2Esdras:16

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* Woe be unto thee , Babylon , and Asia ! woe be unto thee , Egypt and Syria ! * Gird up yourselves with cloths of sack and hair , bewail your children , and be sorry ; for your destruction is at hand . * A sword is sent upon you , and who may turn it back ? * A fire is sent among you , and who may quench it ? * Plagues are sent unto you , and what is he that may drive them away ? * May any man drive away an hungry lion in the wood ? or may any one quench the fire in stubble , when it hath begun to burn ? * May one turn again the arrow that is shot of a strong archer ? * The mighty Lord sendeth the plagues and who is he that can drive them away ? * A fire shall go forth from his wrath , and who is he that may quench it ? * He shall cast lightnings , and who shall not fear ? he shall thunder , and who shall not be afraid ? * The Lord shall threaten , and who shall not be utterly beaten to powder at his presence ? * The earth quaketh , and the foundations thereof ; the sea ariseth up with waves from the deep , and the waves of it are troubled , and the fishes thereof also , before the Lord , and before the glory of his power : * For strong is his right hand that bendeth the bow , his arrows that he shooteth are sharp , and shall not miss , when they begin to be shot into the ends of the world . * Behold , the plagues are sent , and shall not return again , until they come upon the earth . * The fire is kindled , and shall not be put out , till it consume the foundation of the earth . * Like as an arrow which is shot of a mighty archer returneth not backward : even so the plagues that shall be sent upon earth shall not return again . * Woe is me ! woe is me ! who will deliver me in those days ? * The beginning of sorrows and great mournings ; the beginning of famine and great death ; the beginning of wars , and the powers shall stand in fear ; the beginning of evils ! what shall I do when these evils shall come ? * Behold , famine and plague , tribulation and anguish , are sent as scourges for amendment . * But for all these things they shall not turn from their wickedness , nor be always mindful of the scourges . * Behold , victuals shall be so good cheap upon earth , that they shall think themselves to be in good case , and even then shall evils grow upon earth , sword , famine , and great confusion . * For many of them that dwell upon earth shall perish of famine ; and the other , that escape the hunger , shall the sword destroy . * And the dead shall be cast out as dung , and there shall be no man to comfort them : for the earth shall be wasted , and the cities shall be cast down . * There shall be no man left to till the earth , and to sow it * The trees shall give fruit , and who shall gather them ? * The grapes shall ripen , and who shall tread them ? for all places shall be desolate of men : * So that one man shall desire to see another , and to hear his voice . * For of a city there shall be ten left , and two of the field , which shall hide themselves in the thick groves , and in the clefts of the rocks . * As in an orchard of Olives upon every tree there are left three or four olives ; * Or as when a vineyard is gathered , there are left some clusters of them that diligently seek through the vineyard : * Even so in those days there shall be three or four left by them that search their houses with the sword . * And the earth shall be laid waste , and the fields thereof shall wax old , and her ways and all her paths shall grow full of thorns , because no man shall travel therethrough . * The virgins shall mourn , having no bridegrooms ; the women shall mourn , having no husbands ; their daughters shall mourn , having no helpers . * In the wars shall their bridegrooms be destroyed , and their husbands shall perish of famine . * Hear now these things and understand them , ye servants of the Lord . * Behold , the word of the Lord , receive it : believe not the gods of whom the Lord spake . * Behold , the plagues draw nigh , and are not slack . * As when a woman with child in the ninth month bringeth forth her son , with two or three hours of her birth great pains compass her womb , which pains , when the child cometh forth , they slack not a moment : * Even so shall not the plagues be slack to come upon the earth , and the world shall mourn , and sorrows shall come upon it on every side . * O my people , hear my word : make you ready to thy battle , and in those evils be even as pilgrims upon the earth . * He that selleth , let him be as he that fleeth away : and he that buyeth , as one that will lose : * He that occupieth merchandise , as he that hath no profit by it : and he that buildeth , as he that shall not dwell therein : * He that soweth , as if he should not reap : so also he that planteth the vineyard , as he that shall not gather the grapes : * They that marry , as they that shall get no children ; and they that marry not , as the widowers . * And therefore they that labour labour in vain : * For strangers shall reap their fruits , and spoil their goods , overthrow their houses , and take their children captives , for in captivity and famine shall they get children . * And they that occupy their merchandise with robbery , the more they deck their cities , their houses , their possessions , and their own persons : * The more will I be angry with them for their sin , saith the Lord . * Like as a whore envieth a right honest and virtuous woman : * So shall righteousness hate iniquity , when she decketh herself , and shall accuse her to her face , when he cometh that shall defend him that diligently searcheth out every sin upon earth . * And therefore be ye not like thereunto , nor to the works thereof . * For yet a little , and iniquity shall be taken away out of the earth , and righteousness shall reign among you . * Let not the sinner say that he hath not sinned : for God shall burn coals of fire upon his head , which saith before the Lord God and his glory , I have not sinned . * Behold , the Lord knoweth all the works of men , their imaginations , their thoughts , and their hearts : * Which spake but the word , Let the earth be made ; and it was made : Let the heaven be made ; and it was created . * In his word were the stars made , and he knoweth the number of them . * He searcheth the deep , and the treasures thereof ; he hath measured the sea , and what it containeth . * He hath shut the sea in the midst of the waters , and with his word hath he hanged the earth upon the waters . * He spreadeth out the heavens like a vault ; upon the waters hath he founded it . * In the desert hath he made springs of water , and pools upon the tops of the mountains , that the floods might pour down from the high rocks to water the earth . * He made man , and put his heart in the midst of the body , and gave him breath , life , and understanding . * Yea and the Spirit of Almighty God , which made all things , and searcheth out all hidden things in the secrets of the earth , * Surely he knoweth your inventions , and what ye think in your hearts , even them that sin , and would hide their sin . * Therefore hath the Lord exactly searched out all your works , and he will put you all to shame . * And when your sins are brought forth , ye shall be ashamed before men , and your own sins shall be your accusers in that day . * What will ye do ? or how will ye hide your sins before God and his angels ? * Behold , God himself is the judge , fear him : leave off from your sins , and forget your iniquities , to meddle no more with them for ever : so shall God lead you forth , and deliver you from all trouble . * For , behold , the burning wrath of a great multitude is kindled over you , and they shall take away certain of you , and feed you , being idle , with things offered unto idols . * And they that consent unto them shall be had in derision and in reproach , and trodden under foot . * For there shall be in every place , and in the next cities , a great insurrection upon those that fear the Lord . * They shall be like mad men , sparing none , but still spoiling and destroying those that fear the Lord . * For they shall waste and take away their goods , and cast them out of their houses . * Then shall they be known , who are my chosen ; and they shall be tried as the gold in the fire . * Hear , O ye my beloved , saith the Lord : behold , the days of trouble are at hand , but I will deliver you from the same . * Be ye not afraid neither doubt ; for God is your guide , * And the guide of them who keep my commandments and precepts , saith the Lord God : let not your sins weigh you down , and let not your iniquities lift up themselves . * Woe be unto them that are bound with their sins , and covered with their iniquities like as a field is covered over with bushes , and the path thereof covered with thorns , that no man may travel through ! * It is left undressed , and is cast into the fire to be consumed therewith .

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