The Second Book of Esdras
Project Gutenberg EPUB edition
Anonymous
12:25 For these are they that shall accomplish his wickedness, and that shall finish his last end.
12:26 And whereas thou sawest that the great head appeared no more, it signifieth that one of them shall die upon his bed, and yet with pain.
12:27 For the two that remain shall be slain with the sword.
12:28 For the sword of the one shall devour the other: but at the last shall he fall through the sword himself.
12:29 And whereas thou sawest two feathers under the wings passing over the head that is on the right side;
12:30 It signifieth that these are they, whom the Highest hath kept unto their end: this is the small kingdom and full of trouble, as thou sawest.
12:31 And the lion, whom thou sawest rising up out of the wood, and roaring, and speaking to the eagle, and rebuking her for her unrighteousness with all the words which thou hast heard;
12:32 This is the anointed, which the Highest hath kept for them and for their wickedness unto the end: he shall reprove them, and shall upbraid them with their cruelty.
12:33 For he shall set them before him alive in judgment, and shall rebuke them, and correct them.
12:34 For the rest of my people shall he deliver with mercy, those that have been pressed upon my borders, and he shall make them joyful until the coming of the day of judgment, whereof I have spoken unto thee from the beginning.
12:35 This is the dream that thou sawest, and these are the interpretations.
12:36 Thou only hast been meet to know this secret of the Highest.
12:37 Therefore write all these things that thou hast seen in a book, and hide them:
12:38 And teach them to the wise of the people, whose hearts thou knowest may comprehend and keep these secrets.
12:39 But wait thou here thyself yet seven days more, that it may be shewed thee, whatsoever it pleaseth the Highest to declare unto thee. And with that he went his way.
12:40 And it came to pass, when all the people saw that the seven days were past, and I not come again into the city, they gathered them all together, from the least unto the greatest, and came unto me, and said,
12:41 What have we offended thee? and what evil have we done against thee, that thou forsakest us, and sittest here in this place?
12:42 For of all the prophets thou only art left us, as a cluster of the vintage, and as a candle in a dark place, and as a haven or ship preserved from the tempest.
12:43 Are not the evils which are come to us sufficient?
12:44 If thou shalt forsake us, how much better had it been for us, if we also had been burned in the midst of Sion?
12:45 For we are not better than they that died there. And they wept with a loud voice. Then answered I them, and said,
12:46 Be of good comfort, O Israel; and be not heavy, thou house of Jacob:
12:47 For the Highest hath you in remembrance, and the Mighty hath not forgotten you in temptation.
12:48 As for me, I have not forsaken you, neither am I departed from you: but am come into this place, to pray for the desolation of Sion, and that I might seek mercy for the low estate of your sanctuary.
12:49 And now go your way home every man, and after these days will I come unto you.
12:50 So the people went their way into the city, like as I commanded them:
12:51 But I remained still in the field seven days, as the angel commanded me; and did eat only in those days of the flowers of the field, and had my meat of the herbs
13:1 And it came to pass after seven days, I dreamed a dream by night:
13:2 And, lo, there arose a wind from the sea, that it moved all the waves thereof.
13:3 And I beheld, and, lo, that man waxed strong with the thousands of heaven: and when he turned his countenance to look, all the things trembled that were seen under him.
13:4 And whensoever the voice went out of his mouth, all they burned that heard his voice, like as the earth faileth when it feeleth the fire.
13:5 And after this I beheld, and, lo, there was gathered together a multitude of men, out of number, from the four winds of the heaven, to subdue the man that came out of the sea
13:6 But I beheld, and, lo, he had graved himself a great mountain, and flew up upon it.
13:7 But I would have seen the region or place whereout the hill was graven, and I could not.
13:8 And after this I beheld, and, lo, all they which were gathered together to subdue him were sore afraid, and yet durst fight.
13:9 And, lo, as he saw the violence of the multitude that came, he neither lifted up his hand, nor held sword, nor any instrument of war:
13:10 But only I saw that he sent out of his mouth as it had been a blast of fire, and out of his lips a flaming breath, and out of his tongue he cast out sparks and tempests.
13:11 And they were all mixed together; the blast of fire, the flaming breath, and the great tempest; and fell with violence upon the multitude which was prepared to fight, and burned them up every one, so that upon a sudden of an innumerable multitude nothing was to be perceived, but only dust and smell of smoke: when I saw this I was afraid.
13:12 Afterward saw I the same man come down from the mountain, and call unto him another peaceable Multitude.
13:13 And there came much people unto him, whereof some were glad, some were sorry, and some of them were bound, and other some brought of them that were offered: then was I sick through great fear, and I awaked, and said,