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2 Esdras 5
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1Nevertheless as coming the tokens, behold, the days shall come, that they which dwell upon earth shall be taken in a great number, and the way of truth shall be hidden, and the land shall be barren of faith.
1“Nevertheless, concerning the signs, behold, the days will come when those who dwell on earth will be taken with great amazement, and the way of truth will be hidden, and the land will be barren of faith.
2But iniquity shall be increased above that which now thou seest, or that thou hast heard long ago.
2Iniquity will be increased above what now you see, and beyond what you have heard long ago.
3And the land, that thou seest now to have root, shalt thou see wasted suddenly.
3The land that you now see ruling will be a trackless waste, and men will see it desolate.
4But if the most High grant thee to live, thou shalt see after the third trumpet that the sun shall suddenly shine again in the night, and the moon thrice in the day:
4But if the Most High grants you to live, you will see what is after the third period will be troubled. The sun will suddenly shine in the night, and the moon in the day.
5And blood shall drop out of wood, and the stone shall give his voice, and the people shall be troubled:
5Blood will drop out of wood, and the stone will utter its voice. The peoples will be troubled, and the stars will fall.
6And even he shall rule, whom they look not for that dwell upon the earth , and the fowls shall take their flight away together:
6He will rule whom those who dwell on the earth don’t expect, and the birds will fly away together.
7And the Sodomitish sea shall cast out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many have not known: but they shall all hear the voice thereof.
7The Sodomite sea will cast out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many have not known; but all will hear its voice.
8There shall be a confusion also in many places, and the fire shall be oft sent out again, and the wild beasts shall change their places, and menstruous women shall bring forth monsters:
8There will also be chaos in many places. Fires will break out often, and the wild animals will change their places, and women will bring forth monsters.
9And salt waters shall be found in the sweet, and all friends shall destroy one another; then shall wit hide itself, and understanding withdraw itself into his secret chamber,
9Salt waters will be found in the sweet, and all friends will destroy one another. Then reason will hide itself, and understanding withdraw itself into its chamber.
10And shall be sought of many, and yet not be found: then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied upon earth.
10It will be sought by many, and won’t be found. Unrighteousness and lack of restraint will be multiplied on earth.
11One land also shall ask another, and say, Is righteousness that maketh a man righteous gone through thee?And it shall say, No.
11One country will ask another, ‘Has righteousness, or a man that does righteousness, gone through you?’ And it will say, ‘No.’
12At the same time shall men hope, but nothing obtain: they shall labour, but their ways shall not prosper.
12It will come to pass at that time that men will hope, but won’t obtain. They will labor, but their ways won’t prosper.
13To shew thee such tokens I have leave; and if thou wilt pray again, and weep as now, and fast even days, thou shalt hear yet greater things .
13I am permitted to show you such signs. If you will pray again, and weep as now, and fast seven days, you will hear yet greater things than these.”
14Then I awaked, and an extreme fearfulness went through all my body, and my mind was troubled, so that it fainted.
14Then I woke up, and an extreme trembling went through my body, and my mind was so troubled that it fainted.
15So the angel that was come to talk with me held me, comforted me, and set me up upon my feet.
15So the angel who had come to talk with me held me, comforted me, and set me on my feet.
16And in the second nightit came to pass, that Salathiel the captain of the people came unto me, saying, Where hast thou been? and why is thy countenance so heavy?
16In the second night, it came to pass that Phaltiel the captain of the people came to me, saying, “Where have you been? Why is your face sad?
17Knowest thou not that Israel is committed unto thee in the land of their captivity?
17Or don’t you know that Israel is committed to you in the land of their captivity?
18Up then, and eat bread, and forsake us not, as the shepherd that leaveth his flock in the hands of cruel wolves.
18Get up then, and eat some bread, and don’t forsake us, like a shepherd who leaves the flock in the power of cruel wolves.”
19Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me , and come not nigh me. And he heard what I said, and went from me.
19Then said I to him, “Go away from me and don’t come near me for seven days, and then you shall come to me.” He heard what I said and left me.
20And so I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like as Uriel the angel commanded me.
20So I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like Uriel the angel had commanded me.
21And after seven days so it was, that the thoughts of my heart were very grievous unto me again,
21After seven days, the thoughts of my heart were very grievous to me again,
22And my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to talk with the most High again,
22and my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to speak words before the Most High again.
23And said, O Lord that bearest rule, of every wood of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, thou hast chosen thee one only vine:
23I said, “O sovereign Lord of all the woods of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, you have chosen one vine for yourself.
24And of all lands of the whole world thou hast chosen thee one pit: and of all the flowers thereof one lily:
24Of all the lands of the world you have chosen one country for yourself. Of all the flowers of the world, you have chosen one lily for yourself.
25And of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one river: and of all builded cities thou hast hallowed Sion unto thyself:
25Of all the depths of the sea, you have filled one river for yourself. Of all built cities, you have consecrated Zion for yourself.
26And of all the fowls that are created thou hast named thee one dove: and of all the cattle that are made thou hast provided thee one sheep:
26Of all the birds that are created you have named for yourself one dove. Of all the livestock that have been made, you have provided for yourself one sheep.
27And among all the multitudes of people thou hast gotten thee one people: and unto this people, whom thou lovedst, thou gavest a law that is approved of all.
27Among all the multitudes of peoples you have gotten yourself one people. To this people, whom you loved, you gave a law that is approved by all.
28And now, O Lord, why hast thou given this one people over unto many? and upon the one root hast thou prepared others, and why hast thou scattered thy only one people among many?
28Now, O Lord, why have you given this one people over to many, and have dishonored the one root above others, and have scattered your only one among many?
29And they which did gainsay thy promises, and believed not thy covenants, have trodden them down .
29Those who opposed your promises have trampled down those who believed your covenants.
30If thou didst so much hate thy people , yet shouldest thou punish them with thine own hands.
30If you really do hate your people so much, they should be punished with your own hands.”
31Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me the night afore was sent unto me,
31Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me the night before was sent to me,
32And said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more.
32and said to me, “Hear me, and I will instruct you. Listen to me, and I will tell you more.”
33And I said, Speak on, my Lord.Then said he unto me, Thou art sore troubled in mind for Israel’s sake: lovest thou that people better than he that made them?
33I said, “Speak on, my Lord.” Then said he to me, “You are very troubled in mind for Israel’s sake. Do you love that people more than he who made them?”
34And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins pain me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the most High, and to seek out part of his judgment.
34I said, “No, Lord; but I have spoken out of grief; for my heart is in agony every hour while I labor to comprehend the way of the Most High, and to seek out part of his judgment.”
35And he said unto me, Thou canst not.And I said, Wherefore, Lord? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother’s womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?
35He said to me, “You can’t.” And I said, “Why, Lord? Why was I born? Why wasn’t my mother’s womb my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the people of Israel?”
36And he said unto me, Number me the things that are not yet come, gather me together the dross that are scattered abroad, make me the flowers green again that are withered,
36He said to me, “Count for me those who haven’t yet come. Gather together for me the drops that are scattered abroad, and make the withered flowers green again for me.
37Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the winds that in them are shut up, shew me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou labourest to know.
37Open for me the chambers that are closed, and bring out the winds for me that are shut up in them. Or show me the image of a voice. Then I will declare to you the travail that you asked to see.”
38And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men?
38And I said, “O sovereign Lord, who may know these things except he who doesn’t have his dwelling with men?
39As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things whereof thou askest me ?
39As for me, I lack wisdom. How can I then speak of these things you asked me about?”
40Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto my people.
40Then said he to me, “Just as you can do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so you can’t find out my judgment, or the end of the love that I have promised to my people.”
41And I said, Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them that be reserved till the end: and what shall they do that have been before me, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us?
41I said, “But, behold, O Lord, you have made the promise to those who are alive at the end. What should they do who have been before us, or we ourselves, or those who will come after us?”
42And he said unto me, I will liken my judgment unto a ring: like as there is no slackness of the last, even so there is no swiftness of the first.
42He said to me, “I will compare my judgment to a ring. Just as there is no slowness of those who are last, even so there is no swiftness of those who be first.”
43So I answered and said, Couldest thou not make those that have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that thou mightest shew thy judgment the sooner?
43So I answered, “Couldn’t you make them all at once that have been made, and that are now, and that are yet to come, that you might show your judgment sooner?”
44Then answered he me, and said, The creature may not haste above the maker; neither may the world hold them at once that shall be created therein.
44Then he answered me, “The creature may not move faster than the creator, nor can the world hold them at once who will be created in it.”
45And I said, As thou hast said unto thy servant, that thou, which givest life to all, hast given life at once to the creature that thou hast created, and the creature bare it: even so it might now also bear them that now be present at once.
45And I said, “How have you said to your servant, that you will surely make alive at once the creature that you have created? If therefore they will be alive at once, and the creation will sustain them, even so it might now also support them to be present at once.”
46And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thou bringest forth children, why dost thou it not together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.
46And he said to me, “Ask the womb of a woman, and say to her, ‘If you bear ten children, why do you it at different times? Ask her therefore to give birth to ten children at once.”
47And I said, She cannot: but must do it by distance of time.
47I said, “She can’t, but must do it each in their own time.”
48Then said he unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the earth to those that be sown in it in their times.
48Then said he to me, “Even so, I have given the womb of the earth to those who are sown in it in their own times.
49For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong to the aged, even so have I disposed the world which I created.
49For just as a young child may not give birth, neither she who has grown old any more, even so have I organized the world which I created.”
50And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now given me the way, I will proceed to speak before thee: for our mother, of whom thou hast told me that she is young, draweth now nigh unto age.
50I asked, “Seeing that you have now shown me the way, I will speak before you. Is our mother, of whom you have told me, still young? Or does she now draw near to old age?”
51He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that beareth children, and she shall tell thee.
51He answered me, “Ask a woman who bears children, and she will tell you.
52Say unto her, Wherefore are unto they whom thou hast now brought forth like those that were before, but less of stature?
52Say to her, ‘Why aren’t they whom you have now brought forth like those who were before, but smaller in stature?’
53And she shall answer thee, They that be born in the the strength of youth are of one fashion, and they that are born in the time of age, when the womb faileth, are otherwise.
53She also will answer you, ‘Those who are born in the strength of youth are different from those who are born in the time of old age, when the womb fails.’
54Consider thou therefore also, how that ye are less of stature than those that were before you.
54Consider therefore you also, how you are shorter than those who were before you.
55And so are they that come after you less than ye, as the creatures which now begin to be old, and have passed over the strength of youth.
55So are those who come after you smaller than you, as born of the creature which now begins to be old, and is past the strength of youth.”
56Then said I , Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favour in thy sight, shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.
56Then I said, “Lord, I implore you, if I have found favor in your sight, show your servant by whom you visit your creation.”