2 Esdras, in The Douay Old Testament (1609–1610)

The book that the Vulgate calls 4 Esdras and English Protestant Bibles call 2 Esdras, printed by the edition after the canonical books, with chapter summaries but no annotations. This is 2 Esdras as it stands in the second tome of the Douay Old Testament (Doway: Laurence Kellam, 1610), the English College of Douai’s Catholic translation from the Latin Vulgate, in its original spelling. The page gives every chapter with its printed summary, the verse text and the marginal notes.

THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF ESDRAS.

Chapter 1

CHAP. I. Eſdras is ſent to expoſtulate with the vngratful Iewes for neglecting Gods manie great benefites.

1 THE ſecond booke of Eſdras the prophet, the ſonne of Sarei, the ſonne of Azarei, the ſonne of Helcias, the ſonne of Sadanias, the ſonne of Sadoch, the ſonne of Achitob,

2 the ſonne of Achias, the ſonne of Phinees, the ſonne of Heli, the ſonne of Amerias, the ſonne of Aſiel, the ſonne of Marimoth, the ſonne of Arna, the ſonne of Ozias, the ſonne of Borith, the ſonne of Abiſei, the ſonne of Phinees, the ſonne of Eleazar,

3 the ſonne of Aaron of the tribe of Leui; who was captiue in the countrie of the Medes, in the reigne of Artaxerxes king of the Perſians.

4 And the word of our Lord came to me, ſaying:

5 Goe, and tel my people their wicked deedes, and their children the iniquities, that they haue done againſt me, that they may tel their childrens children:

6 becauſe the ſinnes of their parentes are increaſed in them, for they being forgetful of me haue ſacrified to ſtrange goddes.

7 Did not I bring them out of the land of Aegypt from the houſe of bondange? But they haue prouoked me, & haue deſpiſed my counſels.

8 But doe thou shake of the heare of thy head, and throw al euils vpon them: becauſe they haue not obeyed my law. And it is a people without diſcipline.

9 How long shal I beare with them, on whom I haue beſtowed ſo great benefittes?

10 I haue ouerthrowen manie kinges from them. I haue ſtroke Pharao with his ſeruantes, and al his hoſte.

11 Al nations did I deſtroy before their face, & in the Eaſt I diſſipated the peoples of two prouinces Tyre and Sidon, and I ſlew al their aduerſaries.

12 But ſpeake thou to them, ſaying: Thus ſayth our Lord:

13 I made you paſſe through the ſea, and gaue you fenſed ſtreates from the beginning. I gaue you Moyſes for your gouernour, and Aaron for the Prieſt:

14 I gaue you light by the piller of fire, & did manie meruelous things among you: but you haue forgotten me, ſayth our Lord.

15 Thus ſayth our Lord omnipotent: The quayle was a ſigne to you, I gaue you a campe for defenſe, and there you murmured:

16 And you triumphed not in my name for the deſtruction of your enemies, but yet vntil now you haue murmured.

17 Where are the benefites, that I haue geuen you? Did you not crie▪ out to me when you were hungrie in the deſert,

18 ſaying: Why haſt thou brought vs into this deſert to kil vs? it had bene better for vs to ſerue the Aegyptians, then to dye in this deſert.

19 I was ſorie for your mournings, & gaue you manna to eate. You did eate bread of Angels▪

20 When you thirſted did not I cleaue the rocke, & waters flowed in abundance? for the heates I couered you with the leaues of trees.

21 I deliuered vnto you fatte landes: The Chananeites, and Pherezeites, and Philiſtheans I threw out from your face: what shal I yet doe to you, ſayth our Lord?

22 Thus ſayth our Lord omnipotent: In the deſert when you were thirſtie in the riuer of the Amorrheites, and blaſpheming my name,

23 I gaue you not fire for blaſphemies, but caſting wood into the water, I made the riuer ſwete.

24 What shal I doe to thee Iacob? Thou wouldeſt not obey ô Iuda. I wil transferre my ſelf to other nations, and wil geue them my name, that they may keepe my ordinances.

25 Becauſe you haue forſaken me, I alſo forſake you: when you aske mercie of me, I wil not haue mercie.

26 When you shal inuocate me, I wil not heare you. For you haue defiled your handes with bloud, and your fete are quicke to commit murders.

27 Not as though you haue forſaken me, but yourſelues, ſayth our Lord.

28 Thus ſaith our Lord omnipotent, haue not I deſired you, as a father his ſonnes, and a mother her daughters, and as a nurce her litle ones,

29 that you would be my people, and I your God, and to me for children, and I to you for a father?

30 So haue I gathered you, as the henne her chickenes vnder her winges. But now what shal I doe to you? I wil throw you from my face.

31 When you shal bring me oblation, I wil turne away my face from you. For I haue refuſed your feſtiual dayes, & new moones, and circumciſions.

32 I ſent my ſeruantes the prophetes to you, whom being taken you ſlew, and mangled their bodies, whoſe bloud I wil require, ſayth our Lord.

33 Thus ſayth our Lord omnipotent, your houſe is made deſolate, I wil throw you away, as the winde doth ſtubble,

34 and your children shal not haue iſſue: becauſe they haue neglected my commandment, and haue done that which is euil before me.

35 I wil deliuer your houſes to a people comming, who not hearing me do beleue: to whom I haue not shewed ſignes, they wil do the thinges that I haue commanded.

36 The prophetes they haue not ſene, and they wil be mindful of their iniquities.

37 I cal to witnes the grace of the people comming, whoſe litle ones reioyce with ioy, not ſeing me with their carnal eyes, but in ſpirit beleuing the thinges that I haue ſayd.

38 And now brother behold what glorie: and ſee people comming from the caſt,

39 to whom I wil geue the conduction of Abraham, Iſaac, and Iacob, and of Oſee, and Amos, and of Ioel, and Abdias, and Ionas, and Michaeas,

40 and Naum and Habacuc, of Sophonias, Aggaeus, Zacharias, and Malachias, who alſo is called the Angel of our Lord.

Marginal notes to Chapter 1

• 1 1. Eſd. 7. v. 1.
• 10 Exod 14.
• 14 Exo. 13.
• 15 Exo. 16.
• 17 Nem. 14.
• 19 Exod 16. Num. 20. Sap. 16. v. 20.▪ Iſa. 9. v. 4.
• 22 Exo. 15. v. 25.
• 24 Exo. 32.
• 25 Iſa. 1. v. 15.
• 30 Mat. 23. v. 37. Iſa. 66. v. 5.
• 40 Malach. 3. v. 1.

Chapter 2

CHAP. II. The Synagogue expoſtulateth with her children for their ingratitude; 10. shewing that they shal be forſaken, and the gentiles called.

1 THVS ſaith our Lord: I brought this people out of bondage, to whom I gaue commandment by my ſeruantes the Prophetes, whom they would not heare, but made my counſel fruſtrate.

2 Their mother that bare them, ſayth to them: Goe children, becauſe I am a wydow and forſaken.

3 I brought you vp with ioy, & haue loſt you with mourning & ſorow, becauſe you haue ſinned before our Lord your God, & haue done that which is euil before him.

4 But now what shal I doe to you? I am a wydow and deſolate, goe my children, & aske mercie of our Lord.

5 And I cal thee ô father a witnes vpon the mother of the children, that would not keepe my teſtament,

6 that thou geue them confuſion, & their mother into ſpoile, that there be no generation of them.

7 Let their names be diſperſed into the Gentiles, let them be deſtroyed out of the land: becauſe they haue deſpiſed my ſacrament.

8 Woe be to thee Aſſur, which hideſt the wicked with thee. Thou naughtie nation, remember what I did to Sodom & Gomorrha:

9 whoſe land lieth in cloddes of pitch, & heapes of ashes: ſo wil I make them, that haue not heard me, ſaith our Lord omnipotent.

10 Thus ſaith our Lord to Eſdras: Tel my people, that I wil geue them the kingdom of Ieruſalem, which I ment to geue to Iſrael.

11 And I wil take to me the glorie of them, and wil geue them eternal tabernacles, which I had prepared for them.

12 The wood of life shal be to them for an odour of oyntment, and they shal not labour, nor be wearied.

13 Goe & you shal receiue. Aske for your ſelues a few dayes, that they may abide. Now the kingdom is prepared for you, watch ye.

14 Cal thou heauen and earth to witnes: for I haue deſtroyed euil, and haue created good, becauſe I liue ſayth our Lord.

15 Mother embrace thy children, bring them vp with ioy. As a doue confirme their feete: becauſe I haue choſen thee, ſayth our Lord.

16 And I wil raiſe agal⟨illegible⟩e the dead out of their places, and out of the monumentes I wil bring them forth, becauſe I haue knowen my name in Iſrael.

17 Feare not ô mother of the children, becauſe I haue choſen t⟨illegible⟩ee, faith our Lord.

18 I wil ſend thee ayde, my ſeruantes I ſaie, and Ieremie, at whoſe counſel I haue ſanctified, and prepared for thee twelue trees loden with diuerſe fruites,

19 and as manie fountaines flowing milke and honie: and ſeuen huge mountaines, hauing the roſe and the lilie, in the which I wil fil thy children with ioy.

20 Iuſtifie thou the widow, iudge for the pupil, geue to the needie, defend the orphane, cloth the naked,

21 cure the broken & feeble, mocke not the lame, defend the maimed, and admitte the blind to the viſion of my glorie.

22–23 The old man & the yong keepe with in thy walles: where thou shalt finde the dead, committe them to the graue ſigning it, & I wil geue thee the firſt ſeate in my reſurrection.

24 Pauſe and reſt my people, becauſe thy reſt shal come.

25 As a good nurce nourish thy children, confirme their feete.

26 The ſeruantes that I haue geuen thee, none of them shal perish. For I wil require them of thy number.

27 Be not wearied. For when the day of affliction and diſtreſſe shal come, others shal weepe, and be ſad, but thou shalt be merie and plenteous.

28 The gentiles shal enuie, and shal be able to doe nothing againſt thee, ſayth our Lord.

29 My handes shal couer thee, that thy children ſee not hel.

30 Be pleaſant thou mother with thy children, becauſe I wil deliuer thee ſayth our Lord.

31 Remember thy children that ſleepe, for I wil bring them out of the ſides of the earth, & wil doe mercie with them: becauſe I am merciful, ſayth our Lord omnipotent.

32 Embrace thy children til I come, & shew them mercie: becauſe my fountaines runne ouer, and my grace shal not faile.

33 I Eſdras receiued commandment of our Lord, in mount Oreb; that I should goe to Iſrael: to whom when I came, they refuſed me, and reiected commandement of our Lord.

34 And therfore, I ſay vnto you gentiles, which heare, and vnderſtand▪ Looke for your paſtor, he wil geue you the reſt of eternitie: becauſe he is at hand, that shal come in the end of the world.

35 Be ye readie for the rewardes of the kingdom, becauſe perpetual light shal shine to you for time euerlaſting.

36 Flee from the shadow of this world: receiue ye the pleaſantnes of your glorie. I openly cal to witnes my ſauiour.

37 Receiue the commended gift and be pleaſant, geuing thankes to him that called you to the heauenlie kingdomes.

38 Ariſe, & ſtand & ſee the number of them that are ſigned in the feaſt of our Lord.

39 They that haue transferred them ſelues from the shadow of the world, haue receiued glorious garmentes of our Lord.

40 Receiue ô Sion thy number, and shut vp thyne made white, which haue accomplished the law of our Lord.

41 The number of thy children, which thou didſt wish is ful. Deſire the powre of our Lord that thy people may be ſanctified, which was called from the beginning.

42 I Eſdras ſaw in mount Sion a great multitude, which I could not number, and they did al prayſe our Lord with ſonges.

43 And in the middes of them was a young man high of ſtature, appearing aboue ouer them al, & he put crownes vpon euerie one of their heades, and he was more exalted. And I was aſtonied at the miracle.

44 Then asked I an Angel, and ſayd: Who are theſe Lord?

45 Who anſwering ſayd to me: Theſe are they that haue laid of the mortal garment, and taken an immortal, and haue confeſſed the name of God. Now they are crowned, and receiue palmes.

46 And I ſayd to the Angel: That yongman what is he, which putteth the crownes vpon them, and geueth palmes into their handes?

47 And anſwering he ſayd to me: The ſame is the Sonne of God, whom they did confeſſe in the world: & I begane to magnifie them, that ſtood ſtrongly for the name of our Lord▪

48 Then ſayd the Angel to me: Goe, tel my people, what maner of meruelous thinges and how great, thou haſt ſene of the Lord God.

Marginal notes to Chapter 2

• 8 Gen. 19. v. 2.
• 19 Exod. 15. v. 27.
• 22–23 Tobie. 1. v. 12.
• 42 Apol 7. v 9.

Chapter 3

CHAP. III. The workes of God are wonderful from the beginning, 7. and men vngratful 13. In Abraham God choſe to himſelf a peculiar people: who neuertheles were froward, and obſtinate. 23. He alſo choſe Dauid, but ſtil the people were ſinful: 28. the Babylonians alſo, by whom they are afflicted, are no leſſe but rather greater ſinners.

1 IN the thirteth yeare of the ruine of the citie I was in Babylon, and was trubled lying in my chamber, and my cogitations came vp ouer my hart:

2 becauſe I ſaw the deſolation of Sion, and the abundance of them that dwelt in Babylon.

3 And my ſpirit was toſſed excedingly, and I began to ſpeake to the higheſt timorous wordes,

4 and ſayd: O Lord dominatour thou ſpakeſt from the beginning, when thou didſt plant the earth, and that alone, and didſt rule ouer the people,

5 and gaueſt Adam a dead bodie: but that alſo was the worke of thy handes, & didſt breath into him the ſpirit of life, and he was made to liue before thee:

6 and thou broughſt him into paradiſe, which thy right hand had planted, before the earth came.

7 And him thou didſt command to loue thy way, and he tranſgreſſed it, & forth with thou didſt inſtitute death in him, and in his poſteritie, and there were borne nations, and tribes, and peoples, and kinreds, wherof there is no number.

8 And euerie nation walked in their owne wil, & they did meruelous thinges before thee, and deſpiſed thy preceptes.

9 And agane in time thou broughſt in the floud vpon inhabitantes of the world, and didſt deſtroy them.

10 And there was made in euery one of them, as vnto Adam to dye, ſo to them the floud,

11 But thou didſt leaue one of them, Noe with his houſe and of him were al the iuſt.

12 And it came to paſſe, when they began to be multiplied, that dwelt vpon the earth, & multiplied children and peoples and manie nations: and they begane againe to doe impietie more then the former.

13 And it came to paſſe when they did iniquitie before thee, thou didſt chooſe thee a man of them whoſe name was Abraham.

14 And thou didſt loue him and to him on lie thou didſt shew thy wil.

15 And thou didſt diſpoſe vnto him an euerlaſting teſtament, and toldſt him that thou wouldſt neuer forſake his ſeede. And thou gaueſt him Iſaac, and to Iſaac thou gaueſt Iacob and Eſau.

16 And Iacob thou didſt ſeuer to thy ſelfe, but Eſau thou didſt ſeparate. And Iacob grewe to a great multitude.

17 And it came to paſſe when thou didſt bring forth his ſede out of Aegypt, thou broughſt it vpon mount Sinai.

18 And thou didſt bowe the heauens, and faſten the earth, and didſt shake the world, and madeſt the depthes to tremble, and trubledſt the world,

19 and thy glorie paſſed foure gates of fire, and of earthquake, and winde, and froſt, that thou mightſt geue a law to the ſeede of Iacob, and to the generation of Iſrael diligence.

20 And thou didſt not take away from them a malignant hart, that thy law might bring forth fruite in them.

21 For Adam the firſt bearing a vi⟨illegible⟩ious hart tranſgreſſed and was ouercome, yea and al that were borne of him.

22 And it was made a permanent infirmitie, and the law with the hart of the people, with the wickednes of the roote, and that which is good departed, and the wicked remayned.

23 And the times paſſed, & the yeares were ended: and thou didſt raiſe vp vnto thee a ſeruant named Dauid,

24 and ſpakeſt vnto him to build a citie of thy name, and to offer vnto thee in it frankencenſe, and oblations.

25 And this was done manie yeares, and they that inhabited the citie forſooke thee,

26 in al things as Adam and al his generations. For they alſo vſed a wicked hart.

27 And thou didſt deliuer thy citie into the hands of thyne enimies.

28 Why, doe they better thinges, that inhabite Babylon? And for this shal she rule ouer Sion?

29 It came to paſſe when I was come hither, and had ſene the impieties that can not be numbred: and my ſoul ſaw manie offending this thirteth yeare, & my hart was aſtonied:

30 becauſe I ſaw how thou beareſt with their ſinne, and didſt ſpare them that did impiouſly, and didſt deſtroy thine owne people, and preſerue thine enimies, and didſt not ſignifie it.

31 I nothing remember how this way should be forſaken: doth Babylon better thinges then Sion?

32 Or hath anie nation knowen thee beſide Iſrael: or what tribes haue beleued thy teſtamentes as Iacob?

33 Whoſe reward hath not appeared, nor their labour fructified. For paſſing through I paſſed among the nations, and I ſaw them abound, and not mindeful of thy commandmentes.

34 Now therfore wey our iniquities in a ballance, and theirs that dwel in the world: & thy name shal not be found, but in Iſrael.

35 Or when haue not they ſinned in thy ſight, that inhabite the earth? or what nation hath ſo obſerued thy commandmentes?

36 Theſe cettes by their names thou shalt finde to haue kept thy commandmentes, but the nations thou shalt not finde.

Marginal notes to Chapter 3

• 4 Gen. 1.
• 5 Gen. 2. v. 7.
• 9 Gen. 7.
• 14 Gen. 12.
• 17 Exo. 19.
• 28 Iere. 12.

Chapter 4

CHAP. IIII. Mans witte and reaſon is not able to vnderſtand the counſel and iudgement of God, 22. why his people are afflicted by wicked nations, 33. nor of times, and thinges to come.

1 AND the Angel anſwered me, that was ſent to me, whoſe name was Vriel,

2 and ſayd to me: Thy hart exceding hath exceded in this world, & thou thinkeſt to comprehend the way of the Higheſt.

3 And I ſayd: It is ſo my Lord. And he anſwered me, & ſayd: I am ſent to shew thee three wayes, & to propoſe to thee three ſimilitudes.

4 Of the which if thou shalt declare to me one of them, I alſo wil shew thee the way which thou deſireſt to ſee, and wil teach thee whence a wicked hart is.

5 And I ſayd, Speake my Lord. And he ſayd to me: Goe, wey me the weight of the fire, or meaſure me the blaſt of the winde, or cal me backe the day that is paſt.

6 And I anſwered, and ſayd: what man borne can doe it, that thou askeſt me of theſe thinges?

7 And he ſayd to me: If I should aske thee, ſaying: How great habitations are there in the hart of the ſea, or how great vaines be there in the beginning of the depth, or how great vaines be there aboue the firmament, and what are the iſſues of paradiſe:

8 thou wouldeſt perhaps ſay to me: I haue not deſcended into the depth, nor into hel as yet, neither haue I aſcended at anie time into heauen.

9 But now I haue not asked thee, ſauing of the fire, and the winde, and the day by the which thou haſt paſſed, and from the which thou canſt not be ſeparated: and thou haſt not anſwered me of them.

10 And he ſayd to me: Thou canſt not know the thinges that are thine which grow together with thee:

11 and how can thy veſſel comprehend the way of the Higheſt, and now the world being outwardly corrupted, vnderſtand the corruption euident in my ſight:

12 I ſayd to him: Better were it for vs not to be, then yet liuing to liue in impieties, and to ſuffer, and not to vnderſtand for what thing.

13 And he anſwered me, & ſaid: Going forth I went forward to a wood of trees in the filde, and they deuiſed a deuiſe,

14 and ſayd: Come and let vs goe, and make watre againſt the ſea, that it may retyre backe before vs, and we may make vs other woodes.

15 And in like maner the waues of the ſea they alſo deuiſed a deuiſe, and ſayd: Come let vs goe vp, let vs ouerthrow the woodes of the filde, that there alſo we may conſummate an other countrie for our ſelues.

16 And the woodes deuiſe was made vaine, for fire came, and conſumed it.

17 Likewiſe alſo the deuiſe of the waues of the ſea. For the ſand ſtood, & ſtayed them.

18 For if thou wert iudge of theſe, whom wouldeſt thou begin to iuſtifie, or whom to condemne?

19 And I anſwered, and ſayd: Verely they deuiſed a vayne deuiſe. For the earth is geuen to the wood, and a place to the ſea to carie her waues.

20 And he anſwered me, and ſayd: Thou haſt iudged wel, and why haſt thou not iudged for thy ſelf?

21 For as the earth is geuen to the wood, and the ſea for the waues therof: ſo they that inhabite vpon the earth, can vnderſtand onlie the thinges that are vpon the earth: and they vpon the heauens, the thinges that are aboue the height of the heauens.

22 And I anſwered, and ſayd: I beſech thee Lord, that ſenſe may be geuen me to vnderſtand.

23 For I meant not to aske of thy ſuperiour thinges, but of thoſe that paſſe by vs dayly. For what cauſe Iſrael is geuen into reproche to the gentiles, the people whom thou haſt loued, is geuen to impious tribes, & the law of our fathers is brought to deſtruction, & the written ordinances are no where:

24 and we haue paſſed out of the world, as locuſtes, and our life is aſtonishment and dreade, and we are not worthie to obtaine mercie.

25 But what wil he doe to his name that is inuocated vpon vs? and of theſe thinges I did aske.

26 And he anſwered me, and ſayd: If thou ſearch very much, thou shalt often meruail: becauſe the world haſtening haſteneth to paſſe,

27 and can not comprehend the thinges which in times to come are promiſed to the iuſt: becauſe this world is ful of iniuſtice and infirmities.

28 But concerning the thinges that thou demandeſt I wil tel thee: for the euil is ſowed, and the deſtruction therof is not yet come.

29 If then that which is ſowen be not turned vp, and the place depart where the euil is ſowen, that shal not come where the good is ſowen.

30 Becauſe the grayne of il ſeede hath bene ſowen in the hart of Adam from the beginning: and how much impietie hath it ingendered vntil now, and doth ingender vntil the floore come?

31 And eſteme with thy ſelf the graine of the il ſeede, how much fruite of impietie it hath ingendred:

32 When the eares shal be cut, which are innumerable, what a great floore wil they begin to make?

33 And I anſwered, and ſayd: How, and when shal theſe things be? why are our yeares few and euil?

34 And he anſwered me, and ſayd to me, Haſten not aboue the Higheſt. For thou doeſt haſten in vaine to be aboue him, for thy exceſſe is much.

35 Did not the ſoules of the iuſt in their cellars, aske of theſe things, ſaying: How hope I ſo, and when shal the fruite come of the floore of our reward?

36 And Ieremiel the Archangel anſwered to thoſe things, and ſayd: When the number of the ſedes in you shal be filled, becauſe he hath weyed the world in a balance,

37 and with a meaſure hath he meaſured the times, and in number he hath numbered the times, and hath not moued, nor ſtirred them, vntil the foreſayd meaſure be filled.

38 And I anſwered, and ſayd: O Lord Dominatour, we alſo are al ful of impietie.

39 And leſt perhaps for vs the floores of the iuſt be not filled, for the ſinnes of the inhabitantes vpon the earth.

40 And he anſwered me, and ſayd: Goe, and aske a woman with childe, if when she hath accomplished her nine monethes, her wombe can yet hold the infant within it?

41 And I ſayd it can not Lord. And he ſayd to me, in hel the cellars of the ſoules are like to the matrice.

42 For as she that is: In trauail maketh haſt, to eſcape the neceſſitie of trauailing: ſo this alſo haſteneth to render thoſe thinges which are commended to it.

43 From the beginning it shal be shewed thee touching thoſe thinges, which thou doeſt couer to ſee.

44 And I anſwered, and ſayd: If I haue found grace before thine eyes, & if it be poſſible, and if I by fitte,

45 shew mee if there be more to come then is paſſed, or moe things haue paſſed, then are to come.

46 What paſſed, I know: but what is to come, I know not.

47 And he ſayd to me: Stand vpon the right ſide, and I wil shew thee the interpretation of the ſimilitude.

48 And I ſtood, and ſaw: and behold a burning fornace paſſed before me, & it came to paſſe when the flame paſſed, I ſaw: and behold the ſmoke ouercame.

49 After theſe thinges there paſſed before me a clowd ful of water, and with violence caſting in much raine: and when the violence of raine was caſt, the droppes therin ouercame.

50 And he ſayd to me: Thinke with thyſelf, as the raine increaſeth more then the droppes, and the fire then the ſmoke: ſo did the meaſure that paſſed, more a bound. But the droppes, and the ſmoke ouercame:

51 and I prayed, & ſayd, shal I liue thinkeſt thou vntil theſe dayes? or what shal be in thoſe dayes?

52 He anſwered me, and ſayd: Of the ſignes wherof thou askeſt me, in part I can tel thee, how beit of thy life I was not ſent to tel thee, neither doe I know.

Marginal notes to Chapter 4

• 13 Iud. 9. 2. Par. 25.

Chapter 5

CHAP. V. Diuers ſignes of thinges to come are shewed to Eſdras by an Angel: 16. for the comforth of the people in captiuitie.

1 BVT concerning ſignes: behold the dayes shal come, wherin they that inhabite the earth shal be taken in a great number: and the way of truth shal be hid: and the countrie shal be barren from fayth.

2 And iniuſtice shal be multiplied aboue that which thy ſelf ſeeſt, & aboue that which thou haſt heard in time paſt.

3 And they shal put their foote into the countrie which now thou ſeeſt to reigne, and they shal ſee it deſolate.

4 And if the Higheſt geue thee life, thou shalt ſee after the third trumpet, and the ſunne shal ſodenly shine agayne in the night, and the moone thriſe in a day,

5 and out of wood bloud shal diſtil, and the ſtone shal geue his voice, and the peoples shal be moued:

6 and he reigne, whom they hope not that inhabite vpon the earth, and foules shal make their flight away.

7 & the ſea of Sodom shal caſt the fishes, and shal make a noiſe in the night, which manie knew not, and al shal heare the voice therof,

8 and there shal be made a confuſion in manie places, and the fire shal often be ſent backe, and the ſauage beaſtes shal goe to other places, and wemen in their monethlie flowers shal bring forth monſters,

9 and in ſwete waters shal ſalt waters be found, and al frendes shal ouerthrow one an other: and then shal witte be hid, and vnderſtanding shal be ſeparated into his cellar:

10 and it shal be ſought of manie, and shal not be found: and iniuſtice shal be multiplied, and incontinencie vpon the earth.

11 And one countrie shal aske her neighbour, and shal ſay: Hath iuſtice doing iuſt paſſed through thee? and she shal denie it.

12 And it shal be in that time, men shal hope, and shal not obtaine: they shal labour, and their wayes shal not haue ſucceſſe.

13 Theſe ſignes I am permitted to tel thee: and if thou pray againe and weepe, as alſo now, and faſt ſeuen dayes, thou shalt heare againe greater thinges then theſe.

14 And I awaked, and my bodie did shiuer excedingly: and my ſoule laboured, that it fainted:

15 and the Angel that came, that ſpake in me, held me, and ſtrengthened me, and ſette me vpon my feete.

16 And it came to paſſe in the ſecond night, and Salathiel the prince of the people came to me, and ſayd to me: Where waſt thou? and why is thy countenance heauie?

17 Konweſt thou not that Iſrael is committed to thee in the countrie of their tranſmigration?

18 Riſe vp therfore, and taſte bread, and forſake vs not, as the paſtour his flocke in the hand of wicked wolues.

19 And I ſayd to him: Goe from me, & approch not vnto me. And he heard, as I ſayd: and he departed from me.

20 And I faſted ſeuen dayes howling & weeping, as Vriel the Angel commanded me.

21 And it came to paſſe after ſeuen dayes, and againe cogitations of my hart moleſted me very much,

22 and my ſoule reſumed the ſpirit of vnderſtanding: & agayne I began to ſpeake wordes before the Higheſt:

23 and I ſayd: Lord Dominatour of euerie wood of the earth, & al the trees therof, thou haſt choſen one vineyard:

24 & of euerie land of the world thou haſt choſen thee one ditch: & of al the flowers of the world thou haſt choſen thee one lilie:

25 and of al depthes of the ſea, thou haſt filled thee one riuer: and of al the builded cities, thou haſt ſanctified vnto theyſelf Sion:

26 and of al created ſoules, thou haſt named thee one doue: and of al beaſtes that were made, thou haſt prouided thee one shepe:

27 and of al multiplied peoples, thou haſt purchaſed thee one people: and a law approued of al thou haſt geuen to this people, whom thou didſt deſire.

28 And now Lord, why haſt thou deliuered one vnto manie? And thou haſt prepared vpon one roote others, and haſt diſperſed thy onlie one in manie:

29 and they haue troden vpon it, which gaineſayd thy couenants, and which beleued not thy teſtamentes.

30 And if hating thou hateſt thy people, it ought to be chaſtiſed with thy handes.

31 And it came to paſſe, when I had ſpoken the wordes, and the Angel was ſent to me, that came to me before the night paſt,

32 and he ſayd to me: Heare me, and I wil inſtruct thee: and harken to me, and I wil adde before thee.

33 And I ſayd: Speake my Lord. And he ſayd to me: Thou art become excedingly in exceſſe of minde for Iſrael: haſt thou loued it more then him that made it?

34 And I ſayd to him: No Lord, but for ſorow I haue ſpoken, for my veynes torment me euerie houre, to apprehend the pathe of the Higheſt, and to ſearch part of his iudgement.

35 And he ſayd to me: Thou canſt not. And I ſayd: Why Lord? To what was I borne, or why was not my mothers wombe my graue, that I might not ſee the labour of Iacob, & the wearines of the ſtocke of Iſrael?

36 And he ſayd to me: Number me the thinges that are not yet come, and gather me the diſperſed droppes, and make me the withered flowers grene againe,

37 and open me the shut cellars, & bring me forth the blaſtes incloſed in them, shew me the image of a voice: and then wil I shew thee the labour that thou deſireſt to ſee.

38 And I ſayd: Lord Dominatour, for who is there that can know theſe thinges, but he that hath not his habitation with men?

39 And I am vnwiſe, and how can I ſpeake of theſe thinges, which thou haſt asked me?

40 And he ſayd to me: As thou canſt not doe one of theſe thinges, which haue bene ſayd: ſo canſt thou not finde my iudgement, or in the end the charitie, which I haue promiſed to the people.

41 And I ſayd: But behold Lord thou art nigh to them that are nere the end: and what shal they doe that haue bene before me, or we, or they after vs?

42 And he ſayd to me: I wil reſemble my iudgement to a crowne. As there shal not be ſlacknes of the laſt, ſo neither ſwiftnes of the former.

43 And I anſwered, and ſayd: Couldſt thou not make them that haue bene, and that are, and that shal be, at once, that thou mayſt shew thy iudgement the quicker?

44 And he anſwered me, and ſayd: The creature can not haſten aboue the Creatour, nor the world ſuſtayne them that are to be created in it, at once.

45 And I ſayd: As thou didſt ſay to thy ſeruant, that quickening thou didſt quicken the creature created by thee at once, and the creature ſuſteined it: it may now alſo beare them preſent at once.

46 And he ſayd to me: Aske the matrice of a woman, & thou shalt ſay to it: And if thou bring forth children, why by times? Aske it therfore, that it geue ten at once.

47 And I ſayd, it can not verily: but according to time.

48 And he ſayd to me: And I haue geuen a matrice to the earth for them, that are ſowen vpon it by time.

49 For as the infant bringeth not forth the thinges that perteyne to the aged, ſo haue I diſpoſed the world created of me.

50 And I asked, and ſayd: Wheras thou haſt now geuen me a way, I wil ſpeake before thee: for our mother, of whom thou toldeſt me, yet she is yong: now draweth nigh to old age.

51 And he anſwered me, and ſayd: Aske her that beareth children, and she wil tel thee.

52 For thou shalt ſay to her: Why are not they whom thou haſt brought forth, now like to them that were before thee, but leſſe of ſtature?

53 And she alſo wil ſay vnto thee: They that are borne in the youth of ſtreingth are of one ſort, and they of an other, that are borne about the time of old age, when the matrice fayleth.

54 Conſider therfore thou alſo, that you are of leſſe ſtature, then they that were before you:

55 and they that are after you, of leſſer then you, as it were creatures now waxing old, and paſt the ſtrength of youth.

56 And I ſayd: I beſech thee Lord, if I haue found grace before thine eyes, shew vnto thy ſeruant, by whom thou doeſt viſite thy creature.

Marginal notes to Chapter 5

• 2 Math. 24.

Chapter 6

CHAP. VI. God knowing al thinges before they were made, created them 54. for man: and conſidereth the endes of al.

1 AND he ſayd to me: In the beginning of the earthlie world, and before the endes of the world ſtood, and before the congregation of the windes did blow,

2 and before the voyces of thunders ſounded, & before the flashinges of lightenings shined, and before the fundations of paradiſe were confirmed,

3 and before beautiful flowers were ſene, and before the moued powers were eſtablished, and before the innumerable hoſtes of Angels were gathered,

4 and before the heightes of the ayre were aduanced, and before the meaſures of the firmamentes were named, and before the chymneies were hote in Sion,

5 and before the preſent yeares were ſearched out, and before their inuentions that now ſinne, were put away, and they ſigned that made fayth their treaſure:

6 then I thought, and they were made by me only, and not by any other: and the end by me, and not by any other.

7 And I anſwered, and ſayd: What ſeparation of times shal there be? and when shal the end of the former be, and the begynning of that which foloweth?

8 And he ſayd to me, from Abraham vnto Iſaac, when Iacob and Eſau were borne of him, the hand of Iacob held from the bigynning the heele of Eſau,

9 for the end of this world is Eſau, and the begynning of the next Iacob.

10 The hand of a man betwen the heele and the hand. Aske no other thing Eſdras.

11 And I anſwered, and ſayd: O Lord dominatour, if I haue found grace before thyne eyes,

12 I pray thee shew thy ſeruant the end of thy ſignes, wherof thou didſt shew me part the night before.

13 And he anſwered, and ſayd to me: Ariſe vpon thy feete, and heare a voice moſt ful of ſound.

14 And it shal be as it were a commotion, neither shal the place be moued wherin thou ſtandeſt.

15 Therfore when it ſpeaketh be not thou afrayd, becauſe of the end is the word, and the fundation of the earth vnderſtood,

16 for concerning them the word trembleth and is moued, for it knoweth that their end muſt be changed.

17 And it came to paſſe, when I had heard, I roſe vpon my feete, and I heard: and behold a voice ſpeaking, and the ſound therof as the ſound of manie waters:

18 and it ſayd: Behold the dayes come, and the time shal be when I wil begyne to approch, that I may viſite the inhabitantes vpon the earth.

19 And when I wil begin to enquire of them that vniuſtly haue hurt with their iniuſtice, and when the humilitie of Sion shal be accomplished.

20 And when the world shal be ouerſigned that shal beginne to paſſe, I wil doe theſe ſignes: Bookes shal be opened before the face of the firmament, and al shal ſee together,

21 and infantes of one yeare shal ſpeake with their voices, & wemen with child shal bring forth vntimely infantes not ripe of three or foure monethes, and shal liue, and shal be rayſed vp.

22 And ſodenly shal appeare ſowen places not ſowen, & ful cellers shal ſodenly be found emptie:

23 and a trumpet shal ſound; which when al shal heare, they wil ſodenly be afrayd.

24 And it shal be in that time, freindes as enimies shal ouerthrow freindes, and the earth shal be afrayd with them: & the vaynes of fountaynes shal ſtand, and shal not runne in three howres:

25 and it shal be, euerie one that shal be leaft of al theſe, of whom I haue foretold thee, he shal be ſaued, and shal ſee my ſaluation, & the end of your world.

26 And the men that are receiued, shal ſee, they that taſted not death from their natiuitie, and the hart of the inhabitantes shal be turned into an other ſenſe.

27 For euil shal be put out, and deceite shal be extinguished,

28 but fayth shal florish, and corruption shal be ouercome, and truth shal be shewed, which was without fruite ſo manie dayes.

29 And it came to paſſe, when he ſpake to me, & I loe by litle & litle looked on him before whom I ſtood,

30 and he ſayd to me theſe wordes: I am come to shew thee the time of the night to come.

31 If therfore thou pray agayne, and faſt agayne ſeuen dayes, agayne I wil tel thee greater thinges by the day which I haue heard.

32 For thy voice is heard before the Higheſt. For the ſtrong hath ſene thy direction, and hath fore ſene the ehaſtitie which thon haſt had from thy youth:

33 and for this cauſe he hath ſent me to shew thee al theſe thinges, and to ſay to thee, haue confidence, and feare not,

34 and haſten not with the former times to thinke vayne thinges, that thou haſten not from the laſt times.

35 And it came to paſſe after theſe thinges, and I wept againe, and in like maner I faſted ſeuen dayes, to accomplish the three weekes, that were told me.

36 And it came to paſſe in the eight night, and my hart was trubled againe in me, and I began to ſpeake before the Higheſt.

37 For my ſpirit was inflamed excedingly, and my ſoul was diſtreſſed.

38 And I ſayd: O Lord, ſpeaking thou didſt ſpeake from the beginning of creature from the firſt day, ſaying: Let heauen be made and earth: and thy word was a perfect worke.

39 And then there was ſpirit, and darkneſſe was caried about, and ſilence, the ſound of the voyce of man was not yet from thee.

40 Then thou didſt command the lighſome light to be brought forth of thy treaſures, wherby thy worke might appeare.

41 And in the ſecond day thou didſt create the ſpirit of the firmament, and commandeſt it to diuide, and to make a diuiſion betwen the waters, that a certayn part should depart vpward, and part should remaine beneth.

42 And in the third day thou didſt command the waters to be gathered together in the ſeueneth part of the earth: but ſixe partes thou didſt drie and preſerue, that of them might be ſeruing before thee thinges ſowen of God, and tilled.

43 For thy word proceded, and the worke forth with was made.

44 For ſodenly came forth fruite of multitude infinite, and diuerſe taſtes of concupiſcence, and flowers of vnchangeable colour, and odours of vnſearcheable ſmel, and in the third day theſe thinges were made.

45 And in the fourth day thou didſt command to be made the brightneſſe of the ſunne, the light of the moone, the diſpoſition of the ſtarres:

46 and didſt command them that they should ſerue man, that should be made.

47 And in the fifth day: thou ſaydſt to the ſeuenth part, where the water was gathered together, that it should bring forth beaſtes, and foules, and fishes: and ſo was it done,

48 the dumme water and without life, the thinges that by Gods appointement were commanded, made beaſtes, that therby the nations may declare thy meruelous workes.

49 And then thou didſt preſerue two ſoules: the name of one thou didſt cal Henoch, and the name of the ſecond thou didſt cal Leuiathan,

50 and thou didſt ſeparate them from eche other. For the ſeuenth part, where the water was gathered together, could not hold them.

51 And thou gaueſt to Henoch one part, which was dried the third day, to dwelt therin, where are a thouſand mountaynes.

52 But to Leuiathan thou gaueſt the ſeuenth part being moyſt, and kepſt it, that it might be to deuoure whom thou wilt, and when thou wilt.

53 And in the ſixt day thou didſt command the earth, to create before thee cattel, and beaſtes, and creeping creatures:

54 and ouer theſe Adam, whom thou madeſt ruler ouer al the workes, which thou didſt make, & out of him are al we brought forth, and the people whom thou haſt choſen.

55 And al theſe thinges I haue ſayd before thee ô Lord, becauſe thou didſt create the world for vs.

56 But the reſidue of the nations borne of Adam thou ſaydſt that they were nothing, and that they were like to ſpittle, and as it were the droping out of a veſſel thou didſt liken the abundance of them.

57 And now Lord, behold theſe nations which are reputed for nothing, haue begune to rule ouer vs, and to deuoure vs:

58 but we thy people whom thou didſt cal thy firſt onlie begotten emulatour, are deliuered into their handes:

59 and if the world was created for vs, why doe not we poſſeſſe inheritance with the world? how long theſe thinges?

Marginal notes to Chapter 6

• 1 Prouer. 8.

Chapter 7

CHAP. VII. Without tribulations no man can attayne immortal life: 17. which the iuſt shal inherite: and the wicked shal perish. 28. Chriſt wil come, and dye for mankind. 36. Prayers of the iuſt shal profite til the end of this word, but not after the general iudgement. 48. Al ſinned in Adam. 52. and haue added more ſinnes, 57. but it is in mans powre, 62. by Gods grace, to liue eternally.

1 AND it came to paſſe when I had ended to ſpeake theſe wordes, the Angel was ſent to me, which had bene ſent to me the firſt nights,

2 and he ſayd to me: Ariſe Eſdras, and heare the wordes which I am come to ſpeake to thee.

3 And I ſayd: Speake my God. And he ſayd to me: The ſea is ſet in a large place, that it might be deepe and wide:

4 but the entrance to it shal be ſet in a ſtraict place, that it might be like to riuers.

5 For who witting wil enter into the ſea, and ſee it, or rule ouer it: if he paſſe not the ſtreite, how shal he come into the bredth?

6 Alſo an other thing: A citie is built, and ſet in a plaine place, and it is ful of al goodes.

7 The entrance therof narrow, and ſet in a ſtepe place, ſo that on the right hand there was fire, & on the left depe water:

8 and there is one onlie pathe ſet betwen them, that is, betwen the fire and the water, ſo that the pathe can not conteyne, but onlie a mans ſteppe.

9 And if the citie shal be geuen a man for inheritance, if he neuer paſſe through the peril ſet before it, how shal he receiue his inheritance?

10 And I ſayd: So Lord: And he ſayd to me, So it is: Iſrael alſo a part.

11 For I made the world for them: and when Adam tranſgreſſed my conſtitution, that was iudged which was done.

12 And the entrance of this world were made ſtreite, and ſorowful, & paynful, and few and euil, and ful of dangers, & ſtuffed very much with labour.

13 For the entrances of the greater world are large and ſecure, and making fruite of immortalitie.

14 If then they that liue entring in enter into theſe ſtreite and vayne thinges: they can not receiue the thinges that are layd vp.

15 Now therfore why art thou trubled, wheras thou art corruptible? and why art thou moued, wheras thou art mortal?

16 And why haſt thou not taken in thy hart that which is to come, but that which is preſent?

17 I anſwered, and ſayd: Lord dominatour: behold thou haſt diſpoſed by thy law that the iuſt shal inherite theſe thinges, and the impious shal perish.

18 But the iuſt shal ſuffer the ſtreites, hoping for the wyde places, for they that haue done impiouſly, haue both ſuffered the ſtreites, and shal not ſee the wide places.

19 And he ſayd to me: There is no iudge aboue God, nor that vnderſtandeth aboue the Higheſt.

20 For manie preſent doe perish, becauſe the law of God which was ſet before, is neglected.

21 For God commanding commanded them that came, when they came, what doing they should liue, and what obſeruing they should not be punished.

22 But they were not perſwaded, and gayneſayd him, and made to them ſelues a cogitation of vanitie,

23 and propoſed to themſelues deceites of ſinnes, & they ſayd to the Higheſt that he was not, and they knew not his wayes,

24 and diſpiſed his law, and denyed his couenaunces, and had not fidelitie in his ordinances, and did not accomplish his workes.

25 For this cauſe Eſdras, the emptie to the emptie, and the ful to the ful.

26 Behold the time shal come, and it shal be when the ſignes shal come, which I haue fore told thee, and the bride shal appeare, and appearing she shal be shewed that now is hid with the earth:

27 and euerie one that is deliuered from the foreſaid euils, he shal ſee my meruelous thinges.

28 For my ſonne IESVS shal be reueled with them that are with him, and they shal be merie that are leaft in the foure hundred yeares.

29 And it shal be after theſe yeares, and my ſonne CHRIST shal dye: and al men that haue breath,

30 and the world shal be turned into the old ſilence ſeuen dayes, as in the former iudgementes, ſo that none shal be leaft.

31 And it shal be after ſeuen dayes, and the world shal be rayſed vp that yet waketh not, and shal dye corrupted:

32 and the earth shal render the thinges that ſleepe in it, & the duſt them that dwel in it with ſilence, and the cellars shal render the ſoules that are commended to them.

33 And the Higheſt shal be reueled vpon the ſeate of iudgement, and miſeries shal paſſe, and long ſufferance shal be gathered together.

34 And iudgement onlie shal remayne, truth shal ſtand, and fayth shal waxe ſtrong,

35 and the worke shal folow, and the reward shal be shewed, and iuſtice shal awake, and iniuſtice shal not haue dominion.

36 And I ſayd: Firſt Abraham prayed for the Sodomites, and Moyſes for the fathers that ſinned in the deſert.

37 And they that were after him for Iſrael in the dayes of Achaz, and of Samuel,

38 and Dauid for the deſtruction, and Salomon for them that came vnto the ſanctification.

39 And Elias for them that receiued raine, and for the dead that he might liue,

40 and Ezechias for the people in the dayes of Sennacherib, and manie for manie.

41 If therfore now when corruptible did increaſe, and iniuſtice was multiplied, and the iuſt prayed for the impious: why now alſo shal it not be ſo?

42 And he anſwered me and ſayd: This preſent world is not the end, much glorie remaineth in it: for this cauſe they prayed for the impotent.

43 For the day of iudgement shal be the end of this time, and the beginning of the immortalitie to come, wherein corruption is paſt:

44 intemperance is diſſolued, incredulitie is cut of: and iuſtice hath increaſed, truth is ſprong.

45 For then no man can ſaue him that hath perished, nor drowne him that hath ouercome. And I anſwered,

46 and ſayd: This is my word the firſt and the laſt, that it had bene better not to geue the earth to Adam, or when he had now geuen it, to reſtraine him that he should not ſinne.

47 For what doth it profit men preſently to liue in ſorow, and being dead to hope for punishment?

48 O what haſt thou done Adam? For if thou didſt ſinne, it was not made thy fal only, but ours alſo which came of thee.

49 For what doth it profit vs if immortal time be promiſed to vs: but we haue done mortal workes?

50 And that euerlaſting hope is foretold vs: but we moſt wicked are become vayne?

51 And that habitations of health and ſecuritie are reſerued for vs, but we haue conuerſt naughtely?

52 And that the glorie of the Higheſt is reſerued to protect them that haue ſlowly conuerſt: but we haue walked in moſt wicked wayes.

53 And that paradiſe shal be shewed, whoſe fruite continueth incorrupted, wherin is ſecuritie and remedie:

54 but we shal not enter in: for we haue conuerſt in vnlawful places.

55 And their faces which haue had abſtinence, shal shyne aboue the ſtarres: but our faces blacke aboue darkenes.

56 For we did not thinke liuing when we did iniquitie, that we shal beginne after death to ſuffer.

57 And he anſwered, and ſayd: This is the cogitation of the battel which man shal fight, who is borne vpon the earth,

58 that if he shal be ouercome, he ſuffer that which thou haſt ſayd: but if he ouercome he shal receiue that which I ſay:

59 for this is the life which Moyſes ſpake of when he liued, to the people, ſaying: Chooſe vnto thee life, that thou mayſt liue.

60 But they beleued him not, no nor the Prophetes after him, no nor me which haue ſpoken to them.

61 Becauſe there should not be ſorow vnto their perdition, as there shal be ioy vpon them, to whom ſaluation is perſwaded.

62 And I anſwered, and ſayd: I know Lord, that the Higheſt is called merciful in that, that he hath mercie on them which are not yet come into the world,

63 and that he hath mercie on them which conuerſe in his law:

64 and he is long ſuffering, becauſe he sheweth long ſufferance to them that haue ſinned, as it were with their owne workes:

65 and he is bountiful, becauſe he wil geue according to exigentes:

66 and of great mercie, becauſe he multiplieth more mercies to them that are preſent, and that are paſt, and that are to come.

67 For if he shal not multiplie his mercies, the world shal not be made aliue with them that did inherite it.

68 And he geueth: for if he shal not geue of his bountie, that they may be releeued which haue done iniquitie, the tenth thouſand part of men can not be quickned from their iniquities.

69 And the iudge if he shal not forgeue them that are cured with his word, and wype away a multitude of contentions: there should not perhaps be leaft in an innumerable multitude, but very few.

Marginal notes to Chapter 7

• 17 Deut. 8.
• 36 Gen. 18. Exod. 32.
• 38 2. Reg 24. v. 1⟨illegible⟩. 2. P⟨illegible⟩r⟨illegible⟩i. 6. v. 1⟨illegible⟩. 3. Reg. 17. & 18. 4. Reg. 19. v. 15.
• 48 Rom. 5. v. 2.
• 59 Deut. 30. v. 19.

Chapter 8

CHAP. VIII. God is merciful in this world, yet fewe are ſaued. 6. Gods workes, and dispoſition of his creatures are meruelous. 15 Eſdras prayeth for the people of Iſrael: 37. and ſaluation is promiſed to the iuſt, and punishment threatned to the wicked.

1 AND he anſwered me, & ſayd▪ This world the Higheſt made for manie▪ but that to come for few.

2 And I wil ſpeake a ſimilitude Eſdras before thee. For as thou shalt aske the earth, and it wil tel thee, that it wil geue much more earth wherof earthen worke may be made, but a li⟨illegible⟩le duſt wherof gold is made: ſo alſo is the act of this preſent world.

3 Manie in deede are created, but few shal be ſaued.

4 And I anſwered, and ſayd: Then ô ſoul ſwallow vp the ſenſe, and deuoure that which is wiſe.

5 For thou art agred to obey, and willing to prophecie. For there is no ſpace geuen thee but only to liue.

6 O Lord if thou wilt not permitte thy ſeruant, that we pray before thee, and thou geue vs ſeede to the hart, and tillage to the vnderſtanding, wherof may the fruite be made, wherby euerie corrupt perſon may liue, that shal beare the place of a man?

7 For thou art alone, and we are one workmanshippe of thy handes, as thou haſt ſpoken:

8 and as now the bodie made in the matrice, and thou doeſt geue the mēbers, thy creature is preſerued in fire & water: and nine monethes thy workemanship doth ſuffer thy creature that is created in it:

9 and it ſelf that keepeth, and that which is kept, both shal be preſerued: and the matrice being preſerued rendreth agayne at ſome time the thinges that are growen in it.

10 For thou haſt commanded of the members, that is the breſtes to geue milke vnto the fruite of the breſtes,

11 that the thing which is made, may be nourished til a certayne time, and afterward thou mayſt diſpoſe him to thy mercie.

12 For thou haſt, brought him vp in thy iuſtice, and haſt inſtructed him in thy law, and haſt corrected him in thy vnderſtanding:

13 and thou shalt mortifie him, as thy creature: and shalt geue him life, as thy worke.

14 If then thou wilt deſtroy him that is made with ſo great labours: it is eaſie by thy commandment to be ordayned, that alſo which was made, might be preſerued.

15 And now Lord I wil ſpeake, of euerie man thou rather knoweſt: but concerning thy people, for which I am ſorowful:

16 and concerning thine inheritance, for which I mourne, and for Iſrael for whom I am penſiue, and concerning Iacob, for whom I am ſorowful.

17 Therfore wil I begin to pray before thee for me, & for them: becauſe I ſee our defaultes that inhabite the earth.

18 But I haue heard of the celeritie of the iudge that shal be.

19 Therfore heare my voyce, and vnderſtand my word, and I wil ſpeake before thee.

20 The beginning of the wordes of Eſdras before he was aſſumpted: and I ſayd: Lord which inhabiteſt the world, whoſe eyes are eleuated vnto thinges on high and in the ayre:

21 and whoſe throne is ineſtimable, and glorie incomprehenſible: by whom ſtandeth an hoſt of Angels with trembling,

22 whoſe keping is turned in wynde and fire, thou whoſe word is true, and ſayings permanent:

23 whoſe commandment is ſtrong, and diſpoſition terribe: whoſe looke dryeth vp the depthes, and indignation maketh the mountaynes to melt, and truth doth teſtifie.

24 Heare the prayer of thy ſeruant, & with thine eares receiue the petition of thy creature.

25 For whiles I liue, I wil ſpeake: and whiles I vnderſtand, I wil anſwere:

26 Neither doe thou reſpect the ſinnes of thy people, but them that ſerue thee in truth.

27 Neither doe thou attend the impious endeuours of the nations, but them that with ſorowes haue kept thy teſtimonies.

28 Neither thinke thou of them that in thy ſight haue conuerſt falſly, but remember them that according to thy wil haue knowen thy feare.

29 Neither be thou willing to deſtroy thē that haue had the maners of beaſtes: but reſpect them that haue taught thy law gloriouſly.

30 Neither haue indignation towards them, which are iudged worſe then beaſtes: but loue them that alwayes haue confidence in thy iuſtice, and glorie.

31 Becauſe we and our fathers languish with ſuch diſeaſes: but thou for ſinners shalt be called merciful.

32 For if thou shalt be deſirous to haue mercie on vs, then thou shalt be called merciful, to vs hauing no workes of iuſtice.

33 For the iuſt which haue manie workes layd vp, of their owne workes shal receiue reward.

34 For what is man, that thou art angrie with him: or the corruptible kinde, that thou art ſo bitter touching it?

35 For in truth there is no man of them that be borne, which hath not done impiouſly, and of them that confeſſe, which haue not ſinned.

36 For in this shal thy iuſtice be declared, and thy goodnes, ô Lord, when thou shalt haue mercie on them, that haue no ſubſtance of good workes.

37 And he anſwered me, and ſayd: Thou haſt ſpoken ſomethinges rightly: and according to thy wordes, ſo alſo shal it be done,

38 becauſe I wil not in dede thinke vpon the worke of them that haue ſinned before death, before the iudgement, before perdition:

39 but I wil reioyce vpon the creature of the iuſt, and I wil remember their pilgrimage alſo, and ſaluation, and receiuing of reward.

40 Therfore as I haue ſpoken, ſo alſo it is.

41 For as the huſbandman ſoweth vpon the ground manie ſeedes, and planteth manie plantes, but not al which were ſowen in time, are preſerued, nor yet al that were planted, shal take roote: ſo they alſo that are ſowen in the world, shal not al be ſaued.

42 And I anſwered, and ſayd: If I haue found grace, let me ſpeake.

43 As the ſeede of the huſbandman, if it come not vp, or receiue not the rayne in time, if it be corupted with much rayne, perisheth:

44 ſo likewiſe alſo man who made with thy handes, and thou named his image: becauſe thou art likened to him, for whom thou haſt made al thinges, and haſt likened him to the ſeede of the husbandman.

45 Be not angrie vpon vs, but ſpare thy people, and haue mercie on thy inheritance. And thou haſt mercie on thy creature.

46 And he anſwered me, and ſayd: The thinges that are preſent to them that are preſent, and that shal be, to them that shal be.

47 For thou lackeſt much to be able to loue my creature aboue me: and to thee often times, euen to thyſelfe I haue approched, but to the vniuſt neuer.

48 But in this alſo thou art meruelous before the Higheſt,

49 becauſe thou haſt humbled thyſelf as becometh thee: & haſt not iudged thyſelf, that among the iuſt thou maiſt be very much glorified.

50 For which cauſe manie miſeries, and miſerable thinges shal be done to them that inhabite the world in the later dayes: becauſe they haue walked in much pride.

51 But thou for thyſelfe vnderſtand, & for them that are like vnto thee ſeeke glorie.

52 For to you paradiſe is open, the tree of life is planted, time to come is prepared, abundance is prepared, a citie is builded, reſt is approued, goodnes is perfited, & perfit wiſdome.

53 The roote of euil is ſigned from you: infirmitie, and mothe is hid from you: & corruption is fled into hel in obliuion.

54 Sorowes are paſt, & the treaſure of immortalitie is shewed in the end.

55 Adde not therfore inquiring of the multitude of them that perish.

56 For they alſo receiuing libertie, haue deſpiſed the Higheſt, and contemned his lawe, and forſaken his wayes.

57 Yea and moreouer they haue troden downe his iuſt ones,

58 and haue ſayd in their hart, that there is no God: and that, knowing that they dye.

59 For as the thinges aforeſayd shal receiue you: ſo thirſt and torment, which are prepared shal take them: for he would not man to be deſtroyed.

60 But they them ſelues alſo which a⟨illegible⟩e created, haue de⟨illegible⟩yled his name which made them: & haue bene vnkinde to him that prepared life.

61 Wherfore my iudgement now approcheth.

62 Which thinges I haue not shewed to al, but to thee, & to few like vnto thee. And I anſwered, and ſayd:

63 Behold now Lord thou haſt shewed me a multitude of ſignes, which thou wilt beginne to doe in the latter times but thou haſt not shewed me at what time.

Marginal notes to Chapter 8

• 3 Mat. 20. v. 16.
• 35 2. Reg. 8. v. 46. 2. Paral 6. v. 36.
• 40 Mat 13. & 20.
• 58 Pſal. 13. & 52.

Chapter 9

CHAP. IX. Certaine ſignes shal goe before the day of iudgement. 14. More shal perish then be ſaued. 25. Prayer with other good workes, are meanes to ſaluation.

1 AND he anſwered me, and ſayd; Meaſuring meaſure thou the time in it ſelfe: and it shal be when thou ſeeſt, after a certaine part of the ſignes which are ſpoken of before shal paſſe▪

2 then shalt thou vnderſtand, that the ſame is the time wherin the Higheſt wil beginne to viſite the world that was made by him.

3 And when there shal be ſene in the world mouing of places, and truble of peoples,

4 then shalt thou vnderſtand, that of theſe ſpake the Higheſt from the dayes that were before thee, from the beginning.

5 For as al that is made in the world hath a beginning, and alſo a conſummation, and the conſummation is manifeſt:

6 ſo alſo the times of the Higheſt haue the beginning manifeſt in wonders and powers, and the conſummations in worke and in ſignes.

7 And it ſhal be, euery one that shal be ſaued, and that can eſcape by his workes, and by fayth, in which you haue beleeued,

8 shal be leaft out of the foreſayd dangers, and shal ſee my ſaluation in my land, and in my coſtes, becauſe I haue ſanctified my ⟨illegible⟩elfe from the world.

9 And then shal they be in miſerie, that now haue abuſed my wayes: and they that haue reiected them in contempt, shal abide in torments.

10 For they that knew not me, hauing obtained benefits when they liued:

11 and they that loathed my law, when they yet had libertie,

12 and when as yet place of penance was open to them vnderſtoode not, but deſpiſed: they muſt after death in torment know it.

13 Thou therfore be not yet curious, how the impious shal be tormented: but inquire how the iuſt shal be ſaued, and whoſe the world is, and for whom the world is, and when.

14 And I anſwered, and ſayd:

15 I haue ſpoken hertofore, and now I ſay, and hereafter wil ſay: that they are moe which perish then that shal be ſaued:

16 as a floud is multiplied aboue, more then a droppe▪

17 And he anſvvered me, and ſayd: Like as the field ſo alſo the ſedes: and as the flovvers, ſuch alſo the colours: and as the workeman, ſuch alſo the worke: and ſuch as the huſbandman, ſuch is the husbandrie: becauſe it was the time of the world.

18 And now when I was preparing for them, for theſe that now are before the world was made, wherin they should dwel: and no man gaynſayd me.

19 For then euery man, and now the creator in this world prepared, and harueſt not fayling, and law vnſearchable their manners are corrupted.

20 And I conſidered the world, and behold there was danger becauſe of the cogitations that came in it.

21 And I ſaw, and ſpared it very much: and I kept vnto my ſelfe a grape kernel of a cluſter, and a plant of a great trybe.

22 Let the multitude therfore perish, which was borne without cauſe, and let my kernel be kept, & my plant: becauſe I finished it with much labour.

23 And thou if thou adde yet ſeuen other dayes, but thou shalt not faſt in them,

24 thou shalt goe into a field of flowers, where no houſe is built: & thou shalt eate only of the flowers of the field, and flesh thou shalt not taſt, and wine thou shalt not drinke, but only flowers.

25 Pray to the Higheſt without intermiſſion, and I wil come, and wil ſpeake with thee.

26 And I went forth, as he ſayd to me, into a field which is called Ardath, and I ſate there among the flowers. And I did eate of the herbes of the field, and the meate of them made me ful.

27 And it came to paſſe after ſeuen dayes, and I ſate downe vpon the graſſe, and my hart was trubled agayne as before.

28 And my mouth was opened, and I beganne to ſpeake before the Higheſt, and ſayd:

29 O Lord thou shewing thy ſelfe to vs, waſt shewed to our fathers in the deſert, which is nor troden, and vnfruitful, when they came out of Aegypt: and ſaying thou ſaydſt:

30 Thou Iſrael heare me, and ſede of Iacob attend to my wordes.

31 For behold, I ſow my lawe in you, and it shal bring forth fruite in you, and you shal be glorified in it for euer.

32 For our fathers receiuing the law obſerued it not, and kept not my ordinances, and the fruite of the law did not appeare: for it could not, becauſe it was thine.

33 For they that receiued it, perished, not keeping that which had bene ſowen in them.

34 And behold it is the cuſtome, that when the earth hath receiued ſede, or the ſea a shippe, or ſome veſſel meate or drinke: when that shal be deſtroyed wherin it was ſowne, or into the which it was caſt:

35 that which was ſowne, or caſt in, or the thinges that were receiued, are deſtroyed withal, and the thinges receiued now tarye not with vs: but it is not ſo done to vs.

36 We in dede that receiued the law, ſinning haue perished, and our hart that receiued it:

37 For the law hath not perished, but hath remayned in his labour.

38 And when I ſpake theſe thinges in my hart, I looked backe with myne eyes, and ſaw a woman on the right ſide, and behold she mourned, and wept with a lowd voice, and was ſorrowful in mynde exceedingly, and her garments rent, and ashes vpon her heade.

39 And I left the cogitations, wherin I was thinking, and I turned to her and ſayd to her:

40 Why weepeſt thou? and why art thou ſorie in mynde. And she ſayd to me:

41 Suffer me my Lord, that I may lament myſelfe, & adde ſorrow: becauſe I am of a very penſiue mynde, and am humbled exceedingly.

42 And I ſayd to her, What ayleth thee: tel me. And she ſayd to me:

43 I thy ſeruant haue beene barren, and haue not borne childe, hauing a husband thirty yeares.

44 For I euery howre, and euerie day, and theſe thirty yeares do beſeche the Higheſt night and day.

45 And it came to paſſe, after thirtie yeares God heard me thy handmayd, and ſaw my humilitie, and attended to my tribulation, and gaue me a ſonne: and I was very ioyful vpon him, and my husband, and al my citizens, and we did glorifie the S⟨illegible⟩rong exceedingly.

46 And I nourished him with much labour.

47 And it came to paſſe when he was growne, and came to take a wife, I made a feaſt day.

Marginal notes to Chapter 9

• 15 ⟨illegible⟩. 10.
• 29 Exod. 19. & 24. Deut. 4.
• 33 Exod. 32.
• 37 Eſai. 48.

Chapter 10

CHAP. X. The ſtate of Ieruſalem is prefigured by a woman mourning, 25. and afterwardes reioy⟨illegible⟩ing.

1 AND it came to paſſe, when my ſonne was entred into his inner chamber, he fel downe, and dyed:

2 and we al ouerthrewe the lights, and al my citizens roſe vp to comfort me, and I was quiet vntil the other day at night.

3 And it came to paſſe, when al were quiet to comfort me, that I might be quiet: and I aroſe in the night, and ſled: and came as thou ⟨illegible⟩eeſt into this field.

4 And I meane nowe not to returne into the citie, but to ſtay here: and neither to eate, nor drinke, but without intermiſſion to mourne, and to faſt vntil I dye.

5 And I left the talke wherin I was, and with anger anſwered her, & ſayd:

6 Thou foole aboue al wemen, ſeeſt thou not our mourning, & what thinges chance to vs?

7 Becauſe Sion our mother is ſorroweful with al ſorrowe, and humbled, and mourneth moſt bitterly.

8 And now wheras we al mourne, and are ſadde: wheras we a⟨illegible⟩e ſorrowful, and art thou ſorrowful for one ſonne?

9 For aske the earth, and it wil tel thee: that it is she, tha⟨illegible⟩ ought to lament the fal of ſo manie thinges that ſpring vpon it.

10 And of her were al borne from the beginning, and others shal come: and behold, almoſt al walke into perdition, and the multitude of them commeth to deſtruction.

11 And who then ought to mourne more, but she that hath loſt ſo great a multitude, rather then thou which art ſorie for one?

12 And if thou ſay vnto me, that my mourning is not lyke the earthes: becauſe I haue loſt the fruite of my wombe, which I bare with ſorrowes, and brought forth with paynes:

13 but the earth according to the maner of the earth, and the preſent multitude in it hath departed as it came: and I ſaye to thee,

14 as thou haſt brought forth with payne, ſo the earth alſo geueth her fruite for man from the beginning to him that made her.

15 Now therfore kepe in with thy ſorrowe, and beare ſtoutly the chances that haue be fallen thee.

16 For if thou iuſtifie the end of God, thou shalt in time both receiue his counſel, and alſo in ſuch thinges thou shalt be prayſed.

17 Goe in therfore into the citie to thy husband. And she ſayd to me:

18 I wil not doe it, neither wil I enter into the citie, but here wil I dye.

19 And I added yet to ſpeake to her, & ſayd:

20 Doe not this word, but conſent to him that counſeleth thee. For how manie are the chances of Sion? Take comfort for the ſorrowe of Ieruſalem.

21 For thou ſeeſt that our ſanctification is made deſert, and our altar is throwen downe, and our temple is deſtroyed,

22 and our pſalter is humbled, and hymne is ſilent, and our exultation is diſſolued, and the light of our candleſticke is extinguished, and the arke of our teſtament is taken for ſpoyle, & our holie thinges are contaminated, and the name that is inuocated vpon vs, is almoſt prophaned: and our children haue ſuffred contumelie, and our Prieſtes are burnt, & our Leuites are gone into captiuitie, & our virgins are defloured, and our wiues haue ſuffered rape, and our iuſt men are violently taken, and our litle ones are loſt, and our yong men are in bondage, and our valiants are made impotent:

23 and that which is greateſt of al, the ſeale of Sion, becauſe she is vnſealed of her glorie: For she is alſo deliuered into the handes of them that hate vs.

24 Thou therfore shake of thy great heauines, and lay away from thee the multitude of ſorrowes, that the Strong may be propicious to thee agayne, and the Higheſt wil geue thee reſt, reſt from thy labours.

25 And it came to paſſe, when I ſpake to her, her face did shine ſuddenly, and her shape, and her viſage was made gliſtering, ſo that I was afrayde excedingly at her, & thought what this thing should be.

26 And Behold, ſuddenly she put forth a great ſound of a voyce ful of feare, that the earth was moued at the womans ſound. And I ſaw:

27 and behold, the woman did no more appeare vnto me, but a citie was built, & a place was shewed of great fundations: and I was afrayd, & crying with a loude voyce I ſayd:

28 Where is Vriel the Angel, that from the beginning came to me? for he made me come in multitude in exceſſe of this minde, and my end is made into corruption, & my prayer into reproch.

29 And when I was ſpeaking theſe thinges, behold he came to me, and ſawe me.

30 And behold I was layd as dead, & my vnderſtanding was alienated, and he held my right hand, and ſtrengthned me, & ſet me vpon my feete, & ſayd to me:

31 What ayleth thee? and why is thy vnderſtanding, and the ſenſe of thy hart trubled, & why art thou trubled? And I ſayd:

32 Becauſe thou haſt forſaken me, and I in dede haue done according to thy wordes, & went out into the field: & behold, I haue ſeene, & doe ſee that which I cannot vtter. And he ſayd to me:

33 Stand like a man, & I wil moue thee. And I ſayd:

34 Speake thou my Lord in me, forſake me not, that I die not in vaine:

35 becauſe I haue ſeene thinges that I knew not, & I doe heare thinges that I know not.

36 Or is my ſenſe deceiued, & doth my ſoule dreame?

37 Now therfore I beſech thee, that thou shew vnto thy ſeruant concerning this trance. And he anſwered me, & ſayd:

38 Heare me, and I wil teach thee, and wil tel thee of what thinges thou art afrayd: becauſe the Higheſt hath reuealed vnto thee manie myſteries.

39 He hath ſeene thy right way, that without intermiſsion thou was ſorrowful for thy people, and didſt mourne exceedingly for Sion.

40 This therfore is the vnderſtanding of the viſion which appeared to thee a litle before.

41 The woman whom thou ſaweſt mourning, thou beganſt to comfort her.

42 And now thou ſeeſt not the forme of the woman, but there appeared to thee a citie to be built.

43 And becauſe she tolde thee of the fal of her ſonne, this is the interpretation.

44 This woman which thou ſaweſt, she is Sion, and wheras she told thee of her, whom now alſo thou shalt ſee, as a citie builded.

45 And wheras she told thee, that she was barren thirtie yeares: for the which there were thirtie yeares, when there was not yet oblation offered in it.

46 And it came to paſſe after thirtie yeares, Salomon built the citie, and offered oblations: then it was, when the barren bare a childe.

47 And that which she ſayd vnto thee, that she nourished him with labour, this was the habitation in Ieruſalem.

48 And wheras she ſayd to thee, that my ſonne comming into the bryde chamber dyed, and that a fal chanced vnto him, this was the ruine of Ieruſalem that is made.

49 And behold, thou haſt ſeene the ſimilitude of her: and becauſe she lamented her ſonne, thou beganſt to comfort her: and of theſe thinges that haue chanced, theſe were to be opened to thee.

50 And now the Higheſt ſeeth that thou waſt ſorie from the hart: and becauſe with thy whole hart thou ſuffereſt for her, he hath shewed thee the clearnes of her glorie, and the fayrenes of her beautie.

51 For therfore did he ſay to thee, that thou shouleſt tarie in a field where houſe is not built.

52 For I knew that the Higheſt beganne to shew thee theſe thinges:

53 therfore I ſayd vnto thee, that thou shouldeſt goe into a field, where is no fundation of building.

54 For the worke of mans building could not be borne in the place, where the citie of the Higheſt began to be shewed.

55 Thou therfore feare not, neither let thy hart dread: but goe in, and ſee the beautie, and greatnes of the building, as much as the ſight of thyne eyes is capable to ſee:

56 & afterward thou shalt heare as much, as the hearing of thyne eares is capable to heare.

57 For thou art bleſſed aboue manie, and art called with the Higheſt as few.

58 And to morrow night thou shalt tarie here:

59 and the Higheſt wil shew thee thoſe viſions of the thinges on high, which the Higheſt wil doe to them that inhabite vpon the earth in the later dayes.

60 And I ſlept that night, and the other next, as he had ſayd to me.

Chapter 11

CHAP. XI. An eagle appeareth to Eſdras coming forth of the ſea, with three heades, and twelue winges: ſometimes one reigning in the world, ſometimes an other, but euerie one vanisheth away. 36. A lion alſo appeareth coming forth of the wo⟨illegible⟩ ſuppreſſe the eagle.

1 AND I ſawe a dreame, & behold an eagle came vp out of the ſea: which had twelue winges of fethers, and three heades.

2 And I ſaw, and behold she ſpred her winges into al the earth, and al the windes of heauen blew vpon her, and were gathered together.

3 And I ſaw, and of her fethers ſprang contrarie fethers, and they became litle winges, and ſmale.

4 For her heades were at reſt, and the midle head was greater then the other heades, but she reſted with them.

5 And I ſaw, and behold the eagle flew with her winges, and reigned ouer the earth, and ouer them that dwel in it.

6 And I ſaw, that al thinges vnder heauen were ſubiect to her, and no man gayneſayd her, no not one of the creature that is vpon the earth.

7 And I ſaw, and behold the eagle roſe vp vpon her talons, and made a voice with her winges, ſaying:

8 Watch not al together, ſleepe euerie one in his place, & watch according to time.

9 But let the heades be preſerued to the laſt.

10 And I ſaw, and behold the voice came not out of her heades, but from the middes of her bodie.

11 And I numbered her contrarie winges, and behold they were eight.

12 And I ſaw, and behold on the right ſide roſe one wing, and reigned ouer al the earth.

13 And it came to paſſe, when it reigned, an end came to it, and the place therof appeared not: and the next roſe vp, & reigned, that held much time.

14 And it came to paſſe, when it reigned, & the end of it alſo came, that it appeared not as the former.

15 And behold, a voice was ſent forth to it, ſaying:

16 Heare thou that haſt held the earth of long time. Thus I tel thee before thou beginne not to appeare.

17 None after thee shal hold thy time, no nor the halfe therof.

18 And the third lifted vp it ſelfe, and held the principalitie as alſo the former: and that alſo appeared not.

19 And ſo it chanced to al the other by one & by one to haue the principalitie, & agayne to appeare nowhere.

20 And I ſaw, and behold in time the reſt of the winges were ſent vp on the right ſide, that they alſo might hold the principalitie: and of them there were that held it, but yet forth with they appeared not.

21 For ſome alſo of them ſtoode vp, but they held not the principalitie.

22 And I ſaw after theſe thinges, and behold the twelue winges, and two litle winges appeared not:

23 and nothing remayned in the bodie of the eagle but two heades reſting, and ſix litle winges.

24 And I ſaw, and behold from the ſix litle winges two were diuided, and they remayned vnder the head, that is on the right ſide. For foure taried in their place.

25 And I ſa⟨illegible⟩d behold the vnderwinges thought to ſet vp them ſelues, and to hold the principalities.

26 And I ſaw, and behold one was ſet vp, but forth with it appeared not.

27 And they that were ſecond did ſooner vanish away then the former.

28 And I ſaw, and behold the two that remayned, thought with them ſelues that they alſo would reigne:

29 and when they were thincking thereon, behold one of the reſting heades, which was the midde one awaked, for this was greater then the other two heades.

30 And I ſaw that the two heades were complete with themſelues.

31 And behold the head with them that were with him turned, and did eate the two vnderwinges that thought to reigne.

32 And this head terrified al the earth, & ruled in it ouer them that inhabite the earth with much labour, and he that held the dominion of the whole world aboue al the winges that were.

33 And I ſaw after theſe thinges, and behold the midle head ſodenly appeared not, as did the winges.

34 And there remained two heads, which reigned alſo themſelues ouer the earth, and ouer them that dwelt therein.

35 And I ſaw, and behold the head on the right ſide deuoured that which was on the left.

36 And I heard a voice ſaying to me, Looke againſt thee, and conſider what thou ſeeſt.

37 And I ſaw, & behold as a lion rayſed out of the wood roaring: and I ſaw that he ſent out a mans voyce to the eagle. And he ſpake ſaying.

38 Heare thou, and I wil ſpeake to thee, and the Higheſt wil ſay to thee:

39 Is it not thou that hast ouercome of the foure beaſtes, which I made to reigne in my world, and that by them the end of their times might come?

40 And the fourth coming ouercame al the beaſtes that were paſt, and by might held the world with much feare, and al the world with moſt wicked laboure, and he inhabited the whole earth ſo long time with deceipte.

41 And thou haſt iudged the earth not with truth.

42 For thou haſt afflicted the meeke, and haſt trubled them that were quiet, and haſt loued lyers, & haſt deſtroyed their habitations that did fructifie, and haſt ouerthrowen their walles that did not hurt thee.

43 And thy contumelie is aſcended euen to the Higheſt, and thy pride to the Strong.

44 And the Higheſt hath looked vpon the proud times: and behold they are ended, and the abominations therof are accomplished.

45 Therfore thou eagle appeare no more, and thy horrible winges, & thy litle winges moſt wicked, and thy heades malignant, and thy talons moſt wicked, and al thy bodie vayne,

46 that al the earth may be refreshed, and may returne deliuered from thy violence, and may hope for his iudgement, and mercie that made it.

Chapter 12

CHAP. XII. The eagle vanisheth away, 5. Eſdras prayeth, 10. and the former viſions are declared to him.

1 AND it came to paſſe, whiles the lyon ſpake theſe wordes to the eagle: I ſaw,

2 and behold the head that had ouercome, and thoſe foure winges appeared not which paſſed to him, and were ſet vp to reigne: and their reigne was ſmal, and ful of tumult.

3 And I ſaw, and behold they appeared not, and al the bodie of the eagle was burnt, & the earth was afrayd excedinly, and I by the tumult and traunce of minde, and for great feare awaked, and ſayd to my ſpirit:

4 Behold thou haſt geuen me this, in that, that thou ſearcheſt the wayes of the Higheſt.

5 Behold yet I am wearie in minde, and in my ſpirit I am very feeble, and there is not ſo much as a litle ſtrength in me for the great feare, that I was afrayd of this night.

6 Now therfore I wil pray the Higheſt, that he ſtrengthen me euen to the end.

7 And I ſayd: Lord Dominatour, if I haue found grace before thine eyes, and if I am iuſtified before thee aboue manie, and if in deede my prayer be aſcended before thy face,

8 ſtrengthen me, and shew vnto me thy ſeruant the interpretation, and diſtinction of this horrible viſion, that thou mayſt comfort my ſoule moſt fully.

9 For thou haſt counted me worthie to shew vnto me the later times. And he ſayd to me:

10 This is the interpretation of this viſion.

11 The eagle which thou ſaweſt coming vp from the ſea, this is the kingdom which was ſene in a viſion to Daniel thy brother.

12 But it was not interpreted to him, therfore I do now interprete it to thee.

13 Behold the dayes come, and there shal riſe a kingdom vpon the earth, and the feare shal be more terrible then of al the kingdomes that were before it.

14 And there shal twelue kinges reigne it it, one after an other.

15 For the ſecond shal beginne to reigne, and he shal continew more time then the reſt of the twelue.

16 This is the interpretation of the twelue winges which thou ſaweſt.

17 And the voice that ſpake which thou heardſt not coming forth of her heads, but from the middes of her bodie,

18 this is the interpretation, that after the time of that kingdom shal riſe no ſmal contentions, and it shal be in danger to fal: and it shal not fal then, but shal be conſtituted againe according to the beginning therof.

19 And wheras thou ſaweſt eight vnderwings cleauing to the wings therof,

20 this is the interpretation, eight kinges shal ariſe in it, whoſe times shal be light, and yeares ſwift, and two of them shal perish.

21 But when the middeſt time approcheth, foure shal be kept til a time, when the time therof shal beginne to approch to be ended, yet two shal be kept to the end.

22 And wheras thou ſaweſt three heads reſting,

23 this is the interpretation: in her laſt dayes the Higheſt wil rayſe vp three kingdoms, and wil cal backe manie thinges into them, and they shal rule ouer the earth,

24 and them that dwel in it, with much labour aboue al them that vvere before them. For this cauſe they are called the heads of the eagle.

25 For theſe shal be they that shal recapitulate her impieties, and that shal accomplish her laſt thinges.

26 And wheras thou ſaweſt a greater head not appearing, this is the interpretation therof: that one of them shal dye vpon his bed, and yet with torments.

27 For the two that shal remayne, the ſword shal eate them.

28 For the ſword of one shal deuoure him that is with him: but yet this alſo at the laſt shal fal by the ſword.

29 And wheras thou ſaweſt two vnderwings paſſing ouer the head that is on the right ſide,

30 this is the interpretation▪ theſe are they whom the Higheſt hath kept to their end, this is a ſmal kingdom, and ful of truble.

31 As thou ſaweſt the lyon alſo, whom thou ſaweſt awaking out of the wood, and roaring, and ſpeaking to the eagle, and rebuking her, and her iniuſtices by al his wordes as thou haſt heard:

32 this is the wynde which the Higheſt hath kept vnto the end for them, and their impieties: and he shal rebuke them, and shal caſt in their ſpoyles before them.

33 For he shal ſette them in iudgment aliue: and it ſhal be, when he hath reproued them, then shal he chaſtiſe them.

34 For the reſt of my people he shal deliuer with miſerie, them that are ſaued vpon my borders, and he shal make them ioyful til the end shal come, the day of iudgment, wherof I haue ſpoken to thee from the beginning.

35 This is the dreame which thou ſaweſt, and theſe be the interpretations.

36 Thou therfore only haſt bene worthie to know this ſecrete of the Higheſt.

37 Write therfore in a booke al theſe thinges which thou haſt ſene, and put them in a hidden place:

38 and thou shalt teach them the wiſe men of thy people, whoſe harts thou knoweſt able to take, and to kepe theſe ſecretes.

39 But doe thou ſtay here yet other ſeuen dayes, that there may be shewed thee whatſoeuer shal ſeme good to the Higheſt to shew thee.

40 And he departed from me. And it came to paſſe, when al the people had heard that the ſeuen dayes were paſt, and I had not returned into the citie, and al gathered them ſelues together from the leaſt vnto the greateſt▪ & came to me, & ſpake to me ſaving:

41 What haue we ſinned to thee, or what haue we done vniuſtly againſt thee, that leauing vs thou haſt ſitten in this place?

42 For thou alone art remayning to vs of al peoples, as a cluſter of grapes of the vineyard, and as a candle in a darke place, and as an hauen and shippe ſaued from the tempeſt.

43 Or are not the euiles that chance, ſufficient for vs?

44 If then thou shalt forſake vs, how much better had it ben to vs, if we alſo had bene burnt with the burning of Sion?

45 For we are not better then they that dyed there. And they wept with a lowd voice. And I anſwered them, and ſayd:

46 Be of good chere Iſrael, and be not ſorowful thou houſe of Iacob.

47 For there is remebrance of you before the Higheſt, and the Strong hath not forgotten you in tentation.

48 For I haue not forſaken you, neither did I depart from you: but I came into this place, to pray for the deſolation of Sion, and to ſeeke mercie for the low eſtate of your ſanctification.

49 And now goe euery one of you into his houſe, and I wil come to you after theſe dayes.

50 And the people departed, as I ſayd to them, into the citie:

51 but I ſate in the fielde ſeuen dayes, as he commanded me: and I did eate of the flowers of the field only, of the herbes was my meate made in thoſe dayes.

Marginal notes to Chapter 12

• 12 ⟨illegible⟩ ▪ 7. v. 7.

Chapter 13

CHAP. XIII. A viſion of a winde (as it firſt ſemed, but) in dede, v. 3. of a man: 5. ſtrong againſt the enimies: 21. with the interpretation.

1 AND it came to paſſe after ſeuen dayes, and I dreamed a dreame in the night.

2 And behold there roſe a winde from the ſea, that trubled al the waues therof.

3 And I ſaw, and behold that man grew ſtrong with thouſandes of heauen: and when he turned his countenance to conſider, al thinges trembled that were ſene vnder him:

4 and wherſoeuer voyce proceded out of his mouth, al that heard his voices be gaue to burne, as the earth is quiet when it feeleth the fire.

5 And I ſaw after theſe, and behold a multitude of men was gathered together, of whom there was no number, from the foure windes of heauen, to fight againſt the man that was come vp out of the ſea.

6 And I ſaw, and behold he had grauen to himſelf a great mountaine, & he flew vpon it.

7 And I ſought to ſee the countrie, or the place whence the mountaine was grauen, & I could not.

8 And after theſe thinges I ſaw, and behold al that were gathered to him, to ouerthrowe him, feared exceedingly, yet they were bold to fieght.

9 And behold as he ſawe the violence of the multitude that came, he lifted not vp his hand, nor held ſword, nor anie warlyke inſtrument but only as I ſaw,

10 that he ſentforth out of his mouth as it were a blaſte of fire, and from his l⟨illegible⟩ppes a ſpirit of flame, & from his tongue he ſentforth ſparkles & tempeſts, and al thinges were mingled together with this blaſt of fire, & ſpirit of flame, & multitude of tempeſts.

11 And it fel with violence vpon the multitude, that was prepared to fight, and burned them al, that ſuddenly there was nothing ſene of an innumerable multitude, but only duſt, & the ſauour of ſmoke: and I ſaw, and was afrayd.

12 And after theſe thinges I ſaw the man himſelf deſcending from the mountaine, and calling to him an other peaceable multitude,

13 and there came to him the countenance of manie men ſome reioycing, and ſome ſorrowing: and ſome bond, ſome bringing of them that were offered. And I was ſicke for much feare, and awaked, and ſayd.

14 Thou from the beginning haſt shewed thy ſeruant theſe meruelous thinges, and haſt counted me worthie that thou wouldeſt receiue my petition.

15 And now shew me yet the interpretation of this dreame.

16 For as I thinke in my iudgement, woe to them that were leaft in thoſe dayes: & much more woe to them that were not leaft.

17 For they that were not leaft, were ſorrowful.

18 I vnderſtand now what thinges are layde vp in the later dayes, and they shal happen to them, yea and to them that are leaft.

19 For therefore they came into great dangers, and manie neceſſities, as theſe dreames do shew.

20 But yet it is eaſier, aduenturing to come into it, then to paſſe, as a cloud from the world, and now to ſee the thinges that happen in the later time. And he anſwered me, and ſayd:

21 Both the interpretation of the viſion I wil tel thee: and alſo concerning the thinges that thou haſt ſpoken I wil open to thee.

22 Wheras thou ſpeakeſt of them that were leaft, this is the interpretation.

23 He that taketh away danger at that time, he hath garded himſelf. They that haue fallen into danger, theſe are they that haue workes, and ſayth in the Strongeſt.

24 Know therefore that they are more bleſſed which are leaft, then they that are dead.

25 Theſe are the interpretations of the viſion, wheras thou ſaweſt a man coming from the hart of the ſea,

26 the ſame is he whom the Higheſt preſerueth much time, which by himſelf shal deliuer his creature: and he shal diſpoſe them that are leaft.

27 And wheras thou ſaweſt proceede out of his mouth, as it were winde, and fire, and tempeſt:

28 and wheras he held no ſworde, nor warlike inſtrument: for his violence deſtroyed the multitude that came to ouerthrow him: this is the interpretation.

29 Behold the dayes come, when the Higheſt shal begin to deliuer them, that are vpon the earth:

30 and he shal come in exceſſe of minde vpon them that inhabit the earth.

31 And one shal thinke to ouerthrow an other: one citie an other citie, one place an other place, and nation againſt nation, and kingdom againſt kingdom.

32 And it shal be, when theſe thinges shal come to paſſe, and the ſignes shal happen, which I shewed thee before: and then shal my ſonne be reueled, whom thou ſaweſt, as a man coming vp.

33 And it shal be when al nations shal heare his voice: and euery one in his countrie shal leaue their warre, that they haue toward each other:

34 and an innumerable multitude shal be gathered in one, as willing to come to ouerthrow him.

35 But he shal ſtand vpon the top of mount Sion.

36 And Sion shal come, and it shal be shewed to al prepared and builded, as thou ſaweſt the mountaine to be grauen without handes.

37 And the ſame my ſonne shal reproue the thinges that the gentils haue inuented, theſe their impieties which came nere to the tempeſt, becauſe of their euil cogitations, and torments wherewith they shal begin to be tormented.

38 Which were likened to the flame, and he shal deſtroy them without labour by the law that was likened to the fyre.

39 And wheras thou ſaweſt him gathering vnto him an other peaceable multitude.

40 Theſe are the ten tribes, which were made captiue out of their land in the dayes of Oſee the King, whom Salmanaſar the King of the Aſſyrians led captiue: and he tranſported them beyond the riuer, and they were tranſported into an other land.

41 But they gaue themſelues this counſel, to forſake the multitude of nations, and to goe forth into a farther countrie, where mankind neuer inhabited.

42 Or there to obſerue their ordinances, which they had not kept in their countrie.

43 And they entred in by the narrow entrances of the riuer Euphrates.

44 For the Higheſt then wrought them ſignes, and ſtayed the vaines of the riuer til they paſſed.

45 For by that countrie was a great way to goe, of one yeare and a half▪ for the countrie is called Arſareth.

46 Then did they inhabite there til in the later time: and now againe when they beginne to come,

47 againe the Higheſt shal ſtay the vaines of the riuer, that they may paſſe: for theſe thou ſaweſt a multitude with peace.

48 But they alſo that were leaft of the people, theſe are they that be within my border.

49 It shal come to paſſe therefore, when he shal begine to deſtroy the multitude of theſe nations, that are gathered, he shal protect them that haue ouercome the people:

50 and then shal he shew them very manie wonders.

51 And I ſayd: Lord dominatour, shew me this, why I ſaw a man comming vp from the hart of the ſea, and he ſayd to me:

52 As thou canſt not either ſearch theſe thinges, or know what thinges are in the depth of the ſea: ſo can not any man vpon the earth ſee my ſonne, or them that are with him, but in the time of a day.

53 This is the interpretation of the dreame which thou ſaweſt, and for the which thou only art here illuminated.

54 For thou haſt leaft thyne owne law, and haſt bene occupied about my law, and haſt ſought it.

55 For thou haſt diſpoſed thy lyfe in wiſdom, and thyne vnderſtanding thou haſt called mother:

56 and for this I haue shewed thee riches with the Higheſt. For it shal be after other three dayes, I wil ſpeake other thinges to thee, and I wil expound to thee weightie and meruelous thinges.

57 And I went forth, and paſſed into the fielde, much glorifying & praiſing the Higheſt for the meruelous thinges that he did by time.

58 And becauſe he gouerneth it, and the thinges that are brought in times, & I ſate there three dayes.

Marginal notes to Chapter 13

• 31 Mat. 24. Luc. 21.
• 40 4. Reg. 17.
• 44 Exod. ⟨illegible⟩4. Ioſue. 3.

Chapter 14

CHAP. XIIII. God appeareth in a bush, 6. reuealing ſome thinges to be published, and ſome thinges to be hid. 10. As the world waxeth old, al thinges become worſe. 27. The people of Iſrael are vngratful. 32. Al shal be iudged in the Reſurrection according to their deedes.

1 AND it came to paſſe the third day, and I ſate vnder an oke.

2 And behold a voice came forth againſt me out of a buſh, and ſayd: Eſdras, Eſdras: and I ſayd: Loe here I am Lord. And I aroſe vpon my feete. And he ſayd to me:

3 Reueling I was reueled vpon the bush, and ſpake to Moyſes, when the people ſerued in Aegypt,

4 and I ſent him, and brought my people out of Aegypt, and brought him vpon mount Sina, & held him with me manie dayes.

5 And I told him manie meruelous thinges, & shewed him the ſecrets of times, and the end: and I commanded him, ſaying:

6 Theſe wordes thou shalt publish abroade, and theſe thou shalt hyde.

7 And now to thee I ſay▪

8 The ſignes which I haue shewed, and the dreames which thou haſt ſene, and the interpretations which thou haſt ſene, lay them vp in thy hart.

9 For thou shalt be receiued of al, thou shalt be conuerted the reſidue with thy counſel, and with the like to thee, til the times be finished.

10 Becauſe the world hath loſt his youth, and the times draw nere to waxe old.

11 For the world is diuided by twelue partes, & the tenth part, & half of the tenth part are paſſed:

12 and there remaineth hereafter the half of the tenth part.

13 Now therefore diſpoſe thy houſe, and correct thy people, & comfort the humble of them, & forſake now corruption,

14 and put from thee mortal cogitations, and caſt from thee humane burdens, and doe from thee now infirme nature, & lay at one ſide cogitations moſt trubleſome to thee, & make ſpeedie tranſmigration from theſe times,

15 for the euiles which thou haſt ſene to haue chanced now, worſe then theſe wil they doe againe:

16 for looke how much the world shal become weake by age, ſo much shal euiles be multiplied vpon the inhabitants.

17 For truth hath remoued it ſelf farther of, and lying hath approched, for now the viſion which thou ſaweſt, haſteneth to come.

18 And I anſwered, and ſayd before thee ô Lord:

19 For behold I wil goe, as thou haſt commanded me, & wil rebuke the people that now is. But them that shal yet be borne, who shal admonish?

20 The world therfore is ſet in darknes, and they that dwel in it without light.

21 Becauſe thy law is burnt, therefore no man knoweth the workes that haue bene done by thee, or that shal begin.

22 For if I haue found grace with thee, ſend the Holie Ghoſt to me, & I wil write al that hath bene done in the world from the beginning, the thinges that were written in thy law, that men may finde the pathe: and they that wil liue in the later times, may liue.

23 And he anſwered me, and ſayd: Goe gather together the people, and thou shalt ſay to them, that they ſeeke thee not for fourtie dayes.

24 And doe thou prepare thee manie tables of boxe, & take with thee Sarea, Dabria, Salemia, Echanus, and Aſiel, theſe fiue which are readie to write ſwee⟨illegible⟩tly.

25 And come hither, & I wil light in thy hart a candle of vnderſtanding, which shal not be put out til the things be finished, which thou shalt begine to write.

26 And then ſome thinges thou shalt open to the perfect, ſome thou shalt deliuer ſecretly to the wyſe. For to morrow this houre thou shalt begine to write.

27 And I went as he commanded me, & gathered togetheral the people, and ſayd:

28 Heare Iſrael theſe wordes:

29 Our fathers were pilgrimes from the beginning in Aegypt, and were deliuered from thence.

30 And they receiued the law of life, which they kept not, which you alſo after them haue tranſgreſſed:

31 and the land was geuen you by lotte, and the land of Sion, and your fathers, and you haue done iniquitie, and haue not kept the wayes which the Higheſt commanded you.

32 And wheras he is a iuſt iudge, he hath taken from you in time that which he had geuen.

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

34 If then you wil rule ouer your ſenſe, & inſtruct your hart, you shal be preſerued aliue, and after death shal obtaine mercie.

35 For the iudgement shal come after death, when we shal returne to lyfe againe: and then the names of the iuſt shal appeare, and the dedes of the impious shal be shewed.

36 Let no man therfore come to me now, nor aske for me vntil fourtie d⟨illegible⟩yes.

37 And I tooke the ſiue men, as he commanded me, and we went forth into the field, and taried there.

38 And I was come to the morrow, & behold a voice called me, ſaying: Eſdras open thy mouth, and drinke that which I wil geue thee to drinke.

39 And I opened my mouth, & behold a ful cuppe was brought me, this was ful as it were with water: but the colour therof like as fire.

40 And I tooke it, and dranke; and when I had drunken of it, my hart was tormented with vnderſtanding, and wiſdome grewe into my breſt. For my ſpirit was kept by memorie.

41 And my mouth was opened, and was shut no more.

42 The Higheſt gaue vnderſtanding vnto the fiue men, and they wrote exceſſes of the night which were ſpoken, which they knewe not.

43 And at night they did eate breade, but I ſpake by day, & by night held not my peace.

44 And there were written in the fourtie dayes two hundred foure bookes.

45 And it came to paſſe when they had ended the fourtie daies, the Higheſt ſpake, ſaying:

46 The former thinges which thou haſt written, ſet abrode, and let the worthie and vnworthie reade: but the laſt ſeuentie bookes thou shalt keepe, that thou mayeſt deliuer them to the wyſe of thy people.

47 For in theſe is the vaine of vnderſtanding, and the fountaine of wiſdome, and the ſtreame of knowledge. and I did ſoe.

Marginal notes to Chapter 14

• 3 Exod. 3.
• 15 Ma⟨illegible⟩ 24. 1. Ioan. 2.
• 29 Gen. 47. D⟨illegible⟩pt. 4. ⟨illegible⟩.
• 38 ⟨illegible⟩ ⟨illegible⟩.

Chapter 15

CHAP. XV. Eſdras is bid to denounce, that aſſuredly manie euiles wil come to the world. 9. God wil protect his people, the wicked shal be punished, and lament their final miſeries, God reuenging for the good.

1 BEHOLD ſpeake into the eares of my people the wordes of prophecie, which I shal put into thy mouth, ſayth our Lord:

2 and ſee that they be written in paper, becauſe they be faithful and true.

3 Be not afrayd of the cogitations againſt thee, neither let the incredulities truble thee of them that ſpeake.

4 Becauſe euerie incredulous perſon shal dye in his incredulitie.

5 Behold I bring in, ſayth our Lord, vpon the whole earth euils, ſword, and famine, and death, and deſtruction.

6 Becauſe iniquitie hath fully polluted ouer al the earth, and their hurtful workes are accomplished.

7 Therefore ſayth our Lord:

8 I wil not now kepe ſilence of their impieties which they doe irreligiouſly, neither wil I beare with thoſe thinges, which they practiſe vniuſtly. Behold the innocent & iuſt bloud crieth to me, & the ſoules of the iuſt crie continually.

9 Reuenging I wil reuenge them, ſayth our Lord, and I wil take al innocent bloud out of them vnto me.

10 Behold my people is led to ſtaughter as a flocke, I wil no more ſuffer it to dwel in the land of Aegypt.

11 But I wil bring them forth in a mightie hand and valiant arme, and wil ſtrike with plague as before, and wil corrupt al the land thereof.

12 Aegypt shal mourne, and the fundations thereof beaten with plague, and with the chaſtiſement which God wil bring vpon it.

13 The husband men that til the ground shal mourne, becauſe their ſeedes shal perish by blaſting, and haile, and by a terible ſtarre.

14 Woe to the world and them that dwel therein.

15 Becauſe the ſword is at hand and the deſtruction of them, and nation shal riſe vp againſt nation to fight, & ſword in their handes.

16 For there shal be inſtabilitie to men, & growing one againſt an other they shal not care for their king, & the princes of the way of their doinges, in their might.

17 For a man shal deſire to go into the citie & can not.

18 Becauſe of their prides the cities shal be trubled, the houſes raiſed, the men shal feare.

19 Man shal not pitie his neighbour, to make their houſes nothingworth in the ſword, to ſpoyle their goodes for famine of bread, & much tribulation.

20 Behold, I cal together ſayth God, al the kinges of the earth to feare me, that are from the Orient, & from the South, from the Eaſt, & from Libanus, to be turned vpon themſelues, and to render the thinges that they haue geuen them.

21 As they doe vntil this day to myne elect, ſo wil I doe, and render in their boſome. Thus ſayth our Lord God:

22 My righthand shal not ſpare ſinners, neither shal the ſword ceaſe vpon them that shede innocent bloud vpon the earth.

23 Fire came forth from his wrath, and hath deuoured the fundations of the earth, and ſinners as it were ſtraw ſet on fire.

24 Woe to them that ſinne, and obſerue not my comandmentes, ſayth our Lord.

25 I wil not ſpare them: depart ô children from the powre. Defile not my ſanctification:

26 becauſe the Lord knoweth al that ſinne againſt him; therefore hath he deliuered them into death and into ſlaughter.

27 For now are euils come vpon the world, and you shal tarrie in them. For God wil not deliuer you, becauſe you haue ſinned againſt him.

28 Behold an horrible viſion, and the face of it from the eaſt.

29 And the nations of dragons of Arabians shal come forth in manie chariots, & as a winde the number of them is caried vpon the earth, ſo that now al doe feare and tremble, that shal heare them.

30 the Carmonians madde for anger, and they shal goe forth as wild boares out of the wood, & they shal come with great power, and shal ſtand in fight with them, & they shal waſte the portion of the land of the Aſſirians.

31 And after theſe thinges the dragons shal preuaile mindful of their natiuitie, and conſpiring shal turne themſelues in great force to purſue them.

32 Theſe shal be trubled and hold their peace at their force, and shal turne their fete into flight.

33 And from the territorie of the Aſſirians the beſiegers shal beſeige them, and shal conſume one of them, and there shal be feare and trembling in their armie, and contention againſt their kinges.

34 Behold cloudes from the eaſt, and from the north vnto the ſouth, and their face very horrible, ful of wrath and ſtorme.

35 And they shal beate one againſt an other, and they shal beate downe manie ſtarres, and their ſtarre vpon the earth, and bloud shal be from the ſword vnto the bellie.

36 And mans dung vnto the camels litter, and there shal be much feare, and trembling vpon the earth.

37 And they shal shake that shal ſee that wrath, and tremble shal take them: and after theſe thinges there shal manie showers be moued:

38 from the ſouth, and the north: and an other portion from the weaſt.

39 And the windes from the eaſt shal preuaile vpon it, and shal shut it vp, and the cloudes which he raiſed in wrath, and the ſtarre to make terrour to the eaſt winde, and the weſt shal be deſtroyed.

40 And there shal be exalted great and mightie cloudes ful of wrath, and a ſtarre to terrifie al the earth, and the inhabitantes therof, and they shal powre in vpon euerie high, and eminent place a terrible ſtarre,

41 fire, and haile, and flying ſwordes, and manie waters, ſo that al fildes alſo shal be filled, and al riuers with the fulnes of manie waters.

42 And they shal throw downe cities, and walles, and mountaines, and hilles, and the trees of the woodes, and the graſſe of the medowes, and their corne.

43 And they shal paſſe conſtant vnto Babylon, and shal raiſe her.

44 They shal come together againſt her, and shal compaſſe her, and shal power out the ſtarre, and al wrath vpon her, and the duſt and ſmoke shal goe vp euen into heauen, and round about shal lament her.

45 And they that shal remaine vnder her, shal ſerue them that terified her.

46 And thou Aſia agreeing into the hope of Babylon, and the glorie of her perſon,

47 woe be to thee thou wretch, becauſe thou art like to her, and haſt adorned thy daughters in fornication, to pleaſe & glorie in thy louers, which haue deſired alwayes to fornicate with thee.

48 Thou haſt imitated the odious in al her workes, and in her inuentions: therefore ſayth God:

49 I wil ſend in euils vpon thee, widow hood, pouertie, and famine, and ſword, and peſtilence, to deſtroy thy houſes by violation, and death, and glorie of thy vertue.

50 As a flower shal be withered, when the heate shal riſe that is ſent forth vpon thee,

51 thou shalt be weakned as a litle poore ſoule plaged and chaſtiſed of wemen, that the mightie and the louers may not receiue thee.

52 Wil I be zealous againſt thee ſayth our Lord,

53 vnles thou hadſt ſlayne myne elect at al times, exalting the ſlaughter of the handes, and ſaying vpon their death, when thou waſt drunken.

54 Adorne the beautie of thy countenance.

55 The reward of thy fornication is in thy boſome, therefore thou shalt receiue recompence.

56 As thou shalt doe to my elect, ſayth our Lord, ſo shal God do to thee, and shal deliuer thee vnto euil.

57 And thy children shal dye for famine: and thou shalt fal by the ſword, and thy cities shal be deſtroyed, & al thyne shal fal in the filde by the ſword.

58 And they that are in the mountaines, shal perish, with famine, and shal eate their owne flesh, & drinke kloud, for the famine of bread and thirſt of waters.

59 Vnhappie by the ſeas shalt thou come, and againe thou shalt receuie euils.

60 And in the paſſage they shal beate againſt the idle citie, and shal deſtroy ſome portion of thy land, and shal deface part of thy glorie, againe returning to Babylon ouerthrowen.

61 And being throwen downe thou shalt be to them for ſtubble, and they shal be to thee fire:

62 and deuoure thee, and thy cities, thy land, and thy mountaynes, al thy woodes and fruitful trees they wil burne with fire.

63 Thy children they shal lead captiue, & shal haue thy goodes for a praye, and the glorie of thy face they shal deſtroy.

Marginal notes to Chapter 15

• 9 Apo⟨illegible⟩ 6 v. 10. & 19. v. 2.
• 15 Mat. 24. Luc. 21.
• 43 Apoc. 18.

Chapter 16

CHAP. XVI. Al are admonished, that extreme calamities shal fal vpon this world, 36. the penitent returning to iustice shal eſcape, 55. & as al thinges were made by Gods omnipotent powre at his wil, ſo al thinges shal ſerue to the reward of the bleſſed, and punishment of the wicked.

1 VVOE to thee Babylon & Aſia, woe to thee Aegypt, and Syria.

2 Gird yourſelues with ſackclothes and shirtes of heare, & mourne for your children, & be ſorie: becauſe your deſtruction is at hand.

3 The ſword is ſent in vpon you, and who is he that can turne it away?

4 Fire is ſent in vpon you, and who is he that can quench it?

5 Euiles are ſent in vpon you, and who is he that can repel them?

6 Shal anie man repel the lion being hungrie in the woode, or quench the fire in ſtubble, forthwith when it beginneth to burne?

7 Shal anie man repel the arrow shot of a ſtrong archer?

8 Our ſtrong Lord ſendeth in euiles, and who is he that can repel them?

9 Fire came forth from his wrath, and who is he that can quench it?

10 He wil lighten, who shal not feare, he wil thunder, and who shal not be afrayde?

11 Our Lord wil threaten, and who shal not vtterly be deſtroyed before his face?

12 The earth hath trembled, and the fundations thereof, the ſea toſſeth vp waues from the depth, and the floudes of it shal be deſtroyed, and the fishes thereof at the face of our Lord, and at the glorie of his powre:

13 becauſe his right hand is ſtrong which bendeth the bow, his arrowes be sharpe that are shot of him, they shal not miſſe, when they shal begine to be shot into the endes of the earth.

14 Behold euiles are ſent, and they shal not returne til they come vpon the earth.

15 The fire is kindled and it shal not be quenched, til it conſume the fundations of the earth.

16 For as the arrow shot of a ſtrong archer returneth not, ſo shal not the euils returne backe, that shal be ſent vpon the earth.

17 Woe is me, woe is me: who shal deliuer me in thoſe dayes?

18 The beginning of ſorrowes and much mourning, the beginning of famine and much deſtruction. The beginning of warres and the poteſtates shal feare, the beginning of euiles and al shal tremble.

19 In theſe what shal I doe, when the euiles shal come?

20 Behold famine, and plague, and tribulation, and diſtreſſe are ſent al as ſcourges for amendment,

21 and in al theſe they wil not conuert themſelues from their iniquities, neither wil they be alwayes mindful of the ſcourges.

22 Behold, there shal be good cheape victuals vpon the earth, ſo that they may thinke that peace is directly coming toward them, and then shal euiles ſpring vpon the earth, ſword, famine, and great confuſion.

23 For by famine manie that inhabit the earth shal dye, and the ſword shal deſtroy the reſt that remained aliue of the famine,

24 and the dead shal be caſt forth as dung, and there shal be none to comfort them. For the earth shal be left deſert, and the cities therof shal be throwen downe.

25 There shal not be left a man to til the ground and to ſow it.

26 The trees shal yeeld fruites, and who shal gather them?

27 The grape shal become ripe, & who shal tread it? For there shal be great deſolation to places.

28 For a man shal deſire to ſee a man, or to heare his voyce.

29 For there shal be leaft ten of a citie, and two of the filde that haue hid themſelues in thicke woodes, and cliffes of rockes.

30 As there are left in the oliuet, and on euerie tree, three or foure oliues.

31–32 Or as in a vinyeard when it is gathered there are grapes left by them, that diligently ſearch the vineyard: ſo shal there be left in thoſe dayes three or foure, by them that ſearch their houſes in the ſword.

33 And the earth shal be left deſolate, and the fildes thereof shal waxe old, & the wayes thereof, and al the pathes thereof shal bringforth thornes, becauſe no man shal paſſe by it.

34 Virgins shal mourne hauing no bridegromes, wemen shal mourne hauing no huſbandes, their daughters shal mourne hauing no helpe:

35 their bridegromes shal be conſumed in battel, and their husbandes be deſtroyed in famine.

36 But heare theſe thinges, and know them ye ſeruantes of our Lord.

37 Behold the word of our Lord, receiue it: beleue not the goddes of whom our Lord ſpeaketh.

38 Behold the euiles approch, and ſlacke not.

39 As a woman with childe when shee bringeth forth her child in the ninth moneth, the houre of her deliuerance approching, two or three howres before, paines come about her wombe, and the infants coming out of her wombe, they wil not tarrie one moment.

40 So the euiles shal not ſlacke to come forth vpon the earth, and the world shal lament, and ſorowes shal hold it round about.

41 Heare the word, my people: prepare yourſelues vnto the fight, & in the euiles ſo be ye as ſtrangers of the earth.

42 He that ſelleth as if he should flee, and he that byeth as he that should loſe it.

43 He that playeth the marchant, as he that should take no fruite: and he that buildeth as he that should not inhabite.

44 He that ſoweth, as he that shal not teape: ſo he alſo that pruneth a vinyeard, as if he should not haue the vintage.

45 They that marie ſo as if they should not get children, & they that marie not, ſo as it were widowes.

46 Wherfore they that labour, labour without cauſe:

47 ⟨illegible⟩or ſoreners shal reape their fruites, & shal violently take their goodes, and ouerthrow their houſes, and lead theire children captiue, becauſe in captiuitie, and famine they beget their children.

48 And they that play the marchantes by robrie, the longer they adorne their cities and houſes, and their poſſeſſions and perſons:

49 ſo much the more wil I be zealous toward them, vpon their ſinnes, ſayth our Lord.

50 As a whore enuieth an honeſt & very good woman:

51 ſo shal iuſtice hate impietie when she adorneth herſelfe, and accuſeth her to her face, when he shal come that may defend him that ſearcheth out al vpon the earth.

52 Therefore be not made like to her, nor to her workes.

53 For yet a little whyle & iniquitie shal be taken away from the earth, & iuſtice shal reigne ouer you.

54 Let not the ſinner ſay he hath not ſinned: becauſe he shal burne coales of fire vpon his head, that ſayth I haue not ſinned before our Lord God and his glorie.

55 Behold our Lord shal know al the workes of men, and their inuentions, & their cogitations, and their hartes.

56 For he ſayd: Let the earth be made, and it was made: let the heauen be made, & it was made.

57 And by his worde the ſtarrs were made, & he knoweth the number of the ſtarres.

58 Who ſearcheth the depth and the treaſures therof: who hath meaſured the ſea, & capacitie therof.

59 Who hath shut vp the ſea in the mideſt of waters, & hath hanged the earth vpon the waters with his word.

60 Who hath ſpred heauē as it were a vault, ouer the waters he hath foūded it.

61 Who hath put fountaines of waters in the deſert, and lakes vpon the toppes of mountaines, to ſendforth riuers from the high rocke to watter the earth.

62 Who made man & put his hart in the midds of the bodie, and gaue him ſpirit, life and vnderſtanding.

63 And the inſpiration of God omnipotent that made al thinges, and ſearcheth al hid thinges, in the ſecretes of the earth.

64 He knoweth your inuention, and what you thinke in your hartes ſinning, and willing to hide your ſinnes.

65 Wherfore our Lord in ſearching hath ſearched al your workes, and he wil put you al to open shame,

66 and you shal be confounded when your ſinnes shal come forth before men, and the iniquities▪ shal be they, that shal ſtand accuſers in ⟨illegible⟩hat day.

67 What wil you doe? or how shal you hide your ſinnes before God and his Angels?

68 Behold God is the Iudge, feare him. Ceaſe from your ſinnes, and now forget your iniquities to doe them anie more, & God wil bring you out, and deliuer you from al tribulation.

69 For behold the heate of a great multitude is kindled ouer you, and they shal take certaine of you by violence, & shal make the ſlaine to be meate for idols.

70 And they that shal conſent vnto them, shal be to them in deriſion, and in reproch, and in conculcation.

71 For there shal be place againſt places, and againſt the next cities great inſurrection vpon them that feare our Lord.

72 They shal be as it were madde ſparing no bodie, to ſpoyle and waſte yet them that feare our Lord.

73 becauſe they shal waſte and ſpoyle the goodes, and shal caſt them out of their houſes.

74 Then shal appeare the probation of mine elect, as gold that is proued by the fire.

75 Heare my beloued, ſayth our Lord: Behold the dayes of tribulation are come: and out of them I wil deliuer you.

76 Doe not feare, nor ſtagger, becauſe God is your guide.

77 And he that kepeth my commandmentes, and precepts, ſayth our Lord God: Let not your ſinnes ouerway you, nor your inquities be aduanced ouer you.

78 Woe to them that are entangled with their ſinnes, and are couered with their iniquities, as a filde is entangled with the wood, & the path therof couered with thornes, by which no man paſſeth, & it is cloſed out, & caſt to be deuoured of the fire.

Marginal notes to Chapter 16

• 55 Eccli. 23. Luc▪ 16. Gen. 1.
• 57 Pſal. 146. v. 4. Iob. 38.

FINIS.

Colophon

The holie Bible faithfully translated into English, out of the authentical Latin. Diligently conferred with the Hebrew, Greeke, and other editions in diuers languages. With arguments of the bookes, and chapters: annotations. tables: and other helpes. By the English College of Doway. The second tome (Psalms to 2 Machabees, with the Prayer of Manasses and the third and fourth books of Esdras), Doway: Laurence Kellam, 1610 (STC 2207). Copy: Henry E. Huntington Library, as reproduced in Early English Books Online (image set 2087).

Transcription: Early English Books Online Text Creation Partnership (EEBO-TCP), Phase I text A11777 (2007), released under the Creative Commons CC0 1.0 Universal public-domain dedication.

This is an archival transcription, not a Good Works Translation: the English is the Douay translators’ own, kept in the original spelling, with long s (ſ), u and v, i and j as printed. The Good Works Library converted the TCP text to this page, removing only markup, page breaks and line-end hyphens. In the print a cross (†) opens each verse and the verse number stands in the margin; here each verse is its own paragraph headed by that number. Marginal notes are gathered after each chapter under the number of the verse beside which they stand; where the print sets a reference mark in the text (a letter, four pricks ::, or a star *), the mark is kept at its place in square brackets. In prose sections the marginal notes stand at their places in square brackets. Marks that the transcription records in the text are kept as they stand: ▪ is the transcribers’ sign for a printed mark they could not set, which this edition’s key to its marks uses to point to an Annotation after the chapter, and “ is another such printed mark. Words the transcribers could not read are marked ⟨illegible⟩ (32 on this page); none has been filled in by conjecture.

In 2 places on this page the transcription has no verse cross between two numbered verses; there both numbers head a single paragraph (for example “12–13”) rather than cutting the text by guesswork.

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