The Second Book of Esdras

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

- Chapter 14 -

It came to pass upon the third day, I sat under an oak, and, behold, a voice came out of a bush near me, and said, “Esdras, Esdras!”

I said, “Here I am, Lord,” and I stood up on my feet.

Then he said to me, “I revealed myself in a bush and talked with Moses when my people were in bondage in Egypt.

I sent him, and (a) he led my people out of Egypt. I brought him up to Mount Sinai, where I kept him with me for many days.

I told him many wondrous things, and showed him the secrets of the times and the end of the seasons. I commanded him, saying,

‘You shall publish these openly, and these you shall hide.’

Now I say to you:

Lay up in your heart the signs that I have shown, the dreams that you have seen, and the interpretations which you have heard;

for you will be taken away from men, and from now on you will live with my Son and with those who are like you, until the times have ended.

For the world has lost its youth, and the times begin to grow old.

(b)For the age is divided into twelve parts, and ten parts of it are already gone, (c)even the half of the tenth part.

There remain of it two parts after the middle of the tenth part.

Now therefore set your house in order, reprove your people, comfort the lowly among them, (d) and instruct those of them who are wise, and now renounce the life that is corruptible,

and let go of the mortal thoughts, cast away from you the burdens of man, put off now your weak nature,

lay aside the thoughts that are most grievous to you, and hurry to escape from these times.

For worse evils than those which you have seen happen will be done after this.

For look how much the world will be weaker through age, so much that more evils will increase on those who dwell in it.

For the truth will withdraw itself further off, and falsehood will be near. For now (e)the eagle which you saw in vision hurries to come.”

Then I answered and said, (f)“Let me speak in your presence, O Lord.

Behold, I will go, as you have commanded me, and reprove the people who now live, but who will warn those who will be born afterward? For the world is set in darkness, and those who dwell in it are without light.

For your law has been burned, therefore no one knows the things that are done by you, or the works that will be done.

But if I have found favor before you, send the Holy Spirit to me, and I will write all that has been done in the world since the beginning, even the things that were written in your law, that men may be able to find the path, and that those who would live in the latter days may live.”

He answered me and said, “Go your way, gather the people together, and tell them not to seek you for forty days.

But prepare for yourself many tablets, and take with you Sarea, Dabria, Selemia, Ethanus, and Asiel, these five, which are ready to write swiftly;

and come here, and I will light a lamp of understanding in your heart which will not be put out until the things have ended about which you will write.

When you are done, some things you shall publish openly, and some things you shall deliver in secret to the wise. Tomorrow at this hour you will begin to write.”

Then went I out, as he commanded me, and gathered all the people together, and said,

“Hear these words, O Israel!

Our fathers at the beginning were foreigners in Egypt, and they were delivered from there,

and received the law of life, which they didn’t keep, which you also have transgressed after them.

Then the land of Zion was given to you for a possession; but you yourselves and your ancestors have done unrighteousness, and have not kept the ways which the Most High commanded you.

Because he is a righteous judge, in due time, he took from you what he had given you.

Now you are here, and your kindred are among you.

Therefore if you will rule over your own understanding and instruct your hearts, you will be kept alive, and after death you will obtain mercy.

For after death the judgment will come, when we will live again. Then the names of the righteous will become manifest, and the works of the ungodly will be declared.

Let no one therefore come to me now, nor seek me for forty days.”

So I took the five men, as he commanded me, and we went out into the field, and remained there.

It came to pass on the next day that, behold, a voice called me, saying, “Esdras, open your mouth, and drink what I give you to drink.”

Then opened I my mouth, and behold, a full cup was handed to me. It was full of something like water, but its color was like fire.

I took it, and drank. When I had drunk it, my heart uttered understanding, and wisdom grew in my breast, for my spirit retained its memory.

My mouth was opened, and shut no more.

The Most High gave understanding to the five men, and they wrote by course the things that were told them, in (g)characters which they didn’t know, and they sat forty days. Now they wrote in the day-time, and at night they ate bread.

As for me, I spoke in the day, and by night I didn’t hold my tongue.

So in forty days, ninety-four books were written.

It came to pass, when the forty days were fulfilled, that the Most High spoke to me, saying, “The first books that you have written, publish openly, and let the worthy and unworthy read them;

but keep the last seventy, that you may deliver them to those who are wise among your people;

for in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, and the stream of knowledge.”

I did so.

Footnotes

(a)14:4 Another reading is. I.

(b)14:11 Verses 11, 12 are omitted in the Syriac. The Aethiopic has For the age is divided into ten parts, and is come to the tenth: and half of the tenth remains. Now etc.

(d)14:13 The Latin alone omits and...wise.

(e)14:18 So the Oriental versions.

(f)14:19 The Latin omits I will speak.

(g)14:42 So the Oriental versions.

And it came to pass upon the third day, I sat under an oak, and, behold, there came a voice out of a bush over against me, and said, Esdras, Esdras.

And I said, Here am I, Lord And I stood up upon my feet.

Then said he unto me, In the bush I did manifestly reveal myself unto Moses, and talked with him, when my people served in Egypt:

And I sent him and led my people out of Egypt, and brought him up to the mount of where I held him by me a long season,

And told him many wondrous things, and shewed him the secrets of the times, and the end; and commanded him, saying,

These words shalt thou declare, and these shalt thou hide.

And now I say unto thee,

That thou lay up in thy heart the signs that I have shewed, and the dreams that thou hast seen, and the interpretations which thou hast heard:

For thou shalt be taken away from all, and from henceforth thou shalt remain with my Son, and with such as be like thee, until the times be ended.

For the world hath lost his youth, and the times begin to wax old.

For the world is divided into twelve parts, and the ten parts of it are gone already, and half of a tenth part:

And there remaineth that which is after the half of the tenth part.

Now therefore set thine house in order, and reprove thy people, comfort such of them as be in trouble, and now renounce corruption,

Let go from thee mortal thoughts, cast away the burdens of man, put off now the weak nature,

And set aside the thoughts that are most heavy unto thee, and haste thee to flee from these times.

For yet greater evils than those which thou hast seen happen shall be done hereafter.

For look how much the world shall be weaker through age, so much the more shall evils increase upon them that dwell therein.

For the time is fled far away, and leasing is hard at hand: for now hasteth the vision to come, which thou hast seen.

Then answered I before thee, and said,

Behold, Lord, I will go, as thou hast commanded me, and reprove the people which are present: but they that shall be born afterward, who shall admonish them? thus the world is set in darkness, and they that dwell therein are without light.

For thy law is burnt, therefore no man knoweth the things that are done of thee, or the work that shall begin.

But if I have found grace before thee, send the Holy Ghost into me, and I shall write all that hath been done in the world since the beginning, which were written in thy law, that men may find thy path, and that they which will live in the latter days may live.

And he answered me, saying, Go thy way, gather the people together, and say unto them, that they seek thee not for forty days.

But look thou prepare thee many box trees, and take with thee Sarea, Dabria, Selemia, Ecanus, and Asiel, these five which are ready to write swiftly;

And come hither, and I shall light a candle of understanding in thine heart, which shall not be put out, till the things be performed which thou shalt begin to write.

And when thou hast done, some things shalt thou publish, and some things shalt thou shew secretly to the wise: to morrow this hour shalt thou begin to write.

Then went I forth, as he commanded, and gathered all the people together, and said,

Hear these words, O Israel.

Our fathers at the beginning were strangers in Egypt, from whence they were delivered:

And received the law of life, which they kept not, which ye also have transgressed after them.

Then was the land, even the land of Sion, parted among you by lot: but your fathers, and ye yourselves, have done unrighteousness, and have not kept the ways which the Highest commanded you.

And forasmuch as he is a righteous judge, he took from you in time the thing that he had given you.

And now are ye here, and your brethren among you.

Therefore if so be that ye will subdue your own understanding, and reform your hearts, ye shall be kept alive and after death ye shall obtain mercy.

For after death shall the judgment come, when we shall live again: and then shall the names of the righteous be manifest, and the works of the ungodly shall be declared.

Let no man therefore come unto me now, nor seek after me these forty days.

So I took the five men, as he commanded me, and we went into the field, and remained there.

And the next day, behold, a voice called me, saying, Esdras, open thy mouth, and drink that I give thee to drink.

Then opened I my mouth, and, behold, he reached me a full cup, which was full as it were with water, but the colour of it was like fire.

And I took it, and drank: and when I had drunk of it, my heart uttered understanding, and wisdom grew in my breast, for my spirit strengthened my memory:

And my mouth was opened, and shut no more.

The Highest gave understanding unto the five men, and they wrote the wonderful visions of the night that were told, which they knew not: and they sat forty days, and they wrote in the day, and at night they ate bread.

As for me. I spake in the day, and I held not my tongue by night.

In forty days they wrote two hundred and four books.

And it came to pass, when the forty days were filled, that the Highest spake, saying, The first that thou hast written publish openly, that the worthy and unworthy may read it:

But keep the seventy last, that thou mayest deliver them only to such as be wise among the people:

For in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, and the stream of knowledge.

And I did so.