said

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:

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:

Then answered I and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, and if it be possible, and if I be meet therefore,

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

Then said he unto me, Consider with thyself; as the rain is more than the drops, and as the fire is greater than the smoke; but the drops and the smoke remain behind: so the quantity which is past did more exceed.

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.

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 said, O Lord that bearest rule, of every wood of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, thou hast chosen thee one only vine:

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, 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 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.

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?

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 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, 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 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.

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.

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.

He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that beareth children, and she shall tell thee.

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

And he said unto me, In the beginning, when the earth was made, before the borders of the world stood, or ever the winds blew,

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?

And he said unto me, From Abraham unto Isaac, when Jacob and Esau were born of him, Jacob’s hand held first the heel of Esau.

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

So he answered and said unto me, Stand up upon thy feet, and hear a mighty sounding voice.

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

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

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.

As for the other people, which also come of Adam, thou hast said that they are nothing, but be like unto spittle: and hast likened the abundance of them unto a drop that falleth from a vessel.

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, 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.

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

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.

And he said unto me. There is no judge above God, and none that hath understanding above the Highest.

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

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

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.

Then answered he me, and said, This is the condition of the battle, which man that is born upon the earth shall fight;

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,

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

For thou art alone, and we all one workmanship of thine hands, like as thou hast 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,

Then answered he me, and said, Some things hast thou spoken aright, and according unto thy words it shall be.

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

Then answered he me, and said, Things present are for the present, and things to cometh for such as be to come.

And said in their heart, that there is no God; yea, and that knowing they must die.

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

He answered me then, and said, Measure thou the time diligently in itself: and when thou seest part of the signs past, which I have told thee before,

Shall be preserved from the said perils, and shall see my salvation in my land, and within my borders: for I have sanctified them for me from the beginning.

Then answered I and said,

I have said before, and now do speak, and will speak it also hereafter, that there be many more of them which perish, than of them which shall be saved:

And I opened my mouth, and began to talk before the most High, and said,

And said unto her, Wherefore weepest thou? why art thou so grieved in thy mind?

And she said unto me, Sir, let me alone, that I may bewail myself, and add unto my sorrow, for I am sore vexed in my mind, and brought very low.

And I said unto her, What aileth thee? tell me.

She said unto me, I thy servant have been barren, and had no child, though I had an husband thirty years,

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

So I proceeded to speak further unto her, and said,

And I looked, and, behold, the woman appeared unto me no more, but there was a city builded, and a large place shewed itself from the foundations: then was I afraid, and cried with a loud voice, and said,

And, lo, I lay as one that had been dead, and mine understanding was taken from me: and he took me by the right hand, and comforted me, and set me upon my feet, and said unto me,

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.

And he said unto me, Stand up manfully, and I will advise thee.

Then said I, Speak on, my lord, in me; only forsake me not, lest I die frustrate of my hope.

He answered me then, and said, Hear me, and I shall inform thee, and tell thee wherefore thou art afraid: for the Highest will reveal many secret things unto thee.

This woman, whom thou sawest is Sion: and whereas she said unto thee, even she whom thou seest as a city builded,

Whereas, I say, she said unto thee, that she hath been thirty years barren: those are the thirty years wherein there was no offering made in her.

But whereas she said unto thee, That my son coming into his marriage chamber happened to have a fail, and died: this was the destruction that came to Jerusalem.

Then came there a voice unto it, and said,

Then I head a voice, which said unto me, Look before thee, and consider the thing that thou seest.

And I beheld, and lo, as it were a roaring lion chased out of the wood: and I saw that he sent out a man’s voice unto the eagle, and said,

And I saw, and, behold, they appeared no more, and the whole body of the eagle was burnt so that the earth was in great fear: then awaked I out of the trouble and trance of my mind, and from great fear, and said unto my spirit,

And I said, Lord that bearest rule, if I have found grace before thy sight, and if I am justified with thee before many others, and if my prayer indeed be come up before thy face;

And he said unto me, This is the interpretation of the vision:

And it came to pass, when all the people saw that the seven days were past, and I not come again into the city, they gathered them all together, from the least unto the greatest, and came unto me, and said,

For we are not better than they that died there. And they wept with a loud voice. Then answered I them, and said,

And there came much people unto him, whereof some were glad, some were sorry, and some of them were bound, and other some brought of them that were offered: then was I sick through great fear, and I awaked, and said,

Yet is it easier for him that is in danger to come into these things, than to pass away as a cloud out of the world, and not to see the things that happen in the last days. And he answered unto me, and said,

Then said I, O Lord that bearest rule, shew me this: Wherefore have I seen the man coming up from the midst of the sea?

And he said unto me, Like as thou canst neither seek out nor know the things that are in the deep of the sea: even so can no man upon earth see my Son, or those that be with him, but in the day time.

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

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

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

Then answered I before thee, and said,

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

Then they read the law to him, but he persisted in intruding, exclaiming that he ought to be allowed. He said, “Even if they were deprived of this honor, I shouldn’t be.”