The Second Book of Esdras
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Anonymous
10:50 For now the most High seeth that thou art grieved unfeignedly, and sufferest from thy whole heart for her, so hath he shewed thee the brightness of her glory, and the comeliness of her beauty:
10:51 And therefore I bade thee remain in the field where no house was builded:
10:52 For I knew that the Highest would shew this unto thee.
10:53 Therefore I commanded thee to go into the field, where no foundation of any building was.
10:54 For in the place wherein the Highest beginneth to shew his city, there can no man’s building be able to stand.
10:55 And therefore fear not, let not thine heart be affrighted, but go thy way in, and see the beauty and greatness of the building, as much as thine eyes be able to see:
10:56 And then shalt thou hear as much as thine ears may comprehend.
10:57 For thou art blessed above many other, and art called with the Highest; and so are but few.
10:58 But to morrow at night thou shalt remain here;
10:59 And so shall the Highest shew thee visions of the high things, which the most High will do unto them that dwell upon the earth in the last days. So I slept that night and another, like as he commanded me.
11:1 Then saw I a dream, and, behold, there came up from the sea an eagle, which had twelve feathered wings, and three heads.
11:2 And I saw, and, behold, she spread her wings over all the earth, and all the winds of the air blew on her, and were gathered together.
11:3 And I beheld, and out of her feathers there grew other contrary feathers; and they became little feathers and small.
11:4 But her heads were at rest: the head in the midst was greater than the other, yet rested it with the residue.
11:5 Moreover I beheld, and, lo, the eagle flew with her feathers, and reigned upon earth, and over them that dwelt therein.
11:6 And I saw that all things under heaven were subject unto her, and no man spake against her, no, not one creature upon earth.
11:7 And I beheld, and, lo, the eagle rose upon her talons, and spake to her feathers, saying,
11:8 Watch not all at once: sleep every one in his own place, and watch by course:
11:9 But let the heads be preserved for the last.
11:10 And I beheld, and, lo, the voice went not out of her heads, but from the midst of her body.
11:11 And I numbered her contrary feathers, and, behold, there were eight of them.
11:12 And I looked, and, behold, on the right side there arose one feather, and reigned over all the earth;
11:13 And so it was, that when it reigned, the end of it came, and the place thereof appeared no more: so the next following stood up, and reigned, and had a great time;
11:14 And it happened, that when it reigned, the end of it came also, like as the first, so that it appeared no more.
11:15 Then came there a voice unto it, and said,
11:16 Hear thou that hast borne rule over the earth so long: this I say unto thee, before thou beginnest to appear no more,
11:17 There shall none after thee attain unto thy time, neither unto the half thereof.
11:18 Then arose the third, and reigned as the other before, and appeared no more also.
11:19 So went it with all the residue one after another, as that every one reigned, and then appeared no more.
11:20 Then I beheld, and, lo, in process of time the feathers that followed stood up upon the right side, that they might rule also; and some of them ruled, but within a while they appeared no more:
11:21 For some of them were set up, but ruled not.
11:22 After this I looked, and, behold, the twelve feathers appeared no more, nor the two little feathers:
11:23 And there was no more upon the eagle’s body, but three heads that rested, and six little wings.
11:24 Then saw I also that two little feathers divided themselves from the six, and remained under the head that was upon the right side: for the four continued in their place.
11:25 And I beheld, and, lo, the feathers that were under the wing thought to set up themselves and to have the rule.
11:26 And I beheld, and, lo, there was one set up, but shortly it appeared no more.
11:27 And the second was sooner away than the first.
11:28 And I beheld, and, lo, the two that remained thought also in themselves to reign:
11:29 And when they so thought, behold, there awaked one of the heads that were at rest, namely, it that was in the midst; for that was greater than the two other heads.
11:30 And then I saw that the two other heads were joined with it.