Apocrypha. Аростурва. 53 The root of evil is sealed up from you, weakness and the moth is hid from you, and corruption is filed into hell to be forgotten: II. ESDRAS. 35 For in truth there is no man among them that be born, but he hath dealt wickedly; and among the faithful there is none which hath not done amiss. 36 For in this, O Lord, thy righteousness and thy goodness shall be declared, if thou be merciful unto them which have not the confidence of good works. 37 Then answered he me, and said, Some things hast thou spoken aright, and according unto thy words it shall be. 38 For indeed I will not think on the disposition of them which have sinned before death, before judgment, before destruction: 39 But I will rejoice over the disposition of the righteous, and I will remember also their pilgrimage, and the salvation, and the reward, that they shall have. 40 Like as I have spoken now, so shall it come to pass. 41 For as the husbandman soweth much seed upon the ground, and planteth many trees, and yet the thing that is sown good in his season cometh not up, neither doth all that is plantedtake root: even so is it of them that are sown in the world; they shall not all be saved. 24 I answered then, and said, If I have found grace, let me speak. 43 Like as the husbandman's seed perisheth, if it come not up, and receive not thy rain in due season: or if there come too much rain, and corrupt it: 44 Even so perisheth man also, which is formed with thy hands, and is called thine own image, because thou art like unto him, for whose sake thou hast made all things, and likened him unto the husbandman's seed. 45 Be not wroth with us, but spare thy people, and have mercy upon thine own inheritance for thou art merciful unto thy creature. 46 Then answered he me, and said, Things present are for the present, and things to come for such as be to come. 47 For thou comest far short that thou shouldest be able to love my creature more than I but I have oft times drawn nigh unto thee, and unto it, but never to the unrighteous. 48 In this also thou art marvellous before the Most High : 49 In that thou hast humbled thyself, as it becometh thee, and hast not judged thyself worthy to be much glorified among the right eous. 50 For many great miseries shall be done to them that in the latter time shall dwell in the world, because they have walked in great pride. 51 But understand thou for thyself, and seck out the glory for such as be like thee. 52 For unto you is paradise opened, the tree of life is planted, the time to come is prepared, plenteousness is made ready, a city is builded, and rest is allowed, yea, perfect goodness and wisdom. 54 Sorrows are passed, and in the end is shewed the treasure of immortality. 55 And therefore ask thou no more questions concerning the multitude of them that perish. 56 For when they had taken liberty, they despised the Most High, thought scorn of his law, and forsook his ways. 57 Moreover they have trodden down his righteous, 58 And said in their heart, that there is no God; yea, and that knowing they must die. 59 For as the things aforesaid shall receive you, so thirst and pain are prepared for them : for it was not his will that men should come to nought: 60 But they which be created have defiled the name of him that made them, and were unthankful unto him which prepared life for them. 61 And therefore is my judgment now at hand. 62 These things have I not shewed unte all men, but unto thee, and a few like thee. Then answered I, and said, 63 Behold, O Lord, now hast thou shewed me the multitude of the wonders, which thou wilt begin to do in the last times: but at what time, thou hast not shewed me. CHAP. IX. 7 Who shall be saved, and who not. 19 All the world is now corrupted: 33 be complaineth that those perish which keep God's law : 38 and seeth a woman lamenting in a field. HE answered me then, and said, Measure thou the time diligently in itself; and when thou seest part of the signs past, which I have told thee before, 2 Then shalt thou understand, that it is the very same time, wherein the Highest will begin to visit the world which he made. 3 Therefore when there shall be seen earthquakes and uproars of the people in the world: 4 Then shalt thou well understand, that the Most High spake of those things from the days that were before thee, even from the beginning. 5 For like as all that is made in the world hath a beginning and an end, and the end is manifest: 6 Even so the times also of the Highest have plain beginnings in wonders and pow. erful works, and endings in effects and signs. 7 And every one that shall be saved, and shall be able to escape by his works, and by faith, whereby ye have believed, 8 Shall be preserved from the said perils, and shall see my salvation in my land, and within my borders: for I have sanctified them for me from the beginning. Apocrypha. CHAP. IX. 9 Then shall they be in pitiful case, which now have abused my ways: and they that have cast them away despitefully shall dwell in torments. 10 For such as in their life have received benefits, and have not known me; 11 And they that have loathed my law, while they had yet liberty, and when as yet place of repentance was open unto them, understood not, but despised it; 12 The same must know it after death by pain. Apocrypha. 28 And I opened my mouth, and began to talk before the Most High, and said, 29 O Lord, thou that shewest thyself unto us, thou wast shewed unto our fathers in the wilderness, in a place where no man treadeth, in a barren place, when they came out of Egypt. 30 And thou spakest, saying, Here me, O Israel; and mark my words, thou seed of Jacob. 31 For behold, I sow my law in you, and it shall bring fruit in you, and ye shall be hon 13 And therefore be thou not curiousoured in it for ever. how the ungodly shall be punished, and when: but inquire how the righteous shall be saved, whose the world is, and for whom the world is created. 14 Then answered I, and said, 15 I have said before, and now do speak, and will speak it also hereafter, That there be many more of them which perish, than of them which shall be saved: 16 Like as a wave is greater than a drop. 17 And he answered me, saying, Like as the field is, so is also the seed; as the flowers be, such are the colours also; such as the workman is, such also is the work; and as the husbandman is himself, so is his husbandry also for it was the time of the world. 18 And now when I prepared the world which was not yet made, even for them to dwell in that now live, no man spake against me. 19 For then every one obeyed: but now the manners of them which are created in this world that is made are corrupted by a perpetual seed, and by a law which is unsearchable rid themselves. 20 So I considered the world, and behold, there was peril because of the devices that were come into it. 21 And I saw, and spared it greatly, and have kept me a grape of the cluster, and a plant of a great people. 22 Let the multitude perish then, which was born in vain; and let my grape be kept, and my plant; for with great labour have I made it perfect. 23 Nevertheless, if thou wilt cease yet seven days more, (but thou shalt not fast in them, 24 But go into a field of flowers, where no house is builded, and eat only the flowers of the field; taste no flesh, drink no wine, but eat flowers only ;) 25 And pray unto the Highest continually, then will I come and talk with thee. 26 So I went my way into the field which is called Ardath, like as he commanded me; and there I sat among the flowers, and did eat of the herbs of the field, and the meat of the same satisfied me. 27 After seven days I sat upon the grass, and my heart was vexed within me, like as before: 32 But our fathers, which received the law, kept it not, and observed not thy ordinances and though the fruit of thy law did not perish, neither could it, for it was thine; 33 Yet they that received it perished, because they kept not the thing that was sown in them. 34 And lo, it is a custom, when the ground hath received seed, or the sea a ship, or any vessel meat or drink, that, that being perished wherein it was sown or cast into, 35 That thing also which was sown, or cast therein, or received, doth perish, and remaineth not with us: but with us it hath not happened so. 36 For we that have received the law perish by sin, and our heart also which receiveth it. 37 Notwithstanding, the law perisheth not, but remaineth in his force. 38¶ And when I spake these things in my heart, I looked back with mine eyes, and upon the right side I saw a woman, and behold, she mourned and wept with a loud voice, and was much grieved in heart, and her clothes were rent, and she had ashes upon her head. 39 Then let I my thoughts go that I was in, and turned me unto her, 40 And said unto her, Wherefore weepest thou? why art thou so grieved in thy mind? 41 And she said unto me, Sir, let me alone, that I may bewail myself, and add unto my sorrow, for I am sore vexed in my mind, and brought very low. 42 And I said unto her, What aileth thee? tell me. 43 She said unto me, I thy servant have been barren, and had no child, though I had an husband thirty years. 44 And those thirty years I did nothing else day and night, and every hour, but make my prayer to the Highest. 45 After thirty years God heard me thine handmaid, looked upon my misery, considered my trouble, and gave me a son and I was very glad of him, so was my husband also, and all my neighbours: and we gave great honour unto the Almighty. 46 And I nourished him with great travail. 47 So when he grew up, and came to the Apurypha. IL ESDRAS. time that he should have a wife, I made a feast. CHAP. X. 6 He comforteth the woman in the field: 27 Sbe vanisbeth away, and a city appeareth in ber place. 40 The angel declareth these visions in the field. AND it so came to pass, that when my son was entered into his wedding chamber, he fell down, and died. 2 Then we all overthrew the lights, and all my neighbours rose up to comfort me : so I took my rest unto the second day at night. 3 And it came to pass, when they had all left off to comfort me, to the end I might be quiet; then rose I up by night, and fied, and came hither into this field, as thou seest. 4 And I do now purpose not to return into the city, but here to stay, and neither to eat nor drink, but continually to mourn and to fast until I die. | Apocryphs. do: I will not go into the city, but here will I die. 19 So I proceeded to speak further unto her, and said, 20 Do not so, but be counselled by me: for how many are the adversities of Sion? be comforted in regard of the sorrow of Jeru salem. 21 For thou seest that our sanctuary is laid waste, our altar broken down, our temple destroyed; 22 Our psaltery is laid on the ground, our song is put to silence, our rejoicing is at an end, the light of our candlestick is put out, the ark of our covenant is spoiled, our holy things are defiled, and the name that is called upon us is almost profaned: our children are put to shame, our priests are burnt, our Levites are gone into captivity, our virgins are defiled, and our wives ravished; our righteous men carried away, our little ones destroyed, our young men are brought in bondage, and our strong men are become weak; Thou foolish woman above all other, 23 And, which is the greatest of all, the seest thou not our mourning, and what hap-seal of Sion hath now lost her honour; for peneth unto us? she is delivered into the hands of them that hate us. 5 Then left I the meditations wherein I was, and spake to her in anger, saying, 6 7 How that Sion our mother is full of all heaviness, and much humbled, mourning very sore? 8 And now seeing we all mourn, and are sad, for we are all in heaviness, art thou grieved for one son? 9 For ask the earth, and she shall tell thee, that it is she which ought to mourn for the fall of so many that grow upon her. 10 For out of her came all at the first, and out of her shall all others come, and behold, they walk almost all into destruction, and a multitude of them is utterly rooted out. 11 Who then should make more mourning than she that hath lost so great a multitude; and not thou, which art sorry but for one? 12 But if thou sayest unto me, My lamentation is not like the earth's, because I have lost the fruit of my womb, which I brought forth with pains, and bare with sorrows; 13 But the earth not so: for the multitude present in it, according to the course of the earth, is gone, as it came : 14 Then say I unto thee, Like as thou hast brought forth with labour; even so the earth also hath given her fruit, namely, man, ever since the beginning unto him that made her. 15 Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself, and bear with a good courage that which hath befallen thee. 24 And therefore shake off thy great heav iness, and put away the multitude of sorrows, that the Mighty may be merciful unto thee again, and the Highest shall give thee rest and ease from thy labour. 25 And it came to pass, while I was talking with her, behold, her face upon a sudden shined exceedingly, and her countenance glistered, so that I was afraid of her, and mused what it might be. 26 And behold, suddenly she made a great cry, very fearful: so that the earth shook at the noise of the woman. 27 And I looked, and behold, the woman appeared unto me no more, but there was a city builded, and a large place shewed itself from the foundations: then was I afraid, and cried with a loud voice, and said, 28 Where is Uriel the angel, who came unto me at the first? For he hath caused me to fall into many trances, and mine end is turned into corruption, and my prayer to rebuke. 29 And as I was speaking these words, behold, he came unto me, and looked upon me. 30 And lo, I lay as one that had been dead, and mine understanding was taken from me: and he took me by the right hand, and comforted me, and set me upon my feet, and said unto me, 16 For if thou shalt acknowledge the de- 31 What aileth thee? and why art thou termination of God to be just, thou shalt so disquieted? and why is thine understandboth receive thy son in time, and shalt being troubled, and the thoughts of thine heart? commended among women. 17 Go thy way then into the city to thine husband. 18 And she said unto me, That will I not 32 And I said, Because thou hast forsaken me, and yet I did according to thy words, and I went into the field, and lo, I have seen, and yet see, that I am not able to express. Apocrypha. CHAP. XI. Аростурка. 33 And he said unto me, Stand up man- 55 And therefore fear not, let not thine fully, and I will advise thee. 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 : 34 Then said I, Speak on, my lord, in me; only forsake me not, lest I die frustrate of my hope. 35 For I have seen that I knew not, and hear that I do not know. 56 And then shalt thou hear as much as thine ears may comprehend. 57 For thou art blessed above many other, 36 Or is my sense deceived, or my soul and art called with the Highest ; and so are in a dream? 37 Now therefore, I beseech thee, that thou wilt shew thy servant of this vision. 38 He answered me then, and said, Hear me, and I shall inform thee, and tell thee wherefore thou art afraid for the Highest will reveal many secret things unto thee. 39 He hath seen that thy way is right: for that thou sorrowest continually for thy people, and makest great lamentation for Sion. 40 This therefore is the meaning of the vision which thou lately sawest: but few. 58 But tomorrow at night thou shalt remain here: 59 And so shall the Highest shew thee visions of the high things, which the Most High will do unto them that dwell upon earth in the last days. So I slept that night and another, like as he commanded me. CHAP. XI. 1 He seeth in bis dream an eagle coming out of the sea, 37 and a lion out of a wood talking to the eagle. HEN saw I a dream, and behold, there 41 Thou sawest a woman mourning, and Team up from the sea an eagle, which thou begannest to comfort her: 42 But now seest thou the likeness of the woman no more, but there appeared unto thee a city builded. 43 And whereas she told thee of the death of her son, this is the solution: 44 This woman, whom thou sawest, is Sion and whereas she said unto thee, even she whom thou seest as a city builded, : 45 Whereas, I say, she said unto thee, that she hath been thirty years barren: those are the thirty years wherein there was no offering made in her. 46 But after thirty years Solomon builded the city, and offered offerings: and then bare the barren a son. 47 And whereas she told thee that she nourished him with labour: that was the dwelling in Jerusalem. 48 But whereas she said unto thee, That my son coming into his marriage chamber happened to have a fall, and died: this was the destruction that came to Jerusalem. 49 And behold, thou sawest her likeness, and because she mourned for her son, thou begannest to comfort her: and of these things which have chanced, these are to be opened unto thee. 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: 51 And therefore I bade thee remain in the field, where no house was builded : 52 For I knew that the Highest would shew this unto thee. 53 Therefore I commanded thee to go into the field, where no foundation of any building was. 54 For in the place wherein the Highest beginneth to shew his city, there can no man's building be able to stand. had twelve feathered wings, and three heads. 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. 3 And I beheld, and out of her feathers there grew other contrary feathers; and they became little feathers and small. 4 But her heads were at rest: the head in the midst was greater than the other, yet rested it with the residue. 5 Moreover I beheld, and lo, the eagle flew with her feathers, and reigned upon earth, and over them that dwelt therein. 6 And I saw that all things under heaverr were subject unto her, and no man spake against her, no, not one creature upon earth. 7 And I beheld, and lo, the eagle rose upon her talons, and spake to her feathers, saying, 8 Watch not all at once: sleep every one in his own place, and watch by course: 9 But let the heads be preserved for the last. 10 And I beheld, and lo, the voice went not out of her heads, but from the midst of her body. 11 And I numbered her contrary feathers, and behold, there were eight of them. 12 And I looked, and behold, on the right side there arose one feather, and reigned over all the earth; 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; 14 And it happened, that when it reigned, the end of it came also, like as the first, so that it appeared no more. 15 Then came there a voice unto it, and said, 16 Hear thou that hast borne rule over Аростурба IL ESDRAS. the earth so long: this I say unto thee, Before thou beginnest to appear no more, 17 There shall none after thee attain unto thy time, neither unto the half thereof. 18 Then arose the third, and reigned as the other before, and appeared no more also. 19 So went it with all the residue one after another, as that every one reigned, and then appeared no more. 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: 21 For some of them were set up, but ruled not. 22 After this I looked, and behold, the twelve feathers appeared no more, nor the two little feathers : 23 And there was no more upon the eagle's body, but three heads that rested, and six little wings. 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. 25 And I beheld, and lo, the feathers that were under the wing thought to set up themselves, and to have the rule. 26 And I beheld, and lo, there was one set up, but shortly it appeared no more. 27 And the second was sooner away than the first. 28 And I beheld, and lo, the two that remained thought also in themselves to reign: 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. 30 And then I saw that the two other heads were joined with it. Аростурка. roaring lion chased out of the wood: and I saw that he sent out a man's voice unto the eagle, and said, 38 Hear thou, I will talk with thee, and the Highest shall say unto thee, 39 Art not thou it that remainest of the four beasts, whom I made to reign in my world, that the end of their times might come through them? 40 And the fourth came, and overcame all the beasts that were past, and had power over the world with great fearfulness, and over the whole compass of the earth with much wicked oppression; and so long time dwelt he upon the earth with deceit. 41 For the earth hast thou not judged with truth. 42 For thou hast afflicted the meek, thou hast hurt the peaceable, thou hast loved liars, and destroyed the dwellings of them that brought forth fruit, and hast cast down the walls of such as did thee no harm. 43 Therefore is thy wrongful dealing come up unto the Highest, and thy pride unto the Mighty. 44 The Highest also hath looked upon the proud times, and behold, they are ended, and his abominations are fulfilled. 45 And therefore appear no more, thou eagle, nor thy horrible wings, nor thy wicked feathers, nor thy malicious heads, nor thy hurtful claws, nor all thy vain body: 46 That all the earth may be refreshed, and may return, being delivered from thy violence, and that she may hope for the judgment and mercy of him that made her. CHAP. XII. 1 The eagle which be sarv is destroyed. 18 The vision is interpreted: 37 He is bid to write bis visions. 31 And behold, the head was turned with AND it came to pass, while the lion spake them that were with it, and did eat up the two feathers under the wing that would have reigned. 32 But this head put the whole earth in fear, and bare rule in it over all those that dwelt upon the earth, with much oppression; and it had the governance of the world more than all the wings that had been. 33 And after this I beheld, and lo, the head that was in the midst suddenly appeared no more, like as the wings. 34 But there remained the two heads, which also in like sort ruled upon the earth, and over those that dwelt therein. 35 And I beheld, and lo, the head upon the right side devoured it that was upon the left side. 36 Then I heard a voice, which said unto me, Look before thee, and consider the thing that thou seest. 37 And I beheld, and lo as it were a these words unto the eagle, I saw, 2 And behold, the head that remained, and the four wings appeared no more, and the two went unto it, and set themselves up to reign, and their kingdom was small and full of uproar. 3 And I saw, and behold, they appeared no more, and the whole body of the eagle was burnt, so that the earth was in great fear then awaked I out of the trouble and trance of my mind, and from great fear, and said unto my spirit, : 4 Lo, this hast thou done unto me, in that thou searchest out the ways of the Highest. 5 Lo, yet am I weary in my mind, and very weak in my spirit; and little strength is there in me, for the great fear wherewith I was affrighted this night. 6 Therefore will I now beseech the Highthat he will comfort me unto the end. est, 7 And I said, Lord that bearest rule, if I have found grace before thy sight, and if I am justified with thee before many others, |