2Esdras:5

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* Nevertheless as coming the tokens , behold , the days shall come , that they which dwell upon earth shall be taken in a great number , and the way of truth shall be hidden , and the land shall be barren of faith . * But iniquity shall be increased above that which now thou seest , or that thou hast heard long ago . * And the land , that thou seest now to have root , shalt thou see wasted suddenly . * But if the most High grant thee to live , thou shalt see after the third trumpet that the sun shall suddenly shine again in the night , and the moon thrice in the day : * And blood shall drop out of wood , and the stone shall give his voice , and the people shall be troubled : * 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 . * There shall be a confusion also in many places , and the fire shall be oft sent out again , and the wild beasts shall change their places , and menstruous women shall bring forth monsters : * And salt waters shall be found in the sweet , and all friends shall destroy one another ; then shall wit hide itself , and understanding withdraw itself into his secret chamber , * And shall be sought of many , and yet not be found : then shall unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied upon earth . * One land also shall ask another , and say , Is righteousness that maketh a man righteous gone through thee ? And it shall say , No . * At the same time shall men hope , but nothing obtain : they shall labour , but their ways shall not prosper . * 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 . * So the angel that was come to talk with me held me , comforted me , and set me up upon my feet . * And in the second night it came to pass , that Salathiel the captain of the people came unto me , saying , Where hast thou been ? and why is thy countenance so heavy ? * 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 so I fasted seven days , mourning and weeping , like as Uriel the angel commanded me . * And after seven days so it was , that the thoughts of my heart were very grievous unto me again , * And my soul recovered the spirit of understanding , and I began to talk with the most High again , * 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 of all lands of the whole world thou hast chosen thee one pit : and of all the flowers thereof one lily : * And of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one river : and of all builded cities thou hast hallowed Sion unto thyself : * And of all the fowls that are created thou hast named thee one dove : and of all the cattle that are made thou hast provided thee one sheep : * And among all the multitudes of people thou hast gotten thee one people : and unto this people , whom thou lovedst , thou gavest a law that is approved of all . * And now , O Lord , why hast thou given this one people over unto many ? and upon the one root hast thou prepared others , and why hast thou scattered thy only one people among many ? * And they which did gainsay thy promises , and believed not thy covenants , have trodden them down . * If thou didst so much hate thy people , yet shouldest thou punish them with thine own hands . * 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 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 , 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 , * 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 ? * 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 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 . * 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 . * He answered me , and said , Ask a woman that beareth children , and she shall tell thee . * Say unto her , Wherefore are unto they whom thou hast now brought forth like those that were before , but less of stature ? * And she shall answer thee , They that be born in the the strength of youth are of one fashion , and they that are born in the time of age , when the womb faileth , are otherwise . * Consider thou therefore also , how that ye are less of stature than those that were before you . * And so are they that come after you less than ye , as the creatures which now begin to be old , and have passed over the strength of youth . * Then said I , Lord , I beseech thee , if I have found favour in thy sight , shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature .

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