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"THE BOOK OF ESDRA" from The Apocrypha
In the
following verses Chapter 5: 31-56, Esdra is spoken to by an angel sent to him by the Lord named "Uriel" about his
(Esdra) 2nd vision.
31: When I had spoken these words,
the angel who had come to me on a previous night was sent to me,
32: and he said to me, "Listen to me, and I will instruct you; pay attention to me, and I will tell you more."
33: And I said, "Speak, my lord." And he said to me, "Are you greatly disturbed in mind over Israel?
Or do you love him more than his Maker does?"
34: And I said,
"No, my lord, but because of my grief I have spoken; for every hour I
suffer agonies of heart, while I strive to understand the way of the Most High and to search out part of his judgment."
35: And he said to me, "You cannot." And I said, "Why not, my lord? Why then was I born? Or why
did not my mother's womb become my grave, that I might not see the travail
of Jacob and the exhaustion of the people of Israel?"
36: He
said to me, "Count up for me those who have not yet come, and gather for me the scattered raindrops, and make the
withered flowers bloom again for me;
37: open for me the closed
chambers, and bring forth for me the winds shut up in them, or show me the
picture of a voice; and then I will explain to you the travail that you ask to understand."
38: And
I said, "O sovereign Lord, who is able to know these things except he whose
dwelling is not with men?
39: As for me, I am without wisdom, and
how can I speak concerning the things which thou hast asked me?"
40: He said to me, "Just
as you cannot do one of the things that were mentioned, so you cannot discover my judgment,
or the goal of the love that I have promised my people."
41:
And I said, "Yet behold, O Lord, thou dost have charge of those who are alive at the
end, but what will those do who were before us, or we, or those who come after us?"
42: He
said to me, "I shall liken my judgment to a circle; just as for those
who are last there is no slowness, so for those who are first there is no haste."
43: Then I answered and said, "Couldst thou not have created at one time those who have been
and those who are and those who will be, that thou mightest show thy judgment
the sooner?"
44: He replied to me and said, "The creation
cannot make more haste than the Creator, neither can the world hold at one time those who have been created in it."
45: And I said, "How hast thou said to thy servant that thou
wilt certainly give life at one time to thy creation? If therefore all creatures
will live at one time and the creation will sustain them, it might even now be able to support all of them present
at one time."
46: He said to me, "Ask a woman's womb, and say
to it, `If you bear ten children, why one after another?' Request it therefore
to produce ten at one time."
47: I said, "Of course it cannot, but only each in its own time."
48: He said to me, "Even so have I given the womb of the
earth to those who from time to time are sown in it.
49: For as
an infant does not bring forth, and a woman who has become old does not bring forth any longer, so have I organized
the world which I created."
50: Then I inquired and said, "Since
thou hast now given me the opportunity, let me speak before thee. Is our mother,
of whom thou hast told me, still young? Or is she now approaching old age?"
51: He replied
to me, "Ask a woman who bears children, and she will tell you.
52: Say to
her, "Why are those whom you have borne recently not like those whom you
bore before, but smaller in stature?'
53: And she herself will answer you, `Those
born in the strength of youth are different from those born during the time of old age, when the womb is
failing.'
54: Therefore you also should consider that you and your
contemporaries are smaller in stature than those who were before you,
55: and those who come after you will be smaller than you, as born of a creation which already is aging and passing
the strength of youth."
56: And I said, "O Lord, I beseech
thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show thy servant through whom thou
dost visit thy creation."
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2 Esdras, from The holy Bible, Revised Standard
Chapters
1 - 16
 In the following verses Chapter 6:20-33, Esdra is spoken to
by the angel sent to him by the Lord named "Uriel" still explaining his (Esdra) 2nd vision, Uriel speaking
of before the foundation of time and after the rapture.
20: and
when the seal is placed upon the age which is about to pass away, then I will
show these signs: the books shall be opened before the firmament, and all shall see it together.
21: Infants
a year old shall speak with their voices, and women with child shall give birth
to premature children at three and four months, and these shall live and dance.
22: Sown places shall suddenly appear unsown, and full storehouses shall suddenly
be found to be empty;
23: and the trumpet shall sound aloud, and when all hear it, they shall
suddenly be terrified.
24: At that time friends shall make war
on friends like enemies, and the earth and those who inhabit it shall be terrified,
and the springs of the fountains shall stand still, so that for three hours they shall not flow.
25:
"And it shall be that whoever remains after all that I have foretold to
you shall himself be saved and shall see my salvation and the end of my world.
26: And they shall see the men who were taken up, who from their birth have not tasted death; and the
heart of the earth's inhabitants shall be changed and converted to a different spirit.
27: For evil shall be blotted out, and deceit shall be quenched;
28: faithfulness shall flourish, and corruption shall be overcome, and the truth,
which has been so long without fruit, shall be revealed."
29: While he spoke to me, behold,
little by little the place where I was standing began to rock to and fro.
30: And he said to me, "I have come to show you these things this night.
31: If therefore you will pray again and fast again for seven days, I will again declare to you greater
things than these,
32: because your voice has surely been heard
before the Most High; for the Mighty One has seen your uprightness and has
also observed the purity which you have maintained from your youth.
33: Therefore he sent me to show you all
these things, and to say to you: `Believe and do not be afraid!
In the following verses Chapter 6:35-59, Esdra is
spoken to by the angel sent to him by the Lord named "Uriel"
still explaining his (Esdra) 2nd vision. Here Esdra speaks to
Uriel about the first 6 days of creation.
35:
Now after this I wept again and fasted seven days as before, in
order to complete the three weeks as I had been told.
36: And on the eighth night my heart was troubled within me
again, and I began to speak in the presence of the Most High.
37: For my spirit
was greatly aroused, and my soul was
in distress.
38: I said, "O Lord, thou didst speak
at the beginning of creation, and didst say on the first day, `Let
heaven and earth be made,' and thy word accomplished the work.
39: And
then the Spirit was hovering, and darkness
and silence embraced everything; the sound of man's voice was
not yet there.
40: Then thou didst command that a ray of light
be brought forth from thy treasuries, so that thy works might then appear.
41: "Again, on the second day,
thou didst create the spirit of the firmament, and didst command him to divide
and separate the waters, that one part might move upward
and the other part remain beneath.
42: "On the third day thou
didst command the waters to be gathered
together in the seventh part of the earth; six parts thou didst dry up and keep so that some of them
might be planted and cultivated and be
of service before thee.
43: For thy word went forth, and at once
the work was done.
44: For
immediately fruit came forth in endless abundance and of varied appeal to the taste; and flowers of inimitable
color; and odors of inexpressible
fragrance. These were made on the third day.
45: "On the fourth day thou didst command
the brightness of the sun, the light of the moon,
and the arrangement of the stars to come into being;
46: and thou
didst command them to serve man, who was about to be formed.
47:
"On the fifth day thou didst command the seventh
part, where the water had been gathered together,
to bring forth living creatures, birds, and fishes; and so it was done.
48: The dumb and lifeless water produced living creatures, as it
was commanded, that therefore the nations might declare
thy wondrous works.
49: "Then thou didst keep
in existence two living creatures; the name of one thou didst call Behemoth
and the name of the other Leviathan.
50: And thou
didst separate one from the other, for the seventh part where the
water had been gathered together could not hold them both.
51:
And thou didst give Behemoth one of the parts which
had been dried up on the third day, to live in it, where there
are a thousand mountains;
52: but to Leviathan thou
didst give the seventh part, the watery part; and thou hast kept them to be eaten by whom
thou wilt, and when thou wilt.
53:
"On the sixth day thou didst command the earth to bring
forth before thee cattle, beasts, and creeping things;
54:
and over these thou didst place Adam, as ruler over all the works which thou hadst
made; and from him we have all come, the
people whom thou hast chosen.
55: "All this I
have spoken before thee, O Lord, because thou hast said that it was
for us that thou didst create this world.
56: As for the other nations
which have descended from Adam, thou hast said
that they are nothing, and that they are like spittle, and thou hast compared
their abundance to a drop from a bucket.
57:
And now, O Lord, behold, these nations, which are reputed as nothing, domineer
over us and devour us.
58: But we thy
people, whom thou hast called thy first-born, only begotten, zealous for thee, and most dear,
have been given into their hands.
59: If the world has indeed been created for us, why do we not
possess our world as an inheritance? How long will
this be so?"
Chapter 7:78-87
"After Sinners
Die"
78: Now, concerning death, the teaching is: When the
decisive decree has gone forth from the Most High that a man shall die, as the spirit leaves the body
to return again to him who gave it, first of all it adores the glory of the Most High.
79: And if it is one of those who have shown scorn and have not kept the
way of the Most High, and who have despised his law, and who have hated those
who fear God --
80: such spirits shall not enter into habitations, but shall immediately wander about in torments,
ever grieving and sad, in seven ways.
81: The first way, because
they have scorned the law of the Most High.
82: The second way, because they cannot now make a good repentance
that they may live.
83: The third way, they shall see the reward
laid up for those who have trusted the covenants of the Most High.
84: The fourth way,
they shall consider the torment laid up for themselves in the last days.
85: The fifth
way, they shall see how the habitations of the others are guarded by angels
in profound quiet.
86: The sixth way, they shall see how some of
them will pass over into torments.
87: The seventh way, which is worse than all the ways that have been mentioned,
because they shall utterly waste away in confusion and be consumed with shame,
and shall wither with fear at seeing the glory of the Most High before whom
they sinned while they were alive, and before whom they are to be judged in the last times.
Chapter 7:88-101
"When Those Who Believe (Believers) In Christ
Die"
88: "Now this is the order of those who have kept the ways of the Most High, when they shall
be separated from their mortal body.
89: During the time that they
lived in it, they laboriously served the Most High, and withstood danger every
hour, that they might keep the law of the Lawgiver perfectly.
90: Therefore this is the
teaching concerning them:
91: First of all, they shall see with great joy the glory of
him who receives them, for they shall have rest in seven orders.
92: The first order, because they have striven with great effort to overcome
the evil thought which was formed with them, that it might not lead them astray from life into death.
93:
The second order, because they see the perplexity in which the souls of the
ungodly wander, and the punishment that awaits them.
94: The third
order, they see the witness which he who formed them bears concerning them, that while they were alive they kept
the law which was given them in trust.
95: The fourth order, they understand
the rest which they now enjoy, being gathered into their chambers and guarded
by angels in profound quiet, and the glory which awaits them in the last days.
96:
The fifth order, they rejoice that they have now escaped what is corruptible, and shall inherit what is
to come; and besides they see the straits and toil from which they have been
delivered, and the spacious liberty which they are to receive and enjoy in
immortality.
97: The sixth order, when it is shown to them how their face is to shine like the sun, and how
they are to be made like the light of the stars, being incorruptible from then
on.
98: The seventh order, which is greater than all that have
been mentioned, because they shall rejoice with boldness, and shall be confident without confusion,
and shall be glad without fear, for they hasten to behold the face of him whom they served in life
and from whom they are to receive their reward when glorified.
99:
This is the order of the souls of the righteous, as henceforth is announced;
and the aforesaid are the ways of torment which those who would not give heed shall suffer hereafter."
100:
I answered and said, "Will time therefore be given to the souls, after
they have been separated from the bodies, to see what you have described to
me?"
101: He said to me, "They shall have freedom for seven days, so that during these seven days they
may see the things of which you have been told, and afterwards they shall be
gathered in their habitations."
Chapter 9:1-22
"God Examines His Works"
1:
He answered me and said, "Measure carefully in your mind, and when you see that a certain part of the predicted
signs are past,
2: then you will know that it is the very time
when the Most High is about to visit the world which he has made.
3: So when there shall appear in the world earthquakes, tumult of peoples, intrigues of nations, wavering of leaders,
confusion of princes,
4: then you will know that it was of these
that the Most High spoke from the days that were of old, from the beginning.
5: For just as with everything that has occurred in the world, the beginning is evident,
and the end manifest;
6: so also are the times of the Most High: the beginnings are
manifest in wonders and mighty works, and the end in requital and in signs.
7: And it shall be that every one who will be saved and will be able
to escape on account of his works, or on account of the faith by which he has believed,
8: will survive
the dangers that have been predicted, and will see my salvation in my land
and within my borders, which I have sanctified for myself from the beginning.
9: Then those who have now abused my ways shall be amazed, and those who have rejected them with contempt
shall dwell in torments.
10: For as many as did not acknowledge me in their
lifetime, although they received my benefits,
11: and as many
as scorned my law while they still had freedom, and did not understand but despised it while an opportunity
of repentance was still open to them,
12: these must in torment acknowledge it
after death.
13: Therefore, do not continue to be curious as to
how the ungodly will be punished; but inquire how the righteous will be saved, those to
whom the age belongs and for whose sake the age was made."
14: I answered and said,
15: "I said before, and I say now, and will say it again: there are
more who perish than those who will be saved,
16: as a wave is greater
than a drop of water."
17: He answered me and said, "As is the field, so is the seed; and as
are the flowers, so are the colors; and as is the work, so is the product;
and as is the farmer, so is the threshing floor.
18: For there
was a time in this age when I was preparing for those who now exist, before the world was made for them to dwell in, and no
one opposed me then, for no one existed;
19: but now those who
have been created in this world which is supplied both with an unfailing table
and an inexhaustible pasture, have become corrupt in their ways.
20: So I considered my world,
and behold, it was lost, and my earth, and behold, it was in peril because of the devices
of those who had come into it.
21: And I saw and spared some with
great difficulty, and saved for myself one grape out of a cluster, and one plant out of a great
forest.
22: So let the multitude perish which has been born in vain, but let my grape and
my plant be saved, because with much labor I have perfected them.
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Chapter 7:102-105
Can any person who has accepted Christ
pray for those who have died without accetping Him?
102: I answered and said, "If I have found favor in thy sight,
show further to me, thy servant, whether on the day of judgment the righteous will be able to intercede for the ungodly or
to entreat the Most High for them,
103: fathers for sons or sons for parents, brothers for brothers, relatives for
their kinsmen, or friends for those who are most dear."
104: He answered me and said, "Since you have found favor
in my sight, I will show you this also. The day of judgment is decisive and displays to all the seal of truth. Just as now
a father does not send his son, or a son his father, or a master his servant, or a friend his dearest friend, to be ill or
sleep or eat or be healed in his stead,
105: so no one shall ever pray for another on that day, neither shall any
one lay a burden on another; for then every one shall bear his own righteousness and unrighteousness."
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Chapter 8:50-63
"For Those Left Behind On Earth After The
Rapture"
50: For many miseries will affect those who inhabit the world in the last times, because they have
walked in great pride.
51: But think of your own case, and inquire concerning the glory of those who are like yourself,
52: because it is for you that paradise is opened, the tree of life is planted, the age to come is prepared, plenty
is provided, a city is built, rest is appointed, goodness is established and wisdom perfected beforehand.
53: The
root of evil is sealed up from you, illness is banished from you, and death is hidden; hell has fled and corruption has been
forgotten;
54: sorrows have passed away, and in the end the treasure of immortality is made manifest.
55:
Therefore do not ask any more questions about the multitude of those who perish.
56: For they also received freedom
, but they despised the Most High, and were contemptuous of his law, and forsook his ways.
57: Moreover they have
even trampled upon his righteous ones,
58: and said in their hearts that there is not God -- though knowing full well
that they must die.
59: For just as the things which I have predicted await you, so the thirst and torment which are
prepared await them. For the Most High did not intend that men should be destroyed;
60: but they themselves who were
created have defiled the name of him who made them, and have been ungrateful to him who prepared life for them.
61:
Therefore my judgment is now drawing near;
62: I have not shown this to all men, but only to you and a few like you."
Then I answered and said,
63: "Behold, O Lord, thou hast now shown me a multitude of the signs which thou wilt do
in the last times, but thou hast not shown me when thou wilt do them."
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Chapter 9:1-22
"God Examines His Works"
1:
He answered me and said, "Measure carefully in your mind, and when you see that a certain part of the predicted signs are
past,
2: then you will know that it is the very time when the Most High is about to visit the world which he has made.
3: So when there shall appear in the world earthquakes, tumult of peoples, intrigues of nations, wavering of leaders,
confusion of princes,
4: then you will know that it was of these that the Most High spoke from the days that were
of old, from the beginning.
5: For just as with everything that has occurred in the world, the beginning is evident,
and the end manifest;
6: so also are the times of the Most High: the beginnings are manifest in wonders and mighty
works, and the end in requital and in signs.
7: And it shall be that every one who will be saved and will be able
to escape on account of his works, or on account of the faith by which he has believed,
8: will survive the dangers
that have been predicted, and will see my salvation in my land and within my borders, which I have sanctified for myself from
the beginning.
9: Then those who have now abused my ways shall be amazed, and those who have rejected them with contempt
shall dwell in torments.
10: For as many as did not acknowledge me in their lifetime, although they received my benefits,
11: and as many as scorned my law while they still had freedom, and did not understand but despised it while an opportunity
of repentance was still open to them,
12: these must in torment acknowledge it after death.
13: Therefore,
do not continue to be curious as to how the ungodly will be punished; but inquire how the righteous will be saved, those to
whom the age belongs and for whose sake the age was made."
14: I answered and said,
15: "I said before, and
I say now, and will say it again: there are more who perish than those who will be saved,
16: as a wave is greater
than a drop of water."
17: He answered me and said, "As is the field, so is the seed; and as are the flowers, so are
the colors; and as is the work, so is the product; and as is the farmer, so is the threshing floor.
18: For there
was a time in this age when I was preparing for those who now exist, before the world was made for them to dwell in, and no
one opposed me then, for no one existed;
19: but now those who have been created in this world which is supplied both
with an unfailing table and an inexhaustible pasture, have become corrupt in their ways.
20: So I considered my world,
and behold, it was lost, and my earth, and behold, it was in peril because of the devices of those who had come into it.
21:
And I saw and spared some with great difficulty, and saved for myself one grape out of a cluster, and one plant out of a great
forest.
22: So let the multitude perish which has been born in vain, but let my grape and my plant be saved, because
with much labor I have perfected them.
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