Deuterocanonical Books of the Bible Part 19

2 Esdr 10:23 And, which is the greatest of all, the seal of Sion hath now lost her honour; for she is delivered into the hands of them that hate us.

2 Esdr 10:24 And therefore shake off thy great heaviness, and put away the mult.i.tude of sorrows, that the Mighty may be merciful unto thee again, and the Highest shall give thee rest and ease from thy labour.

2 Esdr 10:25 And it came to pa.s.s while I was talking with her, behold, her face upon a sudden shined exceedingly, and her countenance glistered, so that I was afraid of her, and mused what it might be.

2 Esdr 10:26 And, behold, suddenly she made a great cry very fearful: so that the earth shook at the noise of the woman.

2 Esdr 10:27 And I looked, and, behold, the woman appeared unto me no more, but there was a city builded, and a large place shewed itself from the foundations: then was I afraid, and cried with a loud voice, and said,

2 Esdr 10:28 Where is Uriel the angel, who came unto me at the first? for he hath caused me to fall into many trances, and mine end is turned into corruption, and my prayer to rebuke.

2 Esdr 10:29 And as I was speaking these words behold, he came unto me, and looked upon me.

2 Esdr 10:30 And, lo, I lay as one that had been dead, and mine understanding was taken from me: and he took me by the right hand, and comforted me, and set me upon my feet, and said unto me,

2 Esdr 10:31 What aileth thee? and why art thou so disquieted? and why is thine understanding troubled, and the thoughts of thine heart?

2 Esdr 10:32 And I said, Because thou hast forsaken me, and yet I did according to thy words, and I went into the field, and, lo, I have seen, and yet see, that I am not able to express.

2 Esdr 10:33 And he said unto me, Stand up manfully, and I will advise thee.

2 Esdr 10:34 Then said I, Speak on, my lord, in me; only forsake me not, lest I die frustrate of my hope.

2 Esdr 10:35 For I have seen that I knew not, and hear that I do not know.

2 Esdr 10:36 Or is my sense deceived, or my soul in a dream?

2 Esdr 10:37 Now therefore I beseech thee that thou wilt shew thy servant of this vision.

2 Esdr 10:38 He answered me then, and said, Hear me, and I shall inform thee, and tell thee wherefore thou art afraid: for the Highest will reveal many secret things unto thee.

2 Esdr 10:39 He hath seen that thy way is right: for that thou sorrowest continually for thy people, and makest great lamentation for Sion.

2 Esdr 10:40 This therefore is the meaning of the vision which thou lately sawest:

2 Esdr 10:41 Thou sawest a woman mourning, and thou begannest to comfort her:

2 Esdr 10:42 But now seest thou the likeness of the woman no more, but there appeared unto thee a city builded.

2 Esdr 10:43 And whereas she told thee of the death of her son, this is the solution:

2 Esdr 10:44 This woman, whom thou sawest is Sion: and whereas she said unto thee, even she whom thou seest as a city builded,

2 Esdr 10:45 Whereas, I say, she said unto thee, that she hath been thirty years barren: those are the thirty years wherein there was no offering made in her.

2 Esdr 10:46 But after thirty years Solomon builded the city and offered offerings: and then bare the barren a son.

2 Esdr 10:47 And whereas she told thee that she nourished him with labour: that was the dwelling in Jerusalem.

2 Esdr 10:48 But whereas she said unto thee, That my son coming into his marriage chamber happened to have a fail, and died: this was the destruction that came to Jerusalem.

2 Esdr 10:49 And, behold, thou sawest her likeness, and because she mourned for her son, thou begannest to comfort her: and of these things which have chanced, these are to be opened unto thee.

2 Esdr 10:50 For now the most High seeth that thou art grieved unfeignedly, and sufferest from thy whole heart for her, so hath he shewed thee the brightness of her glory, and the comeliness of her beauty:

2 Esdr 10:51 And therefore I bade thee remain in the field where no house was builded:

2 Esdr 10:52 For I knew that the Highest would shew this unto thee.

2 Esdr 10:53 Therefore I commanded thee to go into the field, where no foundation of any building was.

2 Esdr 10:54 For in the place wherein the Highest beginneth to shew his city, there can no man's building be able to stand.

2 Esdr 10:55 And therefore fear not, let not thine heart be affrighted, but go thy way in, and see the beauty and greatness of the building, as much as thine eyes be able to see:

2 Esdr 10:56 And then shalt thou hear as much as thine ears may comprehend.

2 Esdr 10:57 For thou art blessed above many other, and art called with the Highest; and so are but few.

2 Esdr 10:58 But to morrow at night thou shalt remain here;

2 Esdr 10:59 And so shall the Highest shew thee visions of the high things, which the most High will do unto them that dwell upon the earth in the last days. So I slept that night and another, like as he commanded me.

2 Esdr 11:1 Then saw I a dream, and, behold, there came up from the sea an eagle, which had twelve feathered wings, and three heads.

2 Esdr 11:2 And I saw, and, behold, she spread her wings over all the earth, and all the winds of the air blew on her, and were gathered together.

2 Esdr 11:3 And I beheld, and out of her feathers there grew other contrary feathers; and they became little feathers and small.

2 Esdr 11:4 But her heads were at rest: the head in the midst was greater than the other, yet rested it with the residue.

2 Esdr 11:5 Moreover I beheld, and, lo, the eagle flew with her feathers, and reigned upon earth, and over them that dwelt therein.

2 Esdr 11:6 And I saw that all things under heaven were subject unto her, and no man spake against her, no, not one creature upon earth.

2 Esdr 11:7 And I beheld, and, lo, the eagle rose upon her talons, and spake to her feathers, saying,

2 Esdr 11:8 Watch not all at once: sleep every one in his own place, and watch by course:

2 Esdr 11:9 But let the heads be preserved for the last.

2 Esdr 11:10 And I beheld, and, lo, the voice went not out of her heads, but from the midst of her body.

2 Esdr 11:11 And I numbered her contrary feathers, and, behold, there were eight of them.

2 Esdr 11:12 And I looked, and, behold, on the right side there arose one feather, and reigned over all the earth;

2 Esdr 11:13 And so it was, that when it reigned, the end of it came, and the place thereof appeared no more: so the next following stood up, and reigned, and had a great time;