2Esdras:4

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* And the angel that was sent unto me , whose name was Uriel , gave me an answer , * And said , Thy heart hath gone to far in this world , and thinkest thou to comprehend the way of the most High ? * Then said I , Yea , my lord . And he answered me , and said , I am sent to shew thee three ways , and to set forth three similitudes before thee : * Whereof if thou canst declare me one , I will shew thee also the way that thou desirest to see , and I shall shew thee from whence the wicked heart cometh . * And I said , Tell on , my lord . Then said he unto me , Go thy way , weigh me the weight of the fire , or measure me the blast of the wind , or call me again the day that is past . * Then answered I and said , What man is able to do that , that thou shouldest ask such things of me ? * And he said unto me , If I should ask thee how great dwellings are in the midst of the sea , or how many springs are in the beginning of the deep , or how many springs are above the firmament , or which are the outgoings of paradise : * Peradventure thou wouldest say unto me , I never went down into the deep , nor as yet into hell , neither did I ever climb up into heaven . * Nevertheless now have I asked thee but only of the fire and wind , and of the day wherethrough thou hast passed , and of things from which thou canst not be separated , and yet canst thou give me no answer of them . * He said moreover unto me , Thine own things , and such as are grown up with thee , canst thou not know ; * How should thy vessel then be able to comprehend the way of the Highest , and , the world being now outwardly corrupted to understand the corruption that is evident in my sight ? * Then said I unto him , It were better that we were not at all , than that we should live still in wickedness , and to suffer , and not to know wherefore . * He answered me , and said , I went into a forest into a plain , and the trees took counsel , * And said , Come , let us go and make war against the sea that it may depart away before us , and that we may make us more woods . * The floods of the sea also in like manner took counsel , and said , Come , let us go up and subdue the woods of the plain , that there also we may make us another country . * The thought of the wood was in vain , for the fire came and consumed it . * The thought of the floods of the sea came likewise to nought , for the sand stood up and stopped them . * If thou wert judge now betwixt these two , whom wouldest thou begin to justify ? or whom wouldest thou condemn ? * I answered and said , Verily it is a foolish thought that they both have devised , for the ground is given unto the wood , and the sea also hath his place to bear his floods . * Then answered he me , and said , Thou hast given a right judgment , but why judgest thou not thyself also ? * For like as the ground is given unto the wood , and the sea to his floods : even so they that dwell upon the earth may understand nothing but that which is upon the earth : and he that dwelleth above the heavens may only understand the things that are above the height of the heavens . * Then answered I and said , I beseech thee , O Lord , let me have understanding : * For it was not my mind to be curious of the high things , but of such as pass by us daily , namely , wherefore Israel is given up as a reproach to the heathen , and for what cause the people whom thou hast loved is given over unto ungodly nations , and why the law of our forefathers is brought to nought , and the written covenants come to none effect , * And we pass away out of the world as grasshoppers , and our life is astonishment and fear , and we are not worthy to obtain mercy . * What will he then do unto his name whereby we are called ? of these things have I asked . * Then answered he me , and said , The more thou searchest , the more thou shalt marvel ; for the world hasteth fast to pass away , * And cannot comprehend the things that are promised to the righteous in time to come : for this world is full of unrighteousness and infirmities . * But as concerning the things whereof thou askest me , I will tell thee ; for the evil is sown , but the destruction thereof is not yet come . * If therefore that which is sown be not turned upside down , and if the place where the evil is sown pass not away , then cannot it come that is sown with good . * For the grain of evil seed hath been sown in the heart of Adam from the beginning , and how much ungodliness hath it brought up unto this time ? and how much shall it yet bring forth until the time of threshing come ? * Ponder now by thyself , how great fruit of wickedness the grain of evil seed hath brought forth . * And when the ears shall be cut down , which are without number , how great a floor shall they fill ? * Then I answered and said , How , and when shall these things come to pass ? wherefore are our years few and evil ? * 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 ? * And unto these things Uriel the archangel gave them answer , and said , Even when the number of seeds is filled in you : for he hath weighed the world in the balance . * 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 . * Then answered I and said , O Lord that bearest rule , even we all are full of impiety . * 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 . * So he answered me , and said , Go thy way to a woman with child , and ask of her when she hath fulfilled her nine months , if her womb may keep the birth any longer within her . * 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 : * For like as a woman that travaileth maketh haste to escape the necessity of the travail : even so do these places haste to deliver those things that are committed unto them . * From the beginning , look , what thou desirest to see , it shall be shewed thee . * Then answered I and said , If I have found favour in thy sight , and if it be possible , and if I be meet therefore , * Shew me then whether there be more to come than is past , or more past than is to come . * 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 . * After this there passed by before me a watery cloud , and sent down much rain with a storm ; and when the stormy rain was past , the drops remained still . * 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 .

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