1AND when I had fineshed speaking these wordes, there was sent to me the Angel, which had bene sent to me the night before,stylus2and he sayd to me: Rise Esdras, and heare the wordes, which I am come to speake to thee.stylus3And I sayd: Speake Lord. And he sayd to me: A sea is set in a large place, that it might be deepe and immense:stylus4but the entrance of it shal be set in a straight place, so that it be like to three riuers.stylus5For who desiring to goe into the sea, to behold it, or to rule it: if he passe not through the straight, how can he come into the breadth?stylus6Likewise an other thing: A citie is builded in a field and is ful of al good thinges:stylus7the entrance therof is straight, and is set in a precipice, so that there was fire on the right hand, and on the left deepe water.stylus8And there is one onlie path layde betwen them, that is, betwen the fire and the water, which path can conteyne the foote of one man onlie.stylus9If this citie now be geuen to a man for an inheritance, if the heyre passe not through the danger set before him, how shal he receiue his inheritance?stylus10And I sayd: It is so Lord. And he sayd to me: So is Israel also.stylus11For I made the world for their sakes: and when Adam transgressed my constitutions, that was iudged which was done.stylus12And the entrances of this world were made straight, and sorrowful, and painful, and few and euil, and ful of perils, and ioyned with great labours.stylus13For the entrances of the greater world are large and secure, and making fruite of immortalitiy.stylus14If then they that liue labouring shal not enter the straight and vaine thinges: they can not receiue those thinges, that are layed vp for them.stylus15Now therfore why art thou trubled, wheras thou art corruptible? and why art thou moued, wheras thou art mortal?stylus16And why hast thou not taken in thy hart that which is to come, but that which is present?stylus17And I answered, and sayd: Lord dominatour behold thou hast disposed in thy law, that the iust shal inherite these thinges, and the impious shal perish.stylus18But the iust shal suffer straight thinges, hoping for large: for they that haue done impiously haue suffred the straight, and shal not see the large thinges.stylus19And he sayd to me: Thou art not iudge aboue God, nor vnderstanding aboue the Highest.stylus20Let manie perish that are now, rather then the law of God which is set before, be despised.stylus21For God commanded them that came, when they came, what they should doe to liue, and what they should obserue to be punished.stylus22But they were not persuadable, and gaynsayd him, & ordeyned to themselues vaine cogitations,stylus23and purposed to themselues wicked deceiptes: and sayd the Highest not to be, and knew not his wayes.stylus24And they despised his law, and denyed his couenants, & had not beleefe in his constitutions, & accomplished not his workes.stylus25Therefore Esdras, to the emptie emptie thinges, & to the ful ful thinges.stylus26Behold the time shal come, and it shal be, when the signes shal come which I haue foretold thee, & the bride shal appeare, & she appearing shal be shewed, that is now hidde with the earth.stylus27And whosoeuer is deliuered from these foresayd euils, he shal see my meruels.stylus28For my sonne Iesus shal be reueled with these that are with him, and they shal be merie that are remayning, foure hundred yeares.stylus29And it shal be after these yeares, and my sonne Christ shal dye, and al men that haue life.stylus30And the world shal be turned into the old silence seuen dayes, as in the former iudgements: so that no man remaine.stylus31And it shal be after seuen dayes, the world that yet waketh not, shal be raysed vp, and it shal dye that is corrupt.stylus32And the earth shal render those that slepe in it, and the dust them that dwel in it with silence, and the cellars shal render the soules committed to them.stylus33And the Highest shal be reuealed vpon the seate of iudgement, and miseries shal passe, and long-suffering shal be gathered together.stylus34But iudgement onlie shal remayne, truth shal stand, and fayth shal waxe strong,stylus35and the worke shal folow, and the reward shal be shewed, and iustice shal watch, and iniustice shal not sleepe. (Verses 36-105 missing in Vulgate, will be appended separately as Appendix)stylus36And the pit of torment shall appear, and opposite it shall be the place of rest; and the furnace of hell shall be disclosed, and opposite it the paradise of delight.stylus37Then the Most High will say to the nations that have been raised from the dead, 'Look now, and understand whom you have denied, whom you have not served, whose commandments you have despised!stylus38Look on this side and on that; here are delight and rest, and there are fire and torments!' Thus he will speak to them on the day of judgment --stylus39a day that has no sun or moon or stars,stylus40or cloud or thunder or lightning or wind or water or air, or darkness or evening or morning,stylus41or summer or spring or heat or winter or frost or cold or hail or rain or dew,stylus42or noon or night, or dawn or shining or brightness or light, but only the splendor of the glory of the Most High, by which all shall see what has been determined for them.stylus43For it will last for about a week of years.stylus44This is my judgment and its prescribed order; and to you alone have I shown these things."stylus45I answered and said, "O Sovereign Lord, I said then and I say now: Blessed are those who are alive and keep your commandments!stylus46But what of those for whom I prayed? For who among the living is there that has not sinned, or who among men that has not transgressed your covenant?stylus47And now I see that the world to come will bring delight to few, but torments to many.stylus48For an evil heart has grown up in us, which has alienated us from God, and has brought us into corruption and the ways of death, and has shown us the paths of perdition and removed us far from life -- and that not just a few of us but almost all who have been created!"stylus49He answered me and said, "Listen to me, Ezra, and I will instruct you, and will admonish you yet again.stylus50For this reason the Most High has made not one world but two.stylus51For whereas you have said that the righteous are not many but few, while the ungodly abound, hear the explanation for this.stylus52"If you have just a few precious stones, will you add to them lead and clay?"stylus53I said, "Lord, how could that be?"stylus54And he said to me, "Not only that, but ask the earth and she will tell you; defer to her, and she will declare it to you.stylus55Say to her, 'You bring forth gold and silver and copper, and also iron and lead and clay;stylus56but silver is more abundant than gold, and copper than silver, and iron than copper, and lead than iron, and clay than lead.'stylus57Judge therefore which things are precious and desirable, those that are abundant or those that are rare?"stylus58I said, "O Sovereign Lord, what is plentiful is of less worth, for what is more rare is more precious."stylus59He answered me and said, "Weigh within yourself what you have thought, for he who has what is hard to get rejoices more than he who has what is plentiful.stylus60So also will be the judgment which I have promised; for I will rejoice over the few who shall be saved, because it is they who have made my glory to prevail now, and through them my name has now been honored.stylus61And I will not grieve over the multitude of those who perish; for it is they who are now like a mist, and are similar to a flame and smoke -- they are set on fire and burn hotly, and are extinguished."stylus62I answered and said, "O earth, what have you brought forth, if the mind is made out of the dust like the other created things!stylus63For it would have been better if the dust itself had not been born, so that the mind might not have been made from it.stylus64But now the mind grows with us, and therefore we are tormented, because we perish and know it.stylus65Let the human race lament, but let the beasts of the field be glad; let all who have been born lament, but let the four-footed beasts and the flocks rejoice!stylus66For it is much better with them than with us; for they do not look for a judgment, nor do they know of any torment or salvation promised to them after death.stylus67For what does it profit us that we shall be preserved alive but cruelly tormented?stylus68For all who have been born are involved in iniquities, and are full of sins and burdened with offenses.stylus69And if we were not to come into judgment after death, perhaps it would have been better for us."stylus70He answered me and said, "When the Most High made the world and Adam and all who have come from him, he first prepared the judgment and the things that pertain to the judgment.stylus71And now understand from your own words, for you have said that the mind grows with us.stylus72For this reason those who dwell on earth shall be tormented, because though they had understanding they committed iniquity, and though they received the commandments they did not keep them, and though they obtained the law they dealt unfaithfully with what they received.stylus73What then will they have to say in the judgment, or how will they answer in the last times?stylus74For how long the time is that the Most High has been patient with those who inhabit the world, and not for their sake, but because of the times which he has foreordained!"stylus75I answered and said, "If I have found favor in your sight, O Lord, show this also to your servant: whether after death, as soon as everyone of us yields up his soul, we shall be kept in rest until those times come when you will renew the creation, or whether we shall be tormented at once?"stylus76He answered me and said, "I will show you this also; but do not include yourself with those who have shown scorn, nor number yourself among those who are tormented.stylus77For you have a treasure of works laid up with the Most High; but it will not be shown to you until the last times.stylus78Now concerning death, the teaching is: When the decisive decree has gone forth from the Most High that a man shall die, as the spirit leaves the body to return again to him who gave it, first of all it adores the glory of the Most High.stylus79And if it is one of those who have shown scorn and have not kept the way of the Most High, and who have despised his law, and who have hated those who fear God --stylus80such spirits shall not enter into habitations, but shall immediately wander about in torments, always grieving and sad, in seven ways.stylus81The first way, because they have scorned the law of the Most High.stylus82The second way, because they cannot now make a good repentance that they may live.stylus83The third way, they shall see the reward laid up for those who have trusted the covenants of the Most High.stylus84The fourth way, they shall consider the torment laid up for themselves in the last days.stylus85The fifth way, they shall see how the habitations of the others are guarded by angels in profound quiet.stylus86The sixth way, they shall see how some of them will pass over into torments.stylus87The seventh way, which is worse than all the ways that have been mentioned, because they shall utterly waste away in confusion and be consumed with shame, and shall wither with fear at seeing the glory of the Most High before whom they sinned while they were alive, and before whom they are to be judged in the last times.stylus88"Now this is the order of those who have kept the ways of the Most High, when they shall be separated from their mortal body.stylus89During the time that they lived in it, they laboriously served the Most High, and withstood danger every hour, that they might keep the law of the Lawgiver perfectly.stylus90Therefore this is the teaching concerning them:stylus91First of all, they shall see with great joy the glory of him who receives them, for they shall have rest in seven orders.stylus92The first order, because they have striven with great effort to overcome the evil thought which was formed with them, that it might not lead them astray from life into death.stylus93The second order, because they see the perplexity in which the souls of the ungodly wander, and the punishment that awaits them.stylus94The third order, they see the witness which he who formed them bears concerning them, that while they were alive they kept the law which was given them in trust.stylus95The fourth order, they understand the rest which they now enjoy, being gathered into their chambers and guarded by angels in profound quiet, and the glory waiting for them in the last days.stylus96The fifth order, they rejoice that they have now escaped what is corruptible, and shall inherit what is to come; and besides they see the straits and toil from which they have been delivered, and the spacious liberty which they are to receive and enjoy in immortality.stylus97The sixth order, when it is shown to them how their face is to shine like the sun, and how they are to be made like the light of the stars, being incorruptible from then on.stylus98The seventh order, which is greater than all that have been mentioned, because they shall rejoice with boldness, and shall be confident without confusion, and shall be glad without fear, for they hasten to behold the face of him whom they served in life and from whom they are to receive their reward when glorified.stylus99This is the order of the souls of the righteous, as henceforth is announced; and the previously mentioned are the ways of torment which those who would not give heed shall suffer hereafter."stylus100I answered and said, "Will time therefore be given to the souls, after they have been separated from the bodies, to see what you have described to me?"stylus101He said to me, "They shall have freedom for seven days, so that during these seven days they may see the things of which you have been told, and afterwards they shall be gathered in their habitations."stylus102I answered and said, "If I have found favor in your sight, show further to me, your servant, whether on the day of judgment the righteous will be able to intercede for the ungodly or to entreat the Most High for them,stylus103fathers for sons or sons for parents, brothers for brothers, relatives for their kinsmen, or friends for those who are most dear."stylus104He answered me and said, "Since you have found favor in my sight, I will show you this also. The day of judgment is decisive and displays to all the seal of truth. Just as now a father does not send his son, or a son his father, or a master his servant, or a friend his dearest friend, to be ill or sleep or eat or be healed in his stead,stylus105so no one shall ever pray for another on that day, neither shall any one lay a burden on another; for then every one shall bear his own righteousness and unrighteousness."stylus106And I sayd: Abraham prayed first for the Sodomites, and Moyses for the fathers that sinned in the desert:stylus107and they that were after him for Israel in the dayes of Achaz, and Samuel:stylus108and Dauid for the destruction of the people, and Salomon for them, that came into the sanctuarie:stylus109and Helias for them, that receiued raine, and for the dead, that he might liue.stylus110and Ezechias for the people in the dayes of Sennacherib, and manie for manie.stylus111If therefore when the corruptible increased, and iniustice was multiplied, then the iust prayed for the impious: why shal it not be so now also?stylus112And he answered me, and sayd: The present world is not the end: glorie abydeth in it: therefore haue they prayed for the weake.stylus113But the day of iudgement shal be the end of this time, and the beginning of the future immortalitie, wherein corruption hath ceased,stylus114intemperance is dissolued, incredulitie is cut of, but iustice hath growen, truth is sprong.stylus115Therefore no man shal be able then to haue mercie on him, that is ouercome in iudgement, nor to drowne him that ouercometh.stylus116And I answered, and sayd: This is my first word, and my last, that it had bene better not to geue the earth to Adam, or being geuen to bridle him, that he should not sinne.stylus117For what profit is it to men to liue in heauines in this present time, and not to looke for punishment when they are dead?stylus118O Adam what hast thow done? for though thou sinned, thy fal was not thine only, but ours also that come of thee.stylus119For what profit is it to vs, if immortal time be promised to vs, but we haue done workes of death?stylus120And that there is foretold vs an euerlasting hope, but we most wicked are made vaine?stylus121And that there are layd vp for vs habitations of health and securitie, but we haue conuersed naughteley?stylus122And that the glorie of the Highest is kept to protect them, which haue led a litle life, but we haue walked in most wicked wayes?stylus123And that paradises shal be shewed, whose fruite endureth incorruptible, wherein is saturitie, and medicine:stylus124but we shal not enter: for we haue conuersed in vnpleasaunt places?stylus125And that the faces of them, that haue vsed abstinence, shal shyne aboue the starres, but our faces shal be blacke aboue darkenes?stylus126For we did not thinke in our life when we did iniquitie, that we should begin to suffer after death.stylus127And he answered, and sayd: This is the cogitation of the battel, which man that is borne on earth shal fight,stylus128that if he be ouercome, he suffer the thinges that thou hast sayd: but if he ouercome, he shal receiue the thinges that I say.stylus129For this is the life, whereof Moyses spake, when he liued, to the people, saying: Choose thee life that thou mayst liue.stylus130But they beleued him not, nor the prophetes after him, no nor me which haue spoken to them.stylus131That there should not be heauines to perdition, as there shal be ioy to them, that haue beleued, to whom saluation is persuaded.stylus132And I answered, and sayd: I know Lord, that the Highest is called merciful, in that he hath mercie on them, which are not yet come into the world:stylus133and taking pitie, on them that conuerse in his law:stylus134and long suffering, because he sheweth long sufferance to them, that haue sinned, as it were his workes:stylus135and bountiful, because he wil geue rather to them that aske:stylus136and of much mercie, because he multiplieth mercies more to them that are present, and that are past, and that are to come.stylus137For if he should not multiplie his mercie, the world should not be with them, that inhabite it.stylus138And he geueth: because if he gaue not of his goodnes, that they which haue done iniquities, might be eased of their iniquities, the ten thousand part of men could not be quickened.stylus139And the iudge: for if he shal not pardon them, that are created by his word, and put out the multitude of contemptes,stylus140there should be left perhaps very few of the innumerable multitude.stylus
