‏ 2 Esdras 2

CHAP. II.

The Second Book of Esdras

1Thus saith the Lord, I brought this people out of bondage, and I gave them my commandments by menservants the prophets; whom they would not hear, but despised my counsels. 2The mother that bare them saith unto them, Go your way, ye children; for I am a widow and forsaken. 3I brought you up with gladness; but with sorrow and heaviness have I lost you: for ye have sinned before the Lord your God, and done that thing that is evil before him. 4But what shall I now do unto you? I am a widow and forsaken: go your way, O my children, and ask mercy of the Lord. 5As for me, O father, I call upon thee for a witness over the mother of these children, which would not keep my covenant, 6That thou bring them to confusion, and their mother to a spoil, that there may be no offspring of them. 7Let them be scattered abroad among the heathen, let their names be put out of the earth: for they have despised my covenant. 8Woe be unto thee, Assur, thou that hidest the unrighteous in thee! O thou wicked people, remember what I did unto Sodom and Gomorrha; 9Whose land lieth in clods of pitch and heaps of ashes: even so also will I do unto them that hear me not, saith the Almighty Lord. 10Thus saith the Lord unto Esdras, Tell my people that I will give them the kingdom of Jerusalem, which I would have given unto Israel. 11Their glory also will I take unto me, and give these the everlasting tabernacles, which I had prepared for them. 12They shall have the tree of life for an ointment of sweet savour; they shall neither labour, nor be weary. 13Go, and ye shall receive: pray for few days unto you, that they may be shortened: the kingdom is already prepared for you: watch. 14Take heaven and earth to witness; for I have broken the evil in pieces, and created the good: for I live, saith the Lord. 15Mother, embrace thy children, and bring them up with gladness, make their feet as fast as a pillar: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord. 16And those that be dead will I raise up again from their places, and bring them out of the graves: for I have known my name in Israel. 17Fear not, thou mother of the children: for I have chosen thee, saith the Lord. 18For thy help will I send my servants Esau and Jeremy, after whose counsel I have sanctified and prepared for thee twelve trees laden with divers fruits, 19And as many fountains flowing with milk and honey, and seven mighty mountains, whereupon there grow roses and lilies, whereby I will fill thy children with joy. 20Do right to the widow, judge for the fatherless, give to the poor, defend the orphan, clothe the naked, 21Heal the broken and the weak, laugh not a lame man to scorn, defend the maimed, and let the blind man come into the sight of my clearness. 22Keep the old and young within thy walls. 23Wheresoever thou findest the dead, take them and bury them, and I will give thee the first place in my resurrection. 24Abide still, O my people, and take thy rest, for thy quietness still come. 25Nourish thy children, O thou good nurse; stablish their feet. 26As for the servants whom I have given thee, there shall not one of them perish; for I will require them from among thy number. 27Be not weary: for when the day of trouble and heaviness cometh, others shall weep and be sorrowful, but thou shalt be merry and have abundance. 28The heathen shall envy thee, but they shall be able to do nothing against thee, saith the Lord. 29My hands shall cover thee, so that thy children shall not see hell. 30Be joyful, O thou mother, with thy children; for I will deliver thee, saith the Lord. 31Remember thy children that sleep, for I shall bring them out of the sides of the earth, and shew mercy unto them: for I am merciful, saith the Lord Almighty. 32Embrace thy children until I come and shew mercy unto them: for my wells run over, and my grace shall not fail. 33I Esdras received a charge of the Lord upon the mount Oreb, that I should go unto Israel; but when I came unto them, they set me at nought, and despised the commandment of the Lord. 34And therefore I say unto you, O ye heathen, that hear and understand, look for your Shepherd, he shall give you everlasting rest; for he is nigh at hand, that shall come in the end of the world. 35Be ready to the reward of the kingdom, for the everlasting light shall shine upon you for evermore. 36Flee the shadow of this world, receive the joyfulness of your glory: I testify my Saviour openly. 37O receive the gift that is given you, and be glad, giving thanks unto him that hath led you to the heavenly kingdom. 38Arise up and stand, behold the number of those that be sealed in the feast of the Lord; 39Which are departed from the shadow of the world, and have received glorious garments of the Lord. 40Take thy number, O Sion, and shut up those of thine that are clothed in white, which have fulfilled the law of the Lord. 41The number of thy children, whom thou longedst for, is fulfilled: beseech the power of the Lord, that thy people, which have been called from the beginning, may be hallowed. 42I Esdras saw upon the mount Sion a great people, whom I could not number, and they all praised the Lord with songs. 43And in the midst of them there was a young man of a high stature, taller than all the rest, and upon every one of their heads he set crowns, and was more exalted; which I marvelled at greatly. 44So I asked the angel, and said, Sir, what are these? 45He answered and said unto me, These be they that have put off the mortal clothing, and put on the immortal, and have confessed the name of God: now are they crowned, and receive palms. 46Then said I unto the angel, What young person is it that crowneth them, and giveth them palms in their hands? 47So he answered and said unto me, It is the Son of God, whom they have confessed in the world. Then began I greatly to commend them that stood so stiffly for the name of the Lord. 48Then the angel said unto me, Go thy way, and tell my people what manner of things, and how great wonders of the Lord thy God, thou hast seen.