Chapter 1

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,

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,

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.

And the word of our Lord came to me, saying:

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:

because the sinnes of their parentes are increased in them, for they being forgetful of me haue sacrified to strange goddes.

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.

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.

How long shal I beare with them, on whom I haue bestowed so great benefiates?

I haue ouer throwen manie kinges from them. I haue stroke Pharao with his seruantes, and al his hoste.

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.

But speake thou to them, saying: Thus sayth our Lord:

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:

I gaue you light by the piller of fire, & did manie meruelous things among you: but you haue forgotten me, sayth our Lord.

Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent: The quayle was a signe to you, I gaue you a campe for defense, and there you murmured:

And you triumphed not in my name for the destruction of your enemies, but yet vntil now you haue murmured.

Where are the benefites, that I haue geuen you? Did you not crie out to me when you were hungrie in the desert,

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.

I was sorie for your mournings, & gaue you manna to eate. You did eate bread of Angels.

When you thirsted did not I cleaue the rocke, & waters flowed in abundance? for the heates I couered you with the leaues of trees.

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?

Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent: In the desert when you were thirstie in the riuer of the Amorrheites, and blasphemeing my name,

I gaue you not fire for blasphemies, but casting wood into the water, I made the riuer swete.

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.

Because you haue forsaken me, I aslo forsake you: when you aske mercie of me, I wil not haue mercie.

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.

Not as though you haue forsaken me, but yourselues, sayth our Lord.

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,

that you would be my people, and I your God, and to me for children, and I to you for a father?

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.

When you shal bring me oblation, I wil turne away my face from you. For I haue refused your festiual dayes, & newmoones, and circumcisions.

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.

Thus sayth our Lord omnipotent, your house is made desolate, I wil throw you away, as the winde doth stubble,

and your children shal not haue issue: because they haue neglected my commandment, and haue done that which is euil before me.

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.

The prophetes they haue not sene, and they wil be mindful of their iniquities.

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.

And now brother behold what glorie: and see people comming from the east,

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,

and Naum and Habacuc, of Sophonias, Aggaeus, Zacharias, and Malachias, who also is called the Angel of our Lord.