2 Esdras

1Behold, speak you in the ears of my people the words of prophecy, which I will put in your mouth, says the Lord:

2and cause you them to be written in paper: for they are faithful and true.

3Don’t be afraid of their imaginations against you, don’t let the unbelief of them that speak against you trouble you.

4For all the unbelievers shall die in their unbelief.

5Behold, says the Lord, I bring evils upon the whole earth; sword and famine, and death and destruction.

6For wickedness has prevailed over every land, and their hurtful works are come to the full.

7Therefore says the Lord,

8I will hold my peace no more as touching their wickedness, which they profanely commit, neither will I suffer them in these things, which they wickedly practise: behold, the innocent and righteous blood cries to me, and the souls of the righteous cry out continually.

9I will surely avenge them, says the Lord, and will receive to me all the innocent blood from among them.

10Behold, my people is led as a flock to the slaughter: I will not suffer them now to dwell in the land of Egypt:

11but I will bring them out with a mighty hand and with a high arm, and will strike Egypt with plagues, as aforetime, and will destroy all the land thereof.

12Let Egypt mourn, and the foundations thereof, for the plague of the chastisement and the punishment that God shall bring upon it.

13Let the husbandmen that till the ground mourn: for their seeds shall fail and their trees shall be laid waste through the blasting and hail, and a terrible star.

14Woe to the world and those who dwell therein!

15for the sword and their destruction draweth near, and nation shall rise up against nation to battle with weapons in their hands.

16For there shall be sedition among men; and waxing strong one against another, they shall not regard their king nor the chief of their great ones, in their might.

17For a man shall desire to go into a city, and shall not be able.

18For because of their pride the cities shall be troubled, the houses shall be destroyed, and men shall be afraid.

19A man shall have no pity upon his neighbor, but shall make an assault on their houses with the sword, and plunder their goods, because of the lack of bread, and for great tribulation.

20Behold, says God, I call together all the kings of the earth, to stir up those who are from the rising of the sun, from the south, from the east, and Libanus; to turn themselves one against another, and repay the things that they have done to them.

21Just as they do yet this day to my chosen, so will I do also, and recompense in their bosom. Thus says the Lord God:

22My right hand shall not spare the sinners, and my sword shall not cease over those who shed innocent blood upon the earth.

23And a fire is gone forth from his wrath, and has consumed the foundations of the earth, and the sinners, like the straw that is kindled.

24Woe to those who sin, and keep not my commandments! says the Lord.

25I will not spare them: go your way, you⌃ rebellious children, defile not my sanctuary.

26For the Lord knows all those who trespass against him, therefore has he delivered them to death and destruction.

27For now are the evils come upon the whole earth, and you⌃ shall remain in them: for God shall not deliver you, because you⌃ have sinned against him.

28Behold, a vision horrible, and the appearance thereof from the east!

29And the nations of the dragons of Arabia shall come out with many chariots, and from the day that they set forth the hissing of them is carried over the earth, so that all they which shall hear them may fear also and tremble.

30Also the Carmonians raging in wrath shall go forth as the wild boars of the wood, and with great power shall they come, and join battle with them, and shall waste a portion of the land of the Assyrians with their teeth.

31And then shall the dragons have the upper hand, remembering their nature; and if they shall turn themselves, conspiring together in great power to persecute them,

32then these shall be troubled, and keep silence through their power, and shall turn and flee.

33And from the land of the Assyrians shall the lier in wait besiege them, and consume one of them, and upon their army shall be fear and trembling, and sedition against their kings.

34Behold, clouds from the east and from the north to the south, and they are very horrible to look upon, full of wrath and storm.

35They shall dash one against another, and they shall pour out a plentiful storm upon the earth, even their own star; and there shall be blood from the sword to the horse’s belly,

36and to the thigh of man, and to the camel’s hough.

37And there shall be fearfulness and great trembling upon earth: and they that see that wrath shall be afraid, and trembling shall take hold upon them.

38And after this shall there be stirred up great storms from the south, and from the north, and another part from the west.

39And strong winds shall arise from the east, and shall shut it up, even the cloud which he raised up in wrath; and the star that was to cause destruction by the east wind shall be violently driven toward the south and west.

40And great clouds and mighty and full of wrath shall be lifted up, and the star, that they may destroy all the earth, and those who dwell therein; and they shall pour out over every high and eminent one a terrible star,

41fire, and hail, and flying swords, and many waters, that all plains may be full, and all rivers, with the abundance of those waters.

42And they shall break down the cities and walls, mountains and hills, trees of the wood, and grass of the meadows, and their corn.

43And they shall go on stedfastly to Babylon, and destroy her.

44They shall come to her, and compass her about; the star and all wrath shall they pour out upon her: then shall the dust and smoke go up to the heaven, and all those who are about her shall bewail her.

45And those who remain shall do service to those who have put her in fear.

46And you, Asia, that are partaker in the beauty of Babylon, and in the glory of her person:

47woe to you, you wretch, because you have made yourself like to her; you have decked your daughters in whoredom, that they might please and glory in your lovers, which have always desired you to commit whoredom withal!

48You have followed her that is hateful in all her works and inventions: therefore says God,

49I will send evils upon you; widowhood, poverty, famine, sword, and pestilence, to waste your houses to destruction and death.

50And the glory of your power shall be dried up as a flower, when the heat shall arise that is sent over you.

51You shall be weakened as a poor woman with stripes, and as one chastened with wounds, so that your mighty ones and your lovers you shall not be able to receive.

52Would I with jealousy have so proceeded against you, says the Lord,

53if you had not always slain my chosen, exalting the stroke of your hands, and saying over their dead, when you were drunken,

54Set forth the beauty of your countenance?

55The reward of a harlot shall be in your bosom, therefore shall you receive recompense.

56Just as you shall do to my chosen, says the Lord, even so shall God do to you, and shall deliver you into mischief.

57And your children shall die of hunger, and you shall fall by the sword: and your cities shall be broken down, and all your shall perish by the sword in the field.

58And those who are in the mountains shall die of hunger, and eat their own flesh, and drink their own blood, for very hunger of bread, and thirst of water.

59You unhappy above all shall come and shall again receive evils.

60And in the passage they shall rush on the idle city, and shall destroy some portion of your land, and mar part of your glory, and shall return again to Babylon that was destroyed.

61And you shall be cast down by them as stubble, and they shall be to you as fire;

62and shall devour you, and your cities, your land, and your mountains; all your woods and your fruitful trees shall they burn up with fire.

63They shall carry your children away captive, and shall plunder your wealth, and mar the glory of your face.