2Esdr 5:1 

Nevertheless as coming the tokens, behold, the days shall 

come, that they which dwell upon earth shall be taken in a great 

number, and the way of truth shall be hidden, and the land shall 

be barren of faith. 

2Esdr 5:2 

But iniquity shall be increased above that which now thou 

seest, or that thou hast heard long ago. 

2Esdr 5:3 

And the land, that thou seest now to have root, shalt thou 

see wasted suddenly. 

2Esdr 5:4 

But if the most High grant thee to live, thou shalt see after 

the third trumpet that the sun shall suddenly shine again in the 

night, and the moon thrice in the day: 

2Esdr 5:5 

And blood shall drop out of wood, and the stone shall give 

his voice, and the people shall be troubled: 

2Esdr 5:6 

And even he shall rule, whom they look not for that dwell 

upon the earth, and the fowls shall take their flight away 

together: 

2Esdr 5:7 

And the Sodomitish sea shall cast out fish, and make a noise 

in the night, which many have not known: but they shall all hear 

the voice thereof. 

2Esdr 5:8 

There shall be a confusion also in many places, and the fire 

shall be oft sent out again, and the wild beasts shall change 

their places, and menstruous women shall bring forth monsters: 

2Esdr 5:9 

And salt waters shall be found in the sweet, and all friends 

shall destroy one another; then shall wit hide itself, and 

understanding withdraw itself into his secret chamber, 

2Esdr 5:10 

And shall be sought of many, and yet not be found: then shall 

unrighteousness and incontinency be multiplied upon earth. 

2Esdr 5:11 

One land also shall ask another, and say, Is righteousness 

that maketh a man righteous gone through thee? And it shall say, 

No. 

2Esdr 5:12 

At the same time shall men hope, but nothing obtain: they 

shall labour, but their ways shall not prosper. 

2Esdr 5:13 

To shew thee such tokens I have leave; and if thou wilt pray 

again, and weep as now, and fast even days, thou shalt hear yet 

greater things. 

2Esdr 5:14 

Then I awaked, and an extreme fearfulness went through all my 

body, and my mind was troubled, so that it fainted. 

2Esdr 5:15 

So the angel that was come to talk with me held me, comforted 

me, and set me up upon my feet. 

2Esdr 5:16 

And in the second night it came to pass, that Salathiel the 

captain of the people came unto me, saying, Where hast thou 

been? and why is thy countenance so heavy? 

2Esdr 5:17 

Knowest thou not that Israel is committed unto thee in the 

land of their captivity? 

2Esdr 5:18 

Up then, and eat bread, and forsake us not, as the shepherd 

that leaveth his flock in the hands of cruel wolves. 

2Esdr 5:19 

Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not nigh 

me. And he heard what I said, and went from me. 

2Esdr 5:20 

And so I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like as 

Uriel the angel commanded me. 

2Esdr 5:21 

And after seven days so it was, that the thoughts of my heart 

were very grievous unto me again, 

2Esdr 5:22 

And my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I 

began to talk with the most High again, 

2Esdr 5:23 

And said, O Lord that bearest rule, of every wood of the 

earth, and of all the trees thereof, thou hast chosen thee one 

only vine: 

2Esdr 5:24 

And of all lands of the whole world thou hast chosen thee one 

pit: and of all the flowers thereof one lily: 

2Esdr 5:25 

And of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one 

river: and of all builded cities thou hast hallowed Sion unto 

thyself: 

2Esdr 5:26 

And of all the fowls that are created thou hast named thee 

one dove: and of all the cattle that are made thou hast provided 

thee one sheep: 

2Esdr 5:27 

And among all the multitudes of people thou hast gotten thee 

one people: and unto this people, whom thou lovedst, thou gavest 

a law that is approved of all. 

2Esdr 5:28 

And now, O Lord, why hast thou given this one people over 

unto many? and upon the one root hast thou prepared others, and 

why hast thou scattered thy only one people among many? 

2Esdr 5:29 

And they which did gainsay thy promises, and believed not thy 

covenants, have trodden them down. 

2Esdr 5:30 

If thou didst so much hate thy people, yet shouldest thou 

punish them with thine own hands. 

2Esdr 5:31 

Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me 

the night afore was sent unto me, 

2Esdr 5:32 

And said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken 

to the thing that I say, and I shall tell thee more. 

2Esdr 5:33 

And I said, Speak on, my Lord. Then said he unto me, Thou art 

sore troubled in mind for Israel's sake: lovest thou that people 

better than he that made them? 

2Esdr 5:34 

And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my 

reins pain me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way 

of the most High, and to seek out part of his judgment. 

2Esdr 5:35 

And he said unto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, 

Lord? whereunto was I born then? or why was not my mother's womb 

then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, 

and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel? 

2Esdr 5:36 

And he said unto me, Number me the things that are not yet 

come, gather me together the dross that are scattered abroad, 

make me the flowers green again that are withered, 

2Esdr 5:37 

Open me the places that are closed, and bring me forth the 

winds that in them are shut up, shew me the image of a voice: 

and then I will declare to thee the thing that thou labourest to 

know. 

2Esdr 5:38 

And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these 

things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men? 

2Esdr 5:39 

As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things 

whereof thou askest me? 

2Esdr 5:40 

Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these 

things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my 

judgment, or in the end the love that I have promised unto my 

people. 

2Esdr 5:41 

And I said, Behold, O Lord, yet art thou nigh unto them that 

be reserved till the end: and what shall they do that have been 

before me, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us? 

2Esdr 5:42 

And he said unto me, I will liken my judgment unto a ring: 

like as there is no slackness of the last, even so there is no 

swiftness of the first. 

2Esdr 5:43 

So I answered and said, Couldest thou not make those that 

have been made, and be now, and that are for to come, at once; 

that thou mightest shew thy judgment the sooner? 

2Esdr 5:44 

Then answered he me, and said, The creature may not haste 

above the maker; neither may the world hold them at once that 

shall be created therein. 

2Esdr 5:45 

And I said, As thou hast said unto thy servant, that thou, 

which givest life to all, hast given life at once to the 

creature that thou hast created, and the creature bare it: even 

so it might now also bear them that now be present at once. 

2Esdr 5:46 

And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto 

her, If thou bringest forth children, why dost thou it not 

together, but one after another? pray her therefore to bring 

forth ten children at once. 

2Esdr 5:47 

And I said, She cannot: but must do it by distance of time. 

2Esdr 5:48 

Then said he unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the 

earth to those that be sown in it in their times. 

2Esdr 5:49 

For like as a young child may not bring forth the things that 

belong to the aged, even so have I disposed the world which I 

created. 

2Esdr 5:50 

And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now given me the way, 

I will proceed to speak before thee: for our mother, of whom 

thou hast told me that she is young, draweth now nigh unto age. 

2Esdr 5:51 

He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that beareth children, 

and she shall tell thee. 

2Esdr 5:52 

Say unto her, Wherefore are unto they whom thou hast now 

brought forth like those that were before, but less of stature? 

2Esdr 5:53 

And she shall answer thee, They that be born in the the 

strength of youth are of one fashion, and they that are born in 

the time of age, when the womb faileth, are otherwise. 

2Esdr 5:54 

Consider thou therefore also, how that ye are less of stature 

than those that were before you. 

2Esdr 5:55 

And so are they that come after you less than ye, as the 

creatures which now begin to be old, and have passed over the 

strength of youth. 

2Esdr 5:56 

Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favour in 

thy sight, shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.