1 Jesus shall be revealed with them that are with him, & they shall be merry that are left in the four hundred years.
1 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 said to me: Arise Esdras, and hear the words which I am come to speak to thee.
2 and he sayd to me: Arise Esdras, and heare the wordes which I am come to speake to thee.
3 And I said: Speak my God. And he said to me: The sea is set in a large place, that it might be deep and wide:
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 shall be set in a strait place, that it might be like to rivers.
4 but the entrance to it shal be set in a straict place, that it might be like to riuers.
5 For who witting will enter into the sea, and see it, or rule over it: if he pass not the strait, how shall he come into the breadth?
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 another thing: A city is built, and set in a plain place, and it is full of all goods.
6 Also an other thing: A citie is built, and set in a plaine place, and it is ful of al goodes.
7 And it came to pass when I had ended to speak these words, the Angel was sent to me, which had been sent to me the first nights,
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 only path set between them, that is, between the fire and the water, so that the path cannot contain, but only a man's step.
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 city shall be given a man for inheritance, if he never pass through the peril set before it, how shall he receive his inheritance?
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 said: So Lord. And he said to me, So it is: Israel also a part.
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 judged which was done.
11 For I made the world for them: and when Adam transgressed my constitution, that was iudged which was done.
12 And the entrances of this world were made strait, and sorrowful, & painful, and few and evil, and full of dangers, and stuffed very much with labour.
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 and secure, and making fruit of immortality.
13 For the entrances of the greater world are large andsecure, and making fruite of immortalitie.
14 If then they that live entering in enter into these strait and vain things: they cannot receive the things that are laid up.
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 therefore why art thou troubled, whereas thou art corruptible? And why art thou moved, whereas thou art mortal?
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 heart that which is to come, but that which is present?
16 And why hast thou not taken in thy hart that which is to come, but that which is present?
17 I answered, and said: Lord Dominator: behold thou hast disposed by thy law that the just shall inherit these things, and the impious shall perish. .
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.
18 But the just shall suffer the straits, hoping for the wide places: for they that have done impiously, have both suffered the straits, and shall not see the wide places.
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 said to me: There is no judge above God, nor that understandeth above the Highest.
19 And he sayd to me: There is no iudge aboue God, nor that vnderstandeth aboue the Highest.
20 For many present do perish because the law of God which was set before, is neglected.
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 live, and what observing they should not be punished.
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 persuaded, & gainsaid him, and made to themselves a cogitation of vanity,
22 But they were not perswaded, and gaynesayd him, and made to them selues a cogitation of vanitie,
23 and proposed to themselves deceits of sins, and they said to the Highest that he was not, and they knew not his ways,
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 despised his law, and denied his covenances, and had not fidelity in his ordinances, & did not accomplish his works.
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 empty to the empty, & the full to the full.
25 For this cause Esdras, the emptie to the emptie, and the ful to the ful.
26 Behold the time shall come, & it shall be when the signs shall come which I have foretold thee, and the bride shall appear, and appearing she shall be shewed that now is hid with the earth:
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 every one that is delivered from the foresaid evils, he shall see my marvelous things.
27 and euerie one that is deliuered from the foresaid euils, he shal see my meruelous thinges.
28 For my son Jesus shall be revealed with them that are with him, & they shall be merry that are left in the four hundred years.
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 shall be after these years, and my son Christ shall die: and all men that have breadth,
29 And it shal be after these yeares, and my sonne Christ shal dye: and al men that haue breath,
30 and the world shall be turned into the old silence seven days, as in the former judgements, so that none shall be left.
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 shall be after seven days and the world shall be raised up that yet waketh not, and shall die corrupted:
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 shall render the things that sleep in it, and the dust them that dwell in it with silence, and the cellars shall render the souls that are commended to them.
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 shall be revealed upon the seat of judgement, and miseries shall pass, and long sufferance shall be gathered together.
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 judgement only shall remain, truth shall stand, and faith shall wax strong,
34 And iudgement onlie shal remayne, truth shal stand, and fayth shal waxe strong,
35 and the work shall follow, and the reward shall be shewed, and justice shall awake, and injustice shall not have dominion.
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 said: First Abraham prayed for the Sodomites, and Moyses for the fathers that sinned in the desert. . Exod. 32.
36 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.
37 And they that were after him for Israel in the
37 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.
38 And David for the destruction, and of Salomon for them that came unto the sanctification.
38 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:
39 And Elias for them that received rain, and for the dead that he might live, 3. . & 18.
39 This is a day that hath neither sun, nor moon, nor stars,
40 and Ezechias for the people in the days of Sennacherib, and many for many.
40 neither cloud, nor thunder, nor lightning, neither wind, nor water, nor air, neither darkness, nor evening, nor morning,
41 If therefore now when corruptible did increase, and injustice was multiplied, and the just prayed for the impious: why now also shall it not be so?
41 neither summer, nor spring, nor heat, nor winter, neither frost, nor cold, nor hail, nor rain, nor dew,
42 And he answered me and said: This present world is not the end, much glory remaineth in it: for this cause they prayed for the impotent.
42 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:
43 For the day of judgement shall be the end of this time, and the beginning of the immortality to come, wherein corruption is past:
43 for it shall endure as it were a week of years.
44 intemperance is dissolved, incredulity is cut off: and justice hath increased, truth is sprung.
44 This is my judgement and the ordinance thereof; but to thee only have I shewed these things.
45 For then no man can save him that hath perished, nor drown him that hath overcome. And I answered,
45 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.
46 and said: This is my word the first and the last, that it had been better not to give the earth to Adam, or when he had now given it, to restrain him that he should not sin.
46 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?
47 For what doth it profit men presently to live in sorrow, and being dead to hope for punishment?
47 And now I see, that the world to come shall bring delight to few, but torments unto many.
48 O what hast thou done Adam? For if thou didst sin, it was not made thy fall only, but ours also which came of thee.
48 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.
49 For what doth it profit us if immortal time be promised to us: but we have done mortal works?
49 And he answered me, and said, Hearken unto me, and I will instruct thee; and I will admonish thee yet again:
50 And that everlasting hope is foretold us: but we most wicked are become vain?
50 for this cause the Most High hath not made one world, but two.
51 And that habitations of health and security are reserved for us, but we have converst naughtily?
51 For whereas thou hast said that the just are not many, but few, and the ungodly abound, hear the answer thereunto.
52 And that the glory of the Highest is reserved to protect them that have slowly converst: but we have walked in most wicked ways?
52 If thou have choice stones exceeding few, wilt thou set for thee over against them according to their number things of lead and clay?
53 And that paradise shall be shewed, whose fruit continueth incorrupted, wherein is security and remedy:
53 And I say, Lord, how shall this be?
54 but we shall not enter in: for we have converst in unlawful places?
54 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.
55 And their faces which have had abstinence, shall shine above the stars: but our faces black above darkness.
55 For thou shalt say unto her, Thou bringest forth gold and silver and brass, and iron also and lead and clay:
56 For we did not think living when we did iniquity, that we shall begin after death to suffer.
56 but silver is more abundant than gold, and brass than silver, and iron than brass, lead than iron, and clay than lead.
57 And he answered, & said: This is the cogitation of the battle which man shall fight, who is born upon the earth,
57 Judge thou therefore which things are precious and to be desired, whatso is abundant or what is rare.
58 that if he shall be overcome, he suffer that which thou hast said: but if he overcome he shall receive that which I say:
58 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.
59 for this is the life which Moyses spake of when he lived, to the people, saying: Choose unto thee life, that thou mayst live.
59 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.
60 But they believed him not, no nor the Prophets after him, no nor me which have spoken to them.
60 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.
61 Because there should not be sorrow unto their perdition, as there shall be joy upon them, to whom salvation is persuaded.
61 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.
62 And I answered, and said: I know Lord, that the Highest is called merciful in that, he hath mercy on them which are not yet come into the world,
62 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?
63 and that he hath mercy on them which converse in his law:
63 For it were better that the dust itself had been unborn, so that the mind might not have been made therefrom.
64 & he is long suffering, because he sheweth long sufferance to them that have sinned, as it were with their own works:
64 But now the mind groweth with us, and by reason of this we are tormented, because we perish and know it.
65 and he is bountiful, because he will give according to exigents:
65 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.
66 and of great mercy, because he multiplieth more mercies to them that are present, and that are past, and that are to come.
66 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.
67 For if he shall not multiply his mercies, the world shall not be made alive with them that did inherit it.
67 For what doth it profit us, that we shall be preserved alive, but yet be afflicted with torment?
68 And he giveth: for if he shall not give of his bounty, that they may be relieved which have done iniquity, the tenth thousand part of men cannot be quickened from their iniquities.
68 For all that are born are defiled with iniquities, and are full of sins and laden with offences:
69 And the judge if he shall not forgive them that are cured with his word, and wipe away a multitude of contentions: there should not perhaps be left in an innumerable multitude, but very few.
69 and if after death we were not to come into judgement, peradventure it had been better for us.