broght verie lowe. 42Then I said vnto her, What aileth thee? tel me. 43And she said vnto me, I thy seruant haue bene baren, & haue had no childe, hauing an housband thirtie yeres. 44And euery houre, & euery day these thirtie yeres I pray to the moste High day & night. 45And after thirtie yeres God heard me thine handmaid, & loked vpon my miserie, considered my trouble, & gaue me a sonne, & I was glad of him: so was mine housband also, and all they of my countrey, and we gaue great honour vnto the Almightie. 46And I nourished him with great trauail. 47So when he grewe vp, and came to take a wife, I made a feast.