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What is past I know, but what is for to come I know not.

What is past I know, but what is for to come I know not.

And he said unto me, Stand up upon the right side, and I shall expound the similitude unto thee.

So I stood, and saw, and, behold, an hot burning oven passed by before me: and it happened that when the flame was gone by I looked, and, behold, the smoke remained still.

So I stood, and saw, and, behold, an hot burning oven passed by before me: and it happened that when the flame was gone by I looked, and, behold, the smoke remained still.

Then I prayed, and said, May I live, thinkest thou, until that time? or what shall happen in those days?

Then I prayed, and said, May I live, thinkest thou, until that time? or what shall happen in those days?

He answered me, and said, As for the tokens whereof thou askest me, I may tell thee of them in part: but as touching thy life, I am not sent to shew thee; for I do not know it.

He answered me, and said, As for the tokens whereof thou askest me, I may tell thee of them in part: but as touching thy life, I am not sent to shew thee; for I do not know it.

He answered me, and said, As for the tokens whereof thou askest me, I may tell thee of them in part: but as touching thy life, I am not sent to shew thee; for I do not know it.

To shew thee such tokens I have leave; and if thou wilt pray again, and weep as now, and fast even days, thou shalt hear yet greater things.

Then I awaked, and an extreme fearfulness went through all my body, and my mind was troubled, so that it fainted.

Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not nigh me. And he heard what I said, and went from me.

Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not nigh me. And he heard what I said, and went from me.

And so I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like as Uriel the angel commanded me.

And my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to talk with the most High again,

Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me the night afore was sent unto me,

And said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more.

And said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more.

And said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more.

And I said, Speak on, my Lord. Then said he unto me, Thou art sore troubled in mind for Israel’s sake: lovest thou that people better than he that made them?

And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins pain me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the most High, and to seek out part of his judgment.

And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins pain me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the most High, and to seek out part of his judgment.

And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins pain me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the most High, and to seek out part of his judgment.

And he said unto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, Lord? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother’s womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?

And he said unto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, Lord? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother’s womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?

And he said unto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, Lord? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother’s womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?

Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the winds that in them are shut up, shew me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou labourest to know.

And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men?

As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things whereof thou askest me?

As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things whereof thou askest me?

Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto my people.

Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto my people.

And I said, Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them that be reserved till the end: and what shall they do that have been before me, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us?

And he said unto me, I will liken my judgment unto a ring: like as there is no slackness of the last, even so there is no swiftness of the first.

So I answered and said, Couldest thou not make those that have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; that thou mightest shew thy judgment the sooner?

And I said, As thou hast said unto thy servant, that thou, which givest life to all, hast given life at once to the creature that thou hast created, and the creature bare it: even so it might now also bear them that now be present at once.

And I said, She cannot: but must do it by distance of time.

Then said he unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the earth to those that be sown in it in their times.

For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong to the aged, even so have I disposed the world which I created.

For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that belong to the aged, even so have I disposed the world which I created.

And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now given me the way, I will proceed to speak before thee: for our mother, of whom thou hast told me that she is young, draweth now nigh unto age.

And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now given me the way, I will proceed to speak before thee: for our mother, of whom thou hast told me that she is young, draweth now nigh unto age.

Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favour in thy sight, shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.

Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favour in thy sight, shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.

Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favour in thy sight, shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.

Then did I consider these things, and they all were made through me alone, and through none other: by me also they shall be ended, and by none other.

Then answered I and said, What shall be the parting asunder of the times? or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of it that followeth?

I answered then and said, O Lord that bearest rule, if I have found favour in thy sight,

I answered then and said, O Lord that bearest rule, if I have found favour in thy sight,

I beseech thee, shew thy servant the end of thy tokens, whereof thou shewedst me part the last night.

And it happened, that when I had heard it I stood up upon my feet, and hearkened, and, behold, there was a voice that spake, and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters.

And it happened, that when I had heard it I stood up upon my feet, and hearkened, and, behold, there was a voice that spake, and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters.

And it said, Behold, the days come, that I will begin to draw nigh, and to visit them that dwell upon the earth,

And when the world, that shall begin to vanish away, shall be finished, then will I shew these tokens: the books shall be opened before the firmament, and they shall see all together:

Whosoever remaineth from all these that I have told thee shall escape, and see my salvation, and the end of your world.

And when he talked with me, behold, I looked by little and little upon him before whom I stood.

And when he talked with me, behold, I looked by little and little upon him before whom I stood.

And these words said he unto me; I am come to shew thee the time of the night to come.

If thou wilt pray yet more, and fast seven days again, I shall tell thee greater things by day than I have heard.

If thou wilt pray yet more, and fast seven days again, I shall tell thee greater things by day than I have heard.

And it came to pass after this, that I wept again, and fasted seven days in like manner, that I might fulfil the three weeks which he told me.

And it came to pass after this, that I wept again, and fasted seven days in like manner, that I might fulfil the three weeks which he told me.

And in the eighth night was my heart vexed within me again, and I began to speak before the most High.

And I said, O Lord, thou spakest from the beginning of the creation, even the first day, and saidst thus; Let heaven and earth be made; and thy word was a perfect work.

All this have I spoken before thee, O Lord, because thou madest the world for our sakes

And when I had made an end of speaking these words, there was sent unto me the angel which had been sent unto me the nights afore:

And he said unto me, Up, Esdras, and hear the words that I am come to tell thee.

And I said, Speak on, my God. Then said he unto me, The sea is set in a wide place, that it might be deep and great.

And I said, It is so, Lord. Then said he unto me, Even so also is Israel’s portion.

Because for their sakes I made the world: and when Adam transgressed my statutes, then was decreed that now is done.

Then answered I and said, O Lord that bearest rule, thou hast ordained in thy law, that the righteous should inherit these things, but that the ungodly should perish.

Behold, the time shall come, that these tokens which I have told thee shall come to pass, and the bride shall appear, and she coming forth shall be seen, that now is withdrawn from the earth.

Then said I, Abraham prayed first for the Sodomites, and Moses for the fathers that sinned in the wilderness:

I answered then and said, This is my first and last saying, that it had been better not to have given the earth unto Adam: or else, when it was given him, to have restrained him from sinning.

That, if he be overcome, he shall suffer as thou hast said: but if he get the victory, he shall receive the thing that I say.

I answered then, and said, I know, Lord, that the most High is called merciful, in that he hath mercy upon them which are not yet come into the world,

I answered then, and said, I know, Lord, that the most High is called merciful, in that he hath mercy upon them which are not yet come into the world,

I will tell thee a similitude, Esdras; As when thou askest the earth, it shall say unto thee, that it giveth much mould whereof earthen vessels are made, but little dust that gold cometh of: even so is the course of this present world.

So answered I and said, Swallow then down, O my soul, understanding, and devour wisdom.

Now therefore, Lord, I will speak; touching man in general, thou knowest best; but touching thy people, for whose sake I am sorry;

Now therefore, Lord, I will speak; touching man in general, thou knowest best; but touching thy people, for whose sake I am sorry;

And for thine inheritance, for whose cause I mourn; and for Israel, for whom I am heavy; and for Jacob, for whose sake I am troubled;

And for thine inheritance, for whose cause I mourn; and for Israel, for whom I am heavy; and for Jacob, for whose sake I am troubled;

And for thine inheritance, for whose cause I mourn; and for Israel, for whom I am heavy; and for Jacob, for whose sake I am troubled;

Therefore will I begin to pray before thee for myself and for them: for I see the falls of us that dwell in the land.

Therefore will I begin to pray before thee for myself and for them: for I see the falls of us that dwell in the land.

But I have heard the swiftness of the judge which is to come.

Therefore hear my voice, and understand my words, and I shall speak before thee. This is the beginning of the words of Esdras, before he was taken up: and I said,

Therefore hear my voice, and understand my words, and I shall speak before thee. This is the beginning of the words of Esdras, before he was taken up: and I said,

For while I live I will speak, and so long as I have understanding I will answer.

For while I live I will speak, and so long as I have understanding I will answer.

For while I live I will speak, and so long as I have understanding I will answer.

For while I live I will speak, and so long as I have understanding I will answer.

For indeed I will not think on the disposition of them which have sinned before death, before judgment, before destruction:

But I will rejoice over the disposition of the righteous, and I will remember also their pilgrimage, and the salvation, and the reward, that they shall have.

But I will rejoice over the disposition of the righteous, and I will remember also their pilgrimage, and the salvation, and the reward, that they shall have.

Like as I have spoken now, so shall it come to pass.

I answered then and said, If I have found grace, let me speak.

I answered then and said, If I have found grace, let me speak.