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2 Esdras 14
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1And it came to pass upon the third day, I sat under an oak, and, behold, there came a voice out of a bush over against me, and said, Esdras, Esdras.
1It came to pass upon the third day, I sat under an oak, and, behold, a voice came out of a bush near me, and said, “Esdras, Esdras!”
2And I said, Here am I , Lord And I stood up upon my feet.
2I said, “Here I am, Lord,” and I stood up on my feet.
3Then said he unto me, In the bush I did manifestly reveal myself unto Moses, and talked with him, when my people served in Egypt:
3Then he said to me, “I revealed myself in a bush and talked with Moses when my people were in bondage in Egypt.
4And I sent himand led my people out of Egypt, and brought him up to the mount of where I held him by me a long season,
4I sent him, and he led my people out of Egypt. I brought him up to Mount Sinai, where I kept him with me for many days.
5And told him many wondrous things, and shewed him the secrets of the times, and the end; and commanded him, saying,
5I told him many wondrous things, and showed him the secrets of the times and the end of the seasons. I commanded him, saying,
6These words shalt thou declare, and these shalt thou hide.
6‘You shall publish these openly, and these you shall hide.’
7And now I say unto thee,
7Now I say to you:
8That thou lay up in thy heart the signs that I have shewed, and the dreams that thou hast seen, and the interpretations which thou hast heard:
8Lay up in your heart the signs that I have shown, the dreams that you have seen, and the interpretations which you have heard;
9For thou shalt be taken away from all, and from henceforth thou shalt remain with my Son, and with such as be like thee, until the times be ended.
9for you will be taken away from men, and from now on you will live with my Son and with those who are like you, until the times have ended.
10For the world hath lost his youth, and the times begin to wax old.
10For the world has lost its youth, and the times begin to grow old.
11For the world is divided into twelve parts, and the ten parts of it are gone already , and half of a tenth part:
11For the age is divided into twelve parts, and ten parts of it are already gone, even the half of the tenth part.
12And there remaineth that which is after the half of the tenth part.
12There remain of it two parts after the middle of the tenth part.
13Now therefore set thine house in order, and reprove thy people, comfort such of them as be in trouble, and now renounce corruption,
13Now therefore set your house in order, reprove your people, comfort the lowly among them, and instruct those of them who are wise, and now renounce the life that is corruptible,
14Let go from thee mortal thoughts, cast away the burdens of man, put off now the weak nature,
14and let go of the mortal thoughts, cast away from you the burdens of man, put off now your weak nature,
15And set aside the thoughts that are most heavy unto thee, and haste thee to flee from these times.
15lay aside the thoughts that are most grievous to you, and hurry to escape from these times.
16For yet greater evils than those which thou hast seen happen shall be done hereafter.
16For worse evils than those which you have seen happen will be done after this.
17For look how much the world shall be weaker through age, so much the more shall evils increase upon them that dwell therein.
17For look how much the world will be weaker through age, so much that more evils will increase on those who dwell in it.
18For the time is fled far away, and leasing is hard at hand: for now hasteth the vision to come, which thou hast seen.
18For the truth will withdraw itself further off, and falsehood will be near. For now the eagle which you saw in vision hurries to come.”
19Then answered I before thee, and said,
19Then I answered and said, “Let me speak in your presence, O Lord.
20Behold, Lord, I will go, as thou hast commanded me, and reprove the people which are present: but they that shall be born afterward, who shall admonish them? thus the world is set in darkness, and they that dwell therein are without light.
20Behold, I will go, as you have commanded me, and reprove the people who now live, but who will warn those who will be born afterward? For the world is set in darkness, and those who dwell in it are without light.
21For thy law is burnt, therefore no man knoweth the things that are done of thee, or the work that shall begin.
21For your law has been burned, therefore no one knows the things that are done by you, or the works that will be done.
22But if I have found grace before thee, send the Holy Ghost into me, and I shall write all that hath been done in the world since the beginning, which were written in thy law, that men may find thy path, and that they which will live in the latter days may live.
22But if I have found favor before you, send the Holy Spirit to me, and I will write all that has been done in the world since the beginning, even the things that were written in your law, that men may be able to find the path, and that those who would live in the latter days may live.”
23And he answered me , saying, Go thy way, gather the people together, and say unto them, that they seek thee not for forty days.
23He answered me and said, “Go your way, gather the people together, and tell them not to seek you for forty days.
24But look thou prepare thee many box trees, and take with thee Sarea, Dabria, Selemia, Ecanus, and Asiel, these fivewhich are ready to write swiftly;
24But prepare for yourself many tablets, and take with you Sarea, Dabria, Selemia, Ethanus, and Asiel, these five, which are ready to write swiftly;
25And come hither, and I shall light a candle of understanding in thine heart, which shall not be put out, till the things be performed which thou shalt begin to write.
25and come here, and I will light a lamp of understanding in your heart which will not be put out until the things have ended about which you will write.
26And when thou hast done, some things shalt thou publish , and some things shalt thou shew secretly to the wise: to morrow this hour shalt thou begin to write.
26When you are done, some things you shall publish openly, and some things you shall deliver in secret to the wise. Tomorrow at this hour you will begin to write.”
27Then went I forth, as he commanded , and gathered all the people together, and said,
27Then went I out, as he commanded me, and gathered all the people together, and said,
28Hear these words, O Israel.
28“Hear these words, O Israel!
29Our fathers at the beginning were strangers in Egypt, from whence they were delivered:
29Our fathers at the beginning were foreigners in Egypt, and they were delivered from there,
30And received the law of life, which they kept not, which ye also have transgressed after them.
30and received the law of life, which they didn’t keep, which you also have transgressed after them.
31Then was the land, even the land of Sion, parted among you by lot: but your fathers, and ye yourselves, have done unrighteousness, and have not kept the ways which the Highest commanded you.
31Then the land of Zion was given to you for a possession; but you yourselves and your ancestors have done unrighteousness, and have not kept the ways which the Most High commanded you.
32And forasmuch as he is a righteous judge, he took from you in time the thing that he had given you.
32Because he is a righteous judge, in due time, he took from you what he had given you.
33And now are ye here, and your brethren among you.
33Now you are here, and your kindred are among you.
34Therefore if so be that ye will subdue your own understanding, and reform your hearts, ye shall be kept aliveand after death ye shall obtain mercy.
34Therefore if you will rule over your own understanding and instruct your hearts, you will be kept alive, and after death you will obtain mercy.
35For after death shall the judgment come, when we shall live again: and then shall the names of the righteous be manifest, and the works of the ungodly shall be declared.
35For after death the judgment will come, when we will live again. Then the names of the righteous will become manifest, and the works of the ungodly will be declared.
36Let no man therefore come unto me now, nor seek after me these forty days.
36Let no one therefore come to me now, nor seek me for forty days.”
37So I took the five men, as he commanded me, and we went into the field, and remained there.
37So I took the five men, as he commanded me, and we went out into the field, and remained there.
38And the next day , behold, a voice called me, saying, Esdras, open thy mouth, and drink that I give thee to drink.
38It came to pass on the next day that, behold, a voice called me, saying, “Esdras, open your mouth, and drink what I give you to drink.”
39Then opened I my mouth, and, behold, he reached me a full cup, which was full as it were with water, but the colour of it was like fire.
39Then opened I my mouth, and behold, a full cup was handed to me. It was full of something like water, but its color was like fire.
40And I took it, and drank: and when I had drunk of it, my heart uttered understanding, and wisdom grew in my breast, for my spirit strengthened my memory:
40I took it, and drank. When I had drunk it, my heart uttered understanding, and wisdom grew in my chest, for my spirit retained its memory.
41And my mouth was opened, and shut no more.
41My mouth was opened, and shut no more.
42The Highest gave understanding unto the five men, and they wrote the wonderful visions of the night that were told , which they knew not: and they sat forty days, and they wrote in the day, and at night they ate bread.
42The Most High gave understanding to the five men, and they wrote by course the things that were told them, in characters which they didn’t know, and they sat forty days. Now they wrote in the day-time, and at night they ate bread.
43As for me. I spake in the day, and I held not my tongue by night.
43As for me, I spoke in the day, and by night I didn’t hold my tongue.
44In forty days they wrote two hundred and four books .
44So in forty days, ninety-four books were written.
45And it came to pass, when the forty days were filled, that the Highest spake, saying, The first that thou hast writtenpublish openly, that the worthy and unworthy may read it:
45It came to pass, when the forty days were fulfilled, that the Most High spoke to me, saying, “The first books that you have written, publish openly, and let the worthy and unworthy read them;
46But keep the seventy last , that thou mayest deliver them only to such as be wise among the people:
46but keep the last seventy, that you may deliver them to those who are wise among your people;
47For in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, and the stream of knowledge.
47for in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, and the stream of knowledge.”
48And I did so.
48I did so.