The Holy Bible

Part 73 out of 74

of Israel thou art true. For there is a roote left vntil this present
day. 91 Behold, now we are in thy sight in our iniquities. For it is
not to stand any longer before thee in these matters. 92 And when Esdras
with adoration confessed weeping, lying flat on the ground before the
temple, there were gathered before him out of Ierusalem a verie great
multitude, men and wemen, and yong men and yong wemen. For there was
great weeping in the multitude it self. (1 Esd 10:1) 93 And when he had
cried, Iechonias of Ieheli of the children of Israel, sayd to Esdras: We
haue sinned against our Lord, for that we haue taken vnto vs in mariage
strange wemen of the nations of the land. 94 And now thou art ouer al
Israel, in these therfore let there be an othe from our Lord to expel al
our wiues that are of strangers with their children. 95 As it was
decreed to thee of the ancesters according to the law of our Lord, rising
vp declare it. 96 For to thee the busines perteineth, and we are with
thee: doe manfully. 97 And Esdras rysing vp adiured the princes of the
Priestes and Leuites, and al Israel to doe according to these thinges and
they sware.

CHAP. IX.

Esdras fasting for the sinnes of the people, commandeth that they
separate al strange wemen from them. 18. The Priestes and Leuites, which
had offended herein, are recited. 38 He readeth the law before the
people: 48 certaine doe expound to the multitudes in seueral places.
52 And so they are dismissed with ioy.

AND Esdras rysing vp from before the court of the temple, went into the
chamber of Ionathas the sonne of Nasabi. (1 Esd 10:6) 2 And lodging
there he tasted no bread, nor dranke water for the iniquitie of the
multitude. 3 And there was proclamation made in al Iurie, & in Ierusalem
to al that were of the captiuitie gathered in Ierusalem, 4 that whosoeuer
shal not appeare with in two or three dayes, according to the iudgement
of the ancients sitting vpon it, their goods should be taken away, and
himselfe should be iudged an alien from the multitude of the captiuitie.
5 And al were gathered that were of the tribe of Iuda, and of Beniamin
within three dayes in Ierusalem: this is the ninth moneth, the twentith
day of the moneth. 6 And al the multitude sate in the court of the
temple trembling, for the present winter. 7 And Esdras rysing vp sayd to
them: You haue done vnlawfully taking to you in mariage strang wiues,
that you might adde to the sinnes of Israel. 8 And now geue confession,
& magnificence to our Lord the God of our fathers: 9 and accomplish his
wil, and depart from the nations of the land, and from your wiues the
strangers. 10 And al the multitude cried, and they sayd with a lowde
voice: As thou hast sayd, we wil doe. 11 But because the multitude is
great, and winter time, and we can not stand in the ayre without succour:
and this is a worke for vs not of one day, nor of two, for we haue sinned
much in these thinges: 12 Let the rulers of the multitude stand, and
that dwel with vs, and as manie as haue with them forreine wiues, 13 and
at a time appointed let the priestes out of euerie place, and the iudges
assist, vntil they appeaze the wrath of our Lord concerning this busines.
14 And Ionathas the sonne of Ezeli, and Ozias of Thecam tooke vpon them
according to these wordes: and Bosoramus, and Leuis, and Sabbathaeus,
wrought together with them. 15 And al that were of the captiuitie stood
according to al these thinges. 16 And Esdras the priest chose vnto him
men the great princes of their fathers according to their names: & they
sate together in the newmoone of the tenth moneth to examine this
busines. 17 And they determined of the men that had outlandish wiues,
vntil the newmoone of the first moneth. 18 And there were found of the
priestes entermingled that had outlandish wiues. 19 Of the sonnes of
Iesus the sonne of Iosedec, and his brethren: Maseas, and Eleazarus, and
Ioribus, and Ioadeus, 20 and they put to their handes to expel their
wiues: and to offer a ramme to obtayne pardon for their ignorance.
21 And the sonnes of Semmeri: Maseas and Esses, Ieelech, and Azarias.
22 And of the children of Fofere: Limosias, Hismaenis, and Nathanee,
Iussio, Reddus, and Thalsas. 23 And of the Leuites: Iorabdus, and
Semeis, and Colnis, and Calitas, and Facteas, and Coluas, and Eliomas,
24 and of the sacred singing men, Eliasib, Zaccarus. 25 And of the
porters, Salumus, and Tolbanes. 26 And of Israel: of the sonnes of
Foro, Ozi, and Remias, and Geddias, & Melchias, and Michelus, Eleazarus,
and Iammebias, and Bannas. 27 And of the sonnes of Iolaman: Chamas, and
Zacharias, and Iezuelus, and Ioddius, and Erimoth, and Helias. 28 And of
the sonnes of Zathoim: Eliadas, and Liasumus, Zochias, and Larimoth, &
Zabdis, and Thebedias. 29 And of the sonnes of Zebes: Ioannes, and
Amanias, and Zabdias, and Emeus. 30 And of the sonnes of Banni: Olamus,
& Maluchus, and Ieddeus, and Iasub, and Azabus, & Ierimoth. 31 And of
the sonnes of Addin: Nathus, and Moosias, & Caleus, and Raanas, Maaseas,
Mathathias, and Beseel, and Bonnus, and Manasses. 32 And of the sonnes
of Nuae: Noneas, and Aseas, and Melchias, and Sameas, and Simon,
Beniamin, and Malchus, and Marras. 33 And of the sonnes of Asom:
Carianeus, Mathathias, & Bannus, & Eliphalach, and Manasses, and Semei.
34 And of the sonnes of Banni: Ieremias, and Moadias, and Abramus, &
Iohel, and Baneas, & Pelias, and Ionas, and Marimoth, & Eliasib, and
Matheneus, and Eliasis, and Orizas, and Dielus, and Semedius, & Zambris,
and Iosephus. 35 And of the sonnes of Nobei: Idelus, and Mathathias,
and Sabadus, and Zecheda, Zedmi, and Iessei, Baneas. 36 Al these maried
outlandish wiues, and did put them away with their children. 37 And the
Priestes and the Leuites, and they that were of Israel, dwelt in
Ierusalem, and in the whole countrie in the newmoone of the seuenth
moneth. And the children of Israel were in their habitations. 38 And al
the multitude was gathered together into the court, which is on the east
of the sacred gate: 39 and they sayd to Esdras the high priest, and
reader, that he should bring the law of Moyses, which was deliuered of
our Lord the God of Israel. 40 And Esdras the high priest brought the
law to al the multitude of them from man vnto woman, and to al the
priestes to heare the law in the newmoone of the seuenth moneth. 41 And
he read in the court, which is before the sacred gate of the temple, from
breake of day vntil euening before men and wemen. And they al gaue their
minde to the law. 42 And Esdras the priest, and reader of the law stoode
vpon a tribunal of wood, which was made. 43 And by him stood Mathathias,
and Samus, and Ananias, Azarias, Vrias, Ezechias, and Balsamus on the
right hand, 44 and on the left Faldeus, Misael, Malachias, Ambusthas,
Sabus, Nabadias, and Zacharias. 45 And Esdras tooke the booke before al
the multitude: for he was chiefe in glorie in the sight of al. 46 And
when he had ended the law, they stood al vpright: and Esdras blessed our
Lord the most high God, the God of Sabaoth omnipotent. 47 And al the
people answered: Amen. And lifting vp their handes falling on the
ground, they adored our Lord. 48 Iesus and Banaeus, and Sarebias, and
Iaddimus, and Accubus, and Sabbathaeus, and Calithes, & Azarias, and
Ioradus, and Ananias, and Philias Leuites, 49 who taught the law of our
Lord, and read the same in the multitude, & euerie one preferred them
that vnderstood the lesson. 50 And Atharathes sayd to Esdras the high
priest and the reader, and to the Leuites, that taught the multitude,
51 saying: This day is sancitified to our Lord. And they al wept, when
they had heard the law. 52 And Esdras sayd, departing therfore eate ye
al the fattest thinges, & drinke al most swete things, and send giftes to
them that haue not. 53 For this is the holy day of our Lord, & be not
sad. For our Lord wil glorifie you. 54 And the Leuites denounced openly
to al, saying: This day is holie, be not sad. 55 And they went al to
eate, and drinke, and make merie, and to geue giftes to them that had
not, that they might make merie, for they were excedingly exalted with
the wordes that they were taught. 56 And they were al gathered in
Ierusalem to celebrate the ioy, according to the testament of our Lord
the God of Israel.

THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF ESDRAS.

CHAP. I.

Esdras is sent to expostulate with the vngratful Iewes for neglecting
Gods manie great benefites.

THE second book of Esdras the prophet, the sonne of Sarei, the sonne of
Azarei, the sonne of Helcias, the sonne of Sadanias, the sonne of Sadoch,
the sonne of Achitob, (1 Esd 7:1) 2 the sonne of Achias, the sonne of
Phinees, the sonne of Heli, the sonne of Amerias, the sonne of Asiel, the
sonne of Marimoth, the sonne of Arna, the sonne of Ozias, the sonne of
Borith, the sonne of Abisei, the sonne of Phinees, the sonne of Eleazar,
3 the sonne of Aaron of the tribe of Leui; who was captiue in the
countrie of the Medes, in the reigne of Artaxerxes king of the Persians.
4 And the word of our Lord came to me, saying: 5 Goe, and tel my people
their wicked deedes, and their children the iniquities, that they haue
done against me, that they may tel their childrens children: 6 because
the sinnes of their parentes are increased in them, for they being
forgetful of me haue sacrified to strange goddes. 7 Did not I bring them
out of the land of AEgypt from the house of bondage? But they haue
prouoked me, & haue despised my counsels. 8 But doe thou shake of the
heare of thy head, and throw al euils vpon them: because they haue not
obeyed my law. And it is a people without discipline. 9 How long shal I
beare with them, on whom I haue bestowed so great benefiates? 10 I haue
ouer throwen manie kinges from them. I haue stroke Pharao with his
seruantes, and al his hoste. (Ex 14) 11 Al nations did I destroy before
their face, & in the East I dissipated the peoples of two prouinces Tyre
and Sidon, and I slew al their aduersaries. 12 But speake thou to them,
saying: Thus sayth our Lord: 13 I made you passe through the sea, and
gaue you fensed streates from the beginning. I gaue you Moyses for your
gouernour, and Aaron for the Priest: 14 I gaue you light by the piller
of fire, & did manie meruelous things among you: but you haue forgotten
me, sayth our Lord. (Ex 13) 15 Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent: The
quayle was a signe to you, I gaue you a campe for defense, and there you
murmured: 16 And you triumphed not in my name for the destruction of
your enemies, but yet vntil now you haue murmured. (Ex 16) 17 Where
are the benefites, that I haue geuen you? Did you not crie out to me
when you were hungrie in the desert, 18 saying: Why hast thou brought vs
into this desert to kil vs? it had bene better for vs to serue the
AEgyptians, then to dye in this desert. (Num 14) 19 I was sorie for
your mournings, & gaue you manna to eate. You did eate bread of Angels.
(Ex 16 / Wis 16:20) 20 When you thirsted did not I cleaue the rocke, &
waters flowed in abundance? for the heates I couered you with the leaues
of trees. 21 I deliuered vnto you fatte landes: The Chananeites, and
Pherezeites, and Philistheans I threw out from your face: what shal I
yet doe to you, sayth our Lord? (Isa 9:4) 22 Thus sayth our Lord
omnipotent: In the desert when you were thirstie in the riuer of the
Amorrheites, and blasphemeing my name, (Ex 15:25) 23 I gaue you not fire
for blasphemies, but casting wood into the water, I made the riuer swete.
24 What shal I doe to thee Iacob? Thou wouldest not obey o Iuda. I wil
transferre my self to other nations, and wil geue them my name, that they
may keepe my ordinances. (Ex 32) 25 Because you haue forsaken me, I
aslo forsake you: when you aske mercie of me, I wil not haue mercie.
(Isa 1:15) 26 When you shal inuocate me, I wil not heare you. For you
haue defiled your handes with bloud, and your fete are quicke to commit
murders. 27 Not as though you haue forsaken me, but yourselues, sayth
our Lord. 28 Thus saith our Lord omnipotent, haue not I desired you, as
a father his sonnes, and a mother her daughters, and as a nurce her litle
ones, 29 that you would be my people, and I your God, and to me for
children, and I to you for a father? 30 So haue I gathered you, as the
henne her chickenes vnder her winges. But now what shal I doe to you? I
wil throw you from my face. (Matt 23:37) 31 When you shal bring me
oblation, I wil turne away my face from you. (Isa 66:5) For I haue
refused your festiual dayes, & newmoones, and circumcisions. 32 I sent
my seruantes the prophetes to you, whom being taken you slew, and mangled
their bodies, whose bloud I wil require, sayth our Lord. 33 Thus sayth
our Lord omnipotent, your house is made desolate, I wil throw you away,
as the winde doth stubble, 34 and your children shal not haue issue:
because they haue neglected my commandment, and haue done that which is
euil before me. 35 I wil deliuer your houses to a people comming, who
not hearing me do beleue: to whom I haue not shewed signes, they wil do
the thinges that I haue commanded. 36 The prophetes they haue not sene,
and they wil be mindful of their iniquities. 37 I cal to witnes the
grace of the people comming, whose litle ones reioyce with ioy, not seing
me with their carnal eyes, but in spirit beleuing the thinges that I haue
sayd. 38 And now brother behold what glorie: and see people comming
from the east, 39 to whom I wil geue the conduction of Abraham, Isaac,
and Iacob, and of Osee, and Amos, and of Ioel, and Abdias, and Ionas, and
Michaeas, 40 and Naum and Habacuc, of Sophonias, Aggaeus, Zacharias, and
Malachias, who also is called the Angel of our Lord. (Mal 3:1)

CHAP. II.

The Synagogue expostulateth with her children for their ingratitude;
10. shewing that they shal be forsaken, and the gentiles called.

THVS saith our Lord: I brought this people out of bondage, to whom I
gaue commandment by my seruantes the Prophetes, whom they would not
heare, but made my counsel frustrate. 2 Their mother that bare them,
sayth to them: Goe children, because I am a wydow and forsaken. 3 I
brought you vp with ioy, & haue lost you with mourning & sorow, because
you haue sinned before our Lord your God, & haue done that which is euil
before him. 4 But now what shal I doe to you? I am a wydow and
desolote, goe my children, & aske mercie of our Lord. 5 And I cal thee o
father a witnes vpon the mother of the children, that would not keepe my
testament, 6 that thou geue them confusion, & their mother into spoile,
that there be no generation of them. 7 Let their names be dispersed into
the Gentiles, let them be destroyed out of the land: because they haue
despised my sacrament. 8 Woe be to thee Assur, which hidest the wicked
with thee. Thou naughtie nation, remember what I did to Sodom &
Gomorrha: (Gen 19:24) 9 whose land lieth in cloddes of pitch, & heapes
of ashes: so wil I make them, that haue not heard me, saith our Lord
omnipotent. 10 Thus saith our Lord to Esdras: Tel my pople, that I wil
geue them the kingdom of Ierusalem, which I ment to geue to Isreal.
11 And I wil take to me the glorie of them, and wil geue them eternal
tabernacles, which I had prepared for them. 12 The wood of life shal be
to them for an odour of oyntment, and they shal not labour, nor be
wearied. 13 Goe & you shal receiue. Aske for your selues a few dayes,
that they may abide. Now the kingdom is prepared for you, watch ye.
14 Cal thou heauen and earth to witnes: for I haue destroyed euil, and
haue created good, because I liue sayth our Lord. 15 Mother embrace thy
children, bring them vp with ioy. As a doue confirme their feete:
because I haue chosen thee, sayth our Lord. 16 And I wil raise againe
the dead out of their places, and out of the monumentes I wil bring them
forth, because I haue knowen my name in Israel. 17 Feare not o mother of
the children, because I haue chosen thee, saith our Lord. 18 I wil send
thee ayde, my seruantes I saie, and Ieremie, at whose counsel I haue
sanctified, and prepared for thee tweleue trees loden with diuerse
fruites, 19 and as manie fountaines flowing milke and honie: and seuen
huge mountaines, hauing the rose and the lilie, in the which I wil fil
thy children with ioy. (Ex 15:27) 20 Iustifie thou the widow, iudge for
the pupil, geue to the needie, defend the orphane, cloth the naked,
21 cure the broken & feeble, mocke not the lame, defend the maimed, and
admitte the blind to the vision of my glorie. 22 The old man & the yong
keepe with in thy walles: 23 where thou shalt finde the dead, committe
them to the graue signing it, & I wil geue thee the first seate in my
resurrection. (Tob 1:20) 24 Pause and rest my people, because thy rest
shal come. 25 As a good nurce nourish thy children, confirme their
feete. 26 The seruantes that I haue geuen thee, none of them shal
perish. For I wil require them of thy number. 27 Be not wearied. For
when the day of affliction and distresse shal come, others shal weepe,
and be sad, but thou shalt be merie and plenteous. 28 The gentiles shal
enuie, and shal be able to doe nothing against thee, sayth our Lord.
29 My handes shal couer thee, that thy children see not hel. 30 Be
pleasant thou mother with thy children, because I wil deliuer thee sayth
our Lord. 31 Remember thy children that sleepe, for I wil bring them out
of the sides of the earth, & wil doe mercie with them: because I am
merciful, sayth our Lord omnipotent. 32 Embrace thy children til I come,
& shew them mercie: because my fountaines runne ouer, and my grace shal
not faile. 33 I Esdras receiued commandment of our Lord, in mount Oreb;
that I should goe to Israel: to whom when I came, they refused me, and
reiected the commandement of our Lord. 34 And therfore, I say vnto you
gentiles, which heare, and vnderstand, Looke for your pastor, he wil geue
you the rest of eternitie: because he is at hand, that shal come in the
end of the world. 35 Be ye readie for the rewardes of the kingdom,
because perpetual light shal shine to you for time euerlasting. 36 Flee
from the shadow of this world: receiue ye the pleasantnes of your
glorie. I openly cal to witnes my sauiour. 37 Receiue the commended
gift and be pleasant, geuing thankes to him that called you to the
heauenlie kingdomes. 38 Arise, & stand & see the number of them that are
signed in the feast of our Lord. 39 They that haue transferred them
selues from the shadow of the world, haue receiued glorious garmentes of
our Lord. 40 Receiue o Sion thy number, and shut vp thyne made white,
which haue accomplished the law of our Lord. 41 The number of thy
children, which thou didst wish is ful. Desire the powre of our Lord
that thy people may be sanctified, which was called from the beginning.
42 I Esdras saw in mount Sion a great multiude, which I could not number,
and they did al prayse our Lord with songes. (Apoc 7:9) 43 And in the
middes of them was a young man high of stature, appearing aboue ouer them
al, & he put crownes vpon euerie one of their heades, and he was more
exalted. And I was astonied at the miracle. 44 Then asked I an Angel,
and sayd: Who are these Lord? 45 Who answering sayd to me: These are
they that haue laid of the mortal garment, and taken an immortal, and
haue confessed the name of God. Now they are crowned, and receiue
palmes. 46 And I sayd to the Angel: That yongman what is he, which
putteth the crownes vpon them, and geueth palmes into their handes?
47 And answering he sayd to me: The same is the Sonne of God, whom they
did confesse in the world: & I begane to magnifie them, that stood
strongly for the name of our Lord. 48 Then sayd the Angel to me: Goe,
tel my people, what maner of meruelous thinges and how great, thou hast
sene of the Lord God.

CHAP. III.

The workes of God are wonderful from the beginning, 7. and men vngrateful
13. In Abraham God chose to himself a peculiar people: who neuertheles
were froward, and obstinate. 23. He also chose Dauid, but stil the
people were sinful: 28. the Babylonians also, by whom the are afflicted,
are no lesse but rather greater sinners.

IN the thirteth yeare of the ruine of the citie I was in Babylon, and was
trubled lying in my chamber, and my cogitations came vp ouer my hart:
2 because I saw the desolation of Sion, and the abundance of them that
dwelt in Babylon. 3 And my spirit was tossed excedingly, and I began to
speake to the highest timorous wordes, 4 and sayd: O Lord dominatour
thou spakest from the beginning, when thou didst plant the earth, and
that alone, and didst rule ouer the people, (Gen 1) 5 and gauest Adam a
dead bodie: but that also was the worke of thy handes, & didst breath
into him the spirit of life, and he was made to liue before thee:
(Gen 2:7) 6 and thou broughst him into paradise, which thy right hand
had planted, before the earth came. 7 And him thou didst command to loue
thy way, and he transgressed it, & forth with thou didst institute death
in him, and in his posteritie, and there were borne nations, and tribes,
and peoples, and kindreds, wherof there is no number. 8 And euerie
nation walked in their owne wil, & they did meruelous thinges before
thee, and despised thy preceptes. 9 And agane in time thou broughst in
the floud vpon inhabitantes of the world, and didst destroy them.
(Gen 7) 10 And there was made in euery one of them, as vnto Adam to dye,
so to them the floud, 11 But thou didst leaue one of them, Noe with his
house and of him were al the iust. 12 And it came to passe, when they
began to be multiplied, that dwelt vpon the earth, & multiplied children
and peoples and manie nations: and they begane againe to doe impietie
more then the former. 13 And it came to passe when they did iniquitie
before thee, thou didst choose thee a man of them whose name was Abraham.
14 And thou didst loue him and to him onlie thou didst shew thy wil.
(Gen 12) 15 And thou didst dispose vnto him an euerlasting testament,
and toldst him that thou wouldst neuer forsake his seede. And thou
gauest him Issac, and to Isaac thou gauest Iacob and Esau. 16 And Iacob
thou didst seuer to thy selfe, but Esau thou didst separate. And Iacob
grewe to a great multitude. 17 And it came to passe when thou didst
bring forth his sede out of AEgypt, thou broughst it vpon mount Sinai.
(Ex 19) 18 And thou didst bowe the heauens, and fasten the earth, and
didst shake the world, and madest the depthes to tremble, and trubledst
the world, 19 and thy glorie passed foure gates of fire, and of
earthquake, and winde, and frost, that thou mightst geue a law to the
seede of Iacob, and to the generation of Israel diligence. 20 And thou
didst not take away from them a malignant hart, that thy law might bring
forth fruite in them. 21 For Adam the first bearing a vicious hart
transgressed and was ouercome, yea and al that were borne of him. 22 And
it was made a permanent infirmitie, and the law with the hart of the
people, with the wickednes of the roote, and that which is good departed,
and the wicked remayned. 23 And the times passed, & the yeares were
ended: and thou didst raise vp vnto thee a seruant named Dauid, 24 and
spakest vnto him to build a citie of thy name, and to offer vnto thee in
it frankencense, and oblations. 25 And this was done manie yeares, and
they that inhabited the citie forsooke thee, 26 in al things as Adam and
al his generations. For they also vsed a wicked hart. 27 And thou didst
deliuer thy citie into the hands of thyne enimies. 28 Why, doe they
better thinges, that inhabite Babylon? And for this shal she rule ouer
Sion? (Jer 12) 29 It came to passe when I was come hither, and had sene
the impieties that can not be numbred: and my soul saw manie offending
this thirteth yeare, & my hart was astonied: 30 because I saw how thou
bearest with their sinne, and didst spare them that did impiously, and
didst destroy thine owne people, and preserue thine enimies, and didst
not signifie it. 31 I nothing remember how this way should be forsaken:
doth Babylon better thinges then Sion? 32 Or hath anie nation knowen
thee beside Israel: or what tribes haue beleued thy testamentes as
Iacob? 33 Whose reward hath not appeared, nor their labour fructified.
For passing through I passed among the nations, and I saw them abound,
and not mindeful of thy commandmentes. 34 Now therfore wey our
iniquities in a ballance, and theirs that dwel in the world: & thy name
shal not be found, but in Israel. 35 Or when haue not they sinned in thy
sight, that inhabite the earth? or what nation hath so obserued thy
commandmentes? 36 These certes by their names thou shalt finde to haue
kept thy commandments, but the nations thou shalt not finde.

CHAP. IIII.

Mans witte and reason is not able to vnderstand the counsel and iudgement
of God, 22. why his people are afflicted by wicked nations, 33. nor of
times, and thinges to come.

AND the Angel answered me, that was sent to me, whose name was Vriel,
2 and sayd to me: Thy hart exceding hath exceded in this world, & thou
thinkest to comprehend the way of the Highest. 3 And I sayd: It is so
my Lord. And he answered me, & sayd: I am sent to shew thee three
wayes, & to propose to thee three similitudes. 4 Of the which if thou
shalt declare to me one of them, I also wil shew thee the way which thou
desirest to see, and wil teach thee whence a wicked hart is. 5 And I
sayd, Speak my Lord. And he sayd to me: Goe, wey me the weight of the
fire, or measure me the blast of the winde, or cal me backe the day that
is past. 6 And I answered, and sayd: what man borne can doe it, that
thou askest me of these thinges? 7 And he sayd to me: If I should aske
thee, saying: How great habitations are there in the hart of the sea, or
how great vaines be there in the beginning of the depth, or how great
vaines be there aboue the firmament, and what are the issues of paradise:
8 thou wouldest perhaps say to me: I haue not descended into the depth,
nor into hel as yet, neither haue I ascended at anie time into heauen.
9 But now I haue not asked thee, sauing of the fire, and the winde, and
the day by the which thou hast passed, and from the which thou canst not
be separated: and thou hast not answered me of them. 10 And he sayd to
me: Thou canst not know the thinges that are thine which grow together
with thee: 11 and how can thy vessel comprehend the way of the Highest,
and now the world being outwardly corrupted, vnderstand the corruption
euident in my sight: 12 I sayd to him: Better were it for vs not to be,
then yet liuing to liue in impieties, and to suffer, and not to
vnderstand for what thing. 13 And he answered me, & said: Going forth I
went forward to a wood of trees in the filde, and they deuised a deuise,
(Judges 9 / 2 Par 25) 14 and said: Come and let vs goe, and make warre
against the sea, that it may retyre backe before vs, and we may make vs
other woodes. 15 And in like maner the waues of the sea they also
deuised a deuise, and sayd: Come let vs goe vp, let vs ouerthrow the
woodes of the filde, that there also we may consummate an other countrie
for our selues. 16 And the woodes deuise was made vaine, for fire came,
and consumed it. 17 Likewise also the deuise of the waues of the sea.
For the sand stood, & stayed them. 18 For if thou wert iudge of these,
whom wouldest thou begin to iustifie, or whom to condemne? 19 And I
answered, and sayd: Verely they deuised a vayne deuise. For the earth
is geuen to the wood, and a place to the sea to carie her waues. 20 And
he answered me, and sayed: Thou hast iudged wel, and why hast thou not
iudged for thy self? 21 For as the earth is geuen to the wood, and the
sea for the waues therof: so they that inhabite vpon the earth, can
vnderstand onlie the thinges that are vpon the earth: and they vpon the
heauens, the thinges that are aboue the height of the heauens. 22 And I
answered, and sayd: I besech thee Lord, that sense may be geuen me to
vnderstand. 23 For I meant not to aske of thy superiour thinges, but of
those that passe by vs dayly. For what cause Israel is geuen into
reproche to the gentiles, the people whom thou hast loued, is geuen to
impious tribes, & the law of our fathers is brought to destruction, & the
written ordinances are no where: 24 and we haue passed out of the world,
as locustes, and our life is astonishment and dreade, and we are not
worthie to obtaine mercie. 25 But what wil he doe to his name that is
inuocated vpon vs? and of these thinges I did aske. 26 And he answered
me, and sayd: If thou search very much, thou shalt often meruail:
because the world hastening hasteneth to passe, 27 and can not comprehend
the thinges which in times to come are promised to the iust: because
this world is ful of iniustice and infirmities. 28 But conerning the
thinges that thou demandest I wil tel thee: for the euil is sowed, and
the destruction therof is not yet come. 29 If then that which is sowen
be not turned vp, and the place depart where the euil is sowen, that shal
not come where the good is sowen. 30 Because the grayne of il seede hath
bene sowen in the hart of Adam from the beginning: and how much impietie
hath it ingendered vntil now, and doth ingender vntil the floore come?
31 And esteme with thy self the graine of the il seede, how much fruite
of impietie it hath ingendred: 32 When the eares shal be cut, which are
innumerable, what a great floore wil they begin to make? 33 And I
answered, and sayd: How, and when shal these things be? why are our
yeares few and euil? 34 And he answered me, and sayd to me, Hasten not
aboue the Highest. For thou doest hasten in vaine to be aboue him, for
thy excesse is much. 35 Did not the soules of the iust in the cellars,
aske of these things, saying: How hope I so, and when shal the fruite
come of the floore of our reward? 36 And Ieremiel the Archangel answered
to those things, and sayd: When the number of the sedes in you shal be
filled, because he hath weyed the world in a balance, 37 and with a
measure hath he measured the times, and in number he hath numbered the
times, and hath not moued, nor stirred them, vntil the foresayd measure
be filled. 38 And I answered, and sayd: O Lord Dominatour, we also are
al ful of impietie. 39 And left perhaps for vs the floores of the iust
be not filled, for the sinnes of the inhabitantes vpon the earth. 40 And
he answered me, and sayd: Goe, and aske a woman with childe, if when
she hath accomplished her nine monethes, her wombe can yet hold the
infant within it? 41 And I sayd it can not Lord. And he sayd to me, in
hel the cellars of the soules are like to the matrice. 42 For as she
that is: In trauail maketh hast, to escape the necessitie of trauailing:
so this also hasteneth to render those thinges which are commended to it.
43 From the beginning it shal be shewed thee touching those thinges,
which thou doest couet to see. 44 And I answered, and sayd: If I haue
found grace before thine eyes, & if it be possible, and if I by fitte,
45 shew mee if there be more to come then is passed, or more things haue
passed, then are to come. 46 What passed, I know: but what is to come,
I know not. 47 And he sayd to me: Stand vpon the right side, and I wil
shew thee the interpretation of the similitude. 48 And I stood, and saw:
and behold a burning fornace passed before me, & it came to passe when
the flame passed, I saw: and behold the smoke ouercame. 49 And these
thinges there passed before me a clowd ful of water, and with violence
casting in much raine: and when the violence of raine was cast, the
droppes therin ouercame. 50 And he sayd to me: Thinke with thyself, as
the raine increaseth more then the droppes, and the fire then the smoke:
so did the measure that passed, more a bound. But the droppes, and the
smoke ouercame: 51 and I prayed, & sayd, shal I liue thinkest thou vntil
these dayes? or what shal be in those dayes? 52 He answered me, and
sayd: Of the signes wherof thou askest me, in part I can tel thee,
howbeit of thy life I was not sent to tel thee, neither doe I know.

CHAP. V.

Diuers signes of thinges to come are shewed to Esdras by an Angel:
16. for the comforth of the people in captiuitie.

BVT concerning signes: behold the dayes shal come, wherin they that
inhabite the earth shal be taken in a great number: and the way of truth
shal be hid: and the countrie shal be barren from fayth. 2 And
iniustice shal be multiplied aboue that which thy self seest, & aboue
that which thou hast heard in time past. (Matt 24) 3 And they shal put
their foote into the countrie which now thou seest to reigne, and they
shal see it desolate. 4 And if the Highest geue thee life, thou shalt
see after the third trumpet, and the sunne shal sodenly shine agayne in
the night, and the moone thrise in a day, 5 and out of wood bloud shal
distil, and the stone shal geue his voice, and the peoples shal be moued:
6 and he reigne, whom they hope not that inhabite vpon the earth, and
soules shal make their flight away. 7 & the sea of Sodom shal cast the
fishes, and shal make a noise in the night, which manie knew not, and al
shal heare the voice therof, 8 and there shal be made a confusion in
manie places, and the fire shal often be sent backe, and the sauage
beastes shal goe to other places, and wemen in their monethlie flowers
shal bring forth monsters, 9 and in swete waters shal salt waters be
found, and al frendes shal ouerthrow one an other: and then shal witte
be hid, and vnderstanding shal be separated into his cellar: 10 and it
shal be sought of manie, and shal not be found: and iniustice shal be
multiplied, and incontinencie vpon the earth. 11 And one countrie shal
aske her neighbour, and shal say: Hath iustice doing iust passed
throught thee? and she shal denie it. 12 And it shal be in that time,
men shal hope, and shal not obtaine: they shal labour, and their wayes
shal not haue successe. 13 These signes I am permitted to tel thee: and
if thou pray againe and weepe, as also now, and fast seuen dayes, thou
shalt heare againe greater thinges then these. 14 And I awaked, and my
bodie did shiuer excedingly: and my soule laboured, that it fainted:
15 and the Angel that came, that spake in me, held me, and strengthened
me, and sette me vpon my feete. 16 And it came to passe in the second
night, and Salathiel the prince of the people came to me, and sayd to me:
Where wast thou? and why is thy countenance heauie? 17 Knowest thou not
that Isreal is committed to thee in the countrie of their transmigration?
18 Rise vp therfore, and taste bread, and forsake vs not, as the pastour
his flocke in the hand of wicked wolues. 19 And I sayd to him: Goe from
me, & approch not vnto me. And he heard, as I sayd: and he departed
from me. 20 And I fasted seuen dayes howling & weeping, as Vriel the
Angel commanded me. 21 And it came to passe after seuen dayes, and
againe cogitations of my hart molested me very much, 22 and my soule
resumed the spirit of vnderstanding: & agayne I began to speake wordes
before the Highest: 23 and I sayd: Lord Dominatour of euerie wood of
the earth, & al the trees therof, thou hast chosen one vineyard: 24 & of
euerie land of the world thou hast chosen thee one ditch: & of al the
flowers of the world thou hast chosen thee one lilie: 25 and of al
depthes of the sea, thou hast filled thee one riuer: and of al the
builded cities, thou hast sanctified vnto thyself Sion: 26 and of al
created soules, thou hast named thee one doue: and of al beastes that
were made, thou hast prouided thee one shepe: 27 and of al multiplied
peoples, thou host purchased thee one people: and a law approued of al
thou hast geuen to this people, whom thou didst desire. 28 And now Lord,
why hast thou deliuered one vnto manie? And thou hast perpared vpon one
roote others, and hast dispersed thy onlie one in manie: 29 and they
haue troden vpon it, which gainesayd thy couenants, and which beleued not
thy testamentes. 30 And if hating thou hatest thy people, it ought to be
chastised with thy handes. 31 And it came to passe, when I had spoken
the wordes, and the Angel was sent to me, that came to me before the
night past, 32 and he sayd to me: Heare me, and I wil instruct thee:
and harken to me, and I wil adde before thee. 33 And I sayd: Speake my
Lord. And he sayd to me: Thou art become excedingly in excesse of minde
for Israel: hast thou loued it more then him that made it? 34 And I
sayd to him: No Lord, but for sorow I haue spoken, for my veynes torment
me euerie houre, to apprehend the pathe of the Highest, and to search
part of his iudgement. 35 And he sayd to me: Thou canst not. And I
sayd: Why Lord? To what was I borne, or why was not my mothers wombe my
graue, that I might not see the labour of Iacob, & the wearines of the
stocke of Israel? 36 And he sayd to me: Number me the thinges that are
not yet come, and gather me the dispersed droppes, and make me the
withered flowers grene againe, 37 and open me the shut cellars, & bring
me forth the blastes inclosed in them, shew me the image of a voice: and
then wil I shew thee the labour that thou desirest to see. 38 And I
sayd: Lord Dominatour, for who is there that can know these thinges, but
he that hath not his habitation with men? 39 And I am vnwise, and how
can I speake of these thinges, which thou hast asked me? 40 And he sayd
to me: As thou canst not doe one of these thiges, which haue bene sayd:
so canst thou not finde my iudgement, or in the end the charitie, which I
haue promised to the people. 41 And I sayd: But behold Lord thou art
nigh to them that are nere the end: and what shal they doe that haue
bene before me, or we, or they after vs? 42 And he sayd to me: I wil
resemble my iudgement to a crowne. As there shal not be slacknes of the
last, so neither swiftnes of the former. 43 And I answered, and sayd:
Couldst thou not make them that haue bene, and that are, and that shal
be, at once, that thou mayst shew thy iudgement the quicker? 44 And he
answered me, and sayd: The creature can not hasten aboue the Creatour,
nor the world sustayne them that are to be created in it, at once.
45 And I sayd: As thou didst say to thy seruant, that quickening thou
didst quicken the creature created by thee at once, and the creature
susteined it: it may now also beare them present at once. 46 And he
sayd to me: Aske the matrice of a woman, & thou shalt say to it: And if
thou bring forth children, why by times? Aske it therfore, that it geue
ten at once. 47 And I sayd, it can not verily: but according to time.
48 And he sayd to me: And I haue geuen a matrice to the earth for them,
that are sowen vpon it by time. 49 For as the infant bringeth not forth
the thinges that perteyne to the aged, so haue I disposed the world
created of me. 50 And I asked, and sayd: Wheras thou hast now geuen me
a way, I wil speake before thee: for our mother, of whom thou toldest
me, yet she is yong: now draweth nigh to old age. 51 And he answered
me, and sayd: Aske her that beareth children, and she wil tel thee.
52 For thou shalt say to her: Why are not they whom thou hast brought
forth, now like to them that were before thee, but lesse of stature?
53 And she also wil say vnto thee: They that are borne in the youth of
streingth are of one sort, and they of an other, that are borne about the
time of old age, when the matrice fayleth. 54 Consider therfore thou
also, that you are of lesse stature, then they that were before you:
55 and they that are after you, of lesser then you, as it were creatures
now waxing old, and past the strength of youth. 56 And I sayd: I besech
thee Lord, if I haue found grace before thine eyes, shew vnto thy
seruant, by whom thou doest visite thy creature.

CHAP. VI.

God knowing al thinges before they were made, created them 54. for man:
and considerth the endes of al.

AND he sayd to me: In the beginning of the earthlie world, and before
the endes of the world stood, and before the congregation of the windes
did blow, (Prov 8) 2 and before the voyces of thunders sounded, & before
the flashinges of lightenings shined, and before the fundations of
paradise were confirmed, 3 and before beautiful flowers were sene, and
before the moued powers were established, and before the innumerable
hostes of Angels were gathered, 4 and before the heightes of the ayre
were aduanced, and before the measures of the firmaments were named, and
before the chymneies were hote in Sion, 5 and before the present yeares
were searched out, and before their inuentions that now sinne, were put
away, and they signed that made fayth their treasure: 6 then I thought,
and they were made by me only, and not by any other: and the end by me,
and not by any other. 7 And I answered, and sayd: What separation of
times shal there be? and when shal the end of the former be, and the
begynning of that which foloweth? 8 And he sayd to me, from Abraham vnto
Isaac, when Iacob and Esau were borne of him, the hand of Iacob held from
the begynning the heele of Esau, 9 for the end of this world is Esau, and
the begynning of the next Iacob. 10 The hand of a man betwen the heele
and the hand. Aske no other thing Esdras. 11 And I answered, and sayd:
O Lord dominatour, if I haue found grace before thyne eyes, 12 I pray
thee shew thy seruant the end of thy signes, wherof thou didst shew me
part the night before. 13 And he answered, and sayd to me: Arise vpon
thy feete, and heare a voice most ful of sound. 14 And it shal be as it
were a commotion, neither shal the place be moued wherin thou standest.
15 Therfore when it speaketh be not thou afrayd, because of the end is
the word, and the fundation of the earth vnderstood, 16 for concerning
them the word trembleth and is moued, for it knoweth that their end must
be changed. 17 And it came to passe, when I had heard, I rose vpon my
feete, and I heard: and behold a voice speaking, and the sound therof as
the sound of manie waters: 18 and it sayd: Behold the dayes come, and
the time shal be when I wil begyne to approch, that I may visite the
inhabitantes vpon the earth. 19 And when I wil begin to enquire of them
that vniustly haue hurt with their iniustice, and when the humilitie of
Sion shal be accomplished. 20 And when the world shal be ouersigned that
shal beginne to passe, I wil doe these signes: Bookes shal be opened
before the face of the firmament, and al shal see together, 21 and
infantes of one yeare shal speake with their voices, & wemen with child
shal bring forth vntimely infantes not ripe of three or foure monethes,
and shal liue, and shal be raysed vp. 22 And sodenly shal appeare sowen
places not sowen, & ful cellers shal sodenly be found emptie: 23 and a
trumpet shal sound; which when al shal heare, they wil sodenly be afrayd.
24 And it shal be in that time, freindes as enimies shal ouerthrow
freindes, and the earth shal be afrayd with them: & the vaynes of
fountaynes shal stand, and shal not runne in three howres: 25 and it
shal be, euerie one that shal be leaft of al these, of whom I haue
foretold thee, he shal be saued, and shal see my saluation, & the end of
your world. 26 And the men that are receiued, shal see, they that tasted
not death from their natiuitie, and the hart of the inhabitantes shal be
turned into an other sense. 27 For euil shal be put out, and deceite
shal be extinguished, 28 but fayth shal florish, and corruption shal be
ouercome, and truth shal be shewed, which was without fruite so manie
dayes. 29 And it came to passe, when he spake to me, & I loe by litle &
litle looked on him before whom I stood, 30 and he sayd to me these
wordes: I am come to shew thee the time of the night to come. 31 If
therfore thou pray agayne, and fast agayne seuen dayes, agayne I wil tel
thee greater thinges by the day which I haue heard. 32 For thy voice is
heard before the Highest. For the strong hath sene thy direction, and
hath fore sene the chastitie which thou hast had from thy youth: 33 and
for this cause he hath sent me to shew thee al these thinges, and to say
to thee, haue confidence, and feare not, 34 and hasten not with the
former times to thinke vayne thinges, that thou hasten not from the last
times. 35 And it came to passe after these thinges, and I wept againe,
and in like maner I fasted seuen dayes, to accomplish the three weekes,
that were told me. 36 And it came to passe in the eight night, and my
hart was trubled againe in me, and I began to speake before the Highest.
37 For my spirit was inflamed excedingly, and my soul was distressed.
38 And I sayd: O Lord, speaking thou didst speake from the beginning of
creature from the first day, saying: Let heauen be made and earth: and
thy word was a perfect worke. 39 And then there was spirit, and
darknesse was caried about, and silence, the sound of the voyce of man
was not yet from thee. 40 Then thou didst command the lighsome light to
be brought forth of thy treasures, wherby thy worke might appeare.
41 And in the second day thou didst create the spirit of the firmament,
and commandest it to diuide, and to make a diuision betwen the waters,
that a certayn part should depart vpward, and part should remaine beneth.
42 And in the third day thou didst command the waters to be gathered
together in the seuenth part of the earth: but sixe partes thou didst
drie and preserue, that of them might be seruing before thee thinges
sowen of God, and tilled. 43 For thy word proceded, and the worke forth
with was made. 44 For sodenly came forth fruite of multitude infinite,
and diurse tastes of concupiscence, and flowers of vnchangeable colour,
and odours of vnsearcheable smel, and in the third day these thinges were
made. 45 And in the fourth day thou didst command to be made the
brightnesse of the sunne, the light of the moone, the disposition of the
starres: 46 and didst command them that they should serue man, that
should be made. 47 And in the fifth day: thou saydst to the seuenth
part, where the water was gathered together, that it should bring forth
beastes, and foules, and fishes: and so was it done, 48 the dumme water
and without life, the thinges that by Gods appointement were commanded,
made beastes, that therby the nations may declare thy meruelous workes.
49 And then thou didst preserue two soules: the name of one thou didst
cal Henoch, and the name of the second thou didst cal Leuiathan, 50 and
thou didst separate them from eche other. For the seuenth part, where
the water was gathered together, could not hold them. 51 And thou gauest
to Henoch one part, which was dried the third day, to dwelt therin, where
are a thousand mountaynes. 52 But to Leuiathan thou gauest the seuenth
part being moyst, and kepst it, that it might be to deuoure whom thou
wilt, and when thou wilt. 53 And in the sixt day thou didst command the
earth, to create before thee cattel, and beastes, and creeping creatures:
54 and ouer these Adam, whom thou madest ruler ouer al the workes, which
thou didst make, & out of him are al we brought forth, and the people
whom thou hast chosen. 55 And al these thinges I haue sayd before thee o
Lord, because thou didst create the world for vs. 56 But the residue of
the nations borne of Adam thou saydst that they were nothing, and that
they were like to spittle, and as it were the droping out of a vessel
thou didst liken the abundance of them. 57 And now Lord, behold these
nations which are reputed for nothing, haue begune to rule ouer vs, and
to deuoure vs: 58 but we thy people whom thou didst cal thy first onlie
begotten emulatour, are deliuered into their handes: 59 and if the world
was created for vs, why doe not we possesse inheritance with the world?
how long these thinges?

CHAP. VII.

Without tribulations no man can attayne immortal life: 17. which the
iust shal inherite: and the wicked shal perish. 28. Christ wil come,
and dye for mankind. 36. Prayers of the iust shal profite til the end of
this world, but not after the general iudgement. 48. Al sinned in Adam.
52. and haue added more sinnes, 57. but it is in mans powre, 62. by Gods
grace, to liue eternally.

AND it came to passe when I had ended to speake these wordes, the Angel
was sent to me, which had bene sent to me the first nights, 2 and he sayd
to me: Arise Esdras, and heare the wordes which I am come to speake to
thee. 3 And I sayd: Speake my God. And he sayd to me: The sea is set
in a large place, that it might be deepe and wide: 4 but the entrance to
it shal be set in a straict place, that it might be like to riuers.
5 For who witting wil enter into the sea, and see it, or rule ouer it:
if he passe not the streite, how shal he come into the bredth? 6 Also an
other thing: A citie is built, and set in a plaine place, and it is ful
of al goodes. 7 The entrance therof narrow, and set in a stepe place, so
that on the right hand there was fire, & on the left depe water: 8 and
there is one onlie pathe set betwen them, that is, betwen the fire and
the water, so that the pathe can not conteyne, but onlie a mans steppe.
9 And if the citie shal be geuen a man for inheritance, if he neuer passe
through the peril set before it, how shal he receiue his inhertance?
10 And I sayd: So Lord. And he sayd to me, So it is: Israel also a
part. 11 For I made the world for them: and when Adam transgressed my
constitution, that was iudged which was done. 12 And the entrance of
this world were made streite, and sorowful, & paynful, and few and euil,
and ful of dangers, & stuffed very much with labour. 13 For the
entrances of the greater world are large andsecure, and making fruite of
immortalitie. 14 If then they that liue entring in enter into these
streite and vayne thinges: they can not receiue the thinges that are
layd vp. 15 Now therfore why art thou trubled, wheras thou art
corruptible? and why art thou moued, wheras thou art mortal? 16 And why
hast thou not taken in thy hart that which is to come, but that which is
present? 17 I answered, and sayd: Lord dominatour: behold thou hast
disposed by thy law that the iust shal inherite these thinges, and the
impious shal perish. (Deut 8) 18 But the iust shal suffer the streites,
hoping for the wyde places, for they that haue done impiously, haue both
suffered the streites, and shal not see the wide places. 19 And he sayd
to me: There is no iudge aboue God, nor that vnderstandeth aboue the
Highest. 20 For manie present doe perish, because the law of God which
was set before, is neglected. 21 For God commanding commanded them that
came, when they came, what doing they should liue, and what obseruing
they should not be punished. 22 But they were not perswaded, and
gaynesayd him, and made to them selues a cogitation of vanitie, 23 and
proposed to them selues deceites of sinnes, & they sayd to the Highest
that he was not, and they knew not his wayes, 24 and dispised his law,
and denyed his couenaunces, and had not fidelitie in his ordinances, and
did not accomplish his workes. 25 For this cause Esdras, the emptie to
the emptie, and the ful to the ful. 26 Behold the time shal come, and it
shal be when the signes shal come, which I haue foretold thee, and the
bride shal appeare, and appearing she shal be shewed that now is hid with
the earth: 27 and euerie one that is deliuered from the foresaid euils,
he shal see my meruelous thinges. 28 For my sonne IESVS shal be reueled
with them that are with him, and they shal be merie that are leaft in the
foure hundred yeares. 29 And it shal be after these yeares, and my sonne
CHRIST shal dye: and al men that haue breath, 30 and the world shal be
turned into the old silence seuen dayes, as in the former iudgementes, so
that none shal be leaft. 31 And it shal be after seuen dayes, and the
world shal be raysed vp that yet waketh not, and shal dye corrupted:
32 and the earth shal render the thinges that sleepe in it, & the dust
them that dwel in it with silence, and the cellars shal render the soules
that are commended to them. 33 And the Highest shal be reueled vpon the
seate of iudgement, and miseries shal passe, and long sufferance shal be
gathered together. 34 And iudgement onlie shal remayne, truth shal
stand, and fayth shal waxe strong, 35 and the worke shal folow, and the
reward shal be shewed, and iustice shal awake, and iniustice shal not
haue dominion. [See note below.] 36 And I sayd: First Abraham prayed
for the Sodomites, and Moyses for the fathers that sinned in the desert.
(Gen 18 / Ex 32) 37 And they that were after him for Isreal in the dayes
of Achaz, and of Samuel, 38 and Dauid for the destruction, and Salomon
for them that came vnto the sanctification. (2 Kings 24:17 / 2 Par 6:13)
39 And Elias for them that receiued raine, and for the dead that he might
liue, (3 Kings 17 & 18) 40 and Ezechias for the people in the dayes of
Sennacherib, and manie for manie. (4 Kings 19:15) 41 If therfore now
when corruptible did increase, and iniustice was multiplied, and the iust
prayed for the impious: why now also shal it not be so? 42 And he
answered me and sayd: This present world is not the end, much glorie
remaineth in it: for this cause they prayed for the impotent. 43 For
the day of iudgement shal be the end of this time, and the beginning of
the immortalitie to come, wherein corruption is past: 44 intemperance is
dissolued, incredulitie is cut of: and iustice hath increased, truth is
strong. 45 For then no man can saue him that hath perished, nor drowne
him that hath ouercome. And I answered, 46 and sayd: This is my word
the first and the last, that it had bene better not to geue the earth to
Adam, or when he had now geuen it, to restraine him that he should not
sinne. 47 For what doth it profit men presently to liue in sorow, and
being dead to hope for punishment? 48 O what hast thou done Adam? For
if thou didst sinne, it was not made thy fal only, but ours also which
came of thee. (Rom 5:12) 49 For what doth it profit vs if immortal time
be promised to vs: but we haue done mortal workes? 50 And that
euerlasting hope is foretold vs: but we most wicked are become vayne?
51 And that habitations of health and securitie are reserued for vs, but
we haue conuerst naughtely? 52 And that the glorie of the Highest is
reserued to protect them that haue slowly conuerst: but we haue walked
in most wicked wayes. 53 And that paradise shal be shewed, whose fruite
continueth incorrupted, wherin is securitie and remedie: 54 but we shal
not enter in: for we haue conuerst in vnlawful places. 55 And their
faces which haue had abstinence, shal shyne aboue the starres: but our
faces blacke aboue darkenes. 56 For we did not thinke liuing when we
did iniquitie, that we shal beginne after death to suffer. 57 And he
answered, and sayd: This is the cogitation of the battel which man shal
fight, who is borne vpon the earth, 58 that if he shal be ouercome, he
suffer that which thou hast sayd: but if he ouercome he shal receiue
that which I say: 59 for this is the life which Moyses spake of when he
liued, to the people, saying: Choose vnto thee life, that thou mayst
liue. (Deut 30:19) 60 But they beleued him not, no nor the Prophetes
after him, no nor me which haue spoken to them. 61 Because there should
not be sorow vnto their perdition, as there shal be ioy vpon them, to
whom saluation is perswaded. 62 And I answered, and sayd: I know Lord,
that the Highest is called merciful in that, that he hath mercie on them
which are not yet come into the world, 63 and that he hath mercie on them
which conuerse in his law: 64 and he is long suffering, because he
sheweth long sufferance to them that haue sinned, as it were with their
owne workes: 65 and he is bountiful, because he wil geue according to
exigentes: 66 and of freat mercie, because he multiplieth more mercies
to them that are present, and that are past, and that are to come.
67 For if he shal not multiplie his mercies, the world shal not be made
aliue with them that did inherite it. 68 And he geueth: for if he shal
not geue of his bountie, that they may be releeued which haue done
iniquitie, the tenth thousand part of men can not be quickned from their
iniquities. 69 And the iudge if he shal not forgeue them that are cured
with his word, and wype away a multitude of contentions: there should
not perhaps be leaft in an innumerable multitiude, but very few.

CHAP. VIII.

God is merciful in this world, yet fewe are saued. 6. Gods workes, and
disposition of his creatures are meruelous. 15. Esdras prayeth for the
people of Israel: 37. and saluation is promised to the iust, and
punishment threatned to the wicked.

AND he answered me, & sayd: This world the Highest made for manie, but
that to come for few. 2 And I wil speake a similitude Esdras before
thee. For as thou shalt aske the earth, and it wil tel thee, that it wil
geue much more earth wherof earthen worke may be made, but a litle dust
wherof gold is made: so also is the act of this present world. 3 Manie
in deede are created, but few shal be saued. (Matt 20:16) 4 And I
answered, and sayd: Then o soul swallow vp the sense, and deuoure that
which is wise. 5 For thou art agred to obey, and willing to prophecie.
For there is no space geuen thee but only to liue. 6 O Lord if thou wilt
not permitte thy seruant, that we pray before thee, and thou geue vs
seede to the hart, and tillage to the vnderstanding, wherof may the
fruite be made, wherby euerie corrupt person may liue, that shal beare
the place of a man? 7 For thou art alone, and we are one workmanshippe
of thy handes, as thou hast spoken: 8 and as now the bodie made in the
matrice, and thou doest geue the members, thy creature is preserued in
fire & water: and nine monethes thy workemanship doth suffer thy
creature that is created in it: 9 and it self that keepeth, and that
which is kept, both shal be preserued: and the matrice being preserued
rendreth agayne at some time the thinges that are growen in it. 10 For
thou hast commanded of the members, that is the brestes to geue milke
vnto the fruite of the brestes, 11 that the thing which is made, may be
nourished til a certayne time, and afterward thou mayst dispose him to
thy mercie. 12 For thou hast, brought him vp in thy iustice, and hast
instructed him in thy law, and hast corrected him in thy vnderstanding:
13 and thou shalt mortifie him, as thy creature: and shalt geue him
life, as thy worke. 14 If then thou wilt destroy him that is made with
so great labours: it is easie by thy commandment to be ordayned, that
also which was made, might be preserued. 15 And now Lord I wil speake,
of euerie man thou rather knowest: but concerning thy people, for which
I am sorowful: 16 and concerning thine inheritance, for which I mourne,
and for Israel for whom I am pensiue, and concerning Iacob, for whom I am
sorowful. 17 Therfore wil I begin to pray before thee for me, & for
them: because I see our defaultes that inhabite the earth. 18 But I
haue heard of the celeritie of the iudge that shal be. 19 Therfore heare
my voyce, and vnderstand my word, and I wil speake before thee. 20 The
beginning of the wordes of Esdras before he was assumpted: and I sayd:
Lord which inhabitest the world, whose eyes are eleuated vnto thinges on
high and in the ayre: 21 and whose throne is inestimable, and glorie
incomprehensible: by whom standeth an host of Angels with trembling,
22 whose keping is turned in wynde and fire, thou whose word is true, and
sayings premanent: 23 whose commandment is strong, and disposition
terrible: whose looke dryeth vp the depthes, and indignation maketh the
mountaynes to melt, and truth doth testifie. 24 Heare the prayer of thy
seruant, & with thine eares receiue the petition of thy creature. 25 For
whiles I liue, I wil speake: and whiles I vnderstand, I wil answere:
26 Neither doe thou respect the sinnes of thy people, but them that serue
thee in truth. 27 Neither doe thou attend the impious endeuours of the
nations, but them that with sorowes haue kept thy testimonies.
28 Neither thinke thou of them that in thy sight haue conuerst falsly,
but remember them that according to thy wil haue knowen thy feare.
29 Neither be thou willing to destroy them that haue had the maners of
beastes: but respect them that haue taught thy law gloriously.
30 Neither haue indignation towards them, which are iudged worse then
beastes: but loue them that alwayes haue confidence in thy iustice, and
glorie. 31 Because we and our fatheres languish with such diseases: but
thou for sinners shalt be called merciful. 32 For if thou shalt be
desirous to haue mercie on vs, then thou shalt be called merciful, to vs
hauing no workes of iustice. 33 For the iust which haue manie workes
layd vp, of their owne workes shal receiue reward. 34 For what is man,
that thou art angrie with him: or the corruptible kinde, that thou art
so bitter touching it? 35 For in truth there is no man of them that be
borne, which hath not done impiously, and of them that confesse, which
haue not sinned. (3 Kings 8:46 / 2 Par 6:36) 36 For in this shal thy
iustice be declared, and thy goodnes, o Lord, when thou shalt haue mercie
on them, that haue no substance of good workes. 37 And he answered me,
and sayd: Thou hast spoken somethinges rightly: and according to thy
wordes, so also shal it be done, 38 because I wil not in dede thinke vpon
the worke of them that haue sinned before death, before the iudgement,
before perdition: 39 but I wil reioyce vpon the creature of the iust,
and I wil remember their pilgrimage also, and saluation, and receiuing of
reward. 40 Therfore as I haue spoken, so also it is. 41 For as the
husbandman soweth vpon the ground manie seedes, and planteth manie
plantes, but not al which were sowen in time, are preserued, nor yet al
that were planted, shal take roote: so they also that are sowen in the
world, shal not al be saued. (Matt 13 & 20) 42 And I answered, and
sayd: If I haue found grace, let me speake. 43 As the seede of the
husbandman, if it come not vp, or receiue not the rayne in time, if it be
corupted with much rayne, perisheth: 44 so likewise also man who made
with thy handes, and thou named his image: because thou art likened to
him, for whom thou hast made al thinges, and hast likened him to the
seede of the husbandman. 45 Be not angrie vpon vs, but spare thy people,
and haue mercie on thy inheritance. And thou hast mercie on thy
creature. 46 And he answered me, and sayd: The thinges that are present
to them that are present, and that shal be, to them that shal be. 47 For
thou lackest much to be able to loue my creature aboue me: and to thee
often times, euen to thyselfe I haue approched, but to the vniust neuer.
48 But in this also thou art meruelous before the Highest, 49 because
thou hast humbled thyself as becometh thee: & hast not iudged thyself,
that among the iust thou maist be very much glorified. 50 For which
cause manie miseries, and miserable thinges shal be done to them that
inhabite the world in the later dayes: because they haue walked in much
pride. 51 But thou for thyselfe vnderstand, & for them that are like
vnto thee seeke glorie. 52 For to you paradise is open, the tree of life
is planted, time to come is prepared, abundance is prepared, a citie is
builded, rest is approued, goodnes is perfited, & perfit wisdome. 53 The
roote of euil is signed from you: infirmitie, and mothe is hid from you:
& corruption is fled into hel in obliuion. 54 Sorowes are past, & the
treasure of immortalitie is shewed in the end. 55 Adde not therfore
inquiring of the multitude of them that perish. 56 For they also
receiuing libertie, haue despised the Highest, and contemned his lawe,
and forsaken his wayes. 57 Yea and moreouer they haue troden downe his
iust ones, 58 and haue sayd in their hart, that there is no God: and
that, knowing that they dye. (Ps 13 & 52) 59 For as the thinges
aforesayd shal receiue you: so thirst and torment, which are prepared
shal take them: for he would not man to be destroyed. 60 But they them
selues also which are created, haue defyled his name which made them: &
haue bene vnkind to him that prepared life. 61 Wherfore my iudgement now
approcheth. 62 Which thinges I haue not shewed to al, but to thee, & to
few like vnto thee. And I answered, and sayd: 63 Behold now Lord thou
hast shewed me a multitude of signes, which thou wilt beginne to doe in
the latter times: but thou hast not shewed me at what time.

CHAP. IX.

Certaine signes shal goe before the day of iudgement. 14. More shal
perish then be saued. 25. Prayer with other good workes, are meanes to
saluation.

AND he answered me, and sayd: Measuring measure thou the time in it
selfe: and it shal be when thou seest, after a certaine part of the
signes which are spoken of before shal passe, 2 then shalt thou
vnderstand, that the same is the time wherin the Highest wil beginne to
visite the world that was made by him. 3 And when there shal be sene in
the world mouing of places, and truble of peoples, 4 then shalt thou
vnderstand, that of these spake the Highest, from the dayes that were
before thee, from the beginning. 5 For as al that is made in the world
hath a beginning, and also a consummation, and the consummation is
manifest: 6 so also the times of the Highest haue the beginning manifest
in wonders and powers, and the consummations in worke and in signes.
7 And it shal be, euery one that shal be saued, and that can escape by
his workes, and by fayth, in which you haue beleeued, 8 shal be leaft out
of the foresayd dangers, and shal see my saluation in my land, and in my
costes, because I haue sancitifed my selfe from the world. 9 And then
shal they be in miserie, that now haue abused my wayes: and they that
haue reiected them in contempt, shal abide in torments. 10 For they that
knew not me, hauing obtained benefits when they liued: 11 and they that
loathed my law, when they yet had libertie, 12 and when as yet place of
penance was open to them vnderstoode not, but despised: they must after
death in torment know it. 13 Thou therfore be not yet curious, how the
impious shal be tormented: but inquire how the iust shal be saued, and
whose the world is, and for whom the world is, and when. 14 And I
answered, and sayd: 15 I haue spoken hertofore, and now I say, and
hereafter wil say: that they are more which perish then that shal be
saued: (Matt 10) 16 as a floud is multiplied aboue, more then a droppe.
17 And he ansvvered me, and sayd: Like as the field so also the sedes:
and as the flovvers, such also the colours: and as the workeman, such
also the worke: and such as the husbandman, such is the husbandrie:
because it was the time of the world. 18 And now when I was preparing
for them, for these that now are before the world was made, wherin they
should dwel: and no man gaynsayd me. 19 For then euery man, and now the
creator in this world prepared, and haruest not fayling, and law
vnsearchable their manners are corrupted. 20 And I considered the world,
and behold there was danger because of the cogitations that came in it.
21 And I saw, and spared it very much: and I kept vnto my selfe a grape
kernel of a cluster, and a plant of a great trybe. 22 Let the multitude
therfore perish, which was borne without cause, and let my kernel be
kept, & my plant: because I finished it with much labour. 23 And thou
if thou adde yet seuen other dayes, but thou shalt not fast in them,
24 thou shalt goe into a field of flowers, where no house is built: &
thou shalt eate only of the flowers of the field, and flesh thou shalt
not tast, and wine thou shalt not drinke, but only flowers. 25 Pray to
the Highest without intermission, and I wil come, and wil speake with
thee. 26 And I went forth, as he sayd to me, into a field which is
called Ardath, and I sate there among the flowers. And I did eate of the
herbes of the field, and the meate of them made me ful. 27 And it came
to passe after seuen dayes, and I sate downe vpon the grasse, and my hart
was trubled ayayne as before. 28 And my mouth was opened, and I beganne
to speake before the Highest, and sayd: 29 O Lord thou shewing thy selfe
to vs, wast shewed to our fathers in the desert, which is not troden, and
vnfruitful, when they came out of AEgypt: and saying thou saydst:
(Ex 19 & 24 / Deut 4) 30 Thou Israel heare me, and sede of Iacob attend
to my wordes. 31 For behold, I sow my lawe in you, and it shal bring
forth fruite in you, and you shal be glorified in it for euer. 32 For
our fathers receiuing the law obserued it not, and kept not my
ordinances, and the fruite of the law did not appeare: for it could not,
because it was thine. 33 For they that receiued it, perished, not
keeping that which had bene sowen in them. (Ex 32) 34 And behold it is
the custome, that when the earth hath receiued sede, or the sea a shippe,
or some vessel meate or drinke: when that shal be destroyed wherin it
was sowne, or into the which it was cast: 35 that which was sowne, or
cast in, or the thinges that were receiued, are destroyed withal, and the
thinges receiued now tarye not with vs: but it is not so done to vs.
36 We in dede that receiued the law, sinning haue perished, and our hart
that receiued it: 37 For the law hath not perished, but hath remayned in
his labour. (Ezech 48) 38 And when I spake these thinges in my hart, I
looked backe with myne eyes, and saw a woman on the right side, and
behold she mourned, and wept with a lowd voice, and was sorrowful in
mynde exceedingly, and her garments rent, and ashes vpon her heade.
39 And I left the cogitations, wherin I was thinking, and I turned to her
and sayd to her: 40 Why weepest thou? and why art thou sorie in mynde.
And she sayd to me: 41 Suffer me my Lord, that I may lament myselfe, &
adde sorrow: because I am of a very pensiue mynde, and am humbled
exceedingly. 42 And I sayd to her, What ayleth thee: tel me. And she
sayd to me: 43 I thy seruant haue beene barren, and haue not borne
childe, hauing a husband thirty yeares. 44 For I euery howre, and euerie
day, and these thirty yeares do beseche the Highest night and day.
45 And it came to passe, after thirtie yeares God heard me thy handmayd,
and saw my humilitie, and attended to my tribulation, and gaue me a
sonne: and I was very ioyful vpon him, and my husband, and al my
citizens, and we did glorifie the Strong exceedingly. 46 And I nourished
him with much labour. 47 And it came to passe when he was growen, and
came to take a wife, I made a feast day.

CHAP. X.

The state of Ierusalem is prefigured by a woman mourning, 25. and
afterwardes reioycing.

AND it came to passe, when my sonne was entred into his inner chamber, he
fel downe, and dyed: 2 and we al ouerthrewe the lights, and al my
citizens rose vp to comfort me, and I was quiet vntil the other day at
night. 3 And it came to passe, when al were quiet to comfort me, that I
might be quiet: and I arose in the night, and fled: and came as thou
seest into this field. 4 And I meane nowe not to returne into the citie,
but to stay here: and neither eate, nor drinke, but without intermission
to mourne, and to fast vntil I dye. 5 And I left the talke wherin I was,
and with anger answered her, & sayd: 6 Thou foole aboue al wemen, seest
thou not our mourning, & what thinges chance to vs? 7 Because Sion our
mother is sorroweful with al sorrowe, and humbled, and mourneth most
bitterly. 8 And now wheras we al mourne, and are sadde: wheras we are
sorrowful, and art thou sorrowful for one sonne? 9 For aske the earth,
and it wil tel thee: that it is she, that ought to lament the fal of so
manie thinges that spring vpon it. 10 And of her were al borne from the
beginning, and others shal come: and behold, almost al walke into
perdition, and the multitude of them commeth to destruction. 11 And who
then ought to mourne more, but she that hath lost so great a multitude,
rather then thou which art sorie for one? 12 And if thou say vnto me,
that my mourning is not lyke the earthes: because I haue lost the fruite
of my wombe, which I bare with sorrowes, and brought forth with paynes:
13 but the earth according to the maner of the earth, and the present
multitude in it hath departed as it came: and I saye to thee, 14 as thou
hast brought forth with payne, so the earth also geueth her fruite for
man from the beginning to him that made her. 15 Now therfore kepe in
with thy sorrowe, and beare stoutly the chances that haue befallen thee.
16 For if thou iustifie the end of God, thou shalt in time both receiue
his counsel, and also in such thinges thou shalt be praysed. 17 Goe in
therfore into the citie to thy husband. And she sayd to me: 18 I wil
not doe it, neither wil I enter into the citie, but here wil I dye.
19 And I added yet to speake to her, & sayd: 20 Doe not this word, but
consent to him that counseleth thee. For how manie are the chances of
Sion? Take comfort for the sorrowe of Ierusalem. 21 For thou seest that
our sanctification is made desert, and our altar is throwen downe, and
our temple is destroyed, 22 and our psalter is humbled, and hymne is
silent, and our exultation is dissolued, and the light of our
candelsticke is extinguished, and the arke of our testament is taken for
spoyle, & our holie thinges are contaminated, and the name that is
inuocated vpon vs, is almost prophaned: and our children haue suffred
contumelie, and our Priestes are burnt, & our Leuites are gone into
captiuitie, & our virgins are defloured, and our wiues haue suffered
rape, and our iust men are violently taken, and our litle ones are lost,
and our yong men are in bondage, and our valiants are made impotent:
23 and that which is greatest of al, the seale of Sion, because she is
vnsealed of her glorie: For she is also deliuered into the handes of
them that hate vs. 24 Thou therfore shake of thy great heauines, and lay
away from thee the multitude of sorrowes, that the Strong may be
propicious to thee agayne, and the Highest wil geue thee rest, rest from
thy labours. 25 And it came to passe, when I spake to her, her face did
shine suddenly, and her shape, and her visage was made glistering, so
that I was afrayde excedingly at her, & thought what this thing should
be. 26 And Behold, suddenly she put forth a great sound of a voyce ful
of feare, that the earth was moued at the womans sound. And I saw:
27 and behold, the woman did no more appeare vnto me, but a citie was
built, & a place was shewed of great fundations: and I was afrayd, &
crying with a loude voyce I sayd: 28 Where is Vriel the Angel, that from
the beginning came to me? for he made me come in multitude in excesse of
this minde, and my end is made into corruption, & my prayer into reproch.
29 And when I was speaking these thinges, behold he came to me, and sawe
me. 30 And behold I was layd as dead, & my vnderstanding was alienated,
and he held my right hand, and strengthned me, & set me vpon my feete, &
sayd to me: 31 What ayleth thee? and why is thy vnderstanding, and the
sense of thy hart trubled, & why art thou trubled? And I sayd:
32 Because thou hast forsaken me, and I in dede haue done according to
thy wordes, & went out into the field: & behold, I haue seene, & doe see
that which I cannot vtter. And he sayd to me: 33 Stand like a man, & I
wil moue thee. And I sayd: 34 Speake thou my Lord in me, forsake me
not, that I die not in vaine: 35 because I haue seene thinges that I
knew not, & I doe heare thinges that I know not. 36 Or is my sense
deceiued, & doth my soule dreame? 37 Now therfore I besech thee, that
thou shew vnto thy seruant concerning this trance. And he answered me, &
sayd: 38 Heare me, and I wil teach thee, and wil tel thee of what
thinges thou art afrayd: because the Highest hath reuealed vnto thee
manie mysteries. 39 He hath seene thy right way, that without
intermission thou was forrowful for thy people, and didst mourne
exceedingly for Sion. 40 This therfore is the vnderstanding of the
vision which appeared to thee a litle before. 41 The woman whom thou
sawest mourning, thou beganst to comfort her. 42 And now thou seest not
the forme of the woman, but there appeared to thee a citie to be built.
43 And because she tolde thee of the fal of her sonne, this is the
interpretation. 44 This woman which thou sawest, she is Sion, and wheras
she told thee of her, whom now also thou shalt see, as a citie builded.
45 And whereas she told thee, that she was barren thirtie yeares: for
the which there were thirtie yeares, when there was not yet oblation
offered in it. 46 And it came to passe after thirtie yeares, Salomon
built the citie, and offered oblations: then it was, when the barren
bare a childe. 47 And that which she sayd vnto thee, that she nourished
him with labour, this was the habitation in Ierusalem. 48 And wheras she
sayd to thee, that my sonne comming into the bryde chamber dyed, and that
a fal chanced vnto him, this was the ruine of Ierusalem that is made.
49 And behold, thou hast seene the similitude of her: and because she
lamented her sonne, thou beganst to comfort her: and of these thinges
that haue chanced, these were to be opened to thee. 50 And now the
Highest seeth that thou wast sorie from the hart: and because with thy
whole hart thou sufferest for her, he hath shewed thee the clearnes of
her glorie, and the fayrenes of her beautie. 51 For therfore did he say
to thee, that thou shouldest tarie in a field where house is not built.
52 For I knew that the Highest beganne to shew thee these thinges:
53 therfore I sayd vnto thee, that thou shouldest goe into a field, where
is no fundation of building. 54 For the worke of mans building could not
be borne in the place, where the citie of the Highest began to be shewed.
55 Thou therfore feare not, neither let thy hart dread: but goe in, and
see the beautie, and greatnes of the building, as much as the sight of
thyne eyes is capable to see: 56 & afterward thou shalt heare as much,
as the hearing of thyne eares is capable to heare. 57 For thou art
blessed aboue manie, and art called with the Highest as few. 58 And to
morrow night thou shalt tarie here: 59 and the Highest wil shew thee
those visions of the thinges on high, which the Highest wil doe to them
that inhabite vpon the earth in the later dayes. 60 And I slept that
night, and the other next, as he had sayd to me.

CHAP. XI.

An eagle appeareth to Esdras coming forth of the sea, with three heades,
and twelue winges: sometimes one reigning in the world, sometimes an
other, but euerie one vanisheth away. 36. A lion also appeareth coming
forth of the wood, to suppresse the eagle.

AND I sawe a dreame, & behold an eagle came vp out of the sea: which had
twelue winges of fethers, and three heades. 2 And I saw, and behold she
spred her winges into al the earth, and al the windes of heauen blew vpon
her, and were gathered together. 3 And I saw, and of her fethers sprang
contrarie feathers, and they became litle winges, and smale. 4 For her
heades were at rest, and the midle head was greater then the other
heades, but she rested with them. 5 And I saw, and behold the eagle flew
with her winges, and reigned ouer the earth, and ouer them that dwel in
it. 6 And I saw, that al thinges vnder heauen were subiect to her, and
no man gaynesayd her, no not one of the creature that is vpon the earth.
7 And I saw, and behold the eagle rose vp vpon her talons, and made a
voice with her winges, saying: 8 Watch not al together, sleepe euerie
one in his place, & watch according to time. 9 But let the heades be
preserued to the last. 10 And I saw, and behold the voice came not out
of her heades, but from the middes of her bodie. 11 And I numbered her
contrarie winges, and behold they were eight. 12 And I saw, and behold
on the right side rose one wing, and reighned ouer al the earth. 13 And
it came to passe, when it reigned, an end came to it, and the place
therof appeared not: and the next rose vp, & reigned, that held much
time. 14 And it came to passe, when it reigned, & the end of it also
came, that it appeared not as the former. 15 And behold, a voice was
sent forth to it, saying: 16 Heare thou that hast held the earth of long
time. Thus I tel thee before thou beginne not to appeare. 17 None after
thee shal hold thy time, no nor the halfe therof. 18 And the third
lifted vp it selfe, and held the principalitie as also the former: and
that also appeared not. 19 And so it chanced to al the other by one & by
one to haue the principalitie, & agayne to appeare nowhere. 20 And I
saw, and behold in time the rest of the winges were sent vp on the right
side, that they also might hold the principalitie: and of them there
were that held it, but yet forthwith they appeared not. 21 For some also
of them stoode vp, but they held not the principalitie. 22 And I saw
after these thinges, and behold the twelue winges, and two litle winges
appeared not: 23 and nothing remayned in the bodie of the eagle but two
heades resting, and six litle winges. 24 And I saw, and behold from the
six litle winges two were diuided, and they remayned vnder the head, that
is on the right side. For foure taried in their place. 25 And I saw,
and behold the vnderwinges thought to set vp them selues, and to hold the
principalities. 26 And I saw, and behold one was set vp, but forthwith
it appeared not. 27 And they that were second did sooner vanish away
then the former. 28 And I saw, and behold the two that remayned, thought
with them selues that they also would reigne: 29 and when they were
thincking thereon, behold one of the resting heades, which was the midde
one awaked, for this was greater then the other two heades. 30 And I saw
that the two heades were complete with themselues. 31 And behold the
head with them that were with him turned, and did eate the two
vnderwinges that thought to reigne. 32 And this head terrified al the
earth, & ruled in it ouer them that inhabite the earth with much labour,
and he that held the dominion of the whole world aboue al the winges that
were. 33 And I saw after these thinges, and behold the midle head
sodenly appeared not, as did the winges. 34 And there remained two
heads, which reigned also themselues ouer the earth, and ouer them that
dwelt therein. 35 And I saw, and behold the head on the right side
deuoured that which was on the left. 36 And I heard a voice saying to
me, Looke against thee, and consider what thou seest. 37 And I saw, &
behold as a lion raysed out of the wood roaring: and I saw that he sent
out a mans voyce to the eagle. And he spake saying. 38 Heare thou, and
I wil speake to thee, and the Highest wil say to thee: 39 Is it not thou
that hast ouercome of the foure beastes, which I made to reigne in my
world, and that by them the end of their times might come? 40 And the
fourth coming ouercame al the beastes that were past, and by might held
the world with much feare, and al the world with most wicked laboure, and
he inhabitied the whole earth so long time with deceipte. 41 And thou
hast iudged the earth not with truth. 42 For thou hast afflicted the
meeke, and hast trubled them that were quiet, and hast loued lyers, &
hast destroyed their habitations that did fructifie, and hast ouerthrowen
their walles that did not hurt thee. 43 And thy contumelie is ascended
euen to the Highest, and thy pride to the Strong. 44 And the Highest
hath looked vpon the proud times: and behold they are ended, and the
abominations therof are accomplished. 45 Therfore thou eagle appeare no
more, and thy horrible winges, & thy litle winges most wicked, and thy
heades malignant, and thy talons most wicked, and al thy bodie vayne,
46 that al the earth may be refreshed, and may returne deliuered from thy
violence, and may hope for his iudgement, and mercie that made it.

CHAP. XII.

The eagle vanisheth away, 5. Esdras prayeth, 10. and the former visions
are declared to him.

AND it came to passe, whiles the lyon spake these wordes to the eagle: I
saw, 2 and behold the head that had ouercome, and those foure winges
appeared not which passed to him, and were set vp to reigne: and their
reigne was smal, and ful of tumult. 3 And I saw, and behold they
appeared not, and al the bodie of the eagle was burnt, & the earth was
afrayd excedingly, and I by the tumult and traunce of minde, and for
great feare awaked, and sayd to my spirit: 4 Behold thou hast geuen me
this, in that, that thou searchest the wayes of the Highest. 5 Behold
yet I am wearie in minde, and in my spirit I am very feeble, and there is
not so much as a litle strength in me for the great feare, that I was
afrayd of this night. 6 Now therfore I wil pray the Highest, that he
strengthen me euen to the end. 7 And I sayd: Lord Dominatour, if I haue
found grace before thine eyes, and if I am iustified before thee aboue
manie, and if in deede my prayer be ascended before thy face,
8 strengthen me, and shew vnto me thy seruant the interpretation, and
distinction of this horrible vision, that thou mayst comfort my soule
most fully. 9 For thou hast counted me worthie to shew vnto me the later
times. And he sayd to me: 10 This is the interpretation of this vision.
11 The eagle which thou sawest coming vp from the sea, this is the
kingdom which was sene in a vision to Daniel thy brother. (Dan 7:7)
12 But it was not interpreted to him, therfore I do now interprete it to
thee. 13 Behold the dayes come, and there shal rise a kingdon vpon the
earth, and the feare shal be more terrible then of al the kingdomes that
were before it. 14 And there shal twelue kinges reigne in it, one after
an other. 15 For the second shal beginne to reigne, and he shal continew
more time then the rest of the twelue. 16 This is the interpretation of
the twelue winges which thou sawest. 17 And the voice that spake which
thou heardst, not coming forth of her heads, but from the middes of her
bodie, 18 this is the interpretation, that after the time of that kingdom
shal rise no smal contentions, and it shal be in danger to fal: and it
shal not fal then, but shal be constituted againe according to the
beginning therof. 19 And wheras thou sawest eight vnderwings cleauing to
the wings therof, 20 this is the interpretation, eight kinges shal arise
in it, whose times shal be light, and yeares swift, and two of them shal
perish. 21 But when the middest time approcheth, foure shal be kept til
a time, when the time therof shal beginne to approch to be ended, yet two
shal be kept to the end. 22 And wheras thou sawest three heads resting,
23 this is the interpretation: in her last dayes the Highest wil rayse
vp three kingdoms, and wil cal backe manie thinges into them, and they
shal rule ouer the earth, 24 and them that dwel in it, with much labour
aboue al them that vvere before them. For this cause they are called the
heads of the eagle. 25 For these shal be they that shal recapitulate her
impieties, and that shal accomplish her last thinges. 26 And wheras thou
sawest a greater head not appearing, this is the interpretation therof:
that one of them shal dye vpon his bed, and yet with torments. 27 For
the two that shal remayne, the sword shal eate them. 28 For the sword of
one shal deuoure him that is with him: but yet this also at the last
shal fal by the sword. 29 And wheras thou sawest two vnderwings passing
ouer the head that is on the right side, 30 this is the interpretation:
these are they whom the Highest hath kept to their end, this is a smal
kingdom, and ful of truble. 31 As thou sawest the lyon also, whom thou
sawest awaking out of the wood, and roaring, and speaking to the eagle,
and rebuking her, and her iniustices by al his wordes as thou hast heard:
32 this is the wynde which the Highest hath kept vnto the end for them,
and their impieties: and he shal rebuke them, and shal cast in their
spoyles before them. 33 For he shal sette them in iudgment aliue: and
it shal be, when he hath reproued them, then shal he chastise them.
34 For the rest of my people he shal deliuer with miserie, them that are
saued vpon my borders, and he shal make them ioyful til the end shal
come, the day of iudgment, wherof I haue spoken to thee from the
beginning. 35 This is the dreame which thou sawest, and these be the
interpretations. 36 Thou therfore only hast bene worthie to know this
secrete of the Highest. 37 Write therfore in a booke al these thinges
which thou hast sene, and put them in a hidden place: 38 and thou shalt
teach them the wise men of thy people, whose harts thou knowest able to
take, and to kepe these secretes. 39 But doe thou stay here yet other
seuen dayes, that there may be shewed thee whatsoeuer shal seme good to
the Highest to shew thee. 40 And he departed from me. And it came to
passe, when al the people had heard that the seuen dayes were past, and I
had not returned into the citie, and al gathered them selues together
from the least vnto the greatest: & came to me, & spake to me saying:
41 What haue we sinned to thee, or what haue we done vniustly against
thee, that leauing vs thou hast sitten in this place? 42 For thou alone
art remayning to vs of al peoples, as a cluster of grapes of the
vineyard, and as a candle in a darke place, and as an hauen and shippe
saued from the tempest. 43 Or are not the euiles that chance, sufficient
for vs? 44 If then thou shalt forsake vs, how much better had it bene to
vs, if we also had bene burnt with the burning of Sion? 45 For we are
not better then they that dyed there. And they wept with a lowd voice.
And I answered them, and sayd: 46 Be of good chere Israel, and be not
sorowful thou house of Iacob. 47 For there is remebrance of you before
the Highest, and the Strong hath not forgotten you in tentation. 48 For
I haue not forsaken you, neither did I depart form you: but I came into
this place, to pray for the desolation of Sion, and to seeke mercie for
the low estate of your sanctification. 49 And now goe euery one of you
into his house, and I wil come to you after these dayes. 50 And the
people departed, as I sayd to them, into the citie: 51 but I sate in the
fielde seuen dayes, as he commanded me: and I did eate of the flowers of
the field only, of the herbes was my meate made in those dayes.

CHAP. XIII.

A vision of a winde (as it first semed, but) in dede, v. 3. of a man:
5. strong against the enimies: 21. with the interpretation.

AND it came to passe after seuen dayse, and I dreamed a dreame in the
night. 2 And behold there rose a winde from the sea, that trubled al the
waues therof. 3 And I saw, and behold that man grew strong with
thousandes of heauen: and when he turned his countenance to consider, al
thinges trembled that were sene vnder him: 4 and whersoeuer voyce
proceded out of his mouth, al that heard his voices begane to burne, as
the earth is quiet when it feeleth the fire. 5 And I saw after these,
and behold a multitude of men was gathered together, of whom there was no
number, from the foure windes of heauen, to fight against the man that
was come vp out of the sea. 6 And I saw, and behold he had grauen to
himself a great mountaine, & he flew vpon it. 7 And I sought to see the
countrie, or the place whence the mountaine was grauen, & I could not.
8 And after these thinges I saw, and behold al that were gathered to him,
to ouerthrowe him, feared exceedingly, yet they were bold to fieght.
9 And behold as he sawe the violence of the multitude that came, he
lifted not vp his hand, nor held sword, nor anie warlyke instrument but
only as I saw, 10 that he sent forth out of his mouth as it were a blaste
of fire, and from his lippes a spirit of flame, & from his tongue he
sentforth sparkles & tempests, and al thinges were mingled together with
this blast of fire, & spirit of flame, & multitude of tempests. 11 And
it fel with violence vpon the multitude, that was prepared to fight, and
burned them al, that suddenly there was nothing sene of an innumerable
multitude, but only dust, & the sauour of smoke: and I saw, and was
afrayd. 12 And after these thinges I saw the man himself descending from
the mountaine, and calling to him an other peaceable multitude, 13 and
there came to him the countenance of manie men some reioycing, and some
sorrowing: and some bond, some bringing of them them that were offered.
And I was sicke for much feare, and awaked, and sayd. 14 Thou from the
beginning hast shewed thy seruant these meruelous thinges, and hast
counted me worthie that thou wouldest receiue my petition. 15 And now
shew me yet the interpretation of this dreame. 16 For as I thinke in my
iudgement, woe to them that were leaft in those dayes: & much more woe
to them that were not leaft. 17 For they that were not leaft, were
sorrowful. 18 I vnderstand now what thinges are layde vp in the later
dayes, and they shal happen to them, yea and to them that are leaft.
19 For therefore they came into great dangers, and manie necessities, as
these dreames do shew. 20 But yet it is easier, aduenturing to come into
it, then to passe, as a cloud from the world, and vow to see the thinges
that happen in the later time. And he answered me, and sayd: 21 Both
the interpretation of the vision I wil tel thee: and also concerning the
thinges that thou hast spoken I wil open to thee. 22 Wheras thou
speakest of them that were leaft, this is the interpretation. 23 He that
taketh away danger at that time, he hath garded himself. They that haue
fallen into danger, these are they that haue workes, and fayth in the
Strongest. 24 Know therefore that they are more blessed which are leaft,
then they that are dead. 25 These are the interpretations of the vision,
wheras thou sawest a man coming from the hart of the sea, 26 the same is
he whom the Highest preserueth much time, which by himself shal deliuer
his creature: and he shal dispose them that are leaft. 27 And wheras
thou sawest proceede out of his mouth, as it were winde, and fire, and
tempest: 28 and wheras he held no sworde, nor warlike instrument: for
his violence destroyed the multitude that came to ouerthrow him: this is
the interpretation. 29 Behold the dayes come, when the Highest shal
begin to deliuer them, that are vpon the earth: 30 and he shal come in
excesse of minde vpon them that inhabit the earth. 31 And one shal
thinke to ouerthrow an other: one citie an other citie, one place an
other place, and nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom.
(Matt 24 / Luke 21) 32 And it shal be, when these thinges shal come to
passe, and the signes shal happen, which I shewed thee before: and then
shal my sonne be reueled, whom thou sawest, as a man coming vp. 33 And
it shal be when al nations shal heare his voice: and euery one in his
countrie shal leaue their warre, that they haue toward each other:
34 and an innumerable multitude shal be gathered in one, as willing to
come to ouerthrow him. 35 But he shal stand vpon the top of mount Sion.
36 And Sion shal come, and it shal be shewed to al prepared and builded,
as thou sawest the mountaine to be grauen without handes. 37 And the
same my sonne shal reproue the thinges that the gentils haue inuented,
these their impieties which came nere to the tempest, because of their
euil cogitaitons, and torments wherewith they shal begin to be tormented.
38 Which were likened to the flame, and he shal destroy them without
labour by the law that was likened to the fyre. 39 And wheras thou
sawest him gathering vnto him an other peaceable multitude. 40 These are
the ten tribes, which were made captiue out of their land in the dayes of
Osee the King, whom Salmanasar the King of the Assyrians led captiue:
and he transported them beyond the riuer, and they were transported into
an other land. (4 Kings 17) 41 But they gaue themselues this counsel,
to forsake the multitude of nations, and to goe forth into a farther
countrie, where mankind neuer inhabited. 42 Or there to obserue their
ordinances, which they had not kept in their countrie. 43 And they
entred in by the narrow entrances of the riuer Euphrates. 44 For the
Highest then wrought them signes, and stayed the vaines of the riuer til
they passed. (Ex 14 / Jos 3) 45 For by that countie was a great way to
goe, of one yeare and a half: for the countrie is called Arsareth.
46 Then did they inhabite there til in the later time: and now againe
when they beginne to come, 47 againe the Highest shal stay the vaines of
the riuer, that they may passe: for these thou sawest a multitiude with
peace. 48 But they also that were leaft of the people, these are they
that be within my border. 49 In shal come to passe therefore, when he
shal begine to destroy the multitude of these nations, that are gathered,
he shal protect them that haue ouercome the people: 50 and then shal he
shew them very manie wonders. 51 And I sayd: Lord dominatour, shew me
this, why I saw a man comming vp from the hart of the sea, and he sayd to
me: 52 As thou canst not either search these thinges, or know what
thinges are in the depth of the sea: so can not any man vpon the earth
see my sonne, or them that are with him, but in the time of a day.
53 This is the interpretation of the dreame which thou sawest, and for
the which thou only art here illuminated. 54 For thou hast leaft thyne
owne law, and hast bene occupied about my law, and hast sought it.
55 For thou hast disposed thy lyfe in wisdom, and thyne vnderstanding
thou hast called mother: 56 and for this I haue shewed thee riches with
the Highest. For it shal be after other three dayes, I wil speake other
thinges to thee, and I wil expound to thee weightie and meruelous
thinges. 57 And I went forth, and passed into the fielde, much
glorifying & praising the Highest for the meruelous thinges that he did
by time. 58 And because he gouerneth it, and the thinges that are
brought in times, & I sate there three dayes.

CHAP. XIIII.

God appeareth in a bush, 6. reuealing some thinges to be published, and
some thinges to be hid. 10. As the world waxeth old, al thinges become
worse. 27. The people of Israel are vngratful. 32. Al shal be iudged in
the Resurrection according to their deedes.

AND it came to passe the third day, and I sate vnder an oke. 2 And
behold a voice came forth against me out of a bush, and sayd: Esdras,
Esdras: and I sayd: Loe here I am Lord. And I arose vpon my feete.
And he sayd to me: 3 Reueling I was reueled vpon the bush, and spake to
Moyses, when the people serued in AEgypt, (Ex 3) 4 and I sent him, and
brought my people out of AEgypt, and brought him vpon mount Sina, & held
him with me manie dayes. 5 And I told him manie meruelous thinges, &
shewed him the secrets of times, and the end: and I commanded him,
saying: 6 These wordes thou shalt publish abroade, and these thou shalt
hyde. 7 And now to thee I say: 8 The signes which I haue shewed, and
the dreames which thou hast sene, and the interpretations which thou hast
sene, lay them vp in thy hart. 9 For thou shalt be receiued of al, thou
shalt be conuerted the residue with thy counsel, and with the like to
thee, til the times be finished: 10 Because the world hath lost his
youth, and the times draw nere to waxe old. 11 For the world is diuided
by twelue partes, & the tenth part, & half of the tenth part are passed:
12 and there remaineth hereafter the half of the tenth part. 13 Now
therefore dispose thy house, and correct thy people, & comfort the humble
of them, & forsake now corruption, 14 and put from thee mortal
cogitations, and cast from thee humane burdens, and doe from thee now
infirme nature, & lay at one side cogitations most trublesome to thee, &
make speedie transmigration from these times, 15 for the euiles which
thou hast sene to haue chanced now, worse then these wil they doe againe:
(Matt 24 / 1 John 2) 16 for looke how much the world shal become weake
by age, so much shal euiles be multiplied vpon the inhabitants. 17 For
truth hath remoued it self farther of, and lying hath approched, for now
the vision which thou sawest, hasteneth to come. 18 And I answered, and
sayd before thee o Lord: 19 For behold I wil goe, as thou hast commanded
me, & wil rebuke the people that now is. But them that shal yet be born,
who shal admonish? 20 The world therfore is set in darknes, and they
that dwel in it without light. 21 Because thy law is burnt, therefore no
man knowth the workes that haue bene done by thee, or that shal begin.
22 For if I haue found grace with thee, send the Holie Ghost to me, & I
wil write al that hath bene done in the world from the beginning, the
thinges that were written in thy law, that men may finde the pathe: and
they that wil liue in the later times, may liue. 23 And he answered me,
and sayd: Goe gather together the people, and thou shalt say to them,
that they seeke thee not for fourtie dayes. 24 And doe thou prepare thee
manie tables of boxe, & take with thee Sarea, Dabria, Salemia, Echanus,
and Asiel, these fiue which are readie to write sweeftly. 25 And come
hither, & I wil light in thy hart a candle of vnderstanding, which shal
not be put out til the things be finished, which thou shalt begine to
write. 26 And then some thinges thou shalt open to the perfect, some
thou shalt deliuer secretly to the wyse. For to morrow this houre thou
shalt begine to write. 27 And I went as he commanded me, & gathered
together al the people, and sayd: 28 Heare Israel these wordes: 29 Our
fathers were pilgrimes from the beginning in AEgypt, and were deliuered
from thence. (Gen 47) 30 And they receiued the law of life, which they
kept not, which you also after them haue transgressed: (Deut 4 / Acts 7)
31 and the land was geuen you by lotte, and the land of Sion, and your
fathers, and you haue done iniquitie, and haue not kept the wayes which
the Highest commanded you. 32 And whereas he is a iust iudge, he hath
taken from you in time that which he had geuen. 33 And now you are here,
and your brethren are among you. 34 If then you wil rule ouer your
sense, & instruct your hart, you shal be preserued aliue, and after death
shal obtaine mercie. 35 For the iudgement shal come after death, when we
shal returne to lyfe againe: and then the names of the iust shal
appeare, and the dedes of the impious shal be shewed. 36 Let no man
therfore come to me now, nor aske for me vntil fourtie dayes. 37 And I
tooke the fiue men, as he commandede me, and we went forth into the
field, and taried there. 38 And I was come to the morrow, & behold as
voice called me, saying: Esdras open thy mouth, and drinke that which I
wil geue thee to drinke. (Ezech 3) 39 And I opened my mouth, & behold a
ful cuppe was brought me, this was ful as it were with water: but the
colour therof like as fire. 40 And I tooke it, and dranke; and when I
had drunken of it, my hart was tormented with vnderstanding, and wisdome
grewe into my brest. For my spirit was kept by memorie. 41 And my mouth
was opened, and was shut no more. 42 The Highest gaue vnderstanding vnto
the fiue men, and they wrote excesses of the night which were spoken,
which they knewe not. 43 And at night they did eate breade, but I spake
by day, & by night held not my peace. 44 And there were written in the
fourtie dayes two hundred foure bookes. 45 And it came to passe when
they had ended the fourtie daies, the Highest spake, saying: 46 The
former thinges which thou hast written, set abrode, and let the worthie
and vnworthiereade: but the last seuentie bookes thou shalt keepe, that
thou mayest deliuer them to the wyse of thy people. 47 For in these is
the vaine of vnderstanding, and the fountaine of wisdome, and the streame
of knowledge. and I did soe.

CHAP. XV.

Esdras is bid to denounce, that assuredly manie euiles wil come to the
world. 9. God wil protect his people, the wicked shal be punished, and
lament their final miseries, God reuenging for the good.

BEHOLD speake into the eares of my people the wordes of prophecie, which
I shal put into thy mouth, sayth our Lord: 2 and see that they be
written in paper, because they be faithful and true. 3 Be not afrayd of
the cogitations against thee, neither let the incredulities truble thee
of them that speake. 4 Because euerie incredulous person shal dye in his
incredulitie. 5 Behold I bring in, sayth our Lord, vpon the whole earth
euils, sword, and famine, and death, and destruction. 6 Because
iniquitie hath fully polluted ouer al the earth, and their hurtful workes
are accomplished. 7 Therefore sayth our Lord: 8 I wil not now kepe
silence of their impieties which they doe irreligiously, neither wil I
beare with those thinges, which they practise vniustly. Behold the
innocent & iust bloud crieth to me, & the soules of the iust crie
continually. 9 Reuenging I wil reuenge them, sayth our Lord, and I wil
take al innocent bloud out of them vnto me. (Apoc 6:10 & 19:2)
10 Behold my people is led to slaughter as a flocke, I wil no more suffer
it to dwel in the land of AEgypt. 11 But I wil bring them forth in a
mightie hand and valiant arme, and wil strike with plague as before, and
wil corrupt al the land thereof. 12 AEgypt shal mourne, and fundations
thereof beaten with plague, and with the chastisement which God wil bring
vpon it. 13 The husbandmen that til the ground shal mourne, because
their seedes shal perish by blasting, and haile, and by a terible starre.
14 Woe to the world and them that dwel therein. 15 Because the sword is
at hand and the destruction of them, and nation shal rise vp against
nation to fight, & sword in their handes. (Matt 24 / Luke 21) 16 For
there shal be instabilitie to men, & growing one against an other they
shal not care for their king, & the princes of the way of their doinges,
in their might. 17 For a man shal desire to go into the citie & can not.
18 Because of their prides the cities shal be trubled, the houses raised,
the men shal feare. 19 Man shal not pitie his neighbour, to make their
houses nothing worth in the sword, to spoyle their goodes for famine of
bread, & much tribulation. 20 Behold, I cal together sayth God, al the
kinges of the earth to feare me, that are from the Orient, & from the
South, from the East, & from Libanus, to be turned vpon themselues, and
to render the thinges that they haue geuen them. 21 As they doe vntil
this day to myne elect, so wil I doe, and render in their bosome. Thus
sayth our Lord God: 22 My right hand shal not spare sinners, neither
shal the sword cease vpon them that shede innocent bloud vpon the earth.
23 Fire came forth from his wrath, and hath deuoured the fundations of
the earth, and sinners as it were straw set on fire. 24 Woe to them that
sinne, and obserue not my comandmentes, sayth our Lord. 25 I wil not
spare them: depart o children from the powre. Defile not my
sanctification: 26 because the Lord knoweth al that sinne against him;
therefore hath he deliuered them into death and into slaughter. 27 For
now are euils come vpon the world, and you shal tarrie in them. For God
wil not deliuer you, because you haue sinned against him. 28 Behold an
horrible vision, and the face of it from the east. 29 And the nations of
dragons of Arabians shal come forth in manie chariots, & as a winde the
number of them is caried vpon the earth, so that now al doe feare and
tremble, that shal heare them. 30 the Carmonians madde for anger, and
they shal goe forth as wild boares out of the wood, & they shal come with
great power, and shal stand in fight with them, & they shal waste the
portion of the land of the Assirians. 31 And after these thinges the
dragons shal preuaile mindful of their natiuitie, and conspiring shal
turne themselues in great force to pursue them. 32 These shal be trubled
and hold their peace at their force, and shal turne their fete into
flight. 33 And from the territorie of the Assirians the besiegers shal
beseige them, and shal consume one of them, and there shal be feare and
trembling in their armie, and contention against their kinges. 34 Behold
cloudes from the east, and from the north vnto the south, and their face
very horrible, ful of wrath and storme. 35 And they shal beate one
against an other, and they shal beate downe manie starres, and their
starre vpon the earth, and bloud shal be from the sword vnto the bellie.
36 And mans dung vnto the camels litter, and there shal be much feare,
and trembling vpon the earth. 37 And they shal shake that shal see that
wrath, and tremble shal take them: and after these thinges there shal
manie showers be moued: 38 from the south, and the north: and an other
portion from the weast. 39 And the windes from the east shal reuaile
vpon it, and shal shut it vp, and the cloudes which he raised in wrath,
and the starre to make terrour to the east winde, and the west shal be
destroyed. 40 And there shal be exalted great and mightie cloudes ful of
wrath, and a starre to terrifie al the earth, and the inhabitantes
therof, and they shal powre in vpon euerie high, and eminent place a
terrible starre, 41 fire, and haile, and flying swordes, and manie
waters, so that al fildes also shal be filled, and al riuers with the
fulnes of manie waters. 42 And they shal throw downe cities, and walles,
and mountaines, and hilles, and the trees of the woodes, and the grasse
of the medowes, and their corne. 43 And they shal passe constant vnto
Babylon, and shal raise her. (Apoc 18) 44 They shal come together
against her, and shal compasse her, and shal power out the starre, and al
wrath vpon her, and the dust and smoke shal goe vp euen into heauen, and
round about shal lament her. 45 And they that shal remaine vnder her,
shal serue them that terified her. 46 And thou Asia agreeing into the
hope of Babylon, and the glorie of her person, 47 woe be to thee thou
wretch, because thou art like to her, and hast adorned thy daughters in
fornication, to please & glorie in thy louers, which haue desired alwayes
to fornicate with thee. 48 Thou hast imitated the odious in al her
workes, and in her inuentions: therefore sayth God: 49 I wil send in
euils vpon thee, widowhood, pouertie, and famine, and sword, and
pestilence, to destroy thy houses by violation, and death, and glorie of
thy vertue. 50 As a flower shal be withered, when the heate shal rise
that is sent forth vpon thee, 51 thou shalt be weakned as a litle poore
soule plaged and chastised of wemen, that the mightie and the louers may
not receiue thee. 52 Wil I be zealous against thee sayth our Lord,
53 vnles thou hadst slayne myne elect at al times, exalting the slaughter
of the handes, and saying vpon their death, when thou wast drunken.
54 Adorne the beautie of thy countenance. 55 The reward of thy
fornication is in thy bosome, therefore thou shalt receiue recompence.
56 As thou shalt doe to my elect, sayth our Lord, so shal God do to thee,
and shal deliuer thee vnto euil. 57 And thy children shal dye for
famine: and thou shalt fal by the sword, and thy cities shal be
destroyed, & al thyne shal fal in the filde by the sword. 58 And they
that are in the mountaines, shal perish, with famine, and shal eate their
owne flesh, & drinke bloud, for the famine of bread and thirst of waters.
59 Vnhappie by the seas shalt thou come, and againe thou shalt receuie
euils. 60 And in the passage they shal beate against the idle citie, and
shal destroy some portion of thy land, and shal deface part of thy
glorie, againe returning to Babylon ourethrowen. 61 And being throwen
downe thou shalt be to them for stubble, and they shal be to thee fire:
62 and deuoure thee, and thy cities, thy land, and thy mountaynes, al thy
woodes and fruitful trees they wil burne with fire. 63 Thy children they
shal lead captiue, & shal haue thy goodes for a praye, and the glorie of
thy face they shal destroy.

CHAP. XVI.

Al are admonished, that extreme calamities shal fal vpon this world,
36. the penitent returning to iustice shal escape, 55. & as al thinges
were made by Gods omnipotent powre at his wil, so al thinges shal serue
to the reward of the blessed, and punishment of the wicked.

VVOE to thee Babylon & Asia, woe to thee AEgypt, and Syria. 2 Gird
yourselues with sackclothes and shirtes of heare, & mourne for your
children, & be sorie: because your destruction is at hand. 3 The sword
is sent in vpon you, and who is he that can turne it away? 4 Fire is
sent in vpon you, and who is he that can quench it? 5 Euiles are sent in
vpon you, and who is he that can repel them? 6 Shal anie man repel the
lion being hungrie in the woode, or quench the fire in stubble, forthwith
when it beginneth to burne? 7 Shal anie man repel the arrow shot of a
strong archer? 8 Our strong Lord sendeth in euiles, and who is he that
can repel them? 9 Fire came forth from his wrath, and who is he that can
quench it? 10 He wil lighten, who shal not feare, he wil thunder, and
who shal not be afrayed? 11 Our Lord wil threaten, and who shal not
vtterly be destroyed before his face? 12 The earth hath trembled, and
the fundations thereof, the sea tosseth vp waues from the depth, and the
floudes of it shal be destroyed, and the fishes thereof at the face of
our Lord, and at the glorie of his powre: 13 because his right hand is
strong which bendeth the bow, his arrowes be sharpe that are shot of him,
they shal not misse, when they shal begine to be shot into the endes of
the earth. 14 Behold euiles are sent, and they shal not returne til they
come vpon the earth. 15 The fire is kindled and it shal not be quenched,
til it consume the fundations of the earth. 16 For as the arrow shot of
a strong archer returneth not, so shal not the euils returne backe, that
shal be sent vpon the earth. 17 Woe is me, woe is me: who shal deliuer
me in those dayes? 18 The beginning of sorrowes and much mourning, the
beginning of famine and much destruction. The beginning of warres and
the potestates shal feare, the beginning of euiles and al shal tremble.
19 In these what shal I doe, when the euils shal come? 20 Behold famine,
and plague, and tribulation, and distresse are sent al as scourges for
amendment, 21 and in al these they wil not conuert themselues from their
iniquities, neither wil they be alwayes mindful of the scourges.
22 Behold, there shal be good cheape victuals vpon the earth, so that
they may thinke that peace is directly coming toward them, and then shal
euiles spring vpon the earth, sword, famine, and great confusion. 23 For
by famine manie that inhabit the earth shal dye, and the sword shal
destroy the rest that remained aliue of the famine, 24 and the dead shal
be cast forth as dung, and there shal be none to comfort them. For the
earth shal be left desert, and the cities therof shal be throwen downe.
25 There shal not be left a man to til the ground and to sow it. 26 The
trees shal yeeld fruites, and who shal gather them? 27 The grape shal
become ripe, & who shal tread it? For there shal be great desolation to
places. 28 For a man shal desire to see a man, or to heare his voyce.
29 For there shal be leaft ten of a citie, and two of the field that haue
hid themselues in thicke woodes, and cliffes of rockes. 30 As there are
left in the oliuet, and on euerie tree, three of foure oliues. 31 Or as
in a vinyeard when it is gathered there are grapes left by them, that
diligently search the vineyard: 32 so shal there be left in those dayes
three or foure, by them that search their houses in the sword. 33 And
the earth shal be left desolate, and the fildes thereof shal waxe old, &
the wayes thereof, and al the pathes thereof shal bringforth thornes,
because no man shal passe by it. 34 Virgins shal mourne hauing no
bridegromes, wemen shal mourne hauing no husbandes, their daughters shal
mourne hauing no helpe: 35 their bridegromes shal be consumed in battel,
and their husbandes be destroyed in famine. 36 But heare these thinges,
and know them ye seruantes of our Lord. 37 Behold the word of our Lord,
receiue it: beleue not the goddes of whom our Lord speaketh. 38 Behold
the euiles approch, and slacke not. 39 As a woman with childe when shee
bringeth forth her child in the ninth moneth, the houre of her
deliuerance approching, two or three howres before, paines come about her
wombe, and the infants coming out of her wombe, they wil not tarrie one
moment. 40 So the euiles shal not slacke to come forth vpon the earth,
and the world shal lament, and sorowes shal hold it round about.
41 Heare the word, my people: prepare yourselues vnto the fight, & in
the euiles so be ye as strangers of the earth. 42 He that selleth as if
he should flee, and he that byeth as he that should lose it. 43 He that
playeth the marchant, as he that should take no fruite: and he that
buildeth as he that should not inhabite. 44 He that soweth, as he that
shal not reape: so he also that pruneth a vinyeard, as if he should not
haue the vintage. 45 They that marie so as if they should not get
children, & they that marie not, so as if were widowes. 46 Wherfore they
that labour, labour without cause: 47 for foreners shal reape their
fruites, & shal violently take their goodes, and ouerthrow their houses,
and lead theire children captiue, because in captiuitie, and famine they
beget their children. 48 And they that play the marchantes by robrie,
the longer they adorne their cities and houses, and their possessions and
persons: 49 so much the more wil I be zealous toward them, vpon their
sinnes, sayth our Lord. 50 As a whore enuieth an honest & very good
woman: 51 so shal iustice hate impietie when she adorneth herselfe, and
accuseth her to her face, when he shal come that may defend him that
searcheth out al vpon the earth. 52 Therefore be not made like to her,
nor to her workes. 53 For yet a little whyle & iniquitie shal be taken
away from the earth, & iustice shal reigne ouer you. 54 Let not the
sinner say he hath not sinned: because he shal burne coales of fire vpon
his head, that sayth I haue not sinned before our Lord God and his
glorie. 55 Behold our Lord shal know al the workes of men, and their
inuentions, & their cogitations, and their hartes. (Eccli 23 / Luke 16)
56 For he sayd: Let the earth be made, and it was made: let the heauen
be made, & it was made. (Gen 1) 57 And by his worde the starrs were
made, & he noweth the number of the starres. (Ps 146:4) 58 Who
searcheth the depth and the treasures therof: who hath measured the sea,
& capacitie therof. (Job 38) 59 Who hath shut vp the sea in the midest
of waters, & hath hanged the earth vpon the waters with his word. 60 Who
hath spred heauen as it were a vault, ouer the waters he hath founded it.
61 Who hath put fountaines of waters in the desert, and lakes vpon the
toppes of mountaines, to send forth riuers from the high rocke to watter
the earth. 62 Who made man & put his hart in the midds of the bodie, and
gaue him spirit, life and vnderstanding. 63 And the inspiration of God
omnipotent that made al thinges, and searcheth al hid thinges, in the
secretes of the earth. 64 He knoweth your inuention, and what you thinke
in your hartes sinning, and willing to hide your sinnes. 65 Wherfore our
Lord in searching hath searched al your workes, and he wil put you al to
open shame, 66 and you shal be confounded when your sinnes shal come
forth before men, and the iniquities shal be they, that shal stand
accusers in that day. 67 What wil you doe? or how shal you hide your
sinnes before God and his Angels? 68 Behold God is the Iudge, feare him.
Cease from your sinnes, and now forget your iniquities to doe them anie
more, & God wil bring you out, and deliuer you from al tribulation.
69 For behold the heate of a great multitude is kindled ouer you, and
they shal take certaine of you by violence, & shal make the slaine to be
meate for idols. 70 And they that shal consent vnto them, shal be to
them in derision, and in reproch, and in conculcation. 71 For there shal
be place against places, and against the next cities great insurrection
vpon them that feare our Lord. 72 They shal be as it were madde sparing
no bodie, to spoyle and waste yet them that feare our Lord. 73 because
they shal waste and spoyle the goodes, and shal cast them out of their
houses. 74 Then shal appeare the probation of mine elect, as gold that
is proued by the fire. 75 Heare be beloued, sayth our Lord: Behold the
dayes of tribulation are come: and out of them I wil deliuer you.
76 Doe not feare, nor stagger, because God is your guide. 77 And he that
kepeth my commandmentes, and precepts, sayth our Lord God: Let not your
sinnes ouerway you, nor your inquities be aduanced ouer you. 78 Woe to
them that are entangled with their sinnes, and are couered with their
iniquities, as a filde is entangled with the wood, & the path therof
couered with thornes, by which no man passeth, & it is closed out, & cast
to be deuoured of the fire.

FINIS.

Note: This translation comes from the Latin text, usually printed in an
appendix to editions of the Vulgate, but these editions miss seventy
verses between 7:35 and 7:36. The missing fragment was discovered in a
Latin manuscript by Robert Lubbock Bensly in 1874. Below is a
translation of this fragment from a revised Authorized Version.
Although often numbered 7:36-7:105, they are here number as A:1-A:70 to
avoid any repetition in chapter:verse designations.

A:1. And the pit of torment shall appear, and over against it shall be
the place of rest: and the furnace of hell shall be shewed, and over
against it the paradise of delight.
A:2. And then shall the Most High say to the nations that are raised from
the dead, See ye and understand whom ye have denied, or whom ye have not
served, or whose commandments ye have despised.
A:3. Look on this side and on that: here is delight and rest, and there
fire and torments. Thus shall he speak unto them in the day of
judgement:
A:4. This is a day that hath neither sun, nor moon, nor stars,
A:5. neither cloud, nor thunder, nor lightning, neither wind, nor water,
nor air, neither darkness, nor evening, nor morning,
A:6. neither summer, nor spring, nor heat, nor winter, neither frost, nor
cold, nor hail, nor rain, nor dew,
A:7. neither noon, nor night, nor dawn, neither shining, nor brightness,
nor light, save only the splendour of the glory of the Most High, whereby
all shall see the things that are set before them:
A:8. for it shall endure as it were a week of years.
A:9. This is my judgement and the ordinance thereof; but to thee only
have I shewed these things.
A:10. And I answered, I said even then, O Lord, and I say now: Blessed
are they that be now alive and keep the statutes ordained of thee.
A:11. But as touching them for whom my prayer was made, what shall I say?
for who is there of them that be alive that hath not sinned, and who of
the sons of men that hath not transgressed thy covenant?
A:12. And now I see, that the world to come shall bring delight to few,
but torments unto many.
A:13. For an evil heart hath grown up in us, which hath led us astray
from these statutes, and hath brought us into corruption and into the
ways of death, hath shewed us the paths of perdition and removed us far
from life; and that, not a few only, but well nigh all that have been
created.
A:14. And he answered me, and said, Hearken unto me, and I will instruct
thee; and I will admonish thee yet again:
A:15. for this cause the Most High hath not made one world, but two.
A:16. For whereas thou hast said that the just are not many, but few, and
the ungodly abound, hear the answer thereunto.
A:17. If thou have choice stones exceeding few, wilt thou set for thee
over against them according to their number things of lead and clay?
A:18. And I say, Lord, how shall this be?
A:19. And he said unto me, Not only this, but ask the earth, and she
shall tell thee; intreat her, and she shall declare unto thee.
A:20. For thou shalt say unto her, Thou bringest forth gold and silver
and brass, and iron also and lead and clay:
A:21. but silver is more abundant than gold, and brass than silver, and
iron than brass, lead than iron, and clay than lead.
A:22. Judge thou therefore which things are precious and to be desired,
whatso is abundant or what is rare.
A:23. And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, that which is plentiful is of
less worth, for that which is more rare is more precious.
A:24. And he answered me, and said, Weigh within thyself the things that
thou hast thought, for he that hath what is hard to get rejoiceth over
him that hath what is plentiful.
A:25. So also is the judgement which I have promised: for I will rejoice
over the few that shall be saved, inasmuch as these are they that have
made my glory now to prevail, and of whom my name is now named.
A:26. And I will not grieve over the multitude of them that perish; for
these are they that are now like unto vapour, and are become as flame and
smoke; they are set on fire and burn hotly, and are quenched.
A:27. And I answered and said, O thou earth, wherefore hast thou brought
forth, if the mind is made out of dust, like as all other created things?
A:28. For it were better that the dust itself had been unborn, so that
the mind might not have been made therefrom.
A:29. But now the mind groweth with us, and by reason of this we are
tormented, because we perish and know it.
A:30. Let the race of men lament and the beasts of the field be glad; let
all that are born lament, but let the fourfooted beasts and the cattle
rejoice.
A:31. For it is far better with them than with us; for they look not for
judgement, neither do they know of torments or of salvation promised unto
them after death.
A:32. For what doth it profit us, that we shall be preserved alive, but
yet be afflicted with torment?
A:33. For all that are born are defiled with iniquities, and are full of
sins and laden with offences:
A:34. and if after death we were not to come into judgement, peradventure
it had been better for us.
A:35. And he answered me, and said, When the Most High made the world,
and Adam and all them that came of him, he first prepared the judgement
and the things that pertain unto the judgement.
A:36. And now understand from thine own words, for thou hast said that
the mind groweth with us.
A:37. They therefore that dwell upon the earth shall be tormented for
this reason, that having understanding they have wrought iniquity, and
receiving commandments have not kept them, and having obtained a law they
dealt unfaithfully with that which they received.
A:38. What then will they have to say in the judgement, or how will they
answer in the last times?
A:39. For how great a time hath the Most High been longsuffering with
them that inhabit the world, and not for their sakes, but because of the
times which he hath foreordained!
A:40. And I answered and said, If I have found grace in thy sight, O
Lord, shew this also unto thy servant, whether after death, even now when
every one of us giveth up his soul, we shall be kept in rest until those
times come, in which thou shalt renew the creation, of whether we shall
be tormented forthwith.
A:41. And he answered me, and said, I will shew thee this also; but join
not thyself with them that are scorners, nor number thyself with them
that are tormented.
A:42. For thou hast a treasure of good works laid up with the Most High,
but it shall not be shewed thee until the last times.
A:43. For concerning death the teaching is: When the determinate
sentence hath gone forth from the Most High that a man should die, as the
spirit leaveth the body to return again to him who gave it, it adoreth
the glory of the Most High first of all.
A:44. And if it be one of those that have been scorners and have not kept
the way of the Most High, and that have despised his law, and that hate
them that fear God,
A:45. these spirits shall not enter into habitations, but shall wander
and be in torments forthwith, ever grieving and sad, in seven ways.
A:46. The first way, because they have despised the law of the Most High.
A:47. The second way, because they cannot now make a good returning that
they may live.
A:48. The third way, they shall see the reward laid up for them that have
believed the covenants of the Most High.
A:49. The fourth way, they shall consider the torment laid up for
themselves in the last days.
A:50. The fifth way, they shall see the dwelling places of the others
guarded by angels, with great quietness.
A:51. The sixth way, they shall see how forthwith some of them shall pass
into torment.
A:52. The seventh way, which is more grievous than all the aforesaid
ways, because they shall pine away in confusion and be consumed with
shame, and shall be withered up by fears, seeing the glory of the Most
High before whom they have sinned whilst living, and before whom they
shall be judged in the last times.
A:53. Now this is the order of those who have kept the ways of the Most
High, when they shall be separated from the corruptible vessel.
A:54. In the time that they dwelt therin they painfully served the Most
High, and were in jeopardy every hour, that they might keep the law of
the lawgiver perfectly.
A:55. Wherefore this is the teaching concerning them:
A:56. First of all they shall see with great joy the glory of him who
taketh them up, for they shall have rest in seven orders.
A:57. The first order, because they have striven with great labour to
overcome the evil thought which was fashioned together with them, that it
might not lead them astray from life into death.
A:58. The second order, because they see the perplexity in which the
souls of the ungodly wander, and the punishment that awaiteth them.
A:59. The third order, they see the witness which he that fashioned them
beareth concerning them, that while they lived they kept the law which
was given them in trust.
A:60. The fourth order, they understand the rest which, being gathered in
their chambers, they now enjoy with great quietness, guarded by angels,
and the glory that awaiteth them in the last days.
A:61. The fifth order, they rejoice, seeing how they have now escaped
from that which is corruptible, and how they shall inherit that which is
to come, while they see moreover the straitness and the painfulness from

Back to Full Books