The In-Dept Study of the Bible
Esdras 06
1 He said to me, “In the beginning, when
the earth was made, before the portals of
the world were fixed and before the
gatherings of the winds blew,
2 before the voices of the thunder
sounded and before the flashes of the
lightning shone, before the foundations of
paradise were laid,
3 before the fair flowers were seen,
before the powers of the earthquake were
established, before the innumerable army
of angels were gathered together,
4 before the heights of the air were lifted
up, before the measures of the firmament
were named, before the footstool of Zion
†was established,
5 before the present years were reckoned,
before the imaginations of those
who now sin were estranged, and before
they were sealed who have gathered faith
for a treasure
6 thenI considered these things, and they
all were made through me alone, and not
through another; just as by me also they
will be ended, and not by another.”
7 Then I answered, “What will be the
dividing of the times? Or when will be the
end ofthefirst and the beginning ofthe age
that follows?”
8 He said to me, “From Abraham to Isaac,
because Jacob and Esau were born to him,
for Jacob’s hand held Esau’s heel from the
beginning.
9 For Esauis the endofthis age, andJacob
is the beginning of the one that follows.
10 ‡The beginning of a man is his hand,
and the end of a man is his heel. Seek
nothing else between the heel and the hand,
Esdras!”
11 Then I answered, “O sovereign Lord, if
I have found favor in your sight,
12 Ibeg you, show your servantthe endof
your signs which you showed me part on a
previous night.”
13 So he answered, “Stand up upon your
feet, and you will hear a mighty sounding
voice.
14 If the place you stand on is greatly
moved
15 when it speaks don’t be afraid, for the
word is of the end, and the foundations of
the earth will understand
16 that the speech is about them. They
will tremble and be moved, for they know
that their end must be changed.”
17 It happened that when I had heard
it, I stood up on my feet, and listened,
and, behold, there was a voice that spoke,
and its sound was like the sound of many
waters.
18 It said, “Behold, the days come when
I draw near to visit those who dwell upon
the earth,
19 and when Iinvestigate those whohave
caused harm unjustly with their unrighteousness,
and when the affliction of Zion
is complete,
20 and whenthe seal willbe set onthe age
that is to pass away, then I will show these
signs: the books will be opened before the
firmament, and all will see together.
21 The children a year old will speak
with their voices. The women with child
will deliver premature children at three or
four months, and they will live and dance.
22 Suddenly the sown places will appear
unsown. The full storehouses will suddenly
be found empty.
23 The trumpet will give a sound which
when every man hears, they will suddenly
be afraid.
24 At that time friends will make war
against one another like enemies. The
earth will stand in fear with those who
dwell in it. The springs of the fountains
will stand still, so that for three hours they
won’t flow.
25 “It will be that whoever remains after
all these things that I have told you of, he
will be saved and will see my salvation,
and the end of my world.
26 They will see the men who have been
taken up, who have not tasted death from
their birth. The heart of the inhabitants
will be changed and turned into a different
spirit.
27 For evil will be blotted out and deceit
will be quenched.
28 Faith will flourish. Corruption will be
overcome, and the truth, which has been
so long without fruit, will be declared.”
29 When he talked with me, behold, little
by little, the place I stood on §rocked back
and forth.
30 He said to me, “I came to show you
these things †tonight.
31 If therefore you will pray yet again,
and fast seven more days, I will ‡again tell
you greater things than these.
32 For your voice has surely been heard
before the Most High. For the Mighty has
seen your righteousness. He has also seen
your purity, which you have maintained
ever since your youth.
33 Therefore he has sent me to show you
all these things, and to say to you, ‘Believe,
and don’t be afraid!
34 Don’t be hasty to think vain things
about the former times, that you may not
hasten in the latter times.
35 It came to pass after this, that I wept
again, and fasted seven days in like manner,
that I might fulfill the three weeks
which he told me.
36 On the eighth night, my heart was
troubled within me again, and I began to
speak in the presence of the Most High.
37 For my spirit was greatly aroused, and
my soul was in distress.
38 I said, “O Lord, truly you spoke at the
beginning of the creation, on the first day,
and said this: ‘Let heaven and earth be
made,’ and your word perfected the work.
39 Then the spirit was hovering, and
darkness and silence were on every side.
The sound of man’s voice was not yet
there.§
40 Then you commanded a ray of light
to be brought out of your treasuries, that
your works might then appear.
41 “On the second day, again you made
the spirit of the firmament and commanded
it to divide and to separate the
waters, that the one part might go up, and
the other remain beneath.
42 “On the third day, you commanded
that the waters should be gathered
together in the seventh part of the earth.
You dried up six parts and kept them, to
the intent that of these some being both
planted and tilled might serve before you.
43 For as soon as your word went out, the
work was done.
44 Immediately, great and innumerable
fruit grew, with many pleasant tastes, and
flowers of inimitable color, and fragrances
of most exquisite smell. This was done the
third day.
45 “On the fourth day, you commanded
thatthe sunshould shine,the moongive its
light, andthe stars shouldbe intheir order;
46 and gave them a command to serve
mankind, who was to be made.
47 “On the fifth day, you said to the
seventh part, where the water was
gathered together, that it should
produce living creatures, fowls
and fishes; and so it came to pass
48 that the mute and lifeless water
produced living things as it was
told, that the nations might
therefore praise your wondrous works.
49 “Then you preserved two living
creatures. The one you called Behemoth, and
the other you called Leviathan.
50 You separated the one from the other;
for the seventh part, namely, where the
water was gathered together, might not
hold them both.
51 To Behemoth, you gave one part,
which was dried up on the third day, that
he should dwell in it, in which
are a thousand hills;
52 but to Leviathan you gave the seventh
part, namely, the watery part. You have
kept them to be devoured by whom you
wish, when you wish.
53 “But on the sixth day, you commanded
the earth to produce before you
cattle, animals, and creeping things.
54 Over these, you ordained Adam as
ruler over all the works that you have
made. Of him came all of us, the people
whom you have chosen.
55 “All this have I spoken before you, O
Lord, because you have said that for our
sakes you made †this world.
56 As for the other nations, which also
come from Adam, you have said that they
are nothing, and are like spittle. You have
likened the abundance of them to a drop
that falls from a bucket.
57 Now, O Lord, behold these nations,
which are reputed as nothing, being rulers
over us and devouring us.
58 But we your people, whom you have
called your firstborn, your only children,
and your fervent lover, are given into their
hands.
59 Now ifthe world is made for our sakes,
why don’t we possess our world for an
inheritance? How long will this endure?”