The Bible, Douay-Rheims, Old Testament — Part 2 (part 5 of 5)
8:34. But as for that most wicked man, Nicanor, who had brought a thousand merchants to the sale of the Jews,
8:35. Being, through the help of the Lord, brought down by them, of whom he had made no account, laying aside his garment of glory, fleeing through the midland country, he came alone to Antioch, being rendered very unhappy by the destruction of his army.
Laying aside his garment of glory. . .That is, his splendid apparel, which he wore through ostentation; he now throws it off, lest he should be known on his flight.
8:36. And he that had promised to levy the tribute for the Romans, by the means of the captives of Jerusalem, now professed that the Jews had God for their protector, and therefore they could not be hurt, because they followed the laws appointed by him.
2 Machabees Chapter 9
The wretched end, and fruitless repentance of king Antiochus.
9:1. At that time Antiochus returned with dishonour out of Persia.
9:2. For he had entered into the city called Persepolis, and attempted to rob the temple, and to oppress the city, but the multitude running together to arms, put them to flight: and so it fell out that Antiochus being put to flight, returned with disgrace.
Persepolis. . .Otherwise called Elymais.
9:3. Now when he was come about Ecbatana, he received the news of what had happened to Nicanor and Timotheus.
9:4. And swelling with anger, he thought to revenge upon the Jews the injury done by them that had put him to flight. And therefore he commanded his chariot to be driven, without stopping in his journey, the judgment of heaven urging him forward, because he had spoken so proudly, that he would come to Jerusalem, and make it a common burying place of the Jews.
9:5. But the Lord, the God of Israel, that seeth all things, struck him with an incurable and an invisible plague. For as soon as he had ended these words, a dreadful pain in his bowels came upon him, and bitter torments of the inner parts.
9:6. And indeed very justly, seeing he had tormented the bowels of others with many and new torments, albeit he by no means ceased from his malice.
9:7. Moreover, being filled with pride, breathing out fire in his rage against the Jews, and commanding the matter to be hastened, it happened as he was going with violence, that he fell from the chariot, so that his limbs were much pained by a grievous bruising of the body.
9:8. Thus he that seemed to himself to command even the waves of the sea, being proud above the condition of man, and to weigh the heights of the mountains in a balance, now being cast down to the ground, was carried in a litter, bearing witness to the manifest power of God in himself:
9:9. So that worms swarmed out of the body of this man, and whilst he lived in sorrow and pain, his flesh fell off, and the filthiness of his smell was noisome to the army.
9:10. And the man that thought a little before he could reach to the stars of heaven, no man could endure to carry, for the intolerable stench.
9:11. And by this means, being brought from his great pride, he began to come to the knowledge of himself, being admonished by the scourge of God, his pains increasing every moment.
9:12. And when he himself could not now abide his own stench, he spoke thus: It is just to be subject to God, and that a mortal man should not equal himself to God.
9:13. Then this wicked man prayed to the Lord, of whom he was not like to obtain mercy.
Of whom he was not like to obtain mercy. . .Because his repentance was not for the offence committed against God: but barely on account of his present sufferings.
9:14. And the city, to which he was going in haste to lay it even with the ground, and to make it a common burying place, he now desireth to make free:
9:15. And the Jews, whom he said he would not account worthy to be so much as buried, but would give them up to be devoured by the birds and wild beasts, and would utterly destroy them with their children, he now promiseth to make equal with the Athenians.
9:16. The holy temple also, which before he had spoiled, he promised to adorn with goodly gifts, and to multiply the holy vessels, and to allow out of his revenues the charges pertaining to the sacrifices.
9:17. Yea also, that he would become a Jew himself, and would go through every place of the earth, and declare the power of God.
9:18. But his pains not ceasing, (for the just judgment of God was come upon him) despairing of life, he wrote to the Jews, in the manner of a supplication, a letter in these words:
9:19. To his very good subjects the Jews, Antiochus, king and ruler, wisheth much health, and welfare, and happiness.
9:20. If you and your children are well, and if all matters go with you to your mind, we give very great thanks.
9:21. As for me, being infirm, but yet kindly remembering you, returning out of the places of Persia, and being taken with a grievous disease, I thought it necessary to take care for the common good:
9:22. Not distrusting my life, but having great hope to escape the sickness.
9:23. But considering that my father also, at what time he led an army into the higher countries, appointed who should reign after him:
9:24. To the end that if any thing contrary to expectation should fall out, or any bad tidings should be brought, they that were in the countries, knowing to whom the whole government was left, might not be troubled.
9:25. Moreover, considering that neighbouring princes, and borderers, wait for opportunities, and expect what shall be the event, I have appointed my son, Antiochus, king, whom I often recommended to many of you, when I went into the higher provinces: and I have written to him what I have joined here below.
9:26. I pray you, therefore, and request of you, that, remembering favours both public and private, you will every man of you continue to be faithful to me and to my son.
9:27. For I trust that he will behave with moderation and humanity, and following my intentions, will be gracious unto you.
9:28. Thus the murderer and blasphemer being grievously struck, as himself had treated others, died a miserable death in a strange country, among the mountains.
9:29. But Philip, that was brought up with him, carried away his body: and out of fear of the son of Antiochus, went into Egypt to Ptolemee Philometor.
2 Machabees Chapter 10
The purification of the temple and city. Other exploits of Judas. His victory over Timotheus.
10:1. But Machabeus, and they that were with him, by the protection of the Lord, recovered the temple and the city again.
10:2. But he threw down the altars which the heathens had set up in the streets, as also the temples of the idols.
10:3. And having purified the temple, they made another altar: and taking fire out of the fiery stones, they offered sacrifices after two years, and set forth incense, and lamps, and the loaves of proposition.
10:4. And when they had done these things, they besought the Lord, lying prostrate on the ground, that they might no more fall into such evils; but if they should at any time sin, that they might be chastised by him more gently, and not be delivered up to barbarians and blasphemous men.
10:5. Now upon the same day that the temple had been polluted by the strangers on the very same day it was cleansed again; to wit, on the five and twentieth day of the month of Casleu.
10:6. And they kept eight days with joy, after the manner of the feast of the tabernacles, remembering that not long before they had kept the feast of the tabernacles when they were in the mountains, and in dens like wild beasts.
10:7. Therefore they now carried boughs and green branches and palms, for him that had given them good success in cleansing his place.
10:8. And they ordained by a common statute, and decree, that all the nation of the Jews should keep those days every year.
10:9. And this was the end of Antiochus, that was called the Illustrious.
10:10. But now we will repeat the acts of Eupator, the son of that wicked Antiochus, abridging the account of the evils that happened in the wars.
10:11. For when he was come to the crown, he appointed over the affairs of his realm one Lysias, general of the army of Phenicia and Syria.
10:12. For Ptolemee, that was called Macer, was determined to be strictly just to the Jews and especially by reason of the wrong that had been done them, and to deal peaceably with them.
10:13. But being accused for this to Eupator by his friends, and being oftentimes called traitor, because he had left Cyprus, which Philometor had committed to him, and coming over to Antiochus the Illustrious, had revolted also from him, he put an end to his life by poison.
10:14. But Gorgias, who was governor of the holds, taking with him the strangers, often fought against the Jews.
10:15. And the Jews that occupied the most commodious holds, received those that were driven out of Jerusalem, and attempted to make war.
The Jews, etc. . .He speaks of them that had fallen from their religion, and were enemies of their country, who joining with the Idumeans or Edomites, kept possession of the strong holds, and from thence annoyed their countrymen.
10:16. Then they that were with Machabeus, beseeching the Lord by prayers to be their helper, made a strong attack upon the strong holds of the Idumeans:
10:17. And assaulting them with great force, won the holds, killed them that came in the way, and slew altogether no fewer than twenty thousand.
10:18. And whereas some were fled into very strong towers, having all manner of provision to sustain a siege,
10:19. Machabeus left Simon and Joseph, and Zacheus, and them that were with them, in sufficient number to besiege them, and departed to those expeditions which urged more.
10:20. Now they that were with Simon, being led with covetousness, were persuaded for the sake of money by some that were in the towers: and taking seventy thousand didrachmas, let some of them escape.
10:21. But when it was told Machabeus what was done, he assembled the rulers of the people, and accused those men that they had sold their brethren for money, having let their adversaries escape.
10:22. So he put these traitors to death, and forthwith took the two towers.
10:23. And having good success in arms, and all things he took in hand, he slew more than twenty thousand in the two holds.
10:24. But Timotheus, who before had been overcome by the Jews, having called together a multitude of foreign troops, and assembled horsemen out of Asia, came as though he would take Judea by force of arms.
10:26. But Machabeus, and they that were with him, when he drew near, prayed to the Lord, sprinkling earth upon their heads, and girding their loins with haircloth,
10:26. And lying prostrate at the foot of the altar, besought him to be merciful to them, and to be an enemy to their enemies, and an adversary to their adversaries, as the law saith.
10:27. And so after prayer taking their arms, they went forth further from the city, and when they were come very near the enemies they rested.
10:28. But as soon as the sun was risen both sides joined battle: the one part having, with their valour, the Lord for a surety of victory, and success: but the other side making their rage their leader in battle.
10:29. But when they were in the heat of the engagement, there appeared to the enemies from heaven five men upon horses, comely, with golden bridles, conducting the Jews:
10:30. Two of them took Machabeus between them, and covered him on every side with their arms, and kept him safe; but cast darts and fireballs against the enemy, so that they fell down, being both confounded with blindness, and filled with trouble.
10:31. And there were slain twenty thousand five hundred, and six hundred horsemen.
10:32. But Timotheus fled into Gazara, a strong hold where Chereas was governor.
10:33. Then Machabeus, and they that were with him cheerfully laid siege to the fortress four days.
10:34. But they that were within, trusting to the strength of the place, blasphemed exceedingly, and cast forth abominable words.
10:35. But when the fifth day appeared, twenty young men of them that were with Machabeus, inflamed in their minds, because of the blasphemy, approached manfully to the wall, and pushing forward with fierce courage, got up upon it:
10:36. Moreover, others also getting up after them, went to set fire to the towers and the gates, and to burn the blasphemers alive.
10:37. And having for two days together pillaged and sacked the fortress, they killed Timotheus, who was found hid in a certain place: they slew also his brother Chereas, and Apollophanes.
Timotheus. . .This man, who was killed at the taking of Gazara, is different from that Timotheus who is mentioned in the fifth chapter of the first book of Machabees, and of whom there is mention in the following chapter.
10:38. And when this was done, they blessed the Lord with hymns and thanksgiving, who had done great things in Israel, and given them the victory.
2 Machabees Chapter 11
Lysias is overthrown by Judas. He sues for peace.
11:1. A short time after this Lysias, the king's lieutenant, and cousin, and who had chief charge over all the affairs, being greatly displeased with what had happened,
11:2. Gathered together fourscore thousand men, and all the horsemen, and came against the Jews, thinking to take the city, and make it a habitation of the Gentiles:
11:3. And to make a gain of the temple, as of the other temples of the Gentiles and to set the high priesthood to sale every year:
11:4. Never considering the power of God, but puffed up in mind, and trusting in the multitude of his foot soldiers, and the thousands of his horsemen, and his fourscore elephants.
11:5. So he came into Judea, and approaching to Bethsura, which was in a narrow place, the space of five furlongs from Jerusalem, he laid siege to that fortress.
11:6. But when Machabeus, and they that were with him, understood that the strong holds were besieged, they and all the people besought the Lord with lamentations and tears, that he would send a good angel to save Israel.
11:7. Then Machabeus himself first taking his arms, exhorted the rest to expose themselves together with him, to the danger, and to succour their brethren.
11:8. And when they were going forth together with a willing mind, there appeared at Jerusalem a horseman going before them in white clothing, with golden armour, shaking a spear.
11:9. Then they all together blessed the merciful Lord, and took great courage: being ready to break through not only men, but also the fiercest beasts, and walls of iron.
11:10. So they went on courageously, having a helper from heaven, and the Lord, who shewed mercy to them.
11:11. And rushing violently upon the enemy, like lions, they slew of them eleven thousand footmen, and one thousand six hundred horsemen:
11:12. And put all the rest to flight; and many of them being wounded, escaped naked: Yea, and Lysias himself fled away shamefully, and escaped.
11:13. And as he was a man of understanding, considering with himself the loss he had suffered, and perceiving that the Hebrews could not be overcome, because they relied upon the help of the Almighty God, he sent to them:
11:14. And promised that he would agree to all things that are just, and that he would persuade the king to be their friend.
11:15. Then Machabeus consented to the request of Lysias, providing for the common good in all things; and whatsoever Machabeus wrote to Lysias, concerning the Jews, the king allowed of.
11:16. For there were letters written to the Jews from Lysias, to this effect: Lysias, to the people of the Jews, greeting.
11:17. John, and Abesalom, who were sent from you, delivering your writings, requested that I would accomplish those things which were signified by them.
11:18. Therefore whatsoever things could be reported to the king, I have represented to him: and he hath granted as much as the matter permitted.
11:19. If, therefore, you will keep yourselves loyal in affairs, hereafter also I will endeavour to be a means of your good.
11:20. But as concerning other particulars, I have given orders by word both to these, and to them that are sent by me, to commune with you.
11:21. Fare ye well. In the year one hundred and forty-eight, the four and twentieth day of the month of Dioscorus.
In the year 148. . .Viz., according to the computation followed by the Greeks; which was different from that of the Hebrews, followed by the writer of the first book of Machabees. However, by this date, as well as by other circumstances, it appears that the expedition of Lysias, mentioned in this chapter, is different from that which is recorded, 1 Mac. 6.
11:22. But the king's letter contained these words King Antiochus to Lysias, his brother, greeting.
11:23. Our father being translated amongst the gods we are desirous that they that are in our realm should live quietly, and apply themselves diligently to their own concerns.
11:24. And we have heard that the Jews would not consent to my father to turn to the rites of the Greeks but that they would keep to their own manner of living and therefore that they request us to allow them to live after their own laws.
11:25. Wherefore being desirous that this nation also should be at rest, we have ordained and decreed, that the temple should be restored to them, and that they may live according to the custom of their ancestors.
11:26. Thou shalt do well, therefore, to send to them, and grant them peace, that our pleasure being known, they may be of good comfort, and look to their own affairs.
11:27. But the king's letter to the Jews was in this manner: King Antiochus to the senate of the Jews, and to the rest of the Jews, greeting.
11:28. If you are well, you are as we desire: we ourselves also are well.
11:29. Menelaus came to us, saying that you desired to come down to your countrymen, that are with us.
11:30. We grant, therefore, a safe conduct to all that come and go, until the thirtieth day of the month of Xanthicus,
11:31. That the Jews may use their own kind of meats, and their own laws, as before: and that none of them any manner of ways be molested for things which have been done by ignorance.
11:32. And we have sent also Menelaus to speak to you.
11:33. Fare ye well. In the year one hundred and forty-eight, the fifteenth day of the month of Xanthicus.
11:34. The Romans also sent them a letter, to this effect: Quintus Memmius, and Titus Manilius, ambassadors of the Romans, to the people of the Jews, greeting.
11:35. Whatsoever Lysias, the king's cousin, hath granted to you, we also have granted.
11:36. But touching such things as he thought should be referred to the king, after you have diligently conferred among yourselves, send some one forthwith, that we may decree as it is convenient for you: for we are going to Antioch.
11:37. And therefore make haste to write back, that we may know of what mind you are.
11:38. Fare ye well. In the year one hundred and forty-eight, the fifteenth day of the month of Xanthicus.
2 Machabees Chapter 12
The Jews are still molested by their neighbours. Judas gains divers victories over them. He orders sacrifice and prayers for the dead.
12:1. When these covenants were made, Lysias went to the king, and the Jews gave themselves to husbandry.
12:2. But they that were behind, viz. Timotheus, and Apollonius, the son of Genneus, also Hieronymus, and Demophon, and besides them Nicanor, the governor of Cyprus, would not suffer them to live in peace, and to be quiet.
12:3. The men of Joppe also were guilty of this kind of wickedness: they desired the Jews, who dwelt among them, to go with their wives and children into the boats, which they had prepared, as though they had no enmity to them.
12:4. Which when they had consented to, according to the common decree of the city, suspecting nothing, because of the peace: when they were gone forth into the deep, they drowned no fewer than two hundred of them.
12:5. But as soon as Judas heard of this cruelty done to his countrymen, he commanded the men that were with him: and after having called upon God, the just judge,
12:6. He came against those murderers of his brethren, and set the haven on fire in the night, burnt the boats, and slew with the sword them that escaped from the fire.
12:7. And when he had done these things in this manner, he departed as if he would return again, and root out all the Joppites.
12:8. But when he understood that the men of Jamnia also designed to do in like manner to the Jews that dwelt among them,
12:9. He came upon the Jamnites also by night, and set the haven on fire, with the ships, so that the light of the fire was seen at Jerusalem, two hundred and forty furlongs off.
12:10. And when they were now gone from thence nine furlongs, and were marching towards Timotheus, five thousand footmen, and five hundred horsemen of the Arabians, set upon them.
12:11. And after a hard fight, in which, by the help of God, they got the victory, the rest of the Arabians being overcome, besought Judas for peace, promising to give him pastures, and to assist him in other things.
12:12. And Judas thinking that they might be profitable indeed in many things, promised them peace, and after having joined hands, they departed to their tents.
12:13. He also laid siege to a certain strong city, encompassed with bridges and walls, and inhabited by multitudes of different nations, the name of which is Casphin.
12:14. But they that were within it, trusting in the strength of the walls, and the provision of victuals, behaved in a more negligent manner, and provoked Judas with railing and blaspheming, and uttering such words as were not to be spoken.
12:15. But Machabeus calling upon the great Lord of the world, who without any rams or engines of war threw down the walls of Jericho, in the time of Josue, fiercely assaulted the walls.
Rams. . .That is, engines for battering walls, etc., which were used in sieges in those times.
12:16. And having taken the city by the will of the Lord, he made an unspeakable slaughter, so that a pool adjoining, of two furlongs broad, seemed to run with the blood of the slain.
12:17. From thence they departed seven hundred and fifty furlongs, and came to Characa, to the Jews that are called Tubianites.
12:18. But as for Timotheus, they found him not in those places, for before he had dispatched any thing he went back, having left a very strong garrison in a certain hold:
12:19. But Dositheus, and Sosipater, who were captains with Machabeus, slew them that were left by Timotheus in the hold, to the number of ten thousand men.
12:20. And Machabeus having set in order about him six thousand men, and divided them by bands, went forth against Timotheus, who had with him a hundred and twenty thousand footmen, and two thousand five hundred horsemen.
12:21. Now when Timotheus had knowledge of the coming of Judas, he sent the women and children, and the other baggage, before him into a fortress, called Carnion: for it was impregnable, and hard to come at, by reason of the straitness of the places.
12:22. But when the first band of Judas came in sight, the enemies were struck with fear, by the presence of God, who seeth all things, and they were put to flight one from another, so that they were often thrown down by their own companions, and wounded with the strokes of their own swords.
12:23. But Judas pursued them close, punishing the profane, of whom he slew thirty thousand men.
12:24. And Timotheus himself fell into the hands of the band of Dositheus and Sosipater, and with many prayers he besought them to let him go with his life, because he had the parents and brethren of many of the Jews, who, by his death, might happen to be deceived.
12:25. And when he had given his faith that he would restore them according to the agreement, they let him go without hurt, for the saving of their brethren.
12:26. Then Judas went away to Carnion, where he slew five and twenty thousand persons.
12:27. And after he had put to flight and destroyed these, he removed his army to Ephron, a strong city, wherein there dwelt a multitude of divers nations: and stout young men standing upon the walls, made a vigorous resistance: and in this place there were many engines of war, and a provision of darts.
12:28. But when they had invocated the Almighty, who with his power breaketh the strength of the enemies, they took the city: and slew five and twenty thousand of them that were within.
12:29. From thence they departed to Scythopolis, which lieth six hundred furlongs from Jerusalem.
Scythopolis. . .Formerly called Bethsan.
12:30. But the Jews that were among the Scythopolitans testifying that they were used kindly by them, and that even in the times of their adversity they had treated them with humanity:
12:31. They gave them thanks, exhorting them to be still friendly to their nation, and so they came to Jerusalem, the feast of the weeks being at hand.
12:32. And after Pentecost they marched against Gorgias, the governor of Idumea.
12:33. And he came out with three thousand footmen and four hundred horsemen.
12:34. And when they had joined battle, it happened that a few of the Jews were slain.
12:35. But Dositheus, a horseman, one of Bacenor's band, a valiant man, took hold of Gorgias: and when he would have taken him alive, a certain horseman of the Thracians came upon him, and cut off his shoulder: and so Gorgias escaped to Maresa.
12:36. But when they that were with Esdrin had fought long, and were weary, Judas called upon the Lord to be their helper, and leader of the battle:
12:37. Then beginning in his own language, and singing hymns with a loud voice, he put Gorgias's soldiers to flight.
12:38. So Judas having gathered together his army, came into the city Odollam: and when the seventh day came, they purified themselves according to the custom, and kept the sabbath in the same place.
12:39. And the day following Judas came with his company, to take away the bodies of them that were slain, and to bury them with their kinsmen, in the sepulchres of their fathers.
12:40. And they found under the coats of the slain, some of the donaries of the idols of Jamnia, which the law forbiddeth to the Jews: so that all plainly saw, that for this cause they were slain.
Of the donaries, etc. . .That is, of the votive offerings, which had been hung up in the temples of the idols, which they had taken away when they burnt the port of Jamnia, ver. 9., contrary to the prohibition of the law, Deut. 7.25.
12:41. Then they all blessed the just judgment of the Lord, who had discovered the things that were hidden.
12:42. And so betaking themselves to prayers, they besought him, that the sin which had been committed might be forgotten. But the most valiant Judas exhorted the people to keep themselves from sin, forasmuch as they saw before their eyes what had happened, because of the sins of those that were slain.
12:43. And making a gathering, he sent twelve thousand drachms of silver to Jerusalem for sacrifice to be offered for the sins of the dead, thinking well and religiously concerning the resurrection.
12:44. (For if he had not hoped that they that were slain should rise again, it would have seemed superfluous and vain to pray for the dead,)
12:45. And because he considered that they who had fallen asleep with godliness, had great grace laid up for them.
With godliness. . .Judas hoped that these men who died fighting for the cause of God and religion, might find mercy: either because they might be excused from mortal sin by ignorance; or might have repented of their sin, at least at their death.
12:46. It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead, that they may be loosed from sins.
It is therefore a holy and wholesome thought to pray for the dead. . .Here is an evident and undeniable proof of the practice of praying for the dead under the old law, which was then strictly observed by the Jews, and consequently could not be introduced at that time by Judas, their chief and high priest, if it had not been always their custom.
2 Machabees Chapter 13
Antiochus and Lysias again invade Judea. Menelaus is put to death. The king's great army is worsted twice. The peace is renewed.
13:1. In the year one hundred and forty-nine, Judas understood that Antiochus Eupator was coming with a multitude against Judea,
13:2. And with him Lysias, the regent, who had charge over the affairs of the realm, having with him a hundred and ten thousand footmen, five thousand horsemen, twenty-two elephants, and three hundred chariots.
A hundred and ten thousand, etc. . .The difference between the numbers here set down, and those recorded, 1 Mac. 4, is easily accounted for; if we consider that such armies as these are liable to be at one time more numerous than at another; either by sending away large detachments, or being diminished by sickness; or increased by receiving fresh supplies of troops, according to different exigencies or occurrences.
13:3. Menelaus also joined himself with them: and with great deceitfulness besought Antiochus, not for the welfare of his country, but in hopes that he should be appointed chief ruler.
13:4. But the King of kings stirred up the mind of Antiochus against the sinner, and upon Lysias suggesting that he was the cause of all the evils, he commanded (as the custom is with them) that he should be apprehended and put to death in the same place.
13:5. Now there was in that place a tower fifty cubits high, having a heap of ashes on every side: this had a prospect steep down.
13:6. From thence he commanded the sacrilegious wretch to be thrown down into the ashes, all men thrusting him forward unto death.
13:7. And by such a law it happened that Menelaus the transgressor of the law, was put to death: not having so much as burial in the earth.
13:8. And indeed very justly, for insomuch as he had committed many sins against the altar of God, the fire and ashes of which were holy: he was condemned to die in ashes.
13:9. But the king, with his mind full of rage, came on to shew himself worse to the Jews than his father was.
13:10. Which when Judas understood, he commanded the people to call upon the Lord day and night, that as he had always done, so now also he would help them:
13:11. Because they were afraid to be deprived of the law, and of their country, and of the holy temple: and that he would not suffer the people, that had of late taken breath for a little while, to be again in subjection to blasphemous nations.
13:12. So when they had all done this together, and had craved mercy of the Lord with weeping and fasting, lying prostrate on the ground for three days continually, Judas exhorted them to make themselves ready.
13:13. But he, with the ancients, determined before the king should bring his army into Judea, and make himself master of the city, to go out, and to commit the event of the thing to the judgment of the Lord.
13:14. So committing all to God, the Creator of the world, and having exhorted his people to fight manfully, and to stand up even to death for the laws, the temple, the city, their country, and citizens: he placed his army about Modin.
13:15. And having given his company for a watchword, The victory of God, with most valiant chosen young men, he set upon the king's quarter by night, and slew four thousand men in the camp, and the greatest of the elephants, with them that had been upon him,
13:16. And having filled the camp of the enemies with exceeding great fear and tumult, they went off with good success.
13:17. Now this was done at the break of day, by the protection and help of the Lord.
13:18. But the king having taken a taste of the hardiness of the Jews, attempted to take the strong places by policy:
13:19. And he marched with his army to Bethsura, which was a strong hold of the Jews: but he was repulsed, he failed, he lost his men.
13:20. Now Judas sent necessaries to them that were within
13:21. But Rhodocus, one of the Jews' army, disclosed the secrets to the enemies, so he was sought out, and taken up, and put in prison.
13:22. Again the king treated with them that were in Bethsura: gave his right hand: took theirs: and went away.
13:23. He fought with Judas: and was overcome. And when he understood that Philip, who had been left over the affairs, had rebelled at Antioch, he was in a consternation of mind, and entreating the Jews, and yielding to them, he swore to all things that seemed reasonable, and, being reconciled, offered sacrifice, honoured the temple, and left gifts.
13:24. He embraced Machabeus, and made him governor and prince from Ptolemais unto the Gerrenians.
13:25. But when he was come to Ptolemais, the men of that city were much displeased with the conditions of the peace, being angry for fear they should break the covenant.
13:26. Then Lysias went up to the judgment seat, and set forth the reason, and appeased the people, and returned to Antioch: and thus matters went with regard to the king's coming and his return.
2 Machabees Chapter 14
Demetrius challenges the kingdom. Alcimus applies to him to be made high priest: Nicanor is sent into Judea: his dealings with Judas: his threats. The history of Razias.
14:1. But after the space of three years Judas, and they that were with him, understood that Demetrius, the son of Seleucus, was come up with a great power, and a navy by the haven of Tripolis, to places proper for his purpose,
14:2. And had made himself master of the countries against Antiochus, and his general, Lysias.
14:3. Now one Alcimus, who had been chief priest, but had wilfully defiled himself in the time of mingling with the heathens, seeing that there was no safety for him, nor access to the altar,
Now Alcimus, who had been chief priest. . .This Alcimus was of the stock of Aaron, but for his apostasy here mentioned was incapable of the high priesthood, but king Antiochus Eupator appointed him in place of the high priest, (see above, 1 Mac. chap. 7., ver. 9,) as Menelaus had been before him, set up by Antiochus (above chap. 4.), yet neither of them were truly high priests; for the true high priesthood was amongst the Machabees, who were also of the stock of Aaron, and had strictly held their religion, and were ordained according to the rites commanded in the law of Moses.--Ibid. Mingling. . .with the heathens; that is, in their idolatrous worship.
14:4. Came to king Demetrius in the year one hundred and fifty, presenting unto him a crown of gold, and a palm, and besides these, some boughs that seemed to belong to the temple. And that day indeed he held his peace.
14:5. But having gotten a convenient time to further his madness, being called to counsel by Demetrius, and asked what the Jews relied upon, and what were their counsels,
14:6. He answered thereunto: They among the Jews that are called Assideans, of whom Judas Machabeus is captain, nourish wars, and raise seditions, and will not suffer the realm to be in peace.
14:7. For I also being deprived of my ancestor's glory (I mean of the high priesthood) am now come hither:
14:8. Principally indeed out of fidelity to the king's interests, but in the next place also to provide for the good of my countrymen: for all our nation suffereth much from the evil proceedings of these men.
14:9. Wherefore, O king, seeing thou knowest all these things, take care, I beseech thee, both of the country, and of our nation, according to thy humanity which is known to all men.
14:10. For as long as Judas liveth it is not possible that the state should be quiet.
14:11. Now when this man had spoken to this effect the rest also of the king's friends, who were enemies of Judas, incensed Demetrius against him.
14:12. And forthwith he sent Nicanor, the commander over the elephants, governor into Judea:
14:13. Giving him in charge, to take Judas himself: and disperse all them that were with him, and to make Alcimus the high priest of the great temple.
14:14. Then the Gentiles who had fled out of Judea, from Judas, came to Nicanor by flocks, thinking the miseries and calamities of the Jews to be the welfare of their affairs.
14:15. Now when the Jews heard of Nicanor's coming, and that the nations were assembled against them, they cast earth upon their heads, and made supplication to him who chose his people to keep them for ever, and who protected his portion by evident signs.
14:16. Then at the commandment of their captain, they forthwith removed from the place where they were, and went to the town of Dessau, to meet them.
14:17. Now Simon, the brother of Judas, had joined battle with Nicanor: but was frightened with the sudden coming of the adversaries.
14:18. Nevertheless Nicanor hearing of the valour of Judas's companions, and the greatness of courage, with which they fought for their country, was afraid to try the matter by the sword.
14:19. Wherefore he sent Posidonius, and Theodotius and Matthias before to present and receive the right hands.
14:20. And when there had been a consultation thereupon, and the captain had acquainted the multitude with it, they were all of one mind to consent to covenants.
14:21. So they appointed a day upon which they might come together by themselves: and seats were brought out, and set for each one.
14:22. But Judas ordered armed men to be ready in convenient places, lest some mischief might be suddenly practised by the enemies: so they made an agreeable conference.
14:23. And Nicanor abode in Jerusalem, and did no wrong, but sent away the flocks of the multitudes that had been gathered together.
14:24. And Judas was always dear to him from the heart, and he was well affected to the man.
14:25. And he desired him to marry a wife, and to have children. So he married: he lived quietly, and they lived in common.
14:26. But Alcimus seeing the love they had one to another, and the covenants, came to Demetrius, and told him that Nicanor had assented to the foreign interest, for that he meant to make Judas, who was a traitor to the kingdom, his successor.
14:27. Then the king, being in a rage, and provoked with this man's wicked accusation, wrote to Nicanor, signifying that he was greatly displeased with the covenant of friendship: and that he commanded him nevertheless to send Machabeus prisoner in all haste to Antioch.
14:28. When this was known, Nicanor was in a consternation, and took it grievously that he should make void the articles that were agreed upon, having received no injury from the man.
14:29. But because he could not oppose the king, he watched an opportunity to comply with the orders
14:30. But when Machabeus perceived that Nicanor was more stern to him, and that when they met together as usual he behaved himself in a rough manner; and was sensible that this rough behaviour came not of good, he gathered together a few of his men, and hid himself from Nicanor.
14:31. But he finding himself notably prevented by the man, came to the great and holy temple: and commanded the priests that were offering the accustomed sacrifices, to deliver him the man.
14:32. And when they swore unto him, that they knew not where the man was whom he sought, he stretched out his hand to the temple,
14:33. And swore, saying: Unless you deliver Judas prisoner to me, I will lay this temple of God even with the ground, and will beat down the altar, and I will dedicate this temple to Bacchus.
14:34. And when he had spoken thus, he departed. But the priests stretching forth their hands to heaven, called upon him that was ever the defender of their nation, saying in this manner:
14:35. Thou, O Lord of all things, who wantest nothing, wast pleased that the temple of thy habitation should be amongst us.
14:36. Therefore now, O Lord, the holy of all holies, keep this house for ever undefiled, which was lately cleansed.
14:37. Now Razias, one of the ancients of Jerusalem, was accused to Nicanor, a man that was a lover of the city, and of good report, who for his kindness was called the father of the Jews.
14:38. This man, for a long time, had held fast his purpose of keeping himself pure in the Jews' religion, and was ready to expose his body and life, that he might persevere therein.
14:39. So Nicanor being willing to declare the hatred that he bore the Jews, sent five hundred soldiers to take him.
14:40. For he thought by ensnaring him to hurt the Jews very much.
14:41. Now as the multitude sought to rush into his house, and to break open the door, and to set fire to it, when he was ready to be taken, he struck himself with his sword:
He struck himself, etc. . .St. Augustine, (Epist. 61, ad Dulcitium, et lib. 2, cap. 23, ad Epist. 2, Gaud.) discussing this fact of Razias, says, that the holy scripture relates it, but doth not praise it, as to be admired or imitated, and that either it was not well done by him, or at least not proper in this time of grace.
14:42. Choosing to die nobly rather than to fall into the hands of the wicked, and to suffer abuses unbecoming his noble birth.
14:43. But whereas through haste he missed of giving a sure wound, and the crowd was breaking into the doors, he ran boldly to the wall, and manfully threw himself down to the crowd:
14:44. But they quickly making room for his fall, he came upon the midst of the neck.
He came upon the midst of the neck. . .Venit per mediam cervicem. In the Greek it is keneona, which signifies a void place, where there is no building.
14:45. And as he had yet breath in him, being inflamed in mind, he arose: and while his blood ran down with a great stream, and he was grievously wounded, he ran through the crowd:
14:46. And standing upon a steep rock, when he was now almost without blood, grasping his bowels, with both hands he cast them upon the throng, calling upon the Lord of life and spirit, to restore these to him again: and so he departed this life.
2 Machabees Chapter 15
Judas encouraged by a vision gains a glorious victory over Nicanor. The conclusion.
15:1. But when Nicanor understood that Judas was in the places of Samaria, he purposed to set upon him with all violence, on the sabbath day.
15:2. And when the Jews that were constrained to follow him, said: Do not act so fiercely and barbarously, but give honour to the day that is sanctified: and reverence him that beholdeth all things:
15:3. That unhappy man asked, if there were a mighty One in heaven, that had commanded the sabbath day to be kept.
15:4. And when they answered: There is the living Lord himself in heaven, the mighty One, that commanded the seventh day to be kept.
15:5. Then he said: And I am mighty upon the earth, and I command to take arms, and to do the king's business. Nevertheless he prevailed not to accomplish his design.
15:6. So Nicanor being puffed up with exceeding great pride, thought to set up a public monument of his victory over Judas.
15:7. But Machabeus ever trusted with all hope that God would help them.
15:8. And he exhorted his people not to fear the coming of the nations, but to remember the help they had before received from heaven, and now to hope for victory from the Almighty.
15:9. And speaking to them out of the law, and the prophets, and withal putting them in mind of the battles they had fought before, he made them more cheerful:
15:10. Then after he had encouraged them, he shewed withal the falsehood of the Gentiles, and their breach of oaths.
15:11. So he armed every one of them, not with defence of shield and spear, but with very good speeches, and exhortations, and told them a dream worthy to be believed, whereby he rejoiced them all.
15:12. Now the vision was in this manner. Onias, who had been high priest, a good and virtuous man, modest in his looks, gentle in his manners, and graceful in speech, and who from a child was exercised in virtues holding up his hands, prayed for all the people of the Jews:
15:13. After this there appeared also another man, admirable for age, and glory, and environed with great beauty and majesty:
15:14. Then Onias answering, said: This is a lover of his brethren, and of the people of Israel: this is he that prayeth much for the people, and for all the holy city, Jeremias, the prophet of God.
15:15. Whereupon Jeremias stretched forth his right hand, and gave to Judas a sword of gold, saying:
15:16. Take this holy sword, a gift from God, wherewith thou shalt overthrow the adversaries of my people Israel.
15:17. Thus being exhorted with the words of Judas, which were very good, and proper to stir up the courage, and strengthen the hearts of the young men, they resolved to fight, and to set upon them manfully: that valour might decide the matter, because the holy city, and the temple were in danger.
15:18. For their concern was less for their wives, and children, and for their brethren, and kinsfolks: but their greatest and principal fear was for the holiness of the temple.
15:19. And they also that were in the city, had no little concern for them that were to be engaged in battle.
15:20. And now when all expected what judgment would be given, and the enemies were at hand, and the army was set in array, the beasts and the horsemen ranged in convenient places,
15:21. Machabeus considering the coming of the multitude, and the divers preparations of armour, and the fierceness of the beasts, stretching out his hands to heaven, called upon the Lord, that worketh wonders, who giveth victory to them that are worthy, not according to the power of their arms, but according as it seemeth good to him.
15:22. And in his prayer he said after this manner: Thou, O Lord, who didst send thy angel in the time of Ezechias, king of Juda, and didst kill a hundred and eighty-five thousand of the army of Sennacherib:
15:23. Send now also, O Lord of heaven, thy good angel before us, for the fear and dread of the greatness of thy arm,
15:24. That they may be afraid, who come with blasphemy against thy holy people. And thus he concluded his prayer.
15:25. But Nicanor, and they that were with him came forward, with trumpets and songs.
15:26. But Judas, and they that were with him, encountered them, calling upon God by prayers:
15:27. So fighting with their hands, but praying to the Lord with their hearts, they slew no less than five and thirty thousand, being greatly cheered with the presence of God.
15:28. And when the battle was over, and they were returning with joy, they understood that Nicanor was slain in his armour.
15:29. Then making a shout, and a great noise, they blessed the Almighty Lord in their own language.
15:30. And Judas, who was altogether ready, in body and mind, to die for his countrymen, commanded that Nicanor's head, and his hand, with the shoulder, should be cut off, and carried to Jerusalem.
15:31. And when he was come thither, having called together his countrymen, and the priests to the altar, he sent also for them that were in the castle,
15:32. And shewing them the head of Nicanor, and the wicked hand, which he had stretched out, with proud boasts, against the holy house of the Almighty God,
15:33. He commanded also, that the tongue of the wicked Nicanor should be cut out, and given by pieces to birds, and the hand of the furious man to be hanged up over against the temple.
15:34. Then all blessed the Lord of heaven, saying: Blessed be he that hath kept his own place undefiled.
15:35. And he hung up Nicanor's head in the top of the castle, that it might be an evident and manifest sign of the help of God.
15:36. And they all ordained by a common decree, by no means to let this day pass without solemnity:
15:37. But to celebrate the thirteenth day of the month of Adar, called in the Syrian language, the day before Mardochias' day.
15:38. So these things being done with relation to Nicanor, and from that time the city being possessed by the Hebrews, I also will here make an end of my narration.
15:39. Which if I have done well, and as it becometh the history, it is what I desired: but if not so perfectly, it must be pardoned me.
If not so perfectly, etc. . .This is not said with regard to the truth of the narration; but with regard to the style and manner of writing: which in the sacred penmen is not always the most accurate. See St. Paul, 2 Cor. 11.6.
15:40. For as it is hurtful to drink always wine, or always water, but pleasant to use sometimes the one, and sometimes the other: so if the speech be always nicely framed, it will not be grateful to the readers. But here it shall be ended.
APPENDICES
These texts come from the 1610 Doway printing of the second tome of the Old Testament (see the 'History' section at the top of the e-text). The primary sources provide a glimpse both into the history of the Douay- Rheims version and the English language itself. The reader will quickly notice that the letter 'j' does not appear in the texts, rather 'i' functions either as a vowel or a consonant. Likewise 'u' is not a distinct letter; it is employed typographically in the lower-case in place of 'v' where not starting a word. The letters 'u' and 'v' both function either as vowels or consonants. The word 'vniuersity' demonstrates this rule. The letter 'w' is often employed, but in some cases the earlier form of a double-v (vv) appears instead.
The transcriber has done his best to render the text accurately. Note the relaxed spelling standards of the time; many variants appear. While the errata section from the 1610 edition observed: "We haue also found some other faultes of lesse importance; and feare there be more. But we trust the reader may easely correct them, as they occurre." only obvious errors have been amended. Where the transcriber has doubt between whether an irregular spelling is either an error and a variant, the printed text stands. 7-bit ASCII cannot fully represent the typographical standards of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, and many special characters have been replaced with modern equivalents. Where verse numbers stand in the margins of the printed texts, they have been transferred to the body; the verse numbers in the 'Prayer of Manasses' have been supplied from other versions. Reference notes have been transferred from the margins, and their abbreviations modernized.
ADDITIONAL BOOKS
The prayer of Manasses, vvith the third & fourth Bookes of Esdras, extant in most Latin and vulgare Bibles, are here placed after al the Canonical bookes, of the old Testament: because they are not receiued into the Canon of Diuine Scriptures by the Catholique Church.
THE PRAYER OF MANASSES KING OF IVDA, WHEN HE WAS HELD CAPTIVE IN BABYLON.
LORD omnipotent God of our fathers, Abraham, & Isaac, and Iacob, and of their iust sede, (2 Par 33:12) [2] which didst make heauen and earth: with al the ornamentes of them, [3] which hast bound the sea with the word of thy precept, which hast shut vp the depth, and sealed it with thy terrible and laudable name: [4] whom al thinges dread, & tremble at the countinance of thy powre, [5] because the magnificence of thy glorie is importable, & the wrath of thy threatning vpon sinners is intollerable: [6] but the mercie of thy promise is infinite and vnsearchable: [7] because thou art our Lord, most high, benigne, long suffering, and very merciful, and penitent vpon the wickednes of men. Thou Lord according to the multitude of thy goodnes hast promised penance, and remission to them that haue sinned to thee, and by the multitude of thy mercies thou hast decreed penance to sinners, vnto saluation. [8] Thou therfore Lord God of the iust, hast not appointed penance to the iust, Abraham, & Isaac and Iacob, them that haue not sinned to thee, but hast appointed penance for me a sinner: [9] because I haue sinned aboue the number of the sand of the sea. Myne iniquities Lord be multiplied, mine iniquities be multiplied, and I am not worthie to behold, & looke vpon the height of heauen, for the multitude of mine iniquities. [10] I am made crooked with manie a band of yron, that I can not lift vp my head, and I haue not respiration: because I haue stirred vp thy wrath, and haue done euil before thee: I haue not done thy wil, and thy commandmentes I haue not kept: I haue set vp abominations, and multiplied offenses. [11] And now I bowe the knee of my hart, beseeching goodnes of thee. [12] I haue sinned Lord, I haue sinned, & I acknowlege myne iniquities. [13] Wherefore I beseech disiring thee, forgeue me Lord, forgeue me: and destroy me not together with myne iniquities, neither reserue thou for euer, being angrie, euils for me, neither damme me into the lowest places of the earth: because thou art Lord, God, I say, of the penitent: [14] in me thou shalt shew al thy goodnes because thou shalt saue me vnworthie according to thy great mercie, [15] and I wil prayse thee alwayes al the dayes of my life: because al the power of the heauens prayseth thee, and to thee is glorie for euer and euer. Amen.
THE THIRD BOOKE OF ESDRAS.
For helpe of the readers, especially such as haue not leysure to read al, vve haue gathered the contentes of the chapters; but made no Annotations: because the text it self is but as a Commentarie to the Canonical bookes; and therfore we haue only added the concordance of other Scriptures in the margin.
CHAP. I.
Iosias king of Iuda maketh a great Pasch, 7. geuing manie hostes to such as wanted for sacrifice: 14. the Priestes and Leuites performing their functions therin: 22. in the eightenth yeare of his reigne, 25. He is slayne in battel by the king of AEgypt, 32. and much lamented by the Iewes. 34. His sonne Ieconias succedeth. 37. After him Ioacim, 40. who is deposed by the king of Babylon. 43. Ioachim reigneth three monethes, and is caried into Babylon. 46. Sedecias reigneth eleuen yeares wickedly. 52. and he with his people is caried captiue into Babylon, the citie and temple are destroyed. 57. so remayned til the Monarchie of the Persians.
AND Iosias made a Pasch in Ierusalem to our Lord & immolated the Phase the fourtenth moone of the moneth: (4 Kings 23:21 / 2 Par 35:1) 2 appointing the Priestes by courses of dayes clothed with stoles in the temple of our Lord. 3 And he spake to the Leuites the sacred seruantes of Isreal, that they should sanctifie them selues to our Lord in the placing of the holie arke of our Lord in the house, which king Salomon sonne of Dauid built. 4 It shal not be for you to take it vpon your shoulders. And now serue your Lord, and take the care of that nation Israel, in part according to your villages and tribes, 5 according to the writing of Dauid king of Israel, and according to the magnificence of Salomon his sonne, al in the temple, and according to your fathers portion of principalitie, among them that stand in the sight of your brethren the children of Isreal. 6 Immolate the Pasch, and prepare the sacrifices for your bretheren, and doe according to the precept of our Lord which was geuen to Moyses. (Ex 12 / Lev 23 / Num 28) 7 And Iosias gaue vnto the people that was found of sheepe, lambes, and kiddes, and goates thirtie thousand, calues there thousand. 8 These thinges were geuen to the people of the kinges goodes according to promisse: and to the priestes for the Phase, sheepe in number two thousand, and calues an hundred. 9 And Iechonias, and Semeias, and Nathanael bretheren, and Hasabias, and Oziel, and Coraba for the Phase sheepe fiue thousand, calues fiue hundred. 10 And when these thinges were done in good order, the Priestes an the Leuites stood hauing azymes by tribes. 11 And according to the portions of their fathers principalitie, in the sight of the people they did offer, to our Lord according to those thinges, which were written in the booke of Moyses: 12 and rosted the Phase with fire as it ought: and the hostes they boyled in cauldrons, and in pottes with beneuolence: 13 and they brought to al that were of the people: and afterward they prepared for them selues and the priestes. 14 For the Priestes offered the fatte, vntil the houre was ended: and the Leuites prepared for them selues, and their brethren, the children of Aaron. 15 And the sacred singing men, the children of Asaph were by order according to the precept of Dauid and Asaph, and Zacharias, and Ieddimus, which was from the king. 16 And the porters at euerie gate, so that none transgressed his owne: for their brethren prepared for them. 17 And the thinges were consummate that perteyned to the sacrifice of our Lord. 18 In that day they celebrated the Phase, and offered hostes vpon the sacrifice of our Lord, according to the precept of king Iosias. 19 And the children of Israel, that were found at that time, celebrated the Phase: and the festiual day of Azymes for seuen dayes: 20 and there was not celebrated such a Phase in Isreal, from the times of Samuel the prophet: 21 and al the kinges of Israel did not celebrate such a Phase as Iosias did, and the Priestes, and the Leuites, and the Iewes, and al Israel, that were found in their abode at Ierusalem. 22 In the eightenth yeare, Iosias reigning was the Phase celebrated. 23 And the workes of Iosias were directed in the sight of his Lord in a hart ful of feare: 24 and the thinges concerning him are writen in the ancient times, touching them that sinned, and were irreligous against our Lord aboue al nations, and that sought not the wordes of our Lord vpon Israel. 25 And after al this fact of Iosias, came vp Pharao the king of AEgypt comming in Charcamis from the way vpon Euphrates, and Iosias went forth to meete him. (4 Kings 23:29 / 2 Par 35:20) 26 And the king of AEgypt sent to Iosias saying: What is there betwen me & thee king of Iuda? 27 I was not sent of the Lord to fight against thee: for my battel is vpon Euphrates, goe downe in hast. 28 And Iosias did not returne vpon his chariote: but endeuoured to ouerthrow him, not attending the word of the prophet from the mouth of our Lord: 29 but he made battel against him in the field of Mageddo. And princes went downe to king Iosias. 30 And the king said to his seruantes: Remoue me from the battel, for I am weakned excedingly. And forthwith his seruantes remoued him out of the battel. 31 And he went vp into his second chariote: & comming to Ierusalem, dyed, and was buried in his fathers sepulchre. 32 And in al Iurie they mourned for Iosias, & the rulers with their wiues lamented him vntil this day. And this was geuen out to be done alwayes vnto al the stocke of Israel. 33 But these thinges were writen before in the booke of the histories of the kinges of Iuda: and al the actes of the doing of Iosias, and his glorie and his vnderstanding in the law of our Lord: and the thinges that were done by him, and that are not writen in the booke of the kinges of Israel and Iuda. 34 And they that were of the nation, taking Iechonias the sonne of Iosias, made him king for Iosias his father, when he was three and twentie yeares old. (4 Kings 23:30 / 2 Par 36:1) 35 And he reigned ouer Israel three monethes. And the king of AEgypt remoued him, that he should not reigne in Ierusalem: 36 and he put a taxe vpon the nation of siluer an hundred talentes, and of gold one talent. 37 And the king of AEgypt made Ioacim his brother king of Iuda and Ierusalem: 38 and he bound the magistrates of Ioacim, and Zaracel his brother, and taking them brought them backe into AEgypt. 39 Ioacim was fiue and twentie yeares old when he began to reigne in the land of Iuda and Ierusalem: and he did euil in the sight of our Lord. 40 And after this man came vp Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon, and binding him with a bande of brasse, brought him into Babylon. 41 And Nabuchodonosor tooke the sacred vessels of our Lord, and carried away, and consecrated them in his temple in Babylon. 42 For his vncleanes, and lacke of religion is written in the booke of the times of the kinges. 43 And Ioachin his sonne reigned for him. And when he was made king, he was eightene yeares old. 44 And reigned three monethes and ten dayes in Ierusalem, and did euil in the sight of our Lord: 45 and after a yeare Nabuchodonosor sending, transported him into Babylon together with the sacred vessels of our Lord. (4 Kings 24:13) 46 And he made Sedecias king of Iuda and Ierusalem, when he was one and twentie yeares old: (4 Kings 24:17) and he reigned eleuen yeares. 47 And he did euil in the sight of our Lord, and was not afraid of the wordes which were spoken by Ieremie the prophet from the mouth of our Lord: (Jer 37:2) 48 and being sworne of king Nabuchodonosor, forsworne he did reuolt: and his necke being hardened, & his hart, he transgressed the ordinances of our Lord the God of Israel. 49 And the princes of the people of our Lord did manie thinges wickedly, and they did impiously aboue al the vncleannes of the nations: and they polluted the temple of our Lord that was holie of Ierusalem. 50 And the God of their fathers sent by his messenger to reclame them, for that he would spare them, and his tabernacle. 51 But they scorned at his messengers: and in the day that our Lord spake to them, they were mocking his prophetes. 52 Who was moued euen vnto wrath vpon his nation for their impietie, and commanded the kinges of the Chaldees to come vp. 53 These slewe their yong men with the sword, round about their holie temple, and spared not yong man, and old man, and virgin, and youth: 54 but al were deliuered into their handes: & taking al the sacred vessels of our Lord, and the kinges treasures, they caried them into Babylon, 55 and burnt the house of our Lord, and threwe downe the walles of Ierusalem: and the towres therof they burnt with fire, 56 and consumed al their honorable thinges, and brought them to naught, and those that were left of the sword, they led into Babylon. 57 And they were his seruants vntil the Persians reigned in the fulfilling of the word of our Lord by the mouth of Ieremie: (Jer 25:12 / Jer 29:10 / Dan 9:2) 58 as long as the land quietly kept her sabbathes, al the time of her desolation she sabbathized in the application of seuentie yeares.
CHAP. II.
Cyrus king of Persia permitteth the Iewes to returne into their countrie: 10. and deliuereth to them the holie vessels, which Nabuchodonosor had taken from the temple. 16. Certaine aduersaries writing to king Artaxerxes, hinder those that would repayre the ruines of Ierusalem.
CYRVS king of the Persians reigning for the accomplishment of the word of our Lord by the mouth of Ieremie, (2 Par 36:22 / 1 Esd 1:1 / 1 Esd 6:3 / Jer 25:12 / Jer 29:10 / Dan 9:2) 2 our Lord raysed vp the spirit of Cyrus king of the Persians, and he proclaymed in al his kingdomes, and that by writing, 3 saying: Thus sayth Cyrus king of the Persians: The Lord of Israel, the high Lord, hath made me king ouer the whole earth. 4 and hath signified to me to build him a house in Ierusalem, which is in Iurie. 5 If there be any of your kinred, his Lord goe vp with him into Ierusalem. 6 Whosoeuer therefore dwel about the places, let them helpe them that are in the same place, in gold and siluer, 7 in giftes, with horses, and beastes, and with other thinges which by vowes are added into the temple of our Lord, which is in Ierusalem. 8 And the princes of the tribes, of the villages and of Iurie, of the tribe of Beniamin, & the Priestes, and the Leuites standing vp, whom our Lord moued to goe vp, and to build the house of our Lord which is in Ierusalem, and they that were round about them, 9 did helpe them with al their gold and siluer, and beastes, and manie whose minde was stirred vp, with many vowes. 10 And Cyrus the king brought forth the sacred vessel of our Lord, which Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon transported out of Ierusalem, and consecrated them to his Idol. 11 And Cyrus the king of Persians bringing them forth, deliuered them to Mithridatus, who was ouer his treasures. 12 And by him they were deliuered to Salmanasar president of Iurie. 13 And of these this was the number: Cuppes for libamentes of siluer two thousand foure hundred, basens of siluer thirtie: phials of gold thirtie, also of siluer two thousand foure hundred: and other vessels a thousand. 14 and al the vessels of gold and siluer, were fiue thousand eight hundred sixtie. 15 And they were numbered to Salmanasar together with them, that came out of the captiuite of Babylon into Ierusalem. 16 But in the times of Artaxerxes king of the Persians, there wrote to him of them that dwelt in Iurie and Ierusalem, Balsamus, and Mithridatus, and Sabellius, and Rathimus, Balthemus, Sabellius scribe, and the rest dweling in Samaria, and other places the epistle folowing to king Artaxerxes. (1 Esd 4:7) 17 SIR, thy seruantes Rathimus ouer occurrentes, and Sabellius the scribe, and the other iudges of thy court in Caelesyria, and Phenice. 18 And now be it knowen to our Lord the king, that Iewes came vp from you to vs, coming into Ierusalem a rebellious, & very naughty citie, do build the fornaces thereof, and set vp the walles, and rayse the temple. 19 And if this citie, and the walles shal be finished, they wil not onlie not abyde to pay tributes, but also wil resist the kinges. 20 And because that is in doing about the temple, we thought it should doe wel not to neglect this same thing: 21 but to make it knowen to our Lord the king, that if it shal seme good, o king it may be sought in the bookes of thy fathers, 22 and thou shalt find in the recordes, thinges writen of these, and thou shalt know that this citie hath bene rebellious, and trubling kinges, and cities, 23 and the Iewes rebelles, & making battels in it from time out of mind, for the which cause this citie was made desolate. 24 Now therfore we doe thee to vnderstand, Lord king, that if this citie shal be built, and the walles therof shal be erected, there wil be no comming downe for thee into Caelesyria, & Phenice. 25 Then wrote the king to Rathimus, the writer of the occurrentes, and to Balthemus, and to Sabellius the scribe, and to the rest ioyned with them, and to the dwellers in Syria, and Phenice, as foloweth: 26 I haue read the epistle that you sent me. I commanded therfore search to be made, & it was found that the same citie is from the beginning rebellious to kinges, 27 and the men rebelles, and making battels in it, & there were most valient kinges ruling in Ierusalem, and exacting tributes in Caelesyria, & Phenice. 28 Now therfore I haue geuen commandment to forbid those men to build the citie, and to stay them that nothing be done more then is: 29 and that they proceeded not farder, wherof are euils, so that there may be truble brougt vpon the kinges. 30 Then these things being read which were writen of king Artaxerxes, Rathimus, and Sabellius the scribe, and they that were apointed with them ioyning together in hast came to Ierusalem with a troupe of horsemen, and multitude, & companie: 31 and they begane to forbid the builders, and they ceased from building of the temple in Ierusalem, til in the second yeare of the reigne of Darius king of the Persians.
CHAP. III.
After a solemne supper made to al the court, and chief princes, king Darius sleeping: 4. three esquires of the bodie keeping watch, proposed the question: 10. VVhether wine, or a King, or wemen, or the truth doth excel? 17. The first prayseth wine.
KING Darius made a great supper to al his domestical seruantes, and to al the magistrates of Media and Persia, 2 and to al that were purple, and to the praetors, and counsuls, and liuetenantes vnder him from India vnto AEthiopia, an hundred twentie seuen prouinces. 3 And when they had eaten and drunken, and returned ful, then Darius went vp into his chamber, and slept, and awaked. 4 Then those three youngmen kepers of his bodie, which garded the kings bodie, sayd one to an other; 5 Let euerie one of vs say a word that may excel: & whose word soeuer shal appeare wiser then the others, to him wil king Darius geue great giftes, 6 to be couered with purple, & to drinke in gold, and to sleepe vpon gold, & a chariote with a bridle of gold, & a bonet of silke, and a cheyne about his necke: 7 and he shal sit in the second place next Darius for his wisdome. And he shal be called the cosin of Darius. 8 Then euerie one writing his word signed it, and they put it vnder the pillow of Darius the king, 9 and they sayd. When the king shal rise, we wil geue him our writinges: and which soeuer of the three the king shal iudge, and the magistrates of Persia, that his word is the wiser, to him shal the victorie be geuen as is writen. 10 One wrote: Wine is strong. 11 An other wrote, a King is stronger. 12 The third wrote, Wemen are more strong: but aboue al thinges truth ouercometh. 13 And when the king was risen, they tooke their writinges, and gaue him, and he read. 14 And sending he called al the Magistrates of Persians, and the Medes, and them that weare purple, and the pretors, and the ouerseers; 15 and they sate in the councel: and the writinges were read before them. 16 And he sayd: Cal the youngmen, and they shal declare their owne wordes. And they were called, and went in. 17 And he sayd to them: Declare vnto vs concerning these thinges which are writen. And the first began, he that had spoken of the strength of wine, 18 and sayd: O ye men, how doth wine preuaile ouer al men that drinke! it seduceth the minde. 19 And also the mind of king and orphane it maketh vaine. Also of the bondman and the free, of the rich man and the poore, 20 and euerie mind it turneth into securitie and pleasantnes, and it remembreth not any sorow and dewtie, 21 and al hartes it maketh honest, and it remembreth not king, nor magistrate, and it maketh a man speake al thinges by talentes. 22 And when they haue drunke, they remember not frendship, nor brotherhood: yea and not long after they take swordes. 23 And when they are recouered and risen from the wine, they remember not what they haue done. 24 O ye men, doth not wine excel? who thinketh to doe so? And hauing sayd this, he held his peace.
CHAP. IIII.
The second prayseth the excellencie of a king: 13. The third (which is Zorobabel) commendeth wemen: 33. but preferreth truth aboue al. 41. VVhich is so approued, and he is rewarded. 42. The king moreouer at his request restoreth the holie vessels of the temple, and granteth meanes to build the citie of Ierusalem, and the temple.
AND the next began to speake, he that spake of the strength of a king. 2 O ye men doe not the men excel, which obteyne land and sea, and al thinges that are in them? 3 But a king excelleth aboue al thinges, and hath dominion ouer them: and euerie thing whatsoeuer he shal say to them, they doe. 4 And if he send them to warryers, they goe, and throw downe mountaines, and the walles, and towers. 5 They kil, and are killed: and the kinges word they transgresse not. For if they shal ouercome, they bring to the king al thinges whatsoeuer they haue taken for a praye. 6 In like maner also al others, for so many as are not souldiars, nor fight, but til the ground: when they shal reape, againe they bring tributes to the king. 7 And he being one onlie if he say: Kil ye, they kil: say he: forgeue, the forgeue. 8 say he: strike: they strike: say he, destroy, they destroy: say he build, they build. 9 say he, cut downe, they cut downe, say he plant, they plant: 10 and al the people, & potestates here him, and beside this he sitteth downe, and drinketh, and sleepeth. 11 And others gard him round about, and can not goe euerie one, and doe their owne workes, but at a word are obedient to him. 12 O ye men, how doth not a king excel that is so renowmed? And he held his peace. 13 The third that spake of wemen and truth, this is Zorobabel, began to speake. 14 O ye men, not the great king, & many men, neither is it wine that dothe excel. Who is it then that hath the dominion of them? 15 Haue not wemen brought forth the king, and al the people, that ruleth ouer land & sea: 16 and were they not borne of them, and did not they bring vp them which planted the vineyardes, whereof wine is made? 17 And they make the garmentes of al men, & they doe honor to al men, and men can not be separed from wemen. 18 If they haue gathered gold and siluer, and euerie beutiful thing, & see a woman comelie and fayre, 19 leauing al these thinges they fixe their looke vpon her, & with open mouth beholde her, and allure her more then gold and siluer, and euerie precious thing. 20 Man forsaketh his father that brought him vp, and his countrie, and ioyneth himself to a woman. 21 And with a woman he refresheth his soul: and neither doth he remember father, nor mother, nor countrie. 22 And hereby you must know that wemen rule ouer you. Are you not sorie? 23 And a man taketh his sword, & goeth into the way to commit theftes and murders, & to sayle seas & riuers, 24 and seeth a lyon, and goeth in darkenes: and when he hath committed theft, and fraude, and spoyles, he bringeth it to his beloued. 25 And againe, man loueth his wife more then father or mother. 26 And many haue become madde for their wiues: and haue been made bondmen for them: 27 and many haue perished and bene slayne, and haue sinned for wemen. 28 And now beleue me, that the king is great in his powre: because al countries are afrayd to touch him. 29 Neuertheles I saw Apemes the daughter of Bezaces the concubine of a meruelous king, sitting by the king at his right hand, 30 and taking of the crowne from his head, and putting it vpon her self, and with the palme of her left hand she stroke the king. 31 And beside these thinges he with open mouth beheld her: and if she smiled he laugheth, and if she be angrie with him, he flattereth, til he be reconciled to her fauour. 32 O ye men, why are not wemen stronger? Great is the earth, and high is the heauen: who doeth these thinges? 33 And then the king and they that weare purple looked one vpon an other. And he began to speake of truth. 34 O ye men, are not wemen strong? The earth is great and heauen is high: & the swift course of the sunne turneth the heauen round into his place in one day. 35 Is not he magnifical that doth these thinges, and the truth great, and stronger aboue al thinges? 36 Al the earth calleth vpon the truth, heauen also blesseth it, and al workes are moued, and tremble at it, and there is not any thing with it vniust. 37 Wine is vniust, the king is vniust, wemen are vniust, al the sonnes of men are vniust, and al their workes are vniust, and in them is not truth, and they shal perish in their iniquitie: 38 and truth abydeth, and groweth strong for euer, and liueth, and preuayleth for euer and euer. 39 Neither is there with it acception of persons, nor differences: but the thinges that are iust it doth to al men, to the vniust and malignant, and al men are wel pleased in the workes thereof. 40 And there is no vniust thing in the iudgement therof, but strength, and reigne, and power, and maiestie of worldes. Blessed be the God of truth. 41 And he left speaking. And al the people cryed, and sayd: Great is truth and it preuaileth. 42 Then the king sayd to him: Aske, if thou wilt any more, then the thinges that are writen, and I wil geue it thee, according as thou art found wiser then thy neighbours, & thou shalt sitte next to me, and shalt be called my cosin. 43 Then sayd he to the king: Be midful of thy vow, which thou hast vowed, to build Ierusalem in the day that thou didst receiue the kingdom: 44 and to send backe al the vessels that were taken out of Ierusalem, which Cyrus separated, when he sacked Babylon, and would haue sent them backe thither. 45 And thou hast vowed to build the temple, which the Idumeians burnt, when Iurie was destroyed of the Chaldees. 46 And now this is that which I aske Lord, & which I desire, this is the maiestie which I desire of thee, that thou performe the vowe which thou hast vowed to the king of heauen by thy mouth. 47 Then Darius the king rising vp, kissed him: and wrote letters to al the officers, and ouerseers, and them that weare purple, that they should conduct him, and them that were with him, al going vp to build Ierusalem. 48 And to al the ouerseers that were in Syria, and Phoenice, and Libanus he wrote letters, that they should draw Ceder trees from Libanus into Ierusalem, to build the citie with them. 49 And he wrote to al the Iewes which went vp from the kingdome into Iurie for libertie, euerie mightie man, & magistrate, & ouerseer not to come vpon them to their gates, 50 and al the countrie which they had obtayned to be free vnto them, & that the Idumeians leaue the castels which they possesse of the Iewes, 51 and to the building of the temple to geue euerie yeare twentie talentes vntil it were throughly built: 52 & vpon the altars to burne holocausts dayly, as they haue commandment: to offer other ten talentes euery yeare, 53 & to al that go forth from Babylon to build the citie, that there should be libertie as wel to them as to their children, and to al the priestes that goe before. 54 And he wrote a quantitie also, and commanded the sacred stole to be geuen, wherein they should serue; 55 and to the Leuites he wrote to geue preceptes, vntil the day wherein the house shal be finished, and Ierusalem builded. 56 And to al that kepe the citie, he wrote portions and wages to be geuen to them. 57 And he sent away al the vessels whatsoeuer Cyrus had separated from Babylon, and al thinges whatsoeuer Cyrus sayd, he also commanded to be donne, and to be sent to Ierusalem. 58 And when that yong man was gone forth, lyfting vp his face toward Ierusalem, he blessed the king of heauen, 59 & sayd: Of thee is victorie, and of thee is wisdome, and glorie. And I am thy seruant. 60 Blessed art thou which hast geuen me wisedom, and I wil confesse to thee Lord God of our fathers. 61 And he toke the letters, and went into Babylon. And he came, and told al his brethren that were in Babylon: 62 and they blessed the God of their fathers, because he gaue them remission and refreshing, 63 that they should goe vp and build Ierusalem, and the temple wherein his name was renowmed, and they reioyced with musike and ioy seuen dayes.
CHAP. V.
Those that returned from captiuitie of Bablyon into Ierusalem, and Iurie, are recited. 47. They restore Gods seruice: 66. but are hindered from building.
AFTER these thinges there were chosen, to goe vp the princes of townes by their houses, and tribes, and their wiues, and their sonnes and daughters, and their men seruantes and wemen seruantes, and their cattel. (1 Esd 2:1) 2 And Darius the king sent together with them a thousand horsmen, til they conducted them to Ierusalem with peace, & with musicke & with tymbrels, and shaulmes: 3 and al the brethren were playing, and he made them goe vp together with them. 4 And these are the names of the men that went vp by their townes according to tribes, and according to the portion of their principalitie. 5 Priestes: The children of Phinees, the sonne of Aaron, Iesus the sonne of Iosedec, Ioacim the sonne of Zorobabel, the sonne of Salatheil of the house of Dauid, of the progenie of Phares, of the tribe of Iuda. 6 Who spake vnder Darius king of the Persians the meruelous wordes in the second yeare of his reigne the first moneth Nisan. 7 And they are these, that of Iurie came vp from the captiuitie of the transmigration, whom Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon transported into Babylon, and returned into Ierusalem. (1 Esd 2:2 / 2 Esd 7:6) 8 And euerie one sought a part of Iurie according to his owne citie, they that came with Zorobabel, and Iesus, Nehemias, Areores, Elimeo, Emmanio, Mardocheo, Beelsuro, Mechpsatochor, Olioro, Emonia one of their princes. 9 And the number of them of the same nation, of their rulers the children of Phares, two thousand an hundred seuentie two: 10 The children of Ares, three thousand an hundred fiftie seuen: 11 The children of Phoemo, an hundred fourtie two: in the children of Iesus and Ioabes, a thousand three hundred two: 12 the children of Demu, two thousand foure hundred seuentie: the children of Choraba, two hundred fiue: the children of Banica, an hundred sixtie eight, 13 the children of Bebech, foure hundred three: the children of Archad, foure hundred twentie seuen: 14 the children of Cham, thirtie seuen: the children of Zoroar, two thousand sixtie seuen: the children of Adin, foure hundred sixtie one: 15 the children of Aderectes, an hundred eight: the children of Ciaso and Zelas an hundred seuen: the children of Azoroc, foure hundred thirtie nine: 16 the children of Iedarbone, an hundred thirtie two: the children of Ananias, an hundred thirtie: the children of Asoni, ninetie: 17 the children of Marsar, foure hundred twentie two: the children of Zabarus, nintie fiue: the children of Sepolemon, an hundred twentie three: 18 the children of Nepopas, fiftie fiue: the children of Hechanatus, an hundred fiftie eight: the children of Cebethamus, an hundred thirite two: 19 the children of Crearpatros, which are of Enocadie and Modia, foure hundred twentie three: they of Gramas and Babea, an hundred twentie one. 20 They of Besselon, and Ceagge, sixtie fiue: they of Bastraro, an hundred twentie two: 21 they of Bechenobes, fiftie fiue: the children of Liptis, an hundred fiftie fiue: the children of Labonni, three hundred fiftie seuen: 22 the children of Sichem, three hundred seuentie: the children of Suadon, & Cliomus, three hundred seuentie eight: 23 the children of Ericus, two thousand an hundred fourtie fiue: the children of Anaas, three hundred seuentie. The priestes: 24 the children of Ieddus, the sonne of Euther, the sonne of Eliasib, three hundred seuenty two: the children of Emerus, two hundred fiftie two: 25 the children of Phasurius, three hundred fiftie seuen the children of Caree, two hundred twentie seuen. 26 The Leuites: The children of Iesus in Caduhel, and Bamis, and Serebias, and Edias, seuentie foure, the whole number from the twelfth yeare, thiritie thousand foure hundred sixtie two. 27 The sonnes, and daughters, and wiues, the whole number, fourtie thousand two hundred fourtie two. 28 The children of the Priestes, that sang in the temple: the children of Asaph, an hundred twentie eight. 29 And the porters: the children of Esmeni, the children of Azer, the children of Amon, the children of Accuba, of Topa, the children of Tobi, al an hundred thirtie nine. 30 Priestes that serued in the temple: the children of Sel, the children of Gaspha, the children of Tobloch, the children of Caria, the children of Su, the children of Hellu, the children of Lobana, the children of Armacha, the children of Accub, the children of Vtha, the children of Cetha, the children of Aggab, the children of Obai, the children of Anani, the children of Canna, the children of Geddu, 31 the children or An, the children of Radin, the children of Desanon, the children of Nachoba, the children of Caseba, the children of Gaze, the children of Ozui, the children of Sinone, the children of Attre, the children of Hasten, the children of Asiana, the children of Manei, the children of Nasissim, the children of Acusu, the children of Agista, the children of Azui, the children of Fauon, the children of Phasalon, 32 the children of Meedda, the children of Phusa, the children of Caree, the children of Burcus, the children of Saree, the children of Coesi, the children of Nasith, the children of Agisti, the children of Pedon. 33 Salomon his children, the children of Asophot, the children of Phasida, the children of Celi, the children of Dedon, the children of Gaddehel, the children of Sephegi, 34 the children of Aggia, the children of Sachareth, the children of Sabathen, the children of Caroneth, the children of Malsith, the children of Ama, the children of Sasus, the children of Addus, the children of Suba, the children of Eura, the children of Rahotis, the children of Phasphat, the children of Malmon. 35 Al that serued the sanctuarie, and the seruantes of Salomon, foure hundred eightie two. 36 These are the children that came vp from Thelmela, Thelharsa: the princes of them, Carmellam, and Careth: 37 and they could not declare their cities, and their progenies, how they are of Israel. The children of Dalari, the children of Tubal, the children of Nechodaici, 38 of the Priestes, that did the function of priesthood: and there were not found the children of Obia, the children of Achisos, the children of Addin, who tooke a wife of the daughters of Pargeleu: 39 and they were called by his name, and the writing of the kinred of these was sought in the register, and it was not found, and they were forbid to doe the function of priesthood. 40 And Nehemias and Astharus sayd to them: Let not the holie thinges be participated, til there arise a hiegh priest lerned for declaration and truth. 41 And al Israel was beside men seruantes, and wemen seruantes, fourtie two thousand three hundred fourtie. 42 Their men seruantes and wemen seruantes, seuen thousand three hundred thirtie seuen. Singing men and singing wemen, two hundred three score fiue. 43 Camels, foure hundred thiritie fiue. Horses, seuen thousand thirtie six. Mules, two hundred thousand fourtie fiue. Beastes vnder yoke, fiue thousand twentie fiue. 44 And of the rulers themselues by their villages, when they came into the temple of God, which was in Ierusalem, to renew and raise vp the temple in his place, according to their power: 45 and to be geuen into the temple to the sacred treasure of the workes, of gold twelue thousand mnas, and fiue thousand mnas of siluer, and stoles for Priestes an hundred. 46 And the Priestes and Leuites, and they that came out of the people, dwelt in Ierusalem, and in the countrie, and the sacred singingmen, and porters, and al Israel in their countries. 47 And the seuenth moneth being at hand, and when the children of Israel were euerie man in his owne affayres, they came together with one minde into the court, that was before the east gate. (1 Esd 3:1) 48 And Iesus the sonne of Iosedec, and his brethren the priestes: Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel, and his brethren standing vp, prepared an altar, 49 that they might offer vpon it holocaustes, according to the thinges that are writen in the booke of Moyses the man of God. 50 And there assembled there of other nations of the land, and al the nations of the land erected the altar in his place, and they offered hostes, and morning holocaustes to our Lord. 51 And they celebrated the feast of Tabernacles, and the solemne day, as it is commanded in the lawe: and sacrifices dayly, as it behoued: 52 and after these the appointed oblations, and the hostes of the sabbathes, and of the newmoones, and of al the solemne sanctified dayes. 53 And as manie as vowed to our Lord from the new moone of the seuenth moneth, began to offer the hostes to God, and the temple of our Lord was not yet built. 54 And they gaue monie to the masones and workemen, and drinke and victuals with ioy. 55 And they gaue cartes to the Sidonians, and Tyrianes, that with them they should carie ceder beames from Lybanus, and should make boates in the hauen Ioppe, according to the decre that was writen for them by Cyrus king of the Persians. 56 And in the second yeare coming into the temple of God in Ierusalem, in the second moneth began Zorobel the sonne of Salathiel, and Iosue the sonne of Iosedec, and their bretheren, and the Priestes and Leuites, and al that were come from the captiuitie into Ierusalem. 57 and they founded the temple of God in the newmoone of the second moneth of the second yeare, after that they came into Iurie and Ierusalem. 58 And they appoynted the Leuites from twentie yeares, ouer the workes of our Lord: and Iesus stood and his sonne, and the bretheren, al Leuites ioyning together, & executors of the lawe, doing the workes in the house of our Lord. 59 And al the Priestes stood, hauing stoles with trumpettes: 60 and Leuites the children of Asaph, hauing cymbals together praysing our Lord, and blessing him according to Dauid king of Israel. 61 And they song a song to our Lord, because his sweetenes, and honour is for euer vpon Israel. 62 And al the people sounded with trumpet, and cried out with a loud voice, praysing our Lord in the raysing vp of the house of our Lord. 63 And there came of the Priestes and Leuites, and presidentes by their villages the more ancientes, which had sene the old house: 64 and to the building of this with crie and great lamentation, and manie with trumpettes and great ioy: 65 in so much that the people heard not the trumpettes for the lamentatinon of the people. For the multitude was sounding with trumpettes magnifically, so that it was heard far of. 66 And the enimes of the tribe of Iuda, and Beniamin heard it, and they came to knowe what the voyce of the trumpettes was: 67 And they knew that they which were of the captiuitie doe build a temple to our Lord the God of Israel. 68 And coming to Zorobabel & Iesus, the ouerseers of the villages, they sayd to them: We will build together with you: (1 Esd 4:2) 69 For we haue in like maner heard your Lord, & we walke like from the dayes of Asbazareth king of the Assyrians, who transported vs hither. 70 And Zorobabel, and Iesus, & the princes of the villages of Israel, sayd to them: 71 It is not for vs and you to build the house of our God. For we alone wil build to our Lord of Israel according as Cyrus the king of the Persians hath commanded. 72 And the nations of the land lying vpon them that are in Iurie, and lifting vp the worke of the building, and bringing ambushmentes, and peoples, prohibited them to build. 73 and practising assaultes hindred them, that the building might not be finished al the time of the life of king Cyrus, and they differred the building for two yeares vntil the reigne of Darius.
CHAP. VI.
The Iewes by assistance of king Darius build vp the Temple in Ierusalem.
AND in the second yeare of the reigne of Darius prophecied Aggeus, and Zacharias the sonne of Addo the prophet to Iurie and Ierusalem in the name of God of Israel vpon them. (1 Esd 5:1) 2 Then Zorobabel the sonne of Salathiel standing vp, and Iesus the sonne of Iosedec begane to build the house of our Lord, which is in Ierusalem. 3 When the prophetes of our Lord were present with them, and did helpe them. At the same time came Sisennes to them, the deputie of Syria, and of Phenice, and Satrabuzanes, and his felowes: 4 and they sayd to them: By whose commandment, build ye this house, and this roofe, and perfite al other thinges? And who are the workmen that build these thinges? 5 And the ancientes of the Iewes, which were left of the captiuitie by our Lord, had fauoure when the visitation was made vpon them. 6 And they were not hindered from building, til it was signified to Darius of al these thinges, and answer was receiued. 7 A copie of the letter, which they sent to Darius. SISENNES deputie of Syria and Phenice, and Satrabuzanes, and his felowes in Syria and Phenice presidents, to king Darius greetings: 8 Be al thinges knowen to our Lord the king, that when we came into the countrie of Iurie, and had entered into Ierusalem, we found them building the great house of God. 9 And the temple of polished stones, and of great and precious matter in the walles. 10 And the workes to be a doing earnestly, and to succede, and prosper in their handes, and in al glorie to be perfited most diligently. 11 Then we asked the ancients saying, by whose permission build ye this house, & found these workes? 12 And therfore we asked them, that we might doe thee to know the men & the ouerseers, and we required of them a rolle of the names of the ouerseers. 13 But they answered vs saying: We are the seruantes of the Lord, which made heauen and earth. 14 And this house was built these manie yeares past by a king of Israel, that was great and most valiant, and was finished. 15 And because our fathers were prouoking to wrath, and sinned agaynst God of Israel, he deliuered them into the handes of Nabuchodonosor the king of Babylon, king of the Chaldees. 16 And throwing downe this house they burnt it, and they led the people captiue into Babylon. 17 In the first yeare when Cyrus reigned the king of Babylon, Cyrus the king wrote to build this house. 18 And these sacred vessels of gold and siluer which Nabuchodonosor had taken out of the house which is in Ierusalem, and had consecrated them in his owne temple, Cyrus brought them forth agayne out of the temple which was in Babylon, and they were deliuered to Zorobabel, & to Salmanasar the deputie. 19 And it was commanded them that they should offer these vessels, & lay them vp in the temple, which was in Ierusalem, and build the temple of God itself in his place. 20 Then did Salmanasar lay the fundations of the house of our Lord, which is in Ierusalem: and from that time vntil now it is a building, and is not accomplished. 21 Now therfore if thou thincke it good o king, let it be sought in the kings liberaries of Cyrus the king, which are in Babylon: 22 and if it shal be found, that the building of the house of the Lord, which is in Ierusalem, begane by the counsel of Cyrus the king, and it be thought good of our Lord the king, let him write to vs of these thinges. 23 Then Darius the king commanded search to be made in the libraries: and there was found in Ecbatana a towne that is in the countrie of Media, one place wherin were writen these wordes: (1 Esd 6:1) 24 IN THE FIRST YEARE of the reigne of Cyrus, king Cyrus commanded to build the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem, where they did burne incense with dayly fire, 25 the height wherof shal be of ten cubits, & the bredth three score cubites, foure square with three stones polished, and with a loft galerie of wood of the same countrie, & one new galerie, and the expenses to be geuen out of the house of Cyrus the king. 26 And the sacred vesseles of the house of the Lord, as wel of gold as of siluer, which Nabuchodonosor tooke from the house of our Lord, which is in Ierusalem where they were layed, that they be put there: 27 And he commanded Sisennes the deputie of Syria & Phoenice, and Satrabuzanes, and his felowes & them that were ordayned presidentes in Syria & Phoenice, that they should refraine themselues from that place. 28 And I also haue geuen commandment to build it wholly: and haue prouided, that they helpe them, which are of the captiuitie of the Iewes, til the temple of the house of the Lord be accomplished. 29 And from the vexation of the tributes of Coelesyria & Phoenice, a quantitie to be geuen diligently to these men for the sacrifice of the Lord, to Zorobabel the gouernour, for oxen, and rammes, and lambes. 30 And in like maner corne also, and salt, and wine, and oyle continually yeare by yeare, according as the priestes which are in Ierusalem, haue prescribed to be spent dayly: 31 that libamentes may be offered to the most high God for the king & his children, & that they may pray for their life. 32 And that it be denounced, that whosoeuer shal transgresse anie thing of these which are writen, or shal despise it, a beame be taken of theyr owne, & they be hanged, & their goodes be confiscate to the king. 33 Therfore the Lord also, whose name is inuocated there, destroy euery king & nation, that shal extend their hand to hinder or to handle il the house of the Lord which is in Ierusalem. 34 I Darius the king haue decreed that it be most diligently done according to these thinges.
CHAP. VII.
The house of God is finished, 7. and dedicated, 10. the feast of Pasch is also celebrated seuen dayes with Azimes.
THEN Sisennes the deputie of Coelesyria, and Phaenice, and Satrabuzames, and their felowes, obeying those thinges which were decreed of Darius the king, (1 Esd 6:13) 2 applied the sacred workes most diligently, working together with the ancientes of the Iewes, the princes of Syria. 3 And the sacred workes prospered, Aggeus & Zacharias the prophetes prophecying. 4 And they accomplished al thinges by the precept of our Lord the God of Israel, and by the counsel of Cyrus, & Darius, and Artaxerxes the king of the Persians. 5 And our house was a finishing vntil the three and twentith day of the moneth of Adar, the sixth yeare of Darius the king. 6 And the children of Israel, and the Priestes and Leuites, and the rest that were of the captiuitie, which were added did according to those thinges that are written in the booke of Moyses. 7 And they offered for the dedication of the temple of our Lord, oxen an hundred, rammes two hundred, lambes foure hundred. 8 And kiddes for the sinnes of al Israel, twelue, according to the number of the tribes of Israel. 9 And the Priestes and Leuites stood clothed with stoles by tribes, ouer al the workes of our Lord the God of Israel, according to the booke of Moyses, and the porters at euerie gate. 10 And the children of Israel, wih them that were of the captiuitie celebrated the phase of the fourtenth moone of the first moneth, when the Priestes and Leuites were sanctified. 11 Al the children of the captiuitie were not sanctified together, because al the Leuites were sanctified together. 12 And al the children of the captuitie immolated the phase, both for their brethren the Priestes, and for them selues. 13 And the children of Israel did eate, they that were of the captiuitie al that remayned apart from al the abominations of the nations of the land seeking our Lord. 14 And they celebrated the festiual day of Azymes seuen dayes feasting in the sight of our Lord. 15 Because he turned the counsel of the king of the Assirians toward them, to strengthen their handes to the workes of our Lord the God of Israel.
CHAP. VIII.
Esdras going from Babylon to Ierusalem, 9. carieth king Artaxerxes fauourable letters, 14. with licence to take gold, siluer, and al thinges necessarie at their pleasure. 31. The chief men that goe with him are recited. 51. He voweth a fast praying for good success in their iorney. 56. weigheth the gold and siluer, which he deliuereth to the Priestes, and Leuites. 69. And seuerely admonisheth the people to repentance, for their mariages made with infideles.
AND after him when Artaxerxes king of the Persians reigned, came Esdras the sonne of Azarias, the sonne of Helcias the sonne of Salome, (1 Esd 7:1) 2 the sonne of Sadoc, the sonne of Achitob, the sonne of Ameri, the sonne of Azahel, the sonne of Bocci, the sonne of Abisue, the sonne of Phinees the sonne of Eleazar, the sonne of Aaron the first priest. 3 This Esdras came vp from Babylon being scribe & wise in the law of Moyses, which was geuen of our Lord the God of Israel to teach and to doe. 4 And the king gaue him glorie, because he had found grace in al dignitie and desire in his sight. 5 And there went vp with him of the children of Israel, and the Priestes, and the Leuites, and the sacred singers of the temple, and the porters, and the seuantes of the temple into Ierusalem. 6 In the seuenth yeare when Artaxerxes reigned in the fifth moneth, this is the seuenth yeare of his reigne, going forth of Babylon in the newmoone of the fifth moneth, 7 they came to Ierusalem according to his commandment, according to the prosperitie of their iourney, which their Lord gaue them. 8 For in these Esdras had great knowlege, that he would not pretermitte anie of those thinges, which were according to the law, and the preceptes of our Lord, and in teaching al Israel al iusticie and iudgement. 9 And they that wrote the writinges of Araxerxes the king, coming deliuered the writing which was granted of Artaxerxes the king to Esdras the Priest, & the reader of the law of our Lord, the copie wherof here foloweth. 10 KING Artaxerxes to Esdras the Priest, and reader of the law of the Lord, greeting. 11 I of curtesie esteming it among benifites, haue commanded them that of their owne accord are desirous of the nation of the Iewes, and of the Priestes and Leuites, which are in my kingdom, to goe with thee into Ierusalem. 12 If anie therfore desire to goe with thee, let them come together, and set forward as it hath pleased me, and my seuen freindes my counselers: 13 that they may visite those thinges which are done touching Iurie and Ierusalem, obseruing as thou hast in the law of the Lord. 14 And let them carie the giftes to the Lord the God of Israel, which I haue vowed and my freindes to Ierusalem, and al the gold and siluer, that shal be found in the countrie of Babylon to the Lord in Ierusalem, with that, 15 which is geuen for the nation it self vnto the temple of their Lord which is in Ierusalem: that this gold and siluer be gathered for oxen, and rammes, and lambes, and kiddes, and for the thinges that are agreable to these, 16 that they may offer hostes to the Lord vpon the altar of their Lord, which is in Ierusalem. 17 And al thinges whatsoeuer thou with thy brethren wilt doe with gold and siluer, doe it at thy pleasure according to the precept of the Lord thy God. 18 And the sacred vessels, which are geuen thee to the workes of the house of the Lord thy God, which is in Ierusalem. 19 And other thinges whatsoeuer shal helpe thee to the workes of the temple of thy God, thou shalt geue it out of the kings treasure. 20 When thou with thy brethren wilt doe ought with gold and siluer, doe according to the wil of the Lord. 21 And I king Artaxerxes haue geuen commandment to the keepers of the treasure of Syria and Phaenice, that what thinges soeuer Esdras the Priest and reader of the law of the Lord, shal write for, they geue him vnto an hundred talentes of siluer, likewise also of gold. 22 And vnto an hundred measures of corne, & an hundred vessels of wine, and other thinges whatsoeuer abound without taxing. 23 Let al thinges be done to the most high God according to the law of God, lest perhaps there arise wrath in the reigne of the king, and of his sonne, and his sonnes. 24 And to you it is sayd, that vpon al the Priestes, and Leuites, and sacred singers, and seruantes of the temple, & scribes of this temple 25 no tribute, nor any other taxe be sette, and that no man haue auctoritie to obiect any thing to them. 26 But thou Esdras according to the wisedom of God appoynt iudges, and arbitrers in al Syria and Phaenice: and teach al them that know no the law of thy God: 27 that whosoeuer shal transgresse the law, they be diligently punished either with death, or with torment, or els with a forfeite of money, or with banishment. 28 And Esdras the scribe sayd: Blessed be the God of our fathers, which hath geuen this wil into the kings hart, to glorifie his house, which is in Ierusalem. 29 And hath honoured me in the sight of the king, and of his counselers, and freindes, and them that weare purple. 30 And I was made constant in minde according to the ayde of our Lord my God, and gathered together of Israel men, that should goe vp together with me. 31 And these are the princes according to their kindredes, and seueral principalities of them that came vp from Babylon the kingdom of Artaxerxes. (1 Esd 8:1) 32 Of the children of Phares, Gerfomus: and of the children of Siemarith, Amenus: of the children of Dauid, Acchus the sonne of Scecilia: 33 Of the children of Phares, Zacharias, and with him returned an hundred fiftie men. 34 Of the children of leader Moabilion, Zaraei, and with him two hundred fiftie men: 35 Of the children of Zachues, Iechonias of Zechoel, and with him two hundred fiftie men: 36 of the children of Sala, Maasias of Gotholia, & with him seuentie men: 37 of the children of Saphatia, Zarias of Michel, and with him eightie men: 38 of the children of Iob, Abdias of Iehel, and with him two hundred twelue men: 39 of the children of Bania, Salimoth, the sonne of Iosaphia, and with him an hundred sixtie men: 40 of the children of Beer, Zacharias Bebei, and with him two hundred eight men: 41 of the children of Ezead, Ioannes of Eccetan, and with him an hundred ten men: 42 of the children of Adonicam, which were last, and these are their names, Eliphalam the sonne of Gebel, and Semeias, and with him seuentie men. 43 And I gathered them together to the riuer that is called Thia, and we camped there three dayes, and vewed them againe. 44 And of the children of the Priestes and Leuites I found not there. 45 And I sent to Eleazarus, and Eccelon, and Masman, and Maloban, and Enaathan, and Samea, and Ioribum, Nathan, Enuaugam, Zacharias, and Mosolam the leaders them selues, and that were skilful. 46 And I sayd to them that they should come to Loddeus, who was at the place of the treasurie. 47 And I commanded them to say to Loddeus, and his brethren, and to them that were in the treasurie, that they should send vs them that might doe the function of priesthood in the house of the Lord our God. 48 And they brought vnto vs according to the mightie hand of the Lord our God cunning men: of the children of Moholi, the sonne of Leui, the sonne of Israel, Sebebia, & his sonnes and brethren, which were eightene: 49 Asbia, and Amin of the sonnes of the children of Chananeus, and their children twentie men. 50 And of them that serued the temple, whom Dauid gaue, and the princes themselues to the ministerie of the Leuites of them that serued the temple, two hundred twentie. Al their names were signified in writings. 51 And I vowed there a fast to the yong men in the sight of God, that I might aske of him a good iourney for vs, and them that were with vs, and for the children, and the cattel because of ambushementes. 52 For I was ashamed to aske of the king footemen and horsemen in my companie, to guard vs, against our aduersaries. 53 For we sayd to the king that the power of our Lord wil be with them that seeke him with al affection. 54 And agayne we besought the Lord our God according to these thinges: whom also we had propicious, and we obteyned of our God. 55 And I separated of the rulers of the people, and of the Priestes of the temple, twelue men, and Sedebia, and Asanna, and with them of their brethren ten men. 56 And I weyed to them the gold and siluer, and the vessels of the house of our God perteyning to the Priestes, which the king had geuen, and his counselers, and the princes, and al Israel. 57 And when I had weyed it, I deliuered of siluer an hundred fiftie talentes, and siluer vessels of an hundred talentes, and of gold an hundred talentes. 58 And of vessels of gold seuen score and twelue brasen vessels good of shyning brasse, resembling the forme of gold. 59 And I sayd to them: You are also sanctified to our Lord, and the vessels be holie, and the gold and siluer is vowed to our Lord the God of our fathers. 60 Watch and keepe, til you deliuer them to some of the rulers of the people, and to the Priestes, and Leuites, and to the princes of the cities of Israel in Ierusalem, in the treasurie of the house of our God. 61 And those Priestes and Leuites that receiued the gold and siluer and vessels, brought it to Ierusalem into the temple of our Lord. 62 And we went forward from the riuer Thia, the twelfth day of the first moneth, til we entred into Ierusalem. 63 And when the third day was come, in the fourth day the gold being weyed, and the siluer, was deliuered in the house of the Lord our God, to Marimoth Priest the sonne of Iori. 64 And with him was Eleazar the sonne of Phinees: and with them were Iosadus the sonne of Iesus, and Medias, and Banni the sonne of a Leuite, by number and weight al thinges. 65 And the weight of them was writen the same houre. 66 And they that came out of the captiuitie, offered sacrifice to our Lord the God of Israel, oxen twelue, for al Israel, rammes eightie six, 67 lambes seuentie two, bucke goates for sinne twelue, and for health twelue kyne, al for the sacrifice of our Lord. 68 And they read againe the preceptes of the king to the kinges officers, and to the deputies of Coelesyria, and Phoenice: and they honored the nation, and the temple of our Lord. 69 And these thinges being finished, the rulers came to me, saying: The stocke of Isreal, and the princes, and the Priestes, and the Leuites, (1 Esd 9:1) 70 and the strange people, and nations of the land haue not separated their vncleannes from the Chananeites, and Hetheites, and Pherezeites, and Iebuseites, and Moobites, & AEgyptians, and Idumeians. 71 For they are ioyned to their daughters both themselues, and their sonnes: and the holie sede is mingled with the strange nations of the earth, and the rulers and magistrates were partakers of that iniquitie from the beginning of the reigne it self. 72 And forthwith as I heard these thinges, I rent my garmentes and sacred tunike: and tearing the heares of my head, and my beard, I sate sorowful and heauie. 73 And there assembled to me mourning vpon this iniquitie, as manie as were then moued by the word of our Lord the God of Israel, and I sate sad vntil the euening sacrifice. 74 And I rising vp from fasting, hauing my garmentes rent and the sacred tunike, kneeling, and stretching forth my handes to our Lord, 75 I sayd: Lord I am confounded, and ashamed before thy face, 76 for our sinnes are multiplied ouer our heades, and our iniquities are exalted euen to heauen. 77 Because from the times of our fathers we are in great sinne vnto this day. 78 And for the sinnes of vs, and of our fathers we haue bene deliuered with our brethren, and with our Priestes to the kinges of the earth, into sword and captiuitie, and spoile with confusion vnto this present day. 79 And now what a great thing is this that mercie hath happened to vs from thee o Lord God, & leaue thou vnto vs a roote, and a name in the place of thy sanctification, 80 to discouer our light in the house of the Lord our God, to geue vs meate in al the time of our bondage. 81 And when we serued, we were not forsaken of the Lord our God: but he sette vs in fauour, appointing the kinges of the Persians to geue us meate, 82 and to glorifie the temple of the Lord our God, and to build the desolations of Sion, to geue vs stabilitie in Iurie, and Ierusalem. 83 And now what say we Lord, hauing these thinges? For we haue transgressed thy preceptes, which thou gauest into the handes of thy seruantes the prophetes, 84 saying: That the land into which ye entred to possesse the inheritance therof, is a land polluted with the coinquinations of the strangers of the land, and their vncleanes hath filled it wholy with their filthines. 85 And now your daughters you shal not match with their sonnes, and their daughters you shal not take for your sonnes. 86 And you shal not seeke to haue peace with them for euer, that growing strong you may eate the best things of the land, and may distribute the inheritance to your children for euer. 87 And the thinges that happen to vs, al are done for our nauhtie workes, and our great sinnes. 88 And thou gauest vs such a roote, and we are returned againe to transgresse thy ordinances, that we would be mingled with the vncleannes of the nations of this land. 89 Wilt not thou be wrath with vs to destroy vs, til there be no roote left nor our name? 90 Lord God of Israel thou art true. For there is a roote left vntil this present day. 91 Behold, now we are in thy sight in our iniquities. For it is not to stand any longer before thee in these matters. 92 And when Esdras with adoration confessed weeping, lying flat on the ground before the temple, there were gathered before him out of Ierusalem a verie great multitude, men and wemen, and yong men and yong wemen. For there was great weeping in the multitude it self. (1 Esd 10:1) 93 And when he had cried, Iechonias of Ieheli of the children of Israel, sayd to Esdras: We haue sinned against our Lord, for that we haue taken vnto vs in mariage strange wemen of the nations of the land. 94 And now thou art ouer al Israel, in these therfore let there be an othe from our Lord to expel al our wiues that are of strangers with their children. 95 As it was decreed to thee of the ancesters according to the law of our Lord, rising vp declare it. 96 For to thee the busines perteineth, and we are with thee: doe manfully. 97 And Esdras rysing vp adiured the princes of the Priestes and Leuites, and al Israel to doe according to these thinges and they sware.
CHAP. IX.
Esdras fasting for the sinnes of the people, commandeth that they separate al strange wemen from them. 18. The Priestes and Leuites, which had offended herein, are recited. 38 He readeth the law before the people: 48 certaine doe expound to the multitudes in seueral places. 52 And so they are dismissed with ioy.
AND Esdras rysing vp from before the court of the temple, went into the chamber of Ionathas the sonne of Nasabi. (1 Esd 10:6) 2 And lodging there he tasted no bread, nor dranke water for the iniquitie of the multitude. 3 And there was proclamation made in al Iurie, & in Ierusalem to al that were of the captiuitie gathered in Ierusalem, 4 that whosoeuer shal not appeare with in two or three dayes, according to the iudgement of the ancients sitting vpon it, their goods should be taken away, and himselfe should be iudged an alien from the multitude of the captiuitie. 5 And al were gathered that were of the tribe of Iuda, and of Beniamin within three dayes in Ierusalem: this is the ninth moneth, the twentith day of the moneth. 6 And al the multitude sate in the court of the temple trembling, for the present winter. 7 And Esdras rysing vp sayd to them: You haue done vnlawfully taking to you in mariage strang wiues, that you might adde to the sinnes of Israel. 8 And now geue confession, & magnificence to our Lord the God of our fathers: 9 and accomplish his wil, and depart from the nations of the land, and from your wiues the strangers. 10 And al the multitude cried, and they sayd with a lowde voice: As thou hast sayd, we wil doe. 11 But because the multitude is great, and winter time, and we can not stand in the ayre without succour: and this is a worke for vs not of one day, nor of two, for we haue sinned much in these thinges: 12 Let the rulers of the multitude stand, and that dwel with vs, and as manie as haue with them forreine wiues, 13 and at a time appointed let the priestes out of euerie place, and the iudges assist, vntil they appeaze the wrath of our Lord concerning this busines. 14 And Ionathas the sonne of Ezeli, and Ozias of Thecam tooke vpon them according to these wordes: and Bosoramus, and Leuis, and Sabbathaeus, wrought together with them. 15 And al that were of the captiuitie stood according to al these thinges. 16 And Esdras the priest chose vnto him men the great princes of their fathers according to their names: & they sate together in the newmoone of the tenth moneth to examine this busines. 17 And they determined of the men that had outlandish wiues, vntil the newmoone of the first moneth. 18 And there were found of the priestes entermingled that had outlandish wiues. 19 Of the sonnes of Iesus the sonne of Iosedec, and his brethren: Maseas, and Eleazarus, and Ioribus, and Ioadeus, 20 and they put to their handes to expel their wiues: and to offer a ramme to obtayne pardon for their ignorance. 21 And the sonnes of Semmeri: Maseas and Esses, Ieelech, and Azarias. 22 And of the children of Fofere: Limosias, Hismaenis, and Nathanee, Iussio, Reddus, and Thalsas. 23 And of the Leuites: Iorabdus, and Semeis, and Colnis, and Calitas, and Facteas, and Coluas, and Eliomas, 24 and of the sacred singing men, Eliasib, Zaccarus. 25 And of the porters, Salumus, and Tolbanes. 26 And of Israel: of the sonnes of Foro, Ozi, and Remias, and Geddias, & Melchias, and Michelus, Eleazarus, and Iammebias, and Bannas. 27 And of the sonnes of Iolaman: Chamas, and Zacharias, and Iezuelus, and Ioddius, and Erimoth, and Helias. 28 And of the sonnes of Zathoim: Eliadas, and Liasumus, Zochias, and Larimoth, & Zabdis, and Thebedias. 29 And of the sonnes of Zebes: Ioannes, and Amanias, and Zabdias, and Emeus. 30 And of the sonnes of Banni: Olamus, & Maluchus, and Ieddeus, and Iasub, and Azabus, & Ierimoth. 31 And of the sonnes of Addin: Nathus, and Moosias, & Caleus, and Raanas, Maaseas, Mathathias, and Beseel, and Bonnus, and Manasses. 32 And of the sonnes of Nuae: Noneas, and Aseas, and Melchias, and Sameas, and Simon, Beniamin, and Malchus, and Marras. 33 And of the sonnes of Asom: Carianeus, Mathathias, & Bannus, & Eliphalach, and Manasses, and Semei. 34 And of the sonnes of Banni: Ieremias, and Moadias, and Abramus, & Iohel, and Baneas, & Pelias, and Ionas, and Marimoth, & Eliasib, and Matheneus, and Eliasis, and Orizas, and Dielus, and Semedius, & Zambris, and Iosephus. 35 And of the sonnes of Nobei: Idelus, and Mathathias, and Sabadus, and Zecheda, Zedmi, and Iessei, Baneas. 36 Al these maried outlandish wiues, and did put them away with their children. 37 And the Priestes and the Leuites, and they that were of Israel, dwelt in Ierusalem, and in the whole countrie in the newmoone of the seuenth moneth. And the children of Israel were in their habitations. 38 And al the multitude was gathered together into the court, which is on the east of the sacred gate: 39 and they sayd to Esdras the high priest, and reader, that he should bring the law of Moyses, which was deliuered of our Lord the God of Israel. 40 And Esdras the high priest brought the law to al the multitude of them from man vnto woman, and to al the priestes to heare the law in the newmoone of the seuenth moneth. 41 And he read in the court, which is before the sacred gate of the temple, from breake of day vntil euening before men and wemen. And they al gaue their minde to the law. 42 And Esdras the priest, and reader of the law stoode vpon a tribunal of wood, which was made. 43 And by him stood Mathathias, and Samus, and Ananias, Azarias, Vrias, Ezechias, and Balsamus on the right hand, 44 and on the left Faldeus, Misael, Malachias, Ambusthas, Sabus, Nabadias, and Zacharias. 45 And Esdras tooke the booke before al the multitude: for he was chiefe in glorie in the sight of al. 46 And when he had ended the law, they stood al vpright: and Esdras blessed our Lord the most high God, the God of Sabaoth omnipotent. 47 And al the people answered: Amen. And lifting vp their handes falling on the ground, they adored our Lord. 48 Iesus and Banaeus, and Sarebias, and Iaddimus, and Accubus, and Sabbathaeus, and Calithes, & Azarias, and Ioradus, and Ananias, and Philias Leuites, 49 who taught the law of our Lord, and read the same in the multitude, & euerie one preferred them that vnderstood the lesson. 50 And Atharathes sayd to Esdras the high priest and the reader, and to the Leuites, that taught the multitude, 51 saying: This day is sancitified to our Lord. And they al wept, when they had heard the law. 52 And Esdras sayd, departing therfore eate ye al the fattest thinges, & drinke al most swete things, and send giftes to them that haue not. 53 For this is the holy day of our Lord, & be not sad. For our Lord wil glorifie you. 54 And the Leuites denounced openly to al, saying: This day is holie, be not sad. 55 And they went al to eate, and drinke, and make merie, and to geue giftes to them that had not, that they might make merie, for they were excedingly exalted with the wordes that they were taught. 56 And they were al gathered in Ierusalem to celebrate the ioy, according to the testament of our Lord the God of Israel.
THE FOVRTH BOOKE OF ESDRAS.
CHAP. I.
Esdras is sent to expostulate with the vngratful Iewes for neglecting Gods manie great benefites.
THE second book of Esdras the prophet, the sonne of Sarei, the sonne of Azarei, the sonne of Helcias, the sonne of Sadanias, the sonne of Sadoch, the sonne of Achitob, (1 Esd 7:1) 2 the sonne of Achias, the sonne of Phinees, the sonne of Heli, the sonne of Amerias, the sonne of Asiel, the sonne of Marimoth, the sonne of Arna, the sonne of Ozias, the sonne of Borith, the sonne of Abisei, the sonne of Phinees, the sonne of Eleazar, 3 the sonne of Aaron of the tribe of Leui; who was captiue in the countrie of the Medes, in the reigne of Artaxerxes king of the Persians. 4 And the word of our Lord came to me, saying: 5 Goe, and tel my people their wicked deedes, and their children the iniquities, that they haue done against me, that they may tel their childrens children: 6 because the sinnes of their parentes are increased in them, for they being forgetful of me haue sacrified to strange goddes. 7 Did not I bring them out of the land of AEgypt from the house of bondage? But they haue prouoked me, & haue despised my counsels. 8 But doe thou shake of the heare of thy head, and throw al euils vpon them: because they haue not obeyed my law. And it is a people without discipline. 9 How long shal I beare with them, on whom I haue bestowed so great benefiates? 10 I haue ouer throwen manie kinges from them. I haue stroke Pharao with his seruantes, and al his hoste. (Ex 14) 11 Al nations did I destroy before their face, & in the East I dissipated the peoples of two prouinces Tyre and Sidon, and I slew al their aduersaries. 12 But speake thou to them, saying: Thus sayth our Lord: 13 I made you passe through the sea, and gaue you fensed streates from the beginning. I gaue you Moyses for your gouernour, and Aaron for the Priest: 14 I gaue you light by the piller of fire, & did manie meruelous things among you: but you haue forgotten me, sayth our Lord. (Ex 13) 15 Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent: The quayle was a signe to you, I gaue you a campe for defense, and there you murmured: 16 And you triumphed not in my name for the destruction of your enemies, but yet vntil now you haue murmured. (Ex 16) 17 Where are the benefites, that I haue geuen you? Did you not crie out to me when you were hungrie in the desert, 18 saying: Why hast thou brought vs into this desert to kil vs? it had bene better for vs to serue the AEgyptians, then to dye in this desert. (Num 14) 19 I was sorie for your mournings, & gaue you manna to eate. You did eate bread of Angels. (Ex 16 / Wis 16:20) 20 When you thirsted did not I cleaue the rocke, & waters flowed in abundance? for the heates I couered you with the leaues of trees. 21 I deliuered vnto you fatte landes: The Chananeites, and Pherezeites, and Philistheans I threw out from your face: what shal I yet doe to you, sayth our Lord? (Isa 9:4) 22 Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent: In the desert when you were thirstie in the riuer of the Amorrheites, and blasphemeing my name, (Ex 15:25) 23 I gaue you not fire for blasphemies, but casting wood into the water, I made the riuer swete. 24 What shal I doe to thee Iacob? Thou wouldest not obey o Iuda. I wil transferre my self to other nations, and wil geue them my name, that they may keepe my ordinances. (Ex 32) 25 Because you haue forsaken me, I aslo forsake you: when you aske mercie of me, I wil not haue mercie. (Isa 1:15) 26 When you shal inuocate me, I wil not heare you. For you haue defiled your handes with bloud, and your fete are quicke to commit murders. 27 Not as though you haue forsaken me, but yourselues, sayth our Lord. 28 Thus saith our Lord omnipotent, haue not I desired you, as a father his sonnes, and a mother her daughters, and as a nurce her litle ones, 29 that you would be my people, and I your God, and to me for children, and I to you for a father? 30 So haue I gathered you, as the henne her chickenes vnder her winges. But now what shal I doe to you? I wil throw you from my face. (Matt 23:37) 31 When you shal bring me oblation, I wil turne away my face from you. (Isa 66:5) For I haue refused your festiual dayes, & newmoones, and circumcisions. 32 I sent my seruantes the prophetes to you, whom being taken you slew, and mangled their bodies, whose bloud I wil require, sayth our Lord. 33 Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent, your house is made desolate, I wil throw you away, as the winde doth stubble, 34 and your children shal not haue issue: because they haue neglected my commandment, and haue done that which is euil before me. 35 I wil deliuer your houses to a people comming, who not hearing me do beleue: to whom I haue not shewed signes, they wil do the thinges that I haue commanded. 36 The prophetes they haue not sene, and they wil be mindful of their iniquities. 37 I cal to witnes the grace of the people comming, whose litle ones reioyce with ioy, not seing me with their carnal eyes, but in spirit beleuing the thinges that I haue sayd. 38 And now brother behold what glorie: and see people comming from the east, 39 to whom I wil geue the conduction of Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, and of Osee, and Amos, and of Ioel, and Abdias, and Ionas, and Michaeas, 40 and Naum and Habacuc, of Sophonias, Aggaeus, Zacharias, and Malachias, who also is called the Angel of our Lord. (Mal 3:1)
CHAP. II.
The Synagogue expostulateth with her children for their ingratitude; 10. shewing that they shal be forsaken, and the gentiles called.
THVS saith our Lord: I brought this people out of bondage, to whom I gaue commandment by my seruantes the Prophetes, whom they would not heare, but made my counsel frustrate. 2 Their mother that bare them, sayth to them: Goe children, because I am a wydow and forsaken. 3 I brought you vp with ioy, & haue lost you with mourning & sorow, because you haue sinned before our Lord your God, & haue done that which is euil before him. 4 But now what shal I doe to you? I am a wydow and desolote, goe my children, & aske mercie of our Lord. 5 And I cal thee o father a witnes vpon the mother of the children, that would not keepe my testament, 6 that thou geue them confusion, & their mother into spoile, that there be no generation of them. 7 Let their names be dispersed into the Gentiles, let them be destroyed out of the land: because they haue despised my sacrament. 8 Woe be to thee Assur, which hidest the wicked with thee. Thou naughtie nation, remember what I did to Sodom & Gomorrha: (Gen 19:24) 9 whose land lieth in cloddes of pitch, & heapes of ashes: so wil I make them, that haue not heard me, saith our Lord omnipotent. 10 Thus saith our Lord to Esdras: Tel my pople, that I wil geue them the kingdom of Ierusalem, which I ment to geue to Isreal. 11 And I wil take to me the glorie of them, and wil geue them eternal tabernacles, which I had prepared for them. 12 The wood of life shal be to them for an odour of oyntment, and they shal not labour, nor be wearied. 13 Goe & you shal receiue. Aske for your selues a few dayes, that they may abide. Now the kingdom is prepared for you, watch ye. 14 Cal thou heauen and earth to witnes: for I haue destroyed euil, and haue created good, because I liue sayth our Lord. 15 Mother embrace thy children, bring them vp with ioy. As a doue confirme their feete: because I haue chosen thee, sayth our Lord. 16 And I wil raise againe the dead out of their places, and out of the monumentes I wil bring them forth, because I haue knowen my name in Israel. 17 Feare not o mother of the children, because I haue chosen thee, saith our Lord. 18 I wil send thee ayde, my seruantes I saie, and Ieremie, at whose counsel I haue sanctified, and prepared for thee tweleue trees loden with diuerse fruites, 19 and as manie fountaines flowing milke and honie: and seuen huge mountaines, hauing the rose and the lilie, in the which I wil fil thy children with ioy. (Ex 15:27) 20 Iustifie thou the widow, iudge for the pupil, geue to the needie, defend the orphane, cloth the naked, 21 cure the broken & feeble, mocke not the lame, defend the maimed, and admitte the blind to the vision of my glorie. 22 The old man & the yong keepe with in thy walles: 23 where thou shalt finde the dead, committe them to the graue signing it, & I wil geue thee the first seate in my resurrection. (Tob 1:20) 24 Pause and rest my people, because thy rest shal come. 25 As a good nurce nourish thy children, confirme their feete. 26 The seruantes that I haue geuen thee, none of them shal perish. For I wil require them of thy number. 27 Be not wearied. For when the day of affliction and distresse shal come, others shal weepe, and be sad, but thou shalt be merie and plenteous. 28 The gentiles shal enuie, and shal be able to doe nothing against thee, sayth our Lord. 29 My handes shal couer thee, that thy children see not hel. 30 Be pleasant thou mother with thy children, because I wil deliuer thee sayth our Lord. 31 Remember thy children that sleepe, for I wil bring them out of the sides of the earth, & wil doe mercie with them: because I am merciful, sayth our Lord omnipotent. 32 Embrace thy children til I come, & shew them mercie: because my fountaines runne ouer, and my grace shal not faile. 33 I Esdras receiued commandment of our Lord, in mount Oreb; that I should goe to Israel: to whom when I came, they refused me, and reiected the commandement of our Lord. 34 And therfore, I say vnto you gentiles, which heare, and vnderstand, Looke for your pastor, he wil geue you the rest of eternitie: because he is at hand, that shal come in the end of the world. 35 Be ye readie for the rewardes of the kingdom, because perpetual light shal shine to you for time euerlasting. 36 Flee from the shadow of this world: receiue ye the pleasantnes of your glorie. I openly cal to witnes my sauiour. 37 Receiue the commended gift and be pleasant, geuing thankes to him that called you to the heauenlie kingdomes. 38 Arise, & stand & see the number of them that are signed in the feast of our Lord. 39 They that haue transferred them selues from the shadow of the world, haue receiued glorious garmentes of our Lord. 40 Receiue o Sion thy number, and shut vp thyne made white, which haue accomplished the law of our Lord. 41 The number of thy children, which thou didst wish is ful. Desire the powre of our Lord that thy people may be sanctified, which was called from the beginning. 42 I Esdras saw in mount Sion a great multiude, which I could not number, and they did al prayse our Lord with songes. (Apoc 7:9) 43 And in the middes of them was a young man high of stature, appearing aboue ouer them al, & he put crownes vpon euerie one of their heades, and he was more exalted. And I was astonied at the miracle. 44 Then asked I an Angel, and sayd: Who are these Lord? 45 Who answering sayd to me: These are they that haue laid of the mortal garment, and taken an immortal, and haue confessed the name of God. Now they are crowned, and receiue palmes. 46 And I sayd to the Angel: That yongman what is he, which putteth the crownes vpon them, and geueth palmes into their handes? 47 And answering he sayd to me: The same is the Sonne of God, whom they did confesse in the world: & I begane to magnifie them, that stood strongly for the name of our Lord. 48 Then sayd the Angel to me: Goe, tel my people, what maner of meruelous thinges and how great, thou hast sene of the Lord God.
CHAP. III.
The workes of God are wonderful from the beginning, 7. and men vngrateful 13. In Abraham God chose to himself a peculiar people: who neuertheles were froward, and obstinate. 23. He also chose Dauid, but stil the people were sinful: 28. the Babylonians also, by whom the are afflicted, are no lesse but rather greater sinners.
IN the thirteth yeare of the ruine of the citie I was in Babylon, and was trubled lying in my chamber, and my cogitations came vp ouer my hart: 2 because I saw the desolation of Sion, and the abundance of them that dwelt in Babylon. 3 And my spirit was tossed excedingly, and I began to speake to the highest timorous wordes, 4 and sayd: O Lord dominatour thou spakest from the beginning, when thou didst plant the earth, and that alone, and didst rule ouer the people, (Gen 1) 5 and gauest Adam a dead bodie: but that also was the worke of thy handes, & didst breath into him the spirit of life, and he was made to liue before thee: (Gen 2:7) 6 and thou broughst him into paradise, which thy right hand had planted, before the earth came. 7 And him thou didst command to loue thy way, and he transgressed it, & forth with thou didst institute death in him, and in his posteritie, and there were borne nations, and tribes, and peoples, and kindreds, wherof there is no number. 8 And euerie nation walked in their owne wil, & they did meruelous thinges before thee, and despised thy preceptes. 9 And agane in time thou broughst in the floud vpon inhabitantes of the world, and didst destroy them. (Gen 7) 10 And there was made in euery one of them, as vnto Adam to dye, so to them the floud, 11 But thou didst leaue one of them, Noe with his house and of him were al the iust. 12 And it came to passe, when they began to be multiplied, that dwelt vpon the earth, & multiplied children and peoples and manie nations: and they begane againe to doe impietie more then the former. 13 And it came to passe when they did iniquitie before thee, thou didst choose thee a man of them whose name was Abraham. 14 And thou didst loue him and to him onlie thou didst shew thy wil. (Gen 12) 15 And thou didst dispose vnto him an euerlasting testament, and toldst him that thou wouldst neuer forsake his seede. And thou gauest him Issac, and to Isaac thou gauest Iacob and Esau. 16 And Iacob thou didst seuer to thy selfe, but Esau thou didst separate. And Iacob grewe to a great multitude. 17 And it came to passe when thou didst bring forth his sede out of AEgypt, thou broughst it vpon mount Sinai. (Ex 19) 18 And thou didst bowe the heauens, and fasten the earth, and didst shake the world, and madest the depthes to tremble, and trubledst the world, 19 and thy glorie passed foure gates of fire, and of earthquake, and winde, and frost, that thou mightst geue a law to the seede of Iacob, and to the generation of Israel diligence. 20 And thou didst not take away from them a malignant hart, that thy law might bring forth fruite in them. 21 For Adam the first bearing a vicious hart transgressed and was ouercome, yea and al that were borne of him. 22 And it was made a permanent infirmitie, and the law with the hart of the people, with the wickednes of the roote, and that which is good departed, and the wicked remayned. 23 And the times passed, & the yeares were ended: and thou didst raise vp vnto thee a seruant named Dauid, 24 and spakest vnto him to build a citie of thy name, and to offer vnto thee in it frankencense, and oblations. 25 And this was done manie yeares, and they that inhabited the citie forsooke thee, 26 in al things as Adam and al his generations. For they also vsed a wicked hart. 27 And thou didst deliuer thy citie into the hands of thyne enimies. 28 Why, doe they better thinges, that inhabite Babylon? And for this shal she rule ouer Sion? (Jer 12) 29 It came to passe when I was come hither, and had sene the impieties that can not be numbred: and my soul saw manie offending this thirteth yeare, & my hart was astonied: 30 because I saw how thou bearest with their sinne, and didst spare them that did impiously, and didst destroy thine owne people, and preserue thine enimies, and didst not signifie it. 31 I nothing remember how this way should be forsaken: doth Babylon better thinges then Sion? 32 Or hath anie nation knowen thee beside Israel: or what tribes haue beleued thy testamentes as Iacob? 33 Whose reward hath not appeared, nor their labour fructified. For passing through I passed among the nations, and I saw them abound, and not mindeful of thy commandmentes. 34 Now therfore wey our iniquities in a ballance, and theirs that dwel in the world: & thy name shal not be found, but in Israel. 35 Or when haue not they sinned in thy sight, that inhabite the earth? or what nation hath so obserued thy commandmentes? 36 These certes by their names thou shalt finde to haue kept thy commandments, but the nations thou shalt not finde.
CHAP. IIII.
Mans witte and reason is not able to vnderstand the counsel and iudgement of God, 22. why his people are afflicted by wicked nations, 33. nor of times, and thinges to come.
AND the Angel answered me, that was sent to me, whose name was Vriel, 2 and sayd to me: Thy hart exceding hath exceded in this world, & thou thinkest to comprehend the way of the Highest. 3 And I sayd: It is so my Lord. And he answered me, & sayd: I am sent to shew thee three wayes, & to propose to thee three similitudes. 4 Of the which if thou shalt declare to me one of them, I also wil shew thee the way which thou desirest to see, and wil teach thee whence a wicked hart is. 5 And I sayd, Speak my Lord. And he sayd to me: Goe, wey me the weight of the fire, or measure me the blast of the winde, or cal me backe the day that is past. 6 And I answered, and sayd: what man borne can doe it, that thou askest me of these thinges? 7 And he sayd to me: If I should aske thee, saying: How great habitations are there in the hart of the sea, or how great vaines be there in the beginning of the depth, or how great vaines be there aboue the firmament, and what are the issues of paradise: 8 thou wouldest perhaps say to me: I haue not descended into the depth, nor into hel as yet, neither haue I ascended at anie time into heauen. 9 But now I haue not asked thee, sauing of the fire, and the winde, and the day by the which thou hast passed, and from the which thou canst not be separated: and thou hast not answered me of them. 10 And he sayd to me: Thou canst not know the thinges that are thine which grow together with thee: 11 and how can thy vessel comprehend the way of the Highest, and now the world being outwardly corrupted, vnderstand the corruption euident in my sight: 12 I sayd to him: Better were it for vs not to be, then yet liuing to liue in impieties, and to suffer, and not to vnderstand for what thing. 13 And he answered me, & said: Going forth I went forward to a wood of trees in the filde, and they deuised a deuise, (Judges 9 / 2 Par 25) 14 and said: Come and let vs goe, and make warre against the sea, that it may retyre backe before vs, and we may make vs other woodes. 15 And in like maner the waues of the sea they also deuised a deuise, and sayd: Come let vs goe vp, let vs ouerthrow the woodes of the filde, that there also we may consummate an other countrie for our selues. 16 And the woodes deuise was made vaine, for fire came, and consumed it. 17 Likewise also the deuise of the waues of the sea. For the sand stood, & stayed them. 18 For if thou wert iudge of these, whom wouldest thou begin to iustifie, or whom to condemne? 19 And I answered, and sayd: Verely they deuised a vayne deuise. For the earth is geuen to the wood, and a place to the sea to carie her waues. 20 And he answered me, and sayed: Thou hast iudged wel, and why hast thou not iudged for thy self? 21 For as the earth is geuen to the wood, and the sea for the waues therof: so they that inhabite vpon the earth, can vnderstand onlie the thinges that are vpon the earth: and they vpon the heauens, the thinges that are aboue the height of the heauens. 22 And I answered, and sayd: I besech thee Lord, that sense may be geuen me to vnderstand. 23 For I meant not to aske of thy superiour thinges, but of those that passe by vs dayly. For what cause Israel is geuen into reproche to the gentiles, the people whom thou hast loued, is geuen to impious tribes, & the law of our fathers is brought to destruction, & the written ordinances are no where: 24 and we haue passed out of the world, as locustes, and our life is astonishment and dreade, and we are not worthie to obtaine mercie. 25 But what wil he doe to his name that is inuocated vpon vs? and of these thinges I did aske. 26 And he answered me, and sayd: If thou search very much, thou shalt often meruail: because the world hastening hasteneth to passe, 27 and can not comprehend the thinges which in times to come are promised to the iust: because this world is ful of iniustice and infirmities. 28 But conerning the thinges that thou demandest I wil tel thee: for the euil is sowed, and the destruction therof is not yet come. 29 If then that which is sowen be not turned vp, and the place depart where the euil is sowen, that shal not come where the good is sowen. 30 Because the grayne of il seede hath bene sowen in the hart of Adam from the beginning: and how much impietie hath it ingendered vntil now, and doth ingender vntil the floore come? 31 And esteme with thy self the graine of the il seede, how much fruite of impietie it hath ingendred: 32 When the eares shal be cut, which are innumerable, what a great floore wil they begin to make? 33 And I answered, and sayd: How, and when shal these things be? why are our yeares few and euil? 34 And he answered me, and sayd to me, Hasten not aboue the Highest. For thou doest hasten in vaine to be aboue him, for thy excesse is much. 35 Did not the soules of the iust in the cellars, aske of these things, saying: How hope I so, and when shal the fruite come of the floore of our reward? 36 And Ieremiel the Archangel answered to those things, and sayd: When the number of the sedes in you shal be filled, because he hath weyed the world in a balance, 37 and with a measure hath he measured the times, and in number he hath numbered the times, and hath not moued, nor stirred them, vntil the foresayd measure be filled. 38 And I answered, and sayd: O Lord Dominatour, we also are al ful of impietie. 39 And left perhaps for vs the floores of the iust be not filled, for the sinnes of the inhabitantes vpon the earth. 40 And he answered me, and sayd: Goe, and aske a woman with childe, if when she hath accomplished her nine monethes, her wombe can yet hold the infant within it? 41 And I sayd it can not Lord. And he sayd to me, in hel the cellars of the soules are like to the matrice. 42 For as she that is: In trauail maketh hast, to escape the necessitie of trauailing: so this also hasteneth to render those thinges which are commended to it. 43 From the beginning it shal be shewed thee touching those thinges, which thou doest couet to see. 44 And I answered, and sayd: If I haue found grace before thine eyes, & if it be possible, and if I by fitte, 45 shew mee if there be more to come then is passed, or more things haue passed, then are to come. 46 What passed, I know: but what is to come, I know not. 47 And he sayd to me: Stand vpon the right side, and I wil shew thee the interpretation of the similitude. 48 And I stood, and saw: and behold a burning fornace passed before me, & it came to passe when the flame passed, I saw: and behold the smoke ouercame. 49 And these thinges there passed before me a clowd ful of water, and with violence casting in much raine: and when the violence of raine was cast, the droppes therin ouercame. 50 And he sayd to me: Thinke with thyself, as the raine increaseth more then the droppes, and the fire then the smoke: so did the measure that passed, more a bound. But the droppes, and the smoke ouercame: 51 and I prayed, & sayd, shal I liue thinkest thou vntil these dayes? or what shal be in those dayes? 52 He answered me, and sayd: Of the signes wherof thou askest me, in part I can tel thee, howbeit of thy life I was not sent to tel thee, neither doe I know.
CHAP. V.
Diuers signes of thinges to come are shewed to Esdras by an Angel: 16. for the comforth of the people in captiuitie.
BVT concerning signes: behold the dayes shal come, wherin they that inhabite the earth shal be taken in a great number: and the way of truth shal be hid: and the countrie shal be barren from fayth. 2 And iniustice shal be multiplied aboue that which thy self seest, & aboue that which thou hast heard in time past. (Matt 24) 3 And they shal put their foote into the countrie which now thou seest to reigne, and they shal see it desolate. 4 And if the Highest geue thee life, thou shalt see after the third trumpet, and the sunne shal sodenly shine agayne in the night, and the moone thrise in a day, 5 and out of wood bloud shal distil, and the stone shal geue his voice, and the peoples shal be moued: 6 and he reigne, whom they hope not that inhabite vpon the earth, and soules shal make their flight away. 7 & the sea of Sodom shal cast the fishes, and shal make a noise in the night, which manie knew not, and al shal heare the voice therof, 8 and there shal be made a confusion in manie places, and the fire shal often be sent backe, and the sauage beastes shal goe to other places, and wemen in their monethlie flowers shal bring forth monsters, 9 and in swete waters shal salt waters be found, and al frendes shal ouerthrow one an other: and then shal witte be hid, and vnderstanding shal be separated into his cellar: 10 and it shal be sought of manie, and shal not be found: and iniustice shal be multiplied, and incontinencie vpon the earth. 11 And one countrie shal aske her neighbour, and shal say: Hath iustice doing iust passed throught thee? and she shal denie it. 12 And it shal be in that time, men shal hope, and shal not obtaine: they shal labour, and their wayes shal not haue successe. 13 These signes I am permitted to tel thee: and if thou pray againe and weepe, as also now, and fast seuen dayes, thou shalt heare againe greater thinges then these. 14 And I awaked, and my bodie did shiuer excedingly: and my soule laboured, that it fainted: 15 and the Angel that came, that spake in me, held me, and strengthened me, and sette me vpon my feete. 16 And it came to passe in the second night, and Salathiel the prince of the people came to me, and sayd to me: Where wast thou? and why is thy countenance heauie? 17 Knowest thou not that Isreal is committed to thee in the countrie of their transmigration? 18 Rise vp therfore, and taste bread, and forsake vs not, as the pastour his flocke in the hand of wicked wolues. 19 And I sayd to him: Goe from me, & approch not vnto me. And he heard, as I sayd: and he departed from me. 20 And I fasted seuen dayes howling & weeping, as Vriel the Angel commanded me. 21 And it came to passe after seuen dayes, and againe cogitations of my hart molested me very much, 22 and my soule resumed the spirit of vnderstanding: & agayne I began to speake wordes before the Highest: 23 and I sayd: Lord Dominatour of euerie wood of the earth, & al the trees therof, thou hast chosen one vineyard: 24 & of euerie land of the world thou hast chosen thee one ditch: & of al the flowers of the world thou hast chosen thee one lilie: 25 and of al depthes of the sea, thou hast filled thee one riuer: and of al the builded cities, thou hast sanctified vnto thyself Sion: 26 and of al created soules, thou hast named thee one doue: and of al beastes that were made, thou hast prouided thee one shepe: 27 and of al multiplied peoples, thou host purchased thee one people: and a law approued of al thou hast geuen to this people, whom thou didst desire. 28 And now Lord, why hast thou deliuered one vnto manie? And thou hast perpared vpon one roote others, and hast dispersed thy onlie one in manie: 29 and they haue troden vpon it, which gainesayd thy couenants, and which beleued not thy testamentes. 30 And if hating thou hatest thy people, it ought to be chastised with thy handes. 31 And it came to passe, when I had spoken the wordes, and the Angel was sent to me, that came to me before the night past, 32 and he sayd to me: Heare me, and I wil instruct thee: and harken to me, and I wil adde before thee. 33 And I sayd: Speake my Lord. And he sayd to me: Thou art become excedingly in excesse of minde for Israel: hast thou loued it more then him that made it? 34 And I sayd to him: No Lord, but for sorow I haue spoken, for my veynes torment me euerie houre, to apprehend the pathe of the Highest, and to search part of his iudgement. 35 And he sayd to me: Thou canst not. And I sayd: Why Lord? To what was I borne, or why was not my mothers wombe my graue, that I might not see the labour of Iacob, & the wearines of the stocke of Israel? 36 And he sayd to me: Number me the thinges that are not yet come, and gather me the dispersed droppes, and make me the withered flowers grene againe, 37 and open me the shut cellars, & bring me forth the blastes inclosed in them, shew me the image of a voice: and then wil I shew thee the labour that thou desirest to see. 38 And I sayd: Lord Dominatour, for who is there that can know these thinges, but he that hath not his habitation with men? 39 And I am vnwise, and how can I speake of these thinges, which thou hast asked me? 40 And he sayd to me: As thou canst not doe one of these thiges, which haue bene sayd: so canst thou not finde my iudgement, or in the end the charitie, which I haue promised to the people. 41 And I sayd: But behold Lord thou art nigh to them that are nere the end: and what shal they doe that haue bene before me, or we, or they after vs? 42 And he sayd to me: I wil resemble my iudgement to a crowne. As there shal not be slacknes of the last, so neither swiftnes of the former. 43 And I answered, and sayd: Couldst thou not make them that haue bene, and that are, and that shal be, at once, that thou mayst shew thy iudgement the quicker? 44 And he answered me, and sayd: The creature can not hasten aboue the Creatour, nor the world sustayne them that are to be created in it, at once. 45 And I sayd: As thou didst say to thy seruant, that quickening thou didst quicken the creature created by thee at once, and the creature susteined it: it may now also beare them present at once. 46 And he sayd to me: Aske the matrice of a woman, & thou shalt say to it: And if thou bring forth children, why by times? Aske it therfore, that it geue ten at once. 47 And I sayd, it can not verily: but according to time. 48 And he sayd to me: And I haue geuen a matrice to the earth for them, that are sowen vpon it by time. 49 For as the infant bringeth not forth the thinges that perteyne to the aged, so haue I disposed the world created of me. 50 And I asked, and sayd: Wheras thou hast now geuen me a way, I wil speake before thee: for our mother, of whom thou toldest me, yet she is yong: now draweth nigh to old age. 51 And he answered me, and sayd: Aske her that beareth children, and she wil tel thee. 52 For thou shalt say to her: Why are not they whom thou hast brought forth, now like to them that were before thee, but lesse of stature? 53 And she also wil say vnto thee: They that are borne in the youth of streingth are of one sort, and they of an other, that are borne about the time of old age, when the matrice fayleth. 54 Consider therfore thou also, that you are of lesse stature, then they that were before you: 55 and they that are after you, of lesser then you, as it were creatures now waxing old, and past the strength of youth. 56 And I sayd: I besech thee Lord, if I haue found grace before thine eyes, shew vnto thy seruant, by whom thou doest visite thy creature.
CHAP. VI.
God knowing al thinges before they were made, created them 54. for man: and considerth the endes of al.
AND he sayd to me: In the beginning of the earthlie world, and before the endes of the world stood, and before the congregation of the windes did blow, (Prov 8) 2 and before the voyces of thunders sounded, & before the flashinges of lightenings shined, and before the fundations of paradise were confirmed, 3 and before beautiful flowers were sene, and before the moued powers were established, and before the innumerable hostes of Angels were gathered, 4 and before the heightes of the ayre were aduanced, and before the measures of the firmaments were named, and before the chymneies were hote in Sion, 5 and before the present yeares were searched out, and before their inuentions that now sinne, were put away, and they signed that made fayth their treasure: 6 then I thought, and they were made by me only, and not by any other: and the end by me, and not by any other. 7 And I answered, and sayd: What separation of times shal there be? and when shal the end of the former be, and the begynning of that which foloweth? 8 And he sayd to me, from Abraham vnto Isaac, when Iacob and Esau were borne of him, the hand of Iacob held from the begynning the heele of Esau, 9 for the end of this world is Esau, and the begynning of the next Iacob. 10 The hand of a man betwen the heele and the hand. Aske no other thing Esdras. 11 And I answered, and sayd: O Lord dominatour, if I haue found grace before thyne eyes, 12 I pray thee shew thy seruant the end of thy signes, wherof thou didst shew me part the night before. 13 And he answered, and sayd to me: Arise vpon thy feete, and heare a voice most ful of sound. 14 And it shal be as it were a commotion, neither shal the place be moued wherin thou standest. 15 Therfore when it speaketh be not thou afrayd, because of the end is the word, and the fundation of the earth vnderstood, 16 for concerning them the word trembleth and is moued, for it knoweth that their end must be changed. 17 And it came to passe, when I had heard, I rose vpon my feete, and I heard: and behold a voice speaking, and the sound therof as the sound of manie waters: 18 and it sayd: Behold the dayes come, and the time shal be when I wil begyne to approch, that I may visite the inhabitantes vpon the earth. 19 And when I wil begin to enquire of them that vniustly haue hurt with their iniustice, and when the humilitie of Sion shal be accomplished. 20 And when the world shal be ouersigned that shal beginne to passe, I wil doe these signes: Bookes shal be opened before the face of the firmament, and al shal see together, 21 and infantes of one yeare shal speake with their voices, & wemen with child shal bring forth vntimely infantes not ripe of three or foure monethes, and shal liue, and shal be raysed vp. 22 And sodenly shal appeare sowen places not sowen, & ful cellers shal sodenly be found emptie: 23 and a trumpet shal sound; which when al shal heare, they wil sodenly be afrayd. 24 And it shal be in that time, freindes as enimies shal ouerthrow freindes, and the earth shal be afrayd with them: & the vaynes of fountaynes shal stand, and shal not runne in three howres: 25 and it shal be, euerie one that shal be leaft of al these, of whom I haue foretold thee, he shal be saued, and shal see my saluation, & the end of your world. 26 And the men that are receiued, shal see, they that tasted not death from their natiuitie, and the hart of the inhabitantes shal be turned into an other sense. 27 For euil shal be put out, and deceite shal be extinguished, 28 but fayth shal florish, and corruption shal be ouercome, and truth shal be shewed, which was without fruite so manie dayes. 29 And it came to passe, when he spake to me, & I loe by litle & litle looked on him before whom I stood, 30 and he sayd to me these wordes: I am come to shew thee the time of the night to come. 31 If therfore thou pray agayne, and fast agayne seuen dayes, agayne I wil tel thee greater thinges by the day which I haue heard. 32 For thy voice is heard before the Highest. For the strong hath sene thy direction, and hath fore sene the chastitie which thou hast had from thy youth: 33 and for this cause he hath sent me to shew thee al these thinges, and to say to thee, haue confidence, and feare not, 34 and hasten not with the former times to thinke vayne thinges, that thou hasten not from the last times. 35 And it came to passe after these thinges, and I wept againe, and in like maner I fasted seuen dayes, to accomplish the three weekes, that were told me. 36 And it came to passe in the eight night, and my hart was trubled againe in me, and I began to speake before the Highest. 37 For my spirit was inflamed excedingly, and my soul was distressed. 38 And I sayd: O Lord, speaking thou didst speake from the beginning of creature from the first day, saying: Let heauen be made and earth: and thy word was a perfect worke. 39 And then there was spirit, and darknesse was caried about, and silence, the sound of the voyce of man was not yet from thee. 40 Then thou didst command the lighsome light to be brought forth of thy treasures, wherby thy worke might appeare. 41 And in the second day thou didst create the spirit of the firmament, and commandest it to diuide, and to make a diuision betwen the waters, that a certayn part should depart vpward, and part should remaine beneth. 42 And in the third day thou didst command the waters to be gathered together in the seuenth part of the earth: but sixe partes thou didst drie and preserue, that of them might be seruing before thee thinges sowen of God, and tilled. 43 For thy word proceded, and the worke forth with was made. 44 For sodenly came forth fruite of multitude infinite, and diurse tastes of concupiscence, and flowers of vnchangeable colour, and odours of vnsearcheable smel, and in the third day these thinges were made. 45 And in the fourth day thou didst command to be made the brightnesse of the sunne, the light of the moone, the disposition of the starres: 46 and didst command them that they should serue man, that should be made. 47 And in the fifth day: thou saydst to the seuenth part, where the water was gathered together, that it should bring forth beastes, and foules, and fishes: and so was it done, 48 the dumme water and without life, the thinges that by Gods appointement were commanded, made beastes, that therby the nations may declare thy meruelous workes. 49 And then thou didst preserue two soules: the name of one thou didst cal Henoch, and the name of the second thou didst cal Leuiathan, 50 and thou didst separate them from eche other. For the seuenth part, where the water was gathered together, could not hold them. 51 And thou gauest to Henoch one part, which was dried the third day, to dwelt therin, where are a thousand mountaynes. 52 But to Leuiathan thou gauest the seuenth part being moyst, and kepst it, that it might be to deuoure whom thou wilt, and when thou wilt. 53 And in the sixt day thou didst command the earth, to create before thee cattel, and beastes, and creeping creatures: 54 and ouer these Adam, whom thou madest ruler ouer al the workes, which thou didst make, & out of him are al we brought forth, and the people whom thou hast chosen. 55 And al these thinges I haue sayd before thee o Lord, because thou didst create the world for vs. 56 But the residue of the nations borne of Adam thou saydst that they were nothing, and that they were like to spittle, and as it were the droping out of a vessel thou didst liken the abundance of them. 57 And now Lord, behold these nations which are reputed for nothing, haue begune to rule ouer vs, and to deuoure vs: 58 but we thy people whom thou didst cal thy first onlie begotten emulatour, are deliuered into their handes: 59 and if the world was created for vs, why doe not we possesse inheritance with the world? how long these thinges?
CHAP. VII.
Without tribulations no man can attayne immortal life: 17. which the iust shal inherite: and the wicked shal perish. 28. Christ wil come, and dye for mankind. 36. Prayers of the iust shal profite til the end of this world, but not after the general iudgement. 48. Al sinned in Adam. 52. and haue added more sinnes, 57. but it is in mans powre, 62. by Gods grace, to liue eternally.
AND it came to passe when I had ended to speake these wordes, the Angel was sent to me, which had bene sent to me the first nights, 2 and he sayd to me: Arise Esdras, and heare the wordes which I am come to speake to thee. 3 And I sayd: Speake my God. And he sayd to me: The sea is set in a large place, that it might be deepe and wide: 4 but the entrance to it shal be set in a straict place, that it might be like to riuers. 5 For who witting wil enter into the sea, and see it, or rule ouer it: if he passe not the streite, how shal he come into the bredth? 6 Also an other thing: A citie is built, and set in a plaine place, and it is ful of al goodes. 7 The entrance therof narrow, and set in a stepe place, so that on the right hand there was fire, & on the left depe water: 8 and there is one onlie pathe set betwen them, that is, betwen the fire and the water, so that the pathe can not conteyne, but onlie a mans steppe. 9 And if the citie shal be geuen a man for inheritance, if he neuer passe through the peril set before it, how shal he receiue his inhertance? 10 And I sayd: So Lord. And he sayd to me, So it is: Israel also a part. 11 For I made the world for them: and when Adam transgressed my constitution, that was iudged which was done. 12 And the entrance of this world were made streite, and sorowful, & paynful, and few and euil, and ful of dangers, & stuffed very much with labour. 13 For the entrances of the greater world are large andsecure, and making fruite of immortalitie. 14 If then they that liue entring in enter into these streite and vayne thinges: they can not receiue the thinges that are layd vp. 15 Now therfore why art thou trubled, wheras thou art corruptible? and why art thou moued, wheras thou art mortal? 16 And why hast thou not taken in thy hart that which is to come, but that which is present? 17 I answered, and sayd: Lord dominatour: behold thou hast disposed by thy law that the iust shal inherite these thinges, and the impious shal perish. (Deut 8) 18 But the iust shal suffer the streites, hoping for the wyde places, for they that haue done impiously, haue both suffered the streites, and shal not see the wide places. 19 And he sayd to me: There is no iudge aboue God, nor that vnderstandeth aboue the Highest. 20 For manie present doe perish, because the law of God which was set before, is neglected. 21 For God commanding commanded them that came, when they came, what doing they should liue, and what obseruing they should not be punished. 22 But they were not perswaded, and gaynesayd him, and made to them selues a cogitation of vanitie, 23 and proposed to them selues deceites of sinnes, & they sayd to the Highest that he was not, and they knew not his wayes, 24 and dispised his law, and denyed his couenaunces, and had not fidelitie in his ordinances, and did not accomplish his workes. 25 For this cause Esdras, the emptie to the emptie, and the ful to the ful. 26 Behold the time shal come, and it shal be when the signes shal come, which I haue foretold thee, and the bride shal appeare, and appearing she shal be shewed that now is hid with the earth: 27 and euerie one that is deliuered from the foresaid euils, he shal see my meruelous thinges. 28 For my sonne IESVS shal be reueled with them that are with him, and they shal be merie that are leaft in the foure hundred yeares. 29 And it shal be after these yeares, and my sonne CHRIST shal dye: and al men that haue breath, 30 and the world shal be turned into the old silence seuen dayes, as in the former iudgementes, so that none shal be leaft. 31 And it shal be after seuen dayes, and the world shal be raysed vp that yet waketh not, and shal dye corrupted: 32 and the earth shal render the thinges that sleepe in it, & the dust them that dwel in it with silence, and the cellars shal render the soules that are commended to them. 33 And the Highest shal be reueled vpon the seate of iudgement, and miseries shal passe, and long sufferance shal be gathered together. 34 And iudgement onlie shal remayne, truth shal stand, and fayth shal waxe strong, 35 and the worke shal folow, and the reward shal be shewed, and iustice shal awake, and iniustice shal not haue dominion. [See note below.] 36 And I sayd: First Abraham prayed for the Sodomites, and Moyses for the fathers that sinned in the desert. (Gen 18 / Ex 32) 37 And they that were after him for Isreal in the dayes of Achaz, and of Samuel, 38 and Dauid for the destruction, and Salomon for them that came vnto the sanctification. (2 Kings 24:17 / 2 Par 6:13) 39 And Elias for them that receiued raine, and for the dead that he might liue, (3 Kings 17 & 18) 40 and Ezechias for the people in the dayes of Sennacherib, and manie for manie. (4 Kings 19:15) 41 If therfore now when corruptible did increase, and iniustice was multiplied, and the iust prayed for the impious: why now also shal it not be so? 42 And he answered me and sayd: This present world is not the end, much glorie remaineth in it: for this cause they prayed for the impotent. 43 For the day of iudgement shal be the end of this time, and the beginning of the immortalitie to come, wherein corruption is past: 44 intemperance is dissolued, incredulitie is cut of: and iustice hath increased, truth is strong. 45 For then no man can saue him that hath perished, nor drowne him that hath ouercome. And I answered, 46 and sayd: This is my word the first and the last, that it had bene better not to geue the earth to Adam, or when he had now geuen it, to restraine him that he should not sinne. 47 For what doth it profit men presently to liue in sorow, and being dead to hope for punishment? 48 O what hast thou done Adam? For if thou didst sinne, it was not made thy fal only, but ours also which came of thee. (Rom 5:12) 49 For what doth it profit vs if immortal time be promised to vs: but we haue done mortal workes? 50 And that euerlasting hope is foretold vs: but we most wicked are become vayne? 51 And that habitations of health and securitie are reserued for vs, but we haue conuerst naughtely? 52 And that the glorie of the Highest is reserued to protect them that haue slowly conuerst: but we haue walked in most wicked wayes. 53 And that paradise shal be shewed, whose fruite continueth incorrupted, wherin is securitie and remedie: 54 but we shal not enter in: for we haue conuerst in vnlawful places. 55 And their faces which haue had abstinence, shal shyne aboue the starres: but our faces blacke aboue darkenes. 56 For we did not thinke liuing when we did iniquitie, that we shal beginne after death to suffer. 57 And he answered, and sayd: This is the cogitation of the battel which man shal fight, who is borne vpon the earth, 58 that if he shal be ouercome, he suffer that which thou hast sayd: but if he ouercome he shal receiue that which I say: 59 for this is the life which Moyses spake of when he liued, to the people, saying: Choose vnto thee life, that thou mayst liue. (Deut 30:19) 60 But they beleued him not, no nor the Prophetes after him, no nor me which haue spoken to them. 61 Because there should not be sorow vnto their perdition, as there shal be ioy vpon them, to whom saluation is perswaded. 62 And I answered, and sayd: I know Lord, that the Highest is called merciful in that, that he hath mercie on them which are not yet come into the world, 63 and that he hath mercie on them which conuerse in his law: 64 and he is long suffering, because he sheweth long sufferance to them that haue sinned, as it were with their owne workes: 65 and he is bountiful, because he wil geue according to exigentes: 66 and of freat mercie, because he multiplieth more mercies to them that are present, and that are past, and that are to come. 67 For if he shal not multiplie his mercies, the world shal not be made aliue with them that did inherite it. 68 And he geueth: for if he shal not geue of his bountie, that they may be releeued which haue done iniquitie, the tenth thousand part of men can not be quickned from their iniquities. 69 And the iudge if he shal not forgeue them that are cured with his word, and wype away a multitude of contentions: there should not perhaps be leaft in an innumerable multitiude, but very few.
CHAP. VIII.
God is merciful in this world, yet fewe are saued. 6. Gods workes, and disposition of his creatures are meruelous. 15. Esdras prayeth for the people of Israel: 37. and saluation is promised to the iust, and punishment threatned to the wicked.
AND he answered me, & sayd: This world the Highest made for manie, but that to come for few. 2 And I wil speake a similitude Esdras before thee. For as thou shalt aske the earth, and it wil tel thee, that it wil geue much more earth wherof earthen worke may be made, but a litle dust wherof gold is made: so also is the act of this present world. 3 Manie in deede are created, but few shal be saued. (Matt 20:16) 4 And I answered, and sayd: Then o soul swallow vp the sense, and deuoure that which is wise. 5 For thou art agred to obey, and willing to prophecie. For there is no space geuen thee but only to liue. 6 O Lord if thou wilt not permitte thy seruant, that we pray before thee, and thou geue vs seede to the hart, and tillage to the vnderstanding, wherof may the fruite be made, wherby euerie corrupt person may liue, that shal beare the place of a man? 7 For thou art alone, and we are one workmanshippe of thy handes, as thou hast spoken: 8 and as now the bodie made in the matrice, and thou doest geue the members, thy creature is preserued in fire & water: and nine monethes thy workemanship doth suffer thy creature that is created in it: 9 and it self that keepeth, and that which is kept, both shal be preserued: and the matrice being preserued rendreth agayne at some time the thinges that are growen in it. 10 For thou hast commanded of the members, that is the brestes to geue milke vnto the fruite of the brestes, 11 that the thing which is made, may be nourished til a certayne time, and afterward thou mayst dispose him to thy mercie. 12 For thou hast, brought him vp in thy iustice, and hast instructed him in thy law, and hast corrected him in thy vnderstanding: 13 and thou shalt mortifie him, as thy creature: and shalt geue him life, as thy worke. 14 If then thou wilt destroy him that is made with so great labours: it is easie by thy commandment to be ordayned, that also which was made, might be preserued. 15 And now Lord I wil speake, of euerie man thou rather knowest: but concerning thy people, for which I am sorowful: 16 and concerning thine inheritance, for which I mourne, and for Israel for whom I am pensiue, and concerning Iacob, for whom I am sorowful. 17 Therfore wil I begin to pray before thee for me, & for them: because I see our defaultes that inhabite the earth. 18 But I haue heard of the celeritie of the iudge that shal be. 19 Therfore heare my voyce, and vnderstand my word, and I wil speake before thee. 20 The beginning of the wordes of Esdras before he was assumpted: and I sayd: Lord which inhabitest the world, whose eyes are eleuated vnto thinges on high and in the ayre: 21 and whose throne is inestimable, and glorie incomprehensible: by whom standeth an host of Angels with trembling, 22 whose keping is turned in wynde and fire, thou whose word is true, and sayings premanent: 23 whose commandment is strong, and disposition terrible: whose looke dryeth vp the depthes, and indignation maketh the mountaynes to melt, and truth doth testifie. 24 Heare the prayer of thy seruant, & with thine eares receiue the petition of thy creature. 25 For whiles I liue, I wil speake: and whiles I vnderstand, I wil answere: 26 Neither doe thou respect the sinnes of thy people, but them that serue thee in truth. 27 Neither doe thou attend the impious endeuours of the nations, but them that with sorowes haue kept thy testimonies. 28 Neither thinke thou of them that in thy sight haue conuerst falsly, but remember them that according to thy wil haue knowen thy feare. 29 Neither be thou willing to destroy them that haue had the maners of beastes: but respect them that haue taught thy law gloriously. 30 Neither haue indignation towards them, which are iudged worse then beastes: but loue them that alwayes haue confidence in thy iustice, and glorie. 31 Because we and our fatheres languish with such diseases: but thou for sinners shalt be called merciful. 32 For if thou shalt be desirous to haue mercie on vs, then thou shalt be called merciful, to vs hauing no workes of iustice. 33 For the iust which haue manie workes layd vp, of their owne workes shal receiue reward. 34 For what is man, that thou art angrie with him: or the corruptible kinde, that thou art so bitter touching it? 35 For in truth there is no man of them that be borne, which hath not done impiously, and of them that confesse, which haue not sinned. (3 Kings 8:46 / 2 Par 6:36) 36 For in this shal thy iustice be declared, and thy goodnes, o Lord, when thou shalt haue mercie on them, that haue no substance of good workes. 37 And he answered me, and sayd: Thou hast spoken somethinges rightly: and according to thy wordes, so also shal it be done, 38 because I wil not in dede thinke vpon the worke of them that haue sinned before death, before the iudgement, before perdition: 39 but I wil reioyce vpon the creature of the iust, and I wil remember their pilgrimage also, and saluation, and receiuing of reward. 40 Therfore as I haue spoken, so also it is. 41 For as the husbandman soweth vpon the ground manie seedes, and planteth manie plantes, but not al which were sowen in time, are preserued, nor yet al that were planted, shal take roote: so they also that are sowen in the world, shal not al be saued. (Matt 13 & 20) 42 And I answered, and sayd: If I haue found grace, let me speake. 43 As the seede of the husbandman, if it come not vp, or receiue not the rayne in time, if it be corupted with much rayne, perisheth: 44 so likewise also man who made with thy handes, and thou named his image: because thou art likened to him, for whom thou hast made al thinges, and hast likened him to the seede of the husbandman. 45 Be not angrie vpon vs, but spare thy people, and haue mercie on thy inheritance. And thou hast mercie on thy creature. 46 And he answered me, and sayd: The thinges that are present to them that are present, and that shal be, to them that shal be. 47 For thou lackest much to be able to loue my creature aboue me: and to thee often times, euen to thyselfe I haue approched, but to the vniust neuer. 48 But in this also thou art meruelous before the Highest, 49 because thou hast humbled thyself as becometh thee: & hast not iudged thyself, that among the iust thou maist be very much glorified. 50 For which cause manie miseries, and miserable thinges shal be done to them that inhabite the world in the later dayes: because they haue walked in much pride. 51 But thou for thyselfe vnderstand, & for them that are like vnto thee seeke glorie. 52 For to you paradise is open, the tree of life is planted, time to come is prepared, abundance is prepared, a citie is builded, rest is approued, goodnes is perfited, & perfit wisdome. 53 The roote of euil is signed from you: infirmitie, and mothe is hid from you: & corruption is fled into hel in obliuion. 54 Sorowes are past, & the treasure of immortalitie is shewed in the end. 55 Adde not therfore inquiring of the multitude of them that perish. 56 For they also receiuing libertie, haue despised the Highest, and contemned his lawe, and forsaken his wayes. 57 Yea and moreouer they haue troden downe his iust ones, 58 and haue sayd in their hart, that there is no God: and that, knowing that they dye. (Ps 13 & 52) 59 For as the thinges aforesayd shal receiue you: so thirst and torment, which are prepared shal take them: for he would not man to be destroyed. 60 But they them selues also which are created, haue defyled his name which made them: & haue bene vnkind to him that prepared life. 61 Wherfore my iudgement now approcheth. 62 Which thinges I haue not shewed to al, but to thee, & to few like vnto thee. And I answered, and sayd: 63 Behold now Lord thou hast shewed me a multitude of signes, which thou wilt beginne to doe in the latter times: but thou hast not shewed me at what time.
CHAP. IX.
Certaine signes shal goe before the day of iudgement. 14. More shal perish then be saued. 25. Prayer with other good workes, are meanes to saluation.
AND he answered me, and sayd: Measuring measure thou the time in it selfe: and it shal be when thou seest, after a certaine part of the signes which are spoken of before shal passe, 2 then shalt thou vnderstand, that the same is the time wherin the Highest wil beginne to visite the world that was made by him. 3 And when there shal be sene in the world mouing of places, and truble of peoples, 4 then shalt thou vnderstand, that of these spake the Highest, from the dayes that were before thee, from the beginning. 5 For as al that is made in the world hath a beginning, and also a consummation, and the consummation is manifest: 6 so also the times of the Highest haue the beginning manifest in wonders and powers, and the consummations in worke and in signes. 7 And it shal be, euery one that shal be saued, and that can escape by his workes, and by fayth, in which you haue beleeued, 8 shal be leaft out of the foresayd dangers, and shal see my saluation in my land, and in my costes, because I haue sancitifed my selfe from the world. 9 And then shal they be in miserie, that now haue abused my wayes: and they that haue reiected them in contempt, shal abide in torments. 10 For they that knew not me, hauing obtained benefits when they liued: 11 and they that loathed my law, when they yet had libertie, 12 and when as yet place of penance was open to them vnderstoode not, but despised: they must after death in torment know it. 13 Thou therfore be not yet curious, how the impious shal be tormented: but inquire how the iust shal be saued, and whose the world is, and for whom the world is, and when. 14 And I answered, and sayd: 15 I haue spoken hertofore, and now I say, and hereafter wil say: that they are more which perish then that shal be saued: (Matt 10) 16 as a floud is multiplied aboue, more then a droppe. 17 And he ansvvered me, and sayd: Like as the field so also the sedes: and as the flovvers, such also the colours: and as the workeman, such also the worke: and such as the husbandman, such is the husbandrie: because it was the time of the world. 18 And now when I was preparing for them, for these that now are before the world was made, wherin they should dwel: and no man gaynsayd me. 19 For then euery man, and now the creator in this world prepared, and haruest not fayling, and law vnsearchable their manners are corrupted. 20 And I considered the world, and behold there was danger because of the cogitations that came in it. 21 And I saw, and spared it very much: and I kept vnto my selfe a grape kernel of a cluster, and a plant of a great trybe. 22 Let the multitude therfore perish, which was borne without cause, and let my kernel be kept, & my plant: because I finished it with much labour. 23 And thou if thou adde yet seuen other dayes, but thou shalt not fast in them, 24 thou shalt goe into a field of flowers, where no house is built: & thou shalt eate only of the flowers of the field, and flesh thou shalt not tast, and wine thou shalt not drinke, but only flowers. 25 Pray to the Highest without intermission, and I wil come, and wil speake with thee. 26 And I went forth, as he sayd to me, into a field which is called Ardath, and I sate there among the flowers. And I did eate of the herbes of the field, and the meate of them made me ful. 27 And it came to passe after seuen dayes, and I sate downe vpon the grasse, and my hart was trubled ayayne as before. 28 And my mouth was opened, and I beganne to speake before the Highest, and sayd: 29 O Lord thou shewing thy selfe to vs, wast shewed to our fathers in the desert, which is not troden, and vnfruitful, when they came out of AEgypt: and saying thou saydst: (Ex 19 & 24 / Deut 4) 30 Thou Israel heare me, and sede of Iacob attend to my wordes. 31 For behold, I sow my lawe in you, and it shal bring forth fruite in you, and you shal be glorified in it for euer. 32 For our fathers receiuing the law obserued it not, and kept not my ordinances, and the fruite of the law did not appeare: for it could not, because it was thine. 33 For they that receiued it, perished, not keeping that which had bene sowen in them. (Ex 32) 34 And behold it is the custome, that when the earth hath receiued sede, or the sea a shippe, or some vessel meate or drinke: when that shal be destroyed wherin it was sowne, or into the which it was cast: 35 that which was sowne, or cast in, or the thinges that were receiued, are destroyed withal, and the thinges receiued now tarye not with vs: but it is not so done to vs. 36 We in dede that receiued the law, sinning haue perished, and our hart that receiued it: 37 For the law hath not perished, but hath remayned in his labour. (Ezech 48) 38 And when I spake these thinges in my hart, I looked backe with myne eyes, and saw a woman on the right side, and behold she mourned, and wept with a lowd voice, and was sorrowful in mynde exceedingly, and her garments rent, and ashes vpon her heade. 39 And I left the cogitations, wherin I was thinking, and I turned to her and sayd to her: 40 Why weepest thou? and why art thou sorie in mynde. And she sayd to me: 41 Suffer me my Lord, that I may lament myselfe, & adde sorrow: because I am of a very pensiue mynde, and am humbled exceedingly. 42 And I sayd to her, What ayleth thee: tel me. And she sayd to me: 43 I thy seruant haue beene barren, and haue not borne childe, hauing a husband thirty yeares. 44 For I euery howre, and euerie day, and these thirty yeares do beseche the Highest night and day. 45 And it came to passe, after thirtie yeares God heard me thy handmayd, and saw my humilitie, and attended to my tribulation, and gaue me a sonne: and I was very ioyful vpon him, and my husband, and al my citizens, and we did glorifie the Strong exceedingly. 46 And I nourished him with much labour. 47 And it came to passe when he was growen, and came to take a wife, I made a feast day.
CHAP. X.
The state of Ierusalem is prefigured by a woman mourning, 25. and afterwardes reioycing.
AND it came to passe, when my sonne was entred into his inner chamber, he fel downe, and dyed: 2 and we al ouerthrewe the lights, and al my citizens rose vp to comfort me, and I was quiet vntil the other day at night. 3 And it came to passe, when al were quiet to comfort me, that I might be quiet: and I arose in the night, and fled: and came as thou seest into this field. 4 And I meane nowe not to returne into the citie, but to stay here: and neither eate, nor drinke, but without intermission to mourne, and to fast vntil I dye. 5 And I left the talke wherin I was, and with anger answered her, & sayd: 6 Thou foole aboue al wemen, seest thou not our mourning, & what thinges chance to vs? 7 Because Sion our mother is sorroweful with al sorrowe, and humbled, and mourneth most bitterly. 8 And now wheras we al mourne, and are sadde: wheras we are sorrowful, and art thou sorrowful for one sonne? 9 For aske the earth, and it wil tel thee: that it is she, that ought to lament the fal of so manie thinges that spring vpon it. 10 And of her were al borne from the beginning, and others shal come: and behold, almost al walke into perdition, and the multitude of them commeth to destruction. 11 And who then ought to mourne more, but she that hath lost so great a multitude, rather then thou which art sorie for one? 12 And if thou say vnto me, that my mourning is not lyke the earthes: because I haue lost the fruite of my wombe, which I bare with sorrowes, and brought forth with paynes: 13 but the earth according to the maner of the earth, and the present multitude in it hath departed as it came: and I saye to thee, 14 as thou hast brought forth with payne, so the earth also geueth her fruite for man from the beginning to him that made her. 15 Now therfore kepe in with thy sorrowe, and beare stoutly the chances that haue befallen thee. 16 For if thou iustifie the end of God, thou shalt in time both receiue his counsel, and also in such thinges thou shalt be praysed. 17 Goe in therfore into the citie to thy husband. And she sayd to me: 18 I wil not doe it, neither wil I enter into the citie, but here wil I dye. 19 And I added yet to speake to her, & sayd: 20 Doe not this word, but consent to him that counseleth thee. For how manie are the chances of Sion? Take comfort for the sorrowe of Ierusalem. 21 For thou seest that our sanctification is made desert, and our altar is throwen downe, and our temple is destroyed, 22 and our psalter is humbled, and hymne is silent, and our exultation is dissolued, and the light of our candelsticke is extinguished, and the arke of our testament is taken for spoyle, & our holie thinges are contaminated, and the name that is inuocated vpon vs, is almost prophaned: and our children haue suffred contumelie, and our Priestes are burnt, & our Leuites are gone into captiuitie, & our virgins are defloured, and our wiues haue suffered rape, and our iust men are violently taken, and our litle ones are lost, and our yong men are in bondage, and our valiants are made impotent: 23 and that which is greatest of al, the seale of Sion, because she is vnsealed of her glorie: For she is also deliuered into the handes of them that hate vs. 24 Thou therfore shake of thy great heauines, and lay away from thee the multitude of sorrowes, that the Strong may be propicious to thee agayne, and the Highest wil geue thee rest, rest from thy labours. 25 And it came to passe, when I spake to her, her face did shine suddenly, and her shape, and her visage was made glistering, so that I was afrayde excedingly at her, & thought what this thing should be. 26 And Behold, suddenly she put forth a great sound of a voyce ful of feare, that the earth was moued at the womans sound. And I saw: 27 and behold, the woman did no more appeare vnto me, but a citie was built, & a place was shewed of great fundations: and I was afrayd, & crying with a loude voyce I sayd: 28 Where is Vriel the Angel, that from the beginning came to me? for he made me come in multitude in excesse of this minde, and my end is made into corruption, & my prayer into reproch. 29 And when I was speaking these thinges, behold he came to me, and sawe me. 30 And behold I was layd as dead, & my vnderstanding was alienated, and he held my right hand, and strengthned me, & set me vpon my feete, & sayd to me: 31 What ayleth thee? and why is thy vnderstanding, and the sense of thy hart trubled, & why art thou trubled? And I sayd: 32 Because thou hast forsaken me, and I in dede haue done according to thy wordes, & went out into the field: & behold, I haue seene, & doe see that which I cannot vtter. And he sayd to me: 33 Stand like a man, & I wil moue thee. And I sayd: 34 Speake thou my Lord in me, forsake me not, that I die not in vaine: 35 because I haue seene thinges that I knew not, & I doe heare thinges that I know not. 36 Or is my sense deceiued, & doth my soule dreame? 37 Now therfore I besech thee, that thou shew vnto thy seruant concerning this trance. And he answered me, & sayd: 38 Heare me, and I wil teach thee, and wil tel thee of what thinges thou art afrayd: because the Highest hath reuealed vnto thee manie mysteries. 39 He hath seene thy right way, that without intermission thou was forrowful for thy people, and didst mourne exceedingly for Sion. 40 This therfore is the vnderstanding of the vision which appeared to thee a litle before. 41 The woman whom thou sawest mourning, thou beganst to comfort her. 42 And now thou seest not the forme of the woman, but there appeared to thee a citie to be built. 43 And because she tolde thee of the fal of her sonne, this is the interpretation. 44 This woman which thou sawest, she is Sion, and wheras she told thee of her, whom now also thou shalt see, as a citie builded. 45 And whereas she told thee, that she was barren thirtie yeares: for the which there were thirtie yeares, when there was not yet oblation offered in it. 46 And it came to passe after thirtie yeares, Salomon built the citie, and offered oblations: then it was, when the barren bare a childe. 47 And that which she sayd vnto thee, that she nourished him with labour, this was the habitation in Ierusalem. 48 And wheras she sayd to thee, that my sonne comming into the bryde chamber dyed, and that a fal chanced vnto him, this was the ruine of Ierusalem that is made. 49 And behold, thou hast seene the similitude of her: and because she lamented her sonne, thou beganst to comfort her: and of these thinges that haue chanced, these were to be opened to thee. 50 And now the Highest seeth that thou wast sorie from the hart: and because with thy whole hart thou sufferest for her, he hath shewed thee the clearnes of her glorie, and the fayrenes of her beautie. 51 For therfore did he say to thee, that thou shouldest tarie in a field where house is not built. 52 For I knew that the Highest beganne to shew thee these thinges: 53 therfore I sayd vnto thee, that thou shouldest goe into a field, where is no fundation of building. 54 For the worke of mans building could not be borne in the place, where the citie of the Highest began to be shewed. 55 Thou therfore feare not, neither let thy hart dread: but goe in, and see the beautie, and greatnes of the building, as much as the sight of thyne eyes is capable to see: 56 & afterward thou shalt heare as much, as the hearing of thyne eares is capable to heare. 57 For thou art blessed aboue manie, and art called with the Highest as few. 58 And to morrow night thou shalt tarie here: 59 and the Highest wil shew thee those visions of the thinges on high, which the Highest wil doe to them that inhabite vpon the earth in the later dayes. 60 And I slept that night, and the other next, as he had sayd to me.
CHAP. XI.
An eagle appeareth to Esdras coming forth of the sea, with three heades, and twelue winges: sometimes one reigning in the world, sometimes an other, but euerie one vanisheth away. 36. A lion also appeareth coming forth of the wood, to suppresse the eagle.
AND I sawe a dreame, & behold an eagle came vp out of the sea: which had twelue winges of fethers, and three heades. 2 And I saw, and behold she spred her winges into al the earth, and al the windes of heauen blew vpon her, and were gathered together. 3 And I saw, and of her fethers sprang contrarie feathers, and they became litle winges, and smale. 4 For her heades were at rest, and the midle head was greater then the other heades, but she rested with them. 5 And I saw, and behold the eagle flew with her winges, and reigned ouer the earth, and ouer them that dwel in it. 6 And I saw, that al thinges vnder heauen were subiect to her, and no man gaynesayd her, no not one of the creature that is vpon the earth. 7 And I saw, and behold the eagle rose vp vpon her talons, and made a voice with her winges, saying: 8 Watch not al together, sleepe euerie one in his place, & watch according to time. 9 But let the heades be preserued to the last. 10 And I saw, and behold the voice came not out of her heades, but from the middes of her bodie. 11 And I numbered her contrarie winges, and behold they were eight. 12 And I saw, and behold on the right side rose one wing, and reighned ouer al the earth. 13 And it came to passe, when it reigned, an end came to it, and the place therof appeared not: and the next rose vp, & reigned, that held much time. 14 And it came to passe, when it reigned, & the end of it also came, that it appeared not as the former. 15 And behold, a voice was sent forth to it, saying: 16 Heare thou that hast held the earth of long time. Thus I tel thee before thou beginne not to appeare. 17 None after thee shal hold thy time, no nor the halfe therof. 18 And the third lifted vp it selfe, and held the principalitie as also the former: and that also appeared not. 19 And so it chanced to al the other by one & by one to haue the principalitie, & agayne to appeare nowhere. 20 And I saw, and behold in time the rest of the winges were sent vp on the right side, that they also might hold the principalitie: and of them there were that held it, but yet forthwith they appeared not. 21 For some also of them stoode vp, but they held not the principalitie. 22 And I saw after these thinges, and behold the twelue winges, and two litle winges appeared not: 23 and nothing remayned in the bodie of the eagle but two heades resting, and six litle winges. 24 And I saw, and behold from the six litle winges two were diuided, and they remayned vnder the head, that is on the right side. For foure taried in their place. 25 And I saw, and behold the vnderwinges thought to set vp them selues, and to hold the principalities. 26 And I saw, and behold one was set vp, but forthwith it appeared not. 27 And they that were second did sooner vanish away then the former. 28 And I saw, and behold the two that remayned, thought with them selues that they also would reigne: 29 and when they were thincking thereon, behold one of the resting heades, which was the midde one awaked, for this was greater then the other two heades. 30 And I saw that the two heades were complete with themselues. 31 And behold the head with them that were with him turned, and did eate the two vnderwinges that thought to reigne. 32 And this head terrified al the earth, & ruled in it ouer them that inhabite the earth with much labour, and he that held the dominion of the whole world aboue al the winges that were. 33 And I saw after these thinges, and behold the midle head sodenly appeared not, as did the winges. 34 And there remained two heads, which reigned also themselues ouer the earth, and ouer them that dwelt therein. 35 And I saw, and behold the head on the right side deuoured that which was on the left. 36 And I heard a voice saying to me, Looke against thee, and consider what thou seest. 37 And I saw, & behold as a lion raysed out of the wood roaring: and I saw that he sent out a mans voyce to the eagle. And he spake saying. 38 Heare thou, and I wil speake to thee, and the Highest wil say to thee: 39 Is it not thou that hast ouercome of the foure beastes, which I made to reigne in my world, and that by them the end of their times might come? 40 And the fourth coming ouercame al the beastes that were past, and by might held the world with much feare, and al the world with most wicked laboure, and he inhabitied the whole earth so long time with deceipte. 41 And thou hast iudged the earth not with truth. 42 For thou hast afflicted the meeke, and hast trubled them that were quiet, and hast loued lyers, & hast destroyed their habitations that did fructifie, and hast ouerthrowen their walles that did not hurt thee. 43 And thy contumelie is ascended euen to the Highest, and thy pride to the Strong. 44 And the Highest hath looked vpon the proud times: and behold they are ended, and the abominations therof are accomplished. 45 Therfore thou eagle appeare no more, and thy horrible winges, & thy litle winges most wicked, and thy heades malignant, and thy talons most wicked, and al thy bodie vayne, 46 that al the earth may be refreshed, and may returne deliuered from thy violence, and may hope for his iudgement, and mercie that made it.
CHAP. XII.
The eagle vanisheth away, 5. Esdras prayeth, 10. and the former visions are declared to him.
AND it came to passe, whiles the lyon spake these wordes to the eagle: I saw, 2 and behold the head that had ouercome, and those foure winges appeared not which passed to him, and were set vp to reigne: and their reigne was smal, and ful of tumult. 3 And I saw, and behold they appeared not, and al the bodie of the eagle was burnt, & the earth was afrayd excedingly, and I by the tumult and traunce of minde, and for great feare awaked, and sayd to my spirit: 4 Behold thou hast geuen me this, in that, that thou searchest the wayes of the Highest. 5 Behold yet I am wearie in minde, and in my spirit I am very feeble, and there is not so much as a litle strength in me for the great feare, that I was afrayd of this night. 6 Now therfore I wil pray the Highest, that he strengthen me euen to the end. 7 And I sayd: Lord Dominatour, if I haue found grace before thine eyes, and if I am iustified before thee aboue manie, and if in deede my prayer be ascended before thy face, 8 strengthen me, and shew vnto me thy seruant the interpretation, and distinction of this horrible vision, that thou mayst comfort my soule most fully. 9 For thou hast counted me worthie to shew vnto me the later times. And he sayd to me: 10 This is the interpretation of this vision. 11 The eagle which thou sawest coming vp from the sea, this is the kingdom which was sene in a vision to Daniel thy brother. (Dan 7:7) 12 But it was not interpreted to him, therfore I do now interprete it to thee. 13 Behold the dayes come, and there shal rise a kingdon vpon the earth, and the feare shal be more terrible then of al the kingdomes that were before it. 14 And there shal twelue kinges reigne in it, one after an other. 15 For the second shal beginne to reigne, and he shal continew more time then the rest of the twelue. 16 This is the interpretation of the twelue winges which thou sawest. 17 And the voice that spake which thou heardst, not coming forth of her heads, but from the middes of her bodie, 18 this is the interpretation, that after the time of that kingdom shal rise no smal contentions, and it shal be in danger to fal: and it shal not fal then, but shal be constituted againe according to the beginning therof. 19 And wheras thou sawest eight vnderwings cleauing to the wings therof, 20 this is the interpretation, eight kinges shal arise in it, whose times shal be light, and yeares swift, and two of them shal perish. 21 But when the middest time approcheth, foure shal be kept til a time, when the time therof shal beginne to approch to be ended, yet two shal be kept to the end. 22 And wheras thou sawest three heads resting, 23 this is the interpretation: in her last dayes the Highest wil rayse vp three kingdoms, and wil cal backe manie thinges into them, and they shal rule ouer the earth, 24 and them that dwel in it, with much labour aboue al them that vvere before them. For this cause they are called the heads of the eagle. 25 For these shal be they that shal recapitulate her impieties, and that shal accomplish her last thinges. 26 And wheras thou sawest a greater head not appearing, this is the interpretation therof: that one of them shal dye vpon his bed, and yet with torments. 27 For the two that shal remayne, the sword shal eate them. 28 For the sword of one shal deuoure him that is with him: but yet this also at the last shal fal by the sword. 29 And wheras thou sawest two vnderwings passing ouer the head that is on the right side, 30 this is the interpretation: these are they whom the Highest hath kept to their end, this is a smal kingdom, and ful of truble. 31 As thou sawest the lyon also, whom thou sawest awaking out of the wood, and roaring, and speaking to the eagle, and rebuking her, and her iniustices by al his wordes as thou hast heard: 32 this is the wynde which the Highest hath kept vnto the end for them, and their impieties: and he shal rebuke them, and shal cast in their spoyles before them. 33 For he shal sette them in iudgment aliue: and it shal be, when he hath reproued them, then shal he chastise them. 34 For the rest of my people he shal deliuer with miserie, them that are saued vpon my borders, and he shal make them ioyful til the end shal come, the day of iudgment, wherof I haue spoken to thee from the beginning. 35 This is the dreame which thou sawest, and these be the interpretations. 36 Thou therfore only hast bene worthie to know this secrete of the Highest. 37 Write therfore in a booke al these thinges which thou hast sene, and put them in a hidden place: 38 and thou shalt teach them the wise men of thy people, whose harts thou knowest able to take, and to kepe these secretes. 39 But doe thou stay here yet other seuen dayes, that there may be shewed thee whatsoeuer shal seme good to the Highest to shew thee. 40 And he departed from me. And it came to passe, when al the people had heard that the seuen dayes were past, and I had not returned into the citie, and al gathered them selues together from the least vnto the greatest: & came to me, & spake to me saying: 41 What haue we sinned to thee, or what haue we done vniustly against thee, that leauing vs thou hast sitten in this place? 42 For thou alone art remayning to vs of al peoples, as a cluster of grapes of the vineyard, and as a candle in a darke place, and as an hauen and shippe saued from the tempest. 43 Or are not the euiles that chance, sufficient for vs? 44 If then thou shalt forsake vs, how much better had it bene to vs, if we also had bene burnt with the burning of Sion? 45 For we are not better then they that dyed there. And they wept with a lowd voice. And I answered them, and sayd: 46 Be of good chere Israel, and be not sorowful thou house of Iacob. 47 For there is remebrance of you before the Highest, and the Strong hath not forgotten you in tentation. 48 For I haue not forsaken you, neither did I depart form you: but I came into this place, to pray for the desolation of Sion, and to seeke mercie for the low estate of your sanctification. 49 And now goe euery one of you into his house, and I wil come to you after these dayes. 50 And the people departed, as I sayd to them, into the citie: 51 but I sate in the fielde seuen dayes, as he commanded me: and I did eate of the flowers of the field only, of the herbes was my meate made in those dayes.
CHAP. XIII.
A vision of a winde (as it first semed, but) in dede, v. 3. of a man: 5. strong against the enimies: 21. with the interpretation.
AND it came to passe after seuen dayse, and I dreamed a dreame in the night. 2 And behold there rose a winde from the sea, that trubled al the waues therof. 3 And I saw, and behold that man grew strong with thousandes of heauen: and when he turned his countenance to consider, al thinges trembled that were sene vnder him: 4 and whersoeuer voyce proceded out of his mouth, al that heard his voices begane to burne, as the earth is quiet when it feeleth the fire. 5 And I saw after these, and behold a multitude of men was gathered together, of whom there was no number, from the foure windes of heauen, to fight against the man that was come vp out of the sea. 6 And I saw, and behold he had grauen to himself a great mountaine, & he flew vpon it. 7 And I sought to see the countrie, or the place whence the mountaine was grauen, & I could not. 8 And after these thinges I saw, and behold al that were gathered to him, to ouerthrowe him, feared exceedingly, yet they were bold to fieght. 9 And behold as he sawe the violence of the multitude that came, he lifted not vp his hand, nor held sword, nor anie warlyke instrument but only as I saw, 10 that he sent forth out of his mouth as it were a blaste of fire, and from his lippes a spirit of flame, & from his tongue he sentforth sparkles & tempests, and al thinges were mingled together with this blast of fire, & spirit of flame, & multitude of tempests. 11 And it fel with violence vpon the multitude, that was prepared to fight, and burned them al, that suddenly there was nothing sene of an innumerable multitude, but only dust, & the sauour of smoke: and I saw, and was afrayd. 12 And after these thinges I saw the man himself descending from the mountaine, and calling to him an other peaceable multitude, 13 and there came to him the countenance of manie men some reioycing, and some sorrowing: and some bond, some bringing of them them that were offered. And I was sicke for much feare, and awaked, and sayd. 14 Thou from the beginning hast shewed thy seruant these meruelous thinges, and hast counted me worthie that thou wouldest receiue my petition. 15 And now shew me yet the interpretation of this dreame. 16 For as I thinke in my iudgement, woe to them that were leaft in those dayes: & much more woe to them that were not leaft. 17 For they that were not leaft, were sorrowful. 18 I vnderstand now what thinges are layde vp in the later dayes, and they shal happen to them, yea and to them that are leaft. 19 For therefore they came into great dangers, and manie necessities, as these dreames do shew. 20 But yet it is easier, aduenturing to come into it, then to passe, as a cloud from the world, and vow to see the thinges that happen in the later time. And he answered me, and sayd: 21 Both the interpretation of the vision I wil tel thee: and also concerning the thinges that thou hast spoken I wil open to thee. 22 Wheras thou speakest of them that were leaft, this is the interpretation. 23 He that taketh away danger at that time, he hath garded himself. They that haue fallen into danger, these are they that haue workes, and fayth in the Strongest. 24 Know therefore that they are more blessed which are leaft, then they that are dead. 25 These are the interpretations of the vision, wheras thou sawest a man coming from the hart of the sea, 26 the same is he whom the Highest preserueth much time, which by himself shal deliuer his creature: and he shal dispose them that are leaft. 27 And wheras thou sawest proceede out of his mouth, as it were winde, and fire, and tempest: 28 and wheras he held no sworde, nor warlike instrument: for his violence destroyed the multitude that came to ouerthrow him: this is the interpretation. 29 Behold the dayes come, when the Highest shal begin to deliuer them, that are vpon the earth: 30 and he shal come in excesse of minde vpon them that inhabit the earth. 31 And one shal thinke to ouerthrow an other: one citie an other citie, one place an other place, and nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. (Matt 24 / Luke 21) 32 And it shal be, when these thinges shal come to passe, and the signes shal happen, which I shewed thee before: and then shal my sonne be reueled, whom thou sawest, as a man coming vp. 33 And it shal be when al nations shal heare his voice: and euery one in his countrie shal leaue their warre, that they haue toward each other: 34 and an innumerable multitude shal be gathered in one, as willing to come to ouerthrow him. 35 But he shal stand vpon the top of mount Sion. 36 And Sion shal come, and it shal be shewed to al prepared and builded, as thou sawest the mountaine to be grauen without handes. 37 And the same my sonne shal reproue the thinges that the gentils haue inuented, these their impieties which came nere to the tempest, because of their euil cogitaitons, and torments wherewith they shal begin to be tormented. 38 Which were likened to the flame, and he shal destroy them without labour by the law that was likened to the fyre. 39 And wheras thou sawest him gathering vnto him an other peaceable multitude. 40 These are the ten tribes, which were made captiue out of their land in the dayes of Osee the King, whom Salmanasar the King of the Assyrians led captiue: and he transported them beyond the riuer, and they were transported into an other land. (4 Kings 17) 41 But they gaue themselues this counsel, to forsake the multitude of nations, and to goe forth into a farther countrie, where mankind neuer inhabited. 42 Or there to obserue their ordinances, which they had not kept in their countrie. 43 And they entred in by the narrow entrances of the riuer Euphrates. 44 For the Highest then wrought them signes, and stayed the vaines of the riuer til they passed. (Ex 14 / Jos 3) 45 For by that countie was a great way to goe, of one yeare and a half: for the countrie is called Arsareth. 46 Then did they inhabite there til in the later time: and now againe when they beginne to come, 47 againe the Highest shal stay the vaines of the riuer, that they may passe: for these thou sawest a multitiude with peace. 48 But they also that were leaft of the people, these are they that be within my border. 49 In shal come to passe therefore, when he shal begine to destroy the multitude of these nations, that are gathered, he shal protect them that haue ouercome the people: 50 and then shal he shew them very manie wonders. 51 And I sayd: Lord dominatour, shew me this, why I saw a man comming vp from the hart of the sea, and he sayd to me: 52 As thou canst not either search these thinges, or know what thinges are in the depth of the sea: so can not any man vpon the earth see my sonne, or them that are with him, but in the time of a day. 53 This is the interpretation of the dreame which thou sawest, and for the which thou only art here illuminated. 54 For thou hast leaft thyne owne law, and hast bene occupied about my law, and hast sought it. 55 For thou hast disposed thy lyfe in wisdom, and thyne vnderstanding thou hast called mother: 56 and for this I haue shewed thee riches with the Highest. For it shal be after other three dayes, I wil speake other thinges to thee, and I wil expound to thee weightie and meruelous thinges. 57 And I went forth, and passed into the fielde, much glorifying & praising the Highest for the meruelous thinges that he did by time. 58 And because he gouerneth it, and the thinges that are brought in times, & I sate there three dayes.
CHAP. XIIII.
God appeareth in a bush, 6. reuealing some thinges to be published, and some thinges to be hid. 10. As the world waxeth old, al thinges become worse. 27. The people of Israel are vngratful. 32. Al shal be iudged in the Resurrection according to their deedes.
AND it came to passe the third day, and I sate vnder an oke. 2 And behold a voice came forth against me out of a bush, and sayd: Esdras, Esdras: and I sayd: Loe here I am Lord. And I arose vpon my feete. And he sayd to me: 3 Reueling I was reueled vpon the bush, and spake to Moyses, when the people serued in AEgypt, (Ex 3) 4 and I sent him, and brought my people out of AEgypt, and brought him vpon mount Sina, & held him with me manie dayes. 5 And I told him manie meruelous thinges, & shewed him the secrets of times, and the end: and I commanded him, saying: 6 These wordes thou shalt publish abroade, and these thou shalt hyde. 7 And now to thee I say: 8 The signes which I haue shewed, and the dreames which thou hast sene, and the interpretations which thou hast sene, lay them vp in thy hart. 9 For thou shalt be receiued of al, thou shalt be conuerted the residue with thy counsel, and with the like to thee, til the times be finished: 10 Because the world hath lost his youth, and the times draw nere to waxe old. 11 For the world is diuided by twelue partes, & the tenth part, & half of the tenth part are passed: 12 and there remaineth hereafter the half of the tenth part. 13 Now therefore dispose thy house, and correct thy people, & comfort the humble of them, & forsake now corruption, 14 and put from thee mortal cogitations, and cast from thee humane burdens, and doe from thee now infirme nature, & lay at one side cogitations most trublesome to thee, & make speedie transmigration from these times, 15 for the euiles which thou hast sene to haue chanced now, worse then these wil they doe againe: (Matt 24 / 1 John 2) 16 for looke how much the world shal become weake by age, so much shal euiles be multiplied vpon the inhabitants. 17 For truth hath remoued it self farther of, and lying hath approched, for now the vision which thou sawest, hasteneth to come. 18 And I answered, and sayd before thee o Lord: 19 For behold I wil goe, as thou hast commanded me, & wil rebuke the people that now is. But them that shal yet be born, who shal admonish? 20 The world therfore is set in darknes, and they that dwel in it without light. 21 Because thy law is burnt, therefore no man knowth the workes that haue bene done by thee, or that shal begin. 22 For if I haue found grace with thee, send the Holie Ghost to me, & I wil write al that hath bene done in the world from the beginning, the thinges that were written in thy law, that men may finde the pathe: and they that wil liue in the later times, may liue. 23 And he answered me, and sayd: Goe gather together the people, and thou shalt say to them, that they seeke thee not for fourtie dayes. 24 And doe thou prepare thee manie tables of boxe, & take with thee Sarea, Dabria, Salemia, Echanus, and Asiel, these fiue which are readie to write sweeftly. 25 And come hither, & I wil light in thy hart a candle of vnderstanding, which shal not be put out til the things be finished, which thou shalt begine to write. 26 And then some thinges thou shalt open to the perfect, some thou shalt deliuer secretly to the wyse. For to morrow this houre thou shalt begine to write. 27 And I went as he commanded me, & gathered together al the people, and sayd: 28 Heare Israel these wordes: 29 Our fathers were pilgrimes from the beginning in AEgypt, and were deliuered from thence. (Gen 47) 30 And they receiued the law of life, which they kept not, which you also after them haue transgressed: (Deut 4 / Acts 7) 31 and the land was geuen you by lotte, and the land of Sion, and your fathers, and you haue done iniquitie, and haue not kept the wayes which the Highest commanded you. 32 And whereas he is a iust iudge, he hath taken from you in time that which he had geuen. 33 And now you are here, and your brethren are among you. 34 If then you wil rule ouer your sense, & instruct your hart, you shal be preserued aliue, and after death shal obtaine mercie. 35 For the iudgement shal come after death, when we shal returne to lyfe againe: and then the names of the iust shal appeare, and the dedes of the impious shal be shewed. 36 Let no man therfore come to me now, nor aske for me vntil fourtie dayes. 37 And I tooke the fiue men, as he commandede me, and we went forth into the field, and taried there. 38 And I was come to the morrow, & behold as voice called me, saying: Esdras open thy mouth, and drinke that which I wil geue thee to drinke. (Ezech 3) 39 And I opened my mouth, & behold a ful cuppe was brought me, this was ful as it were with water: but the colour therof like as fire. 40 And I tooke it, and dranke; and when I had drunken of it, my hart was tormented with vnderstanding, and wisdome grewe into my brest. For my spirit was kept by memorie. 41 And my mouth was opened, and was shut no more. 42 The Highest gaue vnderstanding vnto the fiue men, and they wrote excesses of the night which were spoken, which they knewe not. 43 And at night they did eate breade, but I spake by day, & by night held not my peace. 44 And there were written in the fourtie dayes two hundred foure bookes. 45 And it came to passe when they had ended the fourtie daies, the Highest spake, saying: 46 The former thinges which thou hast written, set abrode, and let the worthie and vnworthiereade: but the last seuentie bookes thou shalt keepe, that thou mayest deliuer them to the wyse of thy people. 47 For in these is the vaine of vnderstanding, and the fountaine of wisdome, and the streame of knowledge. and I did soe.
CHAP. XV.
Esdras is bid to denounce, that assuredly manie euiles wil come to the world. 9. God wil protect his people, the wicked shal be punished, and lament their final miseries, God reuenging for the good.
BEHOLD speake into the eares of my people the wordes of prophecie, which I shal put into thy mouth, sayth our Lord: 2 and see that they be written in paper, because they be faithful and true. 3 Be not afrayd of the cogitations against thee, neither let the incredulities truble thee of them that speake. 4 Because euerie incredulous person shal dye in his incredulitie. 5 Behold I bring in, sayth our Lord, vpon the whole earth euils, sword, and famine, and death, and destruction. 6 Because iniquitie hath fully polluted ouer al the earth, and their hurtful workes are accomplished. 7 Therefore sayth our Lord: 8 I wil not now kepe silence of their impieties which they doe irreligiously, neither wil I beare with those thinges, which they practise vniustly. Behold the innocent & iust bloud crieth to me, & the soules of the iust crie continually. 9 Reuenging I wil reuenge them, sayth our Lord, and I wil take al innocent bloud out of them vnto me. (Apoc 6:10 & 19:2) 10 Behold my people is led to slaughter as a flocke, I wil no more suffer it to dwel in the land of AEgypt. 11 But I wil bring them forth in a mightie hand and valiant arme, and wil strike with plague as before, and wil corrupt al the land thereof. 12 AEgypt shal mourne, and fundations thereof beaten with plague, and with the chastisement which God wil bring vpon it. 13 The husbandmen that til the ground shal mourne, because their seedes shal perish by blasting, and haile, and by a terible starre. 14 Woe to the world and them that dwel therein. 15 Because the sword is at hand and the destruction of them, and nation shal rise vp against nation to fight, & sword in their handes. (Matt 24 / Luke 21) 16 For there shal be instabilitie to men, & growing one against an other they shal not care for their king, & the princes of the way of their doinges, in their might. 17 For a man shal desire to go into the citie & can not. 18 Because of their prides the cities shal be trubled, the houses raised, the men shal feare. 19 Man shal not pitie his neighbour, to make their houses nothing worth in the sword, to spoyle their goodes for famine of bread, & much tribulation. 20 Behold, I cal together sayth God, al the kinges of the earth to feare me, that are from the Orient, & from the South, from the East, & from Libanus, to be turned vpon themselues, and to render the thinges that they haue geuen them. 21 As they doe vntil this day to myne elect, so wil I doe, and render in their bosome. Thus sayth our Lord God: 22 My right hand shal not spare sinners, neither shal the sword cease vpon them that shede innocent bloud vpon the earth. 23 Fire came forth from his wrath, and hath deuoured the fundations of the earth, and sinners as it were straw set on fire. 24 Woe to them that sinne, and obserue not my comandmentes, sayth our Lord. 25 I wil not spare them: depart o children from the powre. Defile not my sanctification: 26 because the Lord knoweth al that sinne against him; therefore hath he deliuered them into death and into slaughter. 27 For now are euils come vpon the world, and you shal tarrie in them. For God wil not deliuer you, because you haue sinned against him. 28 Behold an horrible vision, and the face of it from the east. 29 And the nations of dragons of Arabians shal come forth in manie chariots, & as a winde the number of them is caried vpon the earth, so that now al doe feare and tremble, that shal heare them. 30 the Carmonians madde for anger, and they shal goe forth as wild boares out of the wood, & they shal come with great power, and shal stand in fight with them, & they shal waste the portion of the land of the Assirians. 31 And after these thinges the dragons shal preuaile mindful of their natiuitie, and conspiring shal turne themselues in great force to pursue them. 32 These shal be trubled and hold their peace at their force, and shal turne their fete into flight. 33 And from the territorie of the Assirians the besiegers shal beseige them, and shal consume one of them, and there shal be feare and trembling in their armie, and contention against their kinges. 34 Behold cloudes from the east, and from the north vnto the south, and their face very horrible, ful of wrath and storme. 35 And they shal beate one against an other, and they shal beate downe manie starres, and their starre vpon the earth, and bloud shal be from the sword vnto the bellie. 36 And mans dung vnto the camels litter, and there shal be much feare, and trembling vpon the earth. 37 And they shal shake that shal see that wrath, and tremble shal take them: and after these thinges there shal manie showers be moued: 38 from the south, and the north: and an other portion from the weast. 39 And the windes from the east shal reuaile vpon it, and shal shut it vp, and the cloudes which he raised in wrath, and the starre to make terrour to the east winde, and the west shal be destroyed. 40 And there shal be exalted great and mightie cloudes ful of wrath, and a starre to terrifie al the earth, and the inhabitantes therof, and they shal powre in vpon euerie high, and eminent place a terrible starre, 41 fire, and haile, and flying swordes, and manie waters, so that al fildes also shal be filled, and al riuers with the fulnes of manie waters. 42 And they shal throw downe cities, and walles, and mountaines, and hilles, and the trees of the woodes, and the grasse of the medowes, and their corne. 43 And they shal passe constant vnto Babylon, and shal raise her. (Apoc 18) 44 They shal come together against her, and shal compasse her, and shal power out the starre, and al wrath vpon her, and the dust and smoke shal goe vp euen into heauen, and round about shal lament her. 45 And they that shal remaine vnder her, shal serue them that terified her. 46 And thou Asia agreeing into the hope of Babylon, and the glorie of her person, 47 woe be to thee thou wretch, because thou art like to her, and hast adorned thy daughters in fornication, to please & glorie in thy louers, which haue desired alwayes to fornicate with thee. 48 Thou hast imitated the odious in al her workes, and in her inuentions: therefore sayth God: 49 I wil send in euils vpon thee, widowhood, pouertie, and famine, and sword, and pestilence, to destroy thy houses by violation, and death, and glorie of thy vertue. 50 As a flower shal be withered, when the heate shal rise that is sent forth vpon thee, 51 thou shalt be weakned as a litle poore soule plaged and chastised of wemen, that the mightie and the louers may not receiue thee. 52 Wil I be zealous against thee sayth our Lord, 53 vnles thou hadst slayne myne elect at al times, exalting the slaughter of the handes, and saying vpon their death, when thou wast drunken. 54 Adorne the beautie of thy countenance. 55 The reward of thy fornication is in thy bosome, therefore thou shalt receiue recompence. 56 As thou shalt doe to my elect, sayth our Lord, so shal God do to thee, and shal deliuer thee vnto euil. 57 And thy children shal dye for famine: and thou shalt fal by the sword, and thy cities shal be destroyed, & al thyne shal fal in the filde by the sword. 58 And they that are in the mountaines, shal perish, with famine, and shal eate their owne flesh, & drinke bloud, for the famine of bread and thirst of waters. 59 Vnhappie by the seas shalt thou come, and againe thou shalt receuie euils. 60 And in the passage they shal beate against the idle citie, and shal destroy some portion of thy land, and shal deface part of thy glorie, againe returning to Babylon ourethrowen. 61 And being throwen downe thou shalt be to them for stubble, and they shal be to thee fire: 62 and deuoure thee, and thy cities, thy land, and thy mountaynes, al thy woodes and fruitful trees they wil burne with fire. 63 Thy children they shal lead captiue, & shal haue thy goodes for a praye, and the glorie of thy face they shal destroy.
CHAP. XVI.
Al are admonished, that extreme calamities shal fal vpon this world, 36. the penitent returning to iustice shal escape, 55. & as al thinges were made by Gods omnipotent powre at his wil, so al thinges shal serue to the reward of the blessed, and punishment of the wicked.
VVOE to thee Babylon & Asia, woe to thee AEgypt, and Syria. 2 Gird yourselues with sackclothes and shirtes of heare, & mourne for your children, & be sorie: because your destruction is at hand. 3 The sword is sent in vpon you, and who is he that can turne it away? 4 Fire is sent in vpon you, and who is he that can quench it? 5 Euiles are sent in vpon you, and who is he that can repel them? 6 Shal anie man repel the lion being hungrie in the woode, or quench the fire in stubble, forthwith when it beginneth to burne? 7 Shal anie man repel the arrow shot of a strong archer? 8 Our strong Lord sendeth in euiles, and who is he that can repel them? 9 Fire came forth from his wrath, and who is he that can quench it? 10 He wil lighten, who shal not feare, he wil thunder, and who shal not be afrayed? 11 Our Lord wil threaten, and who shal not vtterly be destroyed before his face? 12 The earth hath trembled, and the fundations thereof, the sea tosseth vp waues from the depth, and the floudes of it shal be destroyed, and the fishes thereof at the face of our Lord, and at the glorie of his powre: 13 because his right hand is strong which bendeth the bow, his arrowes be sharpe that are shot of him, they shal not misse, when they shal begine to be shot into the endes of the earth. 14 Behold euiles are sent, and they shal not returne til they come vpon the earth. 15 The fire is kindled and it shal not be quenched, til it consume the fundations of the earth. 16 For as the arrow shot of a strong archer returneth not, so shal not the euils returne backe, that shal be sent vpon the earth. 17 Woe is me, woe is me: who shal deliuer me in those dayes? 18 The beginning of sorrowes and much mourning, the beginning of famine and much destruction. The beginning of warres and the potestates shal feare, the beginning of euiles and al shal tremble. 19 In these what shal I doe, when the euils shal come? 20 Behold famine, and plague, and tribulation, and distresse are sent al as scourges for amendment, 21 and in al these they wil not conuert themselues from their iniquities, neither wil they be alwayes mindful of the scourges. 22 Behold, there shal be good cheape victuals vpon the earth, so that they may thinke that peace is directly coming toward them, and then shal euiles spring vpon the earth, sword, famine, and great confusion. 23 For by famine manie that inhabit the earth shal dye, and the sword shal destroy the rest that remained aliue of the famine, 24 and the dead shal be cast forth as dung, and there shal be none to comfort them. For the earth shal be left desert, and the cities therof shal be throwen downe. 25 There shal not be left a man to til the ground and to sow it. 26 The trees shal yeeld fruites, and who shal gather them? 27 The grape shal become ripe, & who shal tread it? For there shal be great desolation to places. 28 For a man shal desire to see a man, or to heare his voyce. 29 For there shal be leaft ten of a citie, and two of the field that haue hid themselues in thicke woodes, and cliffes of rockes. 30 As there are left in the oliuet, and on euerie tree, three of foure oliues. 31 Or as in a vinyeard when it is gathered there are grapes left by them, that diligently search the vineyard: 32 so shal there be left in those dayes three or foure, by them that search their houses in the sword. 33 And the earth shal be left desolate, and the fildes thereof shal waxe old, & the wayes thereof, and al the pathes thereof shal bringforth thornes, because no man shal passe by it. 34 Virgins shal mourne hauing no bridegromes, wemen shal mourne hauing no husbandes, their daughters shal mourne hauing no helpe: 35 their bridegromes shal be consumed in battel, and their husbandes be destroyed in famine. 36 But heare these thinges, and know them ye seruantes of our Lord. 37 Behold the word of our Lord, receiue it: beleue not the goddes of whom our Lord speaketh. 38 Behold the euiles approch, and slacke not. 39 As a woman with childe when shee bringeth forth her child in the ninth moneth, the houre of her deliuerance approching, two or three howres before, paines come about her wombe, and the infants coming out of her wombe, they wil not tarrie one moment. 40 So the euiles shal not slacke to come forth vpon the earth, and the world shal lament, and sorowes shal hold it round about. 41 Heare the word, my people: prepare yourselues vnto the fight, & in the euiles so be ye as strangers of the earth. 42 He that selleth as if he should flee, and he that byeth as he that should lose it. 43 He that playeth the marchant, as he that should take no fruite: and he that buildeth as he that should not inhabite. 44 He that soweth, as he that shal not reape: so he also that pruneth a vinyeard, as if he should not haue the vintage. 45 They that marie so as if they should not get children, & they that marie not, so as if were widowes. 46 Wherfore they that labour, labour without cause: 47 for foreners shal reape their fruites, & shal violently take their goodes, and ouerthrow their houses, and lead theire children captiue, because in captiuitie, and famine they beget their children. 48 And they that play the marchantes by robrie, the longer they adorne their cities and houses, and their possessions and persons: 49 so much the more wil I be zealous toward them, vpon their sinnes, sayth our Lord. 50 As a whore enuieth an honest & very good woman: 51 so shal iustice hate impietie when she adorneth herselfe, and accuseth her to her face, when he shal come that may defend him that searcheth out al vpon the earth. 52 Therefore be not made like to her, nor to her workes. 53 For yet a little whyle & iniquitie shal be taken away from the earth, & iustice shal reigne ouer you. 54 Let not the sinner say he hath not sinned: because he shal burne coales of fire vpon his head, that sayth I haue not sinned before our Lord God and his glorie. 55 Behold our Lord shal know al the workes of men, and their inuentions, & their cogitations, and their hartes. (Eccli 23 / Luke 16) 56 For he sayd: Let the earth be made, and it was made: let the heauen be made, & it was made. (Gen 1) 57 And by his worde the starrs were made, & he noweth the number of the starres. (Ps 146:4) 58 Who searcheth the depth and the treasures therof: who hath measured the sea, & capacitie therof. (Job 38) 59 Who hath shut vp the sea in the midest of waters, & hath hanged the earth vpon the waters with his word. 60 Who hath spred heauen as it were a vault, ouer the waters he hath founded it. 61 Who hath put fountaines of waters in the desert, and lakes vpon the toppes of mountaines, to send forth riuers from the high rocke to watter the earth. 62 Who made man & put his hart in the midds of the bodie, and gaue him spirit, life and vnderstanding. 63 And the inspiration of God omnipotent that made al thinges, and searcheth al hid thinges, in the secretes of the earth. 64 He knoweth your inuention, and what you thinke in your hartes sinning, and willing to hide your sinnes. 65 Wherfore our Lord in searching hath searched al your workes, and he wil put you al to open shame, 66 and you shal be confounded when your sinnes shal come forth before men, and the iniquities shal be they, that shal stand accusers in that day. 67 What wil you doe? or how shal you hide your sinnes before God and his Angels? 68 Behold God is the Iudge, feare him. Cease from your sinnes, and now forget your iniquities to doe them anie more, & God wil bring you out, and deliuer you from al tribulation. 69 For behold the heate of a great multitude is kindled ouer you, and they shal take certaine of you by violence, & shal make the slaine to be meate for idols. 70 And they that shal consent vnto them, shal be to them in derision, and in reproch, and in conculcation. 71 For there shal be place against places, and against the next cities great insurrection vpon them that feare our Lord. 72 They shal be as it were madde sparing no bodie, to spoyle and waste yet them that feare our Lord. 73 because they shal waste and spoyle the goodes, and shal cast them out of their houses. 74 Then shal appeare the probation of mine elect, as gold that is proued by the fire. 75 Heare be beloued, sayth our Lord: Behold the dayes of tribulation are come: and out of them I wil deliuer you. 76 Doe not feare, nor stagger, because God is your guide. 77 And he that kepeth my commandmentes, and precepts, sayth our Lord God: Let not your sinnes ouerway you, nor your inquities be aduanced ouer you. 78 Woe to them that are entangled with their sinnes, and are couered with their iniquities, as a filde is entangled with the wood, & the path therof couered with thornes, by which no man passeth, & it is closed out, & cast to be deuoured of the fire.
FINIS.
Note: This translation comes from the Latin text, usually printed in an appendix to editions of the Vulgate, but these editions miss seventy verses between 7:35 and 7:36. The missing fragment was discovered in a Latin manuscript by Robert Lubbock Bensly in 1874. Below is a translation of this fragment from a revised Authorized Version. Although often numbered 7:36-7:105, they are here number as A:1-A:70 to avoid any repetition in chapter:verse designations.
A:1. And the pit of torment shall appear, and over against it shall be the place of rest: and the furnace of hell shall be shewed, and over against it the paradise of delight. A:2. And then shall the Most High say to the nations that are raised from the dead, See ye and understand whom ye have denied, or whom ye have not served, or whose commandments ye have despised. A:3. Look on this side and on that: here is delight and rest, and there fire and torments. Thus shall he speak unto them in the day of judgement: A:4. This is a day that hath neither sun, nor moon, nor stars, A:5. neither cloud, nor thunder, nor lightning, neither wind, nor water, nor air, neither darkness, nor evening, nor morning, A:6. neither summer, nor spring, nor heat, nor winter, neither frost, nor cold, nor hail, nor rain, nor dew, A:7. neither noon, nor night, nor dawn, neither shining, nor brightness, nor light, save only the splendour of the glory of the Most High, whereby all shall see the things that are set before them: A:8. for it shall endure as it were a week of years. A:9. This is my judgement and the ordinance thereof; but to thee only have I shewed these things. A:10. And I answered, I said even then, O Lord, and I say now: Blessed are they that be now alive and keep the statutes ordained of thee. A:11. But as touching them for whom my prayer was made, what shall I say? for who is there of them that be alive that hath not sinned, and who of the sons of men that hath not transgressed thy covenant? A:12. And now I see, that the world to come shall bring delight to few, but torments unto many. A:13. For an evil heart hath grown up in us, which hath led us astray from these statutes, and hath brought us into corruption and into the ways of death, hath shewed us the paths of perdition and removed us far from life; and that, not a few only, but well nigh all that have been created. A:14. And he answered me, and said, Hearken unto me, and I will instruct thee; and I will admonish thee yet again: A:15. for this cause the Most High hath not made one world, but two. A:16. For whereas thou hast said that the just are not many, but few, and the ungodly abound, hear the answer thereunto. A:17. If thou have choice stones exceeding few, wilt thou set for thee over against them according to their number things of lead and clay? A:18. And I say, Lord, how shall this be? A:19. And he said unto me, Not only this, but ask the earth, and she shall tell thee; intreat her, and she shall declare unto thee. A:20. For thou shalt say unto her, Thou bringest forth gold and silver and brass, and iron also and lead and clay: A:21. but silver is more abundant than gold, and brass than silver, and iron than brass, lead than iron, and clay than lead. A:22. Judge thou therefore which things are precious and to be desired, whatso is abundant or what is rare. A:23. And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, that which is plentiful is of less worth, for that which is more rare is more precious. A:24. And he answered me, and said, Weigh within thyself the things that thou hast thought, for he that hath what is hard to get rejoiceth over him that hath what is plentiful. A:25. So also is the judgement which I have promised: for I will rejoice over the few that shall be saved, inasmuch as these are they that have made my glory now to prevail, and of whom my name is now named. A:26. And I will not grieve over the multitude of them that perish; for these are they that are now like unto vapour, and are become as flame and smoke; they are set on fire and burn hotly, and are quenched. A:27. And I answered and said, O thou earth, wherefore hast thou brought forth, if the mind is made out of dust, like as all other created things? A:28. For it were better that the dust itself had been unborn, so that the mind might not have been made therefrom. A:29. But now the mind groweth with us, and by reason of this we are tormented, because we perish and know it. A:30. Let the race of men lament and the beasts of the field be glad; let all that are born lament, but let the fourfooted beasts and the cattle rejoice. A:31. For it is far better with them than with us; for they look not for judgement, neither do they know of torments or of salvation promised unto them after death. A:32. For what doth it profit us, that we shall be preserved alive, but yet be afflicted with torment? A:33. For all that are born are defiled with iniquities, and are full of sins and laden with offences: A:34. and if after death we were not to come into judgement, peradventure it had been better for us. A:35. And he answered me, and said, When the Most High made the world, and Adam and all them that came of him, he first prepared the judgement and the things that pertain unto the judgement. A:36. And now understand from thine own words, for thou hast said that the mind groweth with us. A:37. They therefore that dwell upon the earth shall be tormented for this reason, that having understanding they have wrought iniquity, and receiving commandments have not kept them, and having obtained a law they dealt unfaithfully with that which they received. A:38. What then will they have to say in the judgement, or how will they answer in the last times? A:39. For how great a time hath the Most High been longsuffering with them that inhabit the world, and not for their sakes, but because of the times which he hath foreordained! A:40. And I answered and said, If I have found grace in thy sight, O Lord, shew this also unto thy servant, whether after death, even now when every one of us giveth up his soul, we shall be kept in rest until those times come, in which thou shalt renew the creation, of whether we shall be tormented forthwith. A:41. And he answered me, and said, I will shew thee this also; but join not thyself with them that are scorners, nor number thyself with them that are tormented. A:42. For thou hast a treasure of good works laid up with the Most High, but it shall not be shewed thee until the last times. A:43. For concerning death the teaching is: When the determinate sentence hath gone forth from the Most High that a man should die, as the spirit leaveth the body to return again to him who gave it, it adoreth the glory of the Most High first of all. A:44. And if it be one of those that have been scorners and have not kept the way of the Most High, and that have despised his law, and that hate them that fear God, A:45. these spirits shall not enter into habitations, but shall wander and be in torments forthwith, ever grieving and sad, in seven ways. A:46. The first way, because they have despised the law of the Most High. A:47. The second way, because they cannot now make a good returning that they may live. A:48. The third way, they shall see the reward laid up for them that have believed the covenants of the Most High. A:49. The fourth way, they shall consider the torment laid up for themselves in the last days. A:50. The fifth way, they shall see the dwelling places of the others guarded by angels, with great quietness. A:51. The sixth way, they shall see how forthwith some of them shall pass into torment. A:52. The seventh way, which is more grievous than all the aforesaid ways, because they shall pine away in confusion and be consumed with shame, and shall be withered up by fears, seeing the glory of the Most High before whom they have sinned whilst living, and before whom they shall be judged in the last times. A:53. Now this is the order of those who have kept the ways of the Most High, when they shall be separated from the corruptible vessel. A:54. In the time that they dwelt therin they painfully served the Most High, and were in jeopardy every hour, that they might keep the law of the lawgiver perfectly. A:55. Wherefore this is the teaching concerning them: A:56. First of all they shall see with great joy the glory of him who taketh them up, for they shall have rest in seven orders. A:57. The first order, because they have striven with great labour to overcome the evil thought which was fashioned together with them, that it might not lead them astray from life into death. A:58. The second order, because they see the perplexity in which the souls of the ungodly wander, and the punishment that awaiteth them. A:59. The third order, they see the witness which he that fashioned them beareth concerning them, that while they lived they kept the law which was given them in trust. A:60. The fourth order, they understand the rest which, being gathered in their chambers, they now enjoy with great quietness, guarded by angels, and the glory that awaiteth them in the last days. A:61. The fifth order, they rejoice, seeing how they have now escaped from that which is corruptible, and how they shall inherit that which is to come, while they see moreover the straitness and the painfulness from which they have been delivered, and the large room which they shall receive with joy and immortality. A:62. The sixth order, when it is shewed unto them how their face shall shine as the sun, and how they shall be made like unto the light of the stars, being henceforth incorruptible. A:63. The seventh order, which is greater than all the aforesaid orders, because they shall rejoice with confidence, and because they shall be bold without confusion, and shall be glad without fear, for they hasten to behold the face of him whom in their lifetime they served, and from whom they shall receive their reward in glory. A:64. This is the order of the souls of the just, as from henceforth is announced unto them, and aforesaid are the ways of torture which they that would not give heed shall suffer from henceforth. A:65. And I answered and said, Shall time therefore be given unto the souls after they are separated from the bodies, that they may see that whereof thou hast spoken unto me? A:66. And he said, Their freedom shall be for seven days, that for seven days they may see the things whereof thou hast been told, and afterwards they shall be gathered together in their habitations. A:67. And I answered and said, If I have found favour in thy sight, shew further unto me thy servant whether in the day of judgement the just will be able to intercede for the ungodly or to intreat the Most High for them, A:68. whether fathers for children, or children for parents, or brethren for brethren, or kinsfolk for their next of kin, or friends for them that are most dear. A:69. And he answered me, and said, Since thou hast found favour in my sight, I will shew thee this also: The day of judgement is a day of decision, and displayeth unto all the seal of truth; even as now a father sendeth not his son, or a son his father, or a master his slave, or a friend him that is most dear, that in his stead he may be sick, or sleep, or eat, or be healed: A:70. so never shall any one pray for another in that day, neither shall one lay a burden on another, for then shall all bear every one his own righteousness or unrighteousness.
BOOK FOR COMPARISON
THE PROPHECIE OF ABDIAS.
ABDIAS borne in Sichem, of the tribe Ephraim, prophecied the same time with Amos; so briefly that his prophecie is not parted into chapters: 1. against the Idumeans; foreshewing their destruction; 10. for their perpetual emnitie against the Iewes, and confederacie with the Chaldees. 17. The captiuitie and relaxation of the Iewes. 19. And redemption of the whole world by Christ.
THE vision of Abdias. Thus sayth our Lord God to Edom: We haue heard a bruit from our Lord, and he hath sent a legate to the Gentils: Rise ye, and let vs arise against him into battel. 2 Behold I haue geuen thee a litle one in the Gentils: thou art contemptible excedingly. 3 The pride of thy hart hath extolled thee, dwelling in the clefts of rockes, exalting thy throne: which sayst in thy hart: Who shal plucke me downe to the earth. 4 If thou shalt be exalted as an eagle, and if thou shalt set thy nest among the starres: thence wil I plucke thee downe, sayth our Lord. 5 If theues had gone in to thee, if robbers by night, how hadst thou held thy peace. would not they haue stolen thinges sufficent for themselues. if the grape gathereres had entered in to thee, would they not haue left thee at the least a cluster. 6 How haue they searched Esau, haue they sought out his hidden thinges. 7 Euen to the border haue they cast thee out: al the men of thy league haue mocked thee: the men of thy peace haue peuailed against thee: they that eate with thee, shal lay embushments vnder thee: there is no wisedom in him. 8 Why, shal not I in that day, sayth our Lord, destroy the wise out of Idumea, and prudence from the mount of Esau, 9 And thy valients of the South shal feare, that man may perish from the mount of Esau. 10 For the slaughter, and for the iniquitie against thy brother Iacob, confusion shal couer thee, and thou shalt perish for euer. 11 In the day when thou stoodest against him, when strangers tooke his armie, and foreners entered his gates, and vpon Ierusalem cast lotte: thou also wast as one of them. 12 And thou shalt not dispise in the day of thy brother, in the day of his peregrination: and thou shalt not reioyce ouer the children of Iuda, in the day of their perdition: & thou shalt not magnifie thy mouth in the day of distresse. 13 Neither shalt thou enter the gate of my people in the day of their ruine: neither shalt thou also dispise in his euils in the day of his distruction: and thou shalt not be sent out against his armie in the day of his destruction. 14 Neither shalt thou stand in the outgoings to kil them that flee: and thou shalt not shut vp his remnant in the day of tribulation. 15 Because the day of our Lord is at hand vpon al nations: as thou hast done, so shal it be done to thee: thy retribution he wil returne vpon thine owne head. 16 For as you haue drunke vpon my holie mount, shal al Gentils drinke continually: & they shal drinke, and swallow vp, and they shal be as though they were not. 17 And in mount Sion shal be saluation, and it shal be holie: and the house of Iacob shal possesse those that had possessed them. 18 And the house of Iacob shal be a fyre, and the house of Ioseph a flame, and the house of Esau stubble: and they shal be kindled in them, and shal deuoure them: and there shal be no remaynes of the house of Esau, because our Lord hath spoken. 19 And they that are toward the South, shal inherite the mount of Esau, and they in the champaine countries, Philisthiims: and they shal possesse the region of Ephraim, and the region of Samaria: and Beniamin shal possesse Galaad. 20 And the transmigration of this host of the children of Israel, al places of the Chananeits euen to Sarepta: and the transmigration of Ierusalem, that is in Bosphorus, shal possesse the cities of the South. 21 And sauiours shal ascend into mount Sion to iudge the mount of Esau: and the kingdom shal be to our Lord.