8
1 And he answered me, saying, The most High hath made this world for many, but the world to come for few.
2 I will tell thee a similitude, Esdras; As when thou askest the earth, it shall say unto thee, that it
giveth much mould whereof earthen vessels are made, but little dust that gold cometh of: even so is the
course of this present world.
5 For thou hast agreed to give ear, and art willing to prophesy: for thou hast no longer space than only
to live.
6 O Lord, if thou suffer not thy servant, that we may pray before thee, and thou give us seed unto our
heart, and culture to our understanding, that there may come fruit of it; how shall each man live that
is corrupt, who beareth the place of a man?
8 For when the body is fashioned now in the mother’s womb, and thou givest it members, thy creature is
preserved in fire and water, and nine months doth thy workmanship endure thy creature which is created
in her.
9 But that which keepeth and is kept shall both be preserved: and when the time cometh, the womb preserved
delivereth up the things that grew in it.
10 For thou hast commanded out of the parts of the body, that is to say, out of the breasts, milk to be
given, which is the fruit of the breasts,
11 That the thing which is fashioned may be nourished for a time, till thou disposest it to thy mercy.
12 Thou broughtest it up with thy righteousness, and nurturedst it in thy law, and reformedst it with thy
judgment.
14 If therefore thou shalt destroy him which with so great labour was fashioned, it is an easy thing to
be ordained by thy commandment, that the thing which was made might be preserved.
15 Now therefore, Lord, I will speak; touching man in general, thou knowest best; but touching thy people,
for whose sake I am sorry;
16 And for thine inheritance, for whose cause I mourn; and for Israel, for whom I am heavy; and for Jacob,
for whose sake I am troubled;
17 Therefore will I begin to pray before thee for myself and for them: for I see the falls of us that dwell
in the land.
19 Therefore hear my voice, and understand my words, and I shall speak before thee. This is the beginning
of the words of Esdras, before he was taken up: and I said,
20 O Lord, thou that dwellest in everlastingness which beholdest from above things in the heaven and in
the air;
21 Whose throne is inestimable; whose glory may not be comprehended; before whom the hosts of angels stand
with trembling,
22 Whose service is conversant in wind and fire; whose word is true, and sayings constant; whose commandment
is strong, and ordinance fearful;
23 Whose look drieth up the depths, and indignation maketh the mountains to melt away; which the truth witnesseth:
27 Regard not the wicked inventions of the heathen, but the desire of those that keep thy testimonies in
afflictions.
28 Think not upon those that have walked feignedly before thee: but remember them, which according to thy
will have known thy fear.
29 Let it not be thy will to destroy them which have lived like beasts; but to look upon them that have
clearly taught thy law.
30 Take thou no indignation at them which are deemed worse than beasts; but love them that always put their
trust in thy righteousness and glory.
31 For we and our fathers do languish of such diseases: but because of us sinners thou shalt be called merciful.
32 For if thou hast a desire to have mercy upon us, thou shalt be called merciful, to us namely, that have
no works of righteousness.
33 For the just, which have many good works laid up with thee, shall out of their own deeds receive reward.
34 For what is man, that thou shouldest take displeasure at him? or what is a corruptible generation, that
thou shouldest be so bitter toward it?
35 For in truth them is no man among them that be born, but he hath dealt wickedly; and among the faithful
there is none which hath not done amiss.
36 For in this, O Lord, thy righteousness and thy goodness shall be declared, if thou be merciful unto them
which have not the confidence of good works.
37 Then answered he me, and said, Some things hast thou spoken aright, and according unto thy words it shall
be.
38 For indeed I will not think on the disposition of them which have sinned before death, before judgment,
before destruction:
39 But I will rejoice over the disposition of the righteous, and I will remember also their pilgrimage,
and the salvation, and the reward, that they shall have.
41 For as the husbandman soweth much seed upon the ground, and planteth many trees, and yet the thing that
is sown good in his season cometh not up, neither doth all that is planted take root: even so is it of
them that are sown in the world; they shall not all be saved.
43 Like as the husbandman’s seed perisheth, if it come not up, and receive not thy rain in due season; or
if there come too much rain, and corrupt it:
44 Even so perisheth man also, which is formed with thy hands, and is called thine own image, because thou
art like unto him, for whose sake thou hast made all things, and likened him unto the husbandman’s seed.
45 Be not wroth with us but spare thy people, and have mercy upon thine own inheritance: for thou art merciful
unto thy creature.
46 Then answered he me, and said, Things present are for the present, and things to cometh for such as be
to come.
47 For thou comest far short that thou shouldest be able to love my creature more than I: but I have ofttimes
drawn nigh unto thee, and unto it, but never to the unrighteous.
49 In that thou hast humbled thyself, as it becometh thee, and hast not judged thyself worthy to be much
glorified among the righteous.
50 For many great miseries shall be done to them that in the latter time shall dwell in the world, because
they have walked in great pride.
52 For unto you is paradise opened, the tree of life is planted, the time to come is prepared, plenteousness
is made ready, a city is builded, and rest is allowed, yea, perfect goodness and wisdom.
53 The root of evil is sealed up from you, weakness and the moth is hid from you, and corruption is fled
into hell to be forgotten:
56 For when they had taken liberty, they despised the most High, thought scorn of his law, and forsook his
ways.
59 For as the things aforesaid shalt receive you, so thirst and pain are prepared for them: for it was not
his will that men should come to nought:
60 But they which be created have defiled the name of him that made them, and were unthankful unto him which
prepared life for them.