not

And he answered me, saying, Do not thou hasten above the most Highest: for thy haste is in vain to be above him, for thou hast much exceeded.

Did not the souls also of the righteous ask question of these things in their chambers, saying, How long shall I hope on this fashion? when cometh the fruit of the floor of our reward?

By measure hath he measured the times; and by number hath he numbered the times; and he doth not move nor stir them, until the said measure be fulfilled.

And for our sakes peradventure it is that the floors of the righteous are not filled, because of the sins of them that dwell upon the earth.

Then said I, No, Lord, that can she not. And he said unto me, In the grave the chambers of souls are like the womb of a woman:

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

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.

And even he shall rule, whom they look not for that dwell upon the earth, and the fowls shall take their flight away together:

And the Sodomitish sea shall cast out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many have not known: but they shall all hear the voice thereof.

And shall be sought of many, and yet not be found: then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied upon earth.

At the same time shall men hope, but nothing obtain: they shall labour, but their ways shall not prosper.

Knowest thou not that Israel is committed unto thee in the land of their captivity?

Up then, and eat bread, and forsake us not, as the shepherd that leaveth his flock in the hands of cruel wolves.

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 they which did gainsay thy promises, and believed not thy covenants, have trodden them down.

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?

And he said unto me, Number me the things that are not yet come, gather me together the dross that are scattered abroad, make me the flowers green again that are withered,

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

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.

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?

Then answered he me, and said, The creature may not haste above the maker; neither may the world hold them at once that shall be created therein.

And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thou bringest forth children, why dost thou it not together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.

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.

The hand of man is betwixt the heel and the hand: other question, Esdras, ask thou not.

And it shall be as it were a great motion; but the place where thou standest shall not be moved.

And therefore when it speaketh be not afraid: for the word is of the end, and the foundation of the earth is understood.

At that time shall friends fight one against another like enemies, and the earth shall stand in fear with those that dwell therein, the springs of the fountains shall stand still, and in three hours they shall not run.

And the men that are received shall see it, who have not tasted death from their birth: and the heart of the inhabitants shall be changed, and turned into another meaning.

And therefore hath he sent me to shew thee all these things, and to say unto thee, Be of good comfort and fear not

And hasten not with the times that are past, to think vain things, that thou mayest not hasten from the latter times.

And hasten not with the times that are past, to think vain things, that thou mayest not hasten from the latter times.

And then was the spirit, and darkness and silence were on every side; the sound of man’s voice was not yet formed.

And didst separate the one from the other: for the seventh part, namely, where the water was gathered together, might not hold them both.

If the world now be made for our sakes, why do we not possess an inheritance with the world? how long shall this endure?

Who then could go into the sea to look upon it, and to rule it? if he went not through the narrow, how could he come into the broad?

If then they that live labour not to enter these strait and vain things, they can never receive those that are laid up for them.

Why hast thou not considered in thy mind this thing that is to come, rather than that which is present?

Nevertheless the righteous shall suffer strait things, and hope for wide: for they that have done wickedly have suffered the strait things, and yet shall not see the wide.

Nevertheless they were not obedient unto him; but spake against him, and imagined vain things;

And deceived themselves by their wicked deeds; and said of the most High, that he is not; and knew not his ways:

And deceived themselves by their wicked deeds; and said of the most High, that he is not; and knew not his ways:

But his law have they despised, and denied his covenants; in his statutes have they not been faithful, and have not performed his works.

But his law have they despised, and denied his covenants; in his statutes have they not been faithful, and have not performed his works.

And after seven days the world, that yet awaketh not, shall be raised up, and that shall die that is corrupt

Even so now, seeing corruption is grown up, and wickedness increased, and the righteous have prayed for the ungodly: wherefore shall it not be so now also?

He answered me, and said, This present life is not the end where much glory doth abide; therefore have they prayed for the weak.

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.

O thou Adam, what hast thou done? for though it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen alone, but we all that come of thee.

And that there should be shewed a paradise, whose fruit endureth for ever, wherein is security and medicine, since we shall not enter into it?

For while we lived and committed iniquity, we considered not that we should begin to suffer for it after death.

Nevertheless they believed not him, nor yet the prophets after him, no nor me which have spoken unto them,

That there should not be such heaviness in their destruction, as shall be joy over them that are persuaded to salvation.

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,

For if he shall not multiply his mercies, the world would not continue with them that inherit therein.

For if he shall not multiply his mercies, the world would not continue with them that inherit therein.

And he pardoneth; for if he did not so of his goodness, that they which have committed iniquities might be eased of them, the ten thousandth part of men should not remain living.

And he pardoneth; for if he did not so of his goodness, that they which have committed iniquities might be eased of them, the ten thousandth part of men should not remain living.

And being judge, if he should not forgive them that are cured with his word, and put out the multitude of contentions,

O Lord, if thou suffer not thy servant, that we may pray before thee, and thou give us seed unto our heart, and culture to our understanding, that there may come fruit of it; how shall each man live that is corrupt, who beareth the place of a man?

Whose throne is inestimable; whose glory may not be comprehended; before whom the hosts of angels stand with trembling,

O look not upon the sins of thy people; but on them which serve thee in truth.

Regard not the wicked inventions of the heathen, but the desire of those that keep thy testimonies in afflictions.

Think not upon those that have walked feignedly before thee: but remember them, which according to thy will have known thy fear.

Let it not be thy will to destroy them which have lived like beasts; but to look upon them that have clearly taught thy law.

For in truth them is no man among them that be born, but he hath dealt wickedly; and among the faithful there is none which hath not done amiss.

For in this, O Lord, thy righteousness and thy goodness shall be declared, if thou be merciful unto them which have not the confidence of good works.

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

For as the husbandman soweth much seed upon the ground, and planteth many trees, and yet the thing that is sown good in his season cometh not up, neither doth all that is planted take root: even so is it of them that are sown in the world; they shall not all be saved.

For as the husbandman soweth much seed upon the ground, and planteth many trees, and yet the thing that is sown good in his season cometh not up, neither doth all that is planted take root: even so is it of them that are sown in the world; they shall not all be saved.

Like as the husbandman’s seed perisheth, if it come not up, and receive not thy rain in due season; or if there come too much rain, and corrupt it:

Like as the husbandman’s seed perisheth, if it come not up, and receive not thy rain in due season; or if there come too much rain, and corrupt it:

Be not wroth with us but spare thy people, and have mercy upon thine own inheritance: for thou art merciful unto thy creature.

In that thou hast humbled thyself, as it becometh thee, and hast not judged thyself worthy to be much glorified among the righteous.

For as the things aforesaid shalt receive you, so thirst and pain are prepared for them: for it was not his will that men should come to nought:

These things have I not shewed unto all men, but unto thee, and a few like thee. Then answered I and said,

Behold, O Lord, now hast thou shewed me the multitude of the wonders, which thou wilt begin to do in the last times: but at what time, thou hast not shewed me.

For such as in their life have received benefits, and have not known me;

And they that have loathed my law, while they had yet liberty, and, when as yet place of repentance was open unto them, understood not, but despised it;

And therefore be thou not curious how the ungodly shall be punished, and when: but enquire how the righteous shall be saved, whose the world is, and for whom the world is created.

And now when I prepared the world, which was not yet made, even for them to dwell in that now live, no man spake against me.

Nevertheless, if thou wilt cease yet seven days more, (but thou shalt not fast in them,

But our fathers, which received the law, kept it not, and observed not thy ordinances: and though the fruit of thy law did not perish, neither could it, for it was thine;

But our fathers, which received the law, kept it not, and observed not thy ordinances: and though the fruit of thy law did not perish, neither could it, for it was thine;

But our fathers, which received the law, kept it not, and observed not thy ordinances: and though the fruit of thy law did not perish, neither could it, for it was thine;

Yet they that received it perished, because they kept not the thing that was sown in them.

That thing also which was sown, or cast therein, or received, doth perish, and remaineth not with us: but with us it hath not happened so.

That thing also which was sown, or cast therein, or received, doth perish, and remaineth not with us: but with us it hath not happened so.

Notwithstanding the law perisheth not, but remaineth in his force.

And I do now purpose not to return into the city, but here to stay, and neither to eat nor drink, but continually to mourn and to fast until I die.

Thou foolish woman above all other, seest thou not our mourning, and what happeneth unto us?

Who then should make more mourning than she, that hath lost so great a multitude; and not thou, which art sorry but for one?

But if thou sayest unto me, My lamentation is not like the earth’s, because I have lost the fruit of my womb, which I brought forth with pains, and bare with sorrows;

But the earth not so: for the multitude present in it according to the course of the earth is gone, as it came:

And she said unto me, That will I not do: I will not go into the city, but here will I die.

And she said unto me, That will I not do: I will not go into the city, but here will I die.

Do not so, but be counselled by me: for how many are the adversities of Sion? be comforted in regard of the sorrow of Jerusalem.

And I said, Because thou hast forsaken me, and yet I did according to thy words, and I went into the field, and, lo, I have seen, and yet see, that I am not able to express.