2Esdras:6

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* 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 , * Before it thundered and lightened , or ever the foundations of paradise were laid , * Before the fair flowers were seen , or ever the moveable powers were established , before the innumerable multitude of angels were gathered together , * Or ever the heights of the air were lifted up , before the measures of the firmament were named , or ever the chimneys in Sion were hot , * And ere the present years were sought out , and or ever the inventions of them that now sin were turned , before they were sealed that have gathered faith for a treasure : * Then did I consider these things , and they all were made through me alone , and through none other : by me also they shall be ended , and by none other . * 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 . * For Esau is the end of the world , and Jacob is the beginning of it that followeth . * The hand of man is betwixt the heel and the hand : other question , Esdras , ask thou not . * I answered then and said , O Lord that bearest rule , if I have found favour in thy sight , * I beseech thee , shew thy servant the end of thy tokens , whereof thou shewedst me part the last night . * So he answered and said unto me , Stand up upon thy feet , and hear a mighty sounding voice . * 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 . * And why ? because the speech of these things trembleth and is moved : for it knoweth that the end of these things must be changed . * And it happened , that when I had heard it I stood up upon my feet , and hearkened , and , behold , there was a voice that spake , and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters . * And it said , Behold , the days come , that I will begin to draw nigh , and to visit them that dwell upon the earth , * And will begin to make inquisition of them , what they be that have hurt unjustly with their unrighteousness , and when the affliction of Sion shall be fulfilled ; * And when the world , that shall begin to vanish away , shall be finished , then will I shew these tokens : the books shall be opened before the firmament , and they shall see all together : * And the children of a year old shall speak with their voices , the women with child shall bring forth untimely children of three or four months old , and they shall live , and be raised up . * And suddenly shall the sown places appear unsown , the full storehouses shall suddenly be found empty : * And tha trumpet shall give a sound , which when every man heareth , they shall be suddenly afraid . * 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 . * Whosoever remaineth from all these that I have told thee shall escape , and see my salvation , and the end of your world . * 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 . * For evil shall be put out , and deceit shall be quenched . * As for faith , it shall flourish , corruption shall be overcome , and the truth , which hath been so long without fruit , shall be declared . * And when he talked with me , behold , I looked by little and little upon him before whom I stood . * And these words said he unto me ; I am come to shew thee the time of the night to come . * If thou wilt pray yet more , and fast seven days again , I shall tell thee greater things by day than I have heard . * For thy voice is heard before the most High : for the Mighty hath seen thy righteous dealing , he hath seen also thy chastity , which thou hast had ever since thy youth . * 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 it came to pass after this , that I wept again , and fasted seven days in like manner , that I might fulfil the three weeks which he told me . * And in the eighth night was my heart vexed within me again , and I began to speak before the most High . * For my spirit was greatly set on fire , and my soul was in distress . * 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 . * And then was the spirit , and darkness and silence were on every side ; the sound of man 's voice was not yet formed . * Then commandedst thou a fair light to come forth of thy treasures , that thy work might appear . * Upon the second day thou madest the spirit of the firmament , and commandedst it to part asunder , and to make a division betwixt the waters , that the one part might go up , and the other remain beneath . * Upon the third day thou didst command that the waters should be gathered in the seventh part of the earth : six pats hast thou dried up , and kept them , to the intent that of these some being planted of God and tilled might serve thee . * For as soon as thy word went forth the work was made . * For immediately there was great and innumerable fruit , and many and divers pleasures for the taste , and flowers of unchangeable colour , and odours of wonderful smell : and this was done the third day . * Upon the fourth day thou commandedst that the sun should shine , and the moon give her light , and the stars should be in order : * And gavest them a charge to do service unto man , that was to be made . * Upon the fifth day thou saidst unto the seventh part , where the waters were gathered that it should bring forth living creatures , fowls and fishes : and so it came to pass . * For the dumb water and without life brought forth living things at the commandment of God , that all people might praise thy wondrous works . * Then didst thou ordain two living creatures , the one thou calledst Enoch , and the other Leviathan ; * And didst separate the one from the other : for the seventh part , namely , where the water was gathered together , might not hold them both . * Unto Enoch thou gavest one part , which was dried up the third day , that he should dwell in the same part , wherein are a thousand hills : * But unto Leviathan thou gavest the seventh part , namely , the moist ; and hast kept him to be devoured of whom thou wilt , and when . * Upon the sixth day thou gavest commandment unto the earth , that before thee it should bring forth beasts , cattle , and creeping things : * And after these , Adam also , whom thou madest lord of all thy creatures : of him come we all , and the people also whom thou hast chosen . * All this have I spoken before thee , O Lord , because thou madest the world for our sakes * 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 now , O Lord , behold , these heathen , which have ever been reputed as nothing , have begun to be lords over us , and to devour us . * But we thy people , whom thou hast called thy firstborn , thy only begotten , and thy fervent lover , are given into their hands . * If the world now be made for our sakes , why do we not possess an inheritance with the world ? how long shall this endure ?

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