2 Esd 6

1 And he said unto me, In the beginning, when the earth was made, before the outgoings of the world were fixed, or ever the gatherings of the winds blew, 2 before the voices of the thunder sounded and before the flashes of the lightning shone, or ever the foundations of paradise were laid, 3 before the fair flowers were seen, or ever the powers of the earthquake were established, before the innumerable hosts of angels were gathered together, 4 or ever the heights of the air were lifted up, before the measures of the firmament were named, or ever the footstool of Sion ^{▼▼ So the Syriac.} was established, 5 and ere the present years were sought out, and or ever the imaginations of them that now sin were estranged, before they were sealed that have gathered faith for a treasure: 6 then did I consider these things, and they all were made through me alone, and through none other: as by me also they shall be ended, and by none other.

7 Then answered I and said, what shall be the parting asunder of the times? or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of it that followeth?

8 And he said unto me, From ^{▼▼ Perhaps for Abram.} Abraham unto ^{▼▼ Another reading is, Isaac.} Abraham, inasmuch as Jacob and Esau were born of him, for Jacob’s hand held the heel of Esau from the beginning. 9 For Esau is the end of this world, and Jacob is the beginning of it that followeth. 10 ^{▼▼ So the Syriac, &c. The Latin is defective.} The beginning of a man is his hand, and the end of a man is his heel; between the heel and the hand seek thou nought else, Esdras.

11 I answered then and said, O Lord that bearest rule, If I have found favour in thy sight, 12 I beseech thee, shew thy servant the end of thy tokens, whereof thou shewedst me part the last night.

13 So he answered and said unto me, Stand up upon thy feet, and thou shalt hear a mighty sounding voice; 14 and if the place whereon thou standest be greatly moved, 15 when it speaketh be thou not afraid: for the word is of the end, and the foundations of the earth shall understand, 16 that the speech is of them: they shall tremble and be moved: for they know that their end must be changed.

17 And it happened, that when I had heard it I stood up upon my feet, and hearkened, and, behold, there was a voice that spake, and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters. 18 And it said, Behold, the days come, and it shall be that when I draw nigh to visit them that dwell upon the earth, 19 and when I shall make inquisition of them that have done hurt unjustly with their unrighteousness, and when the affliction of Sion shall be fulfilled, 20 and when the seal shall be set upon the world that is to pass away, then will I shew these tokens: the books shall be opened before the firmament, and all shall see together: 21 and the children of a year old shall speak with their voices, the women with child shall bring forth untimely children at three or four months, and they shall live, and dance. 22 And suddenly shall the sown places appear unsown, the full storehouses shall suddenly be found empty: 23 and the trumpet shall give a sound, which when every man heareth, they shall be suddenly afraid. 24 At that time shall friends make war one against another like enemies, and the earth shall stand in fear with those that dwell therein, the springs of the fountains shall stand still, so that for three hours they shall not run. 25 And it shall be that whosoever remaineth after all these things that I have told thee of, he shall be saved, and shall see my salvation, and the end of my world. 26 And they shall see the men that have been taken up, who have not tasted death from their birth: and the heart of the inhabitants shall be changed, and turned into another meaning. 27 For evil shall be blotted out, and deceit shall be quenched; 28 and faith shall flourish, and corruption shall be overcome, and the truth, which hath been so long without fruit, shall be declared.

29 And when he talked with me, behold, by little and little the place whereon I stood ^{▼▼ After the Oriental versions. The Latin is corrupt.} rocked to and fro. 30 And he said unto me, These things came I to shew thee ^{▼▼ So the Syriac. The Latin is corrupt.} this night. 31 If therefore thou wilt pray yet again, and fast sseven days more, I shall yet ^{▼▼ The Latin has tell thee by day.} tell thee greater things than these. 32 For thy voice hath surely been heard before the Most High: for the Mighty hath seen thy righteous dealing, he hath seen aforetime also thy chastity, which thou hast had ever since thy youth. 33 And therefore hath he sent me to shew thee all these things, and to say unto thee, Be of good comfort, and fear not. 34 And be not hasty in regard of the former times, to think vain things, that thou mayest not hasten in the latter times.

35 And it came to pass after this, that I wept again, and fasted seven days in like manner, that I might fulfil the three weeks which he told me. 36 And in the eighth night was my heart vexed within me again, and I began to speak before the Most High. 37 For my spirit was greatly set on fire, and my soul was in distress. 38 And I said, O Lord, of a truth thou spakest at the beginning of the creation, upon the first day, and saidst thus; Let heaven and earth be made; and thy word perfected the work. 39 And then was the spirit hovering, and darkness and silence were on every side; the sound of man’s voice was not yet. ^{▼▼ The Latin adds from thee.} 40 Then commandest thou a ray of light to be brought forth of thy treasures, that then thy works might appear. 41 Upon the second day again thou madest the spirit of the firmament and commandedst it to part asunder, and to make a division betwixt the waters, that the one part might go up, and the other remain beneath. 42 Upon the third day thou didst command that the waters should be gathered together in the seventh part of the earth: six parts didst thou dry up, and keep them, to the intent that of these some being both planted and tilled might serve before thee. 43 For as soom as thy word went forth the work was done. 44 For immediately there came forth great and innumerable fruit, and manifold pleasures for the taste, and flowers of inimitable colour, and odours of most exquisite smell: and this was done the third day. 45 Upon the fourth day thou commandedst that the sun should shine, and the moon give her light, and the stars should be in their order: 46 and gavest them a charge to do service unto man, that was to be made. 47 Upon the fifth day thou saidst unto the seventh part, where the water was gathered together, that it should bring forth living creatures, fowls and fishes: and so it came to pass, 48 that the dumb water and without life brought forth living things as it was bidden, that the peoples might therefore praise thy wondrous works. 49 Then didst thou preserve two living creatures, the one thou calledst Behemoth, and the other thou calledst Leviathan: 50 and thou didst separate the one from the other: for the seventh part, namely, where the water was gathered together, might not hold them both. 51 Unto Behemoth thou gavest one part, which was dried up on the third day, that he should dwell in the same, wherein are a thousand hills: 52 but unto Leviathan thou gavest the seventh part, namely, the moist; and thou hast kept them to be devoured of whom thou wilt, and when. 53 But upon the sixth day thou gavest commandment unto the earth, that it should bring forth before thee cattle, beasts, and creeping things: 54 and over these Adam, whom thou ordainest lord over all the works that thou hast made: of him come we all, the people whom thou hast chosen. 55 All this have I spoken before thee, O Lord, because thou hast said that for our sakes thou madest ^{▼▼ So the Syriac. The Latin has the firstborn world.} this world. 56 As for the other nations, which also come of Adam, thou hast said that they are nothing, and are like unto spittle: and thou hast likened the abundance of them unto a drop that falleth from a vessel. 57 And now, O Lord, behold these nations, which are reputed as nothing, be lords over us, and devour us. 58 But we thy people, whom thou hast called thy firstborn, thy only begotten, and thy fervent lover, are given into their hands. 59 If the world now be made for our sakes, why do we not possess for an inheritance our world? How long shall this endure?