The Second Book of Esdras

⭑ World English Bible Catholic :: King James Version ⭑

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- Chapter 15 -

“Behold, speak in the ears of my people the words of prophecy which I will put in your mouth,” says the Lord.

“Cause them to be written on paper, for they are faithful and true.

Don’t be afraid of their plots against you. Don’t let the unbelief of those who speak against you trouble you.

For all the unbelievers will die in their unbelief.

“Behold,” says the Lord, “I bring evils on the whole earth: sword, famine, death, and destruction.

For wickedness has prevailed over every land, and their hurtful works have reached their limit.

Therefore,” says the Lord,

“I will hold my peace no more concerning their wickedness which they profanely commit, neither will I tolerate them in these things, which they wickedly practice. Behold, the innocent and righteous blood cries to me, and the souls of the righteous cry out continually.

I will surely avenge them,” says the Lord, “and will receive to me all the innocent blood from among them.

Behold, my people is led like a flock to the slaughter. I will not allow them now to dwell in the land of Egypt,

but I will bring them out with a mighty hand and with a high arm, and will strike Egypt with plagues, as before, and will destroy all its land.”

Let Egypt and its foundations mourn, for the plague of the chastisement and the punishment that God will bring upon it.

Let the farmers that till the ground mourn, for their seeds will fail and their trees will be ruined through the blight and hail, and a terrible tempest.

Woe to the world and those who dwell in it!

For the sword and their destruction draws near, and nation will rise up against nation to battle with weapons in their hands.

For there will be sedition among men, and growing strong against one another. In their might, they won’t respect their king or the chief of their great ones.

For a man will desire to go into a city, and will not be able.

For because of their pride the cities will be troubled, the houses will be destroyed, and men will be afraid.

A man will have no pity on his neighbors, but will assault their houses with the sword and plunder their goods, because of the lack of bread, and for great suffering.

“Behold,” says God, “I call together all the kings of the earth to stir up those who are from the rising of the sun, from the south, from the east, and Libanus, to turn themselves one against another, and repay the things that they have done to them.

Just as they do yet this day to my chosen, so I will do also, and repay into their bosom.” The Lord God says:

“My right hand won’t spare the sinners, and my sword won’t cease over those who shed innocent blood on the earth.

A fire has gone out from his wrath and has consumed the foundations of the earth and the sinners, like burnt straw.

Woe to those who sin and don’t keep my commandments!” says the Lord.

“I will not spare them. Go your way, you rebellious children! Don’t defile my sanctuary!”

For the Lord knows all those who trespass against him, therefore he will deliver them to death and destruction.

For now evils have come upon the whole earth, and you will remain in them; for God will not deliver you, because you have sinned against him.

Behold, a horrible sight appearing from the east!

The nations of the dragons of Arabia will come out with many chariots. From the day that they set out, their hissing is carried over the earth, so that all those who will hear them may also fear and tremble.

Also the Carmonians, raging in wrath, will go out like the wild boars of the forest. They will come with great power and join battle with them, and will devastate a portion of the land of the Assyrians with their teeth.

Then the dragons will have the upper hand, remembering their nature. If they will turn themselves, conspiring together in great power to persecute them,

then these will be troubled, and keep silence through their power, and will turn and flee.

From the land of the Assyrians, an enemy in ambush will attack them and destroy one of them. Upon their army will be fear and trembling, and indecision upon their kings.

Behold, clouds from the east, and from the north to the south! They are very horrible to look at, full of wrath and storm.

They will clash against one another. They will pour out a heavy storm on the earth, even their own storm. There will be blood from the sword to the horse’s belly,

and to the thigh of man, and to the camel’s hock.

There will be fearfulness and great trembling upon earth. They who see that wrath will be afraid, and trembling will seize them.

After this, great storms will be stirred up from the south, from the north, and another part from the west.

Strong winds will arise from the east, and will shut it up, even the cloud which he raised up in wrath; and the storm that was to cause destruction by the east wind will be violently driven toward the south and west.

Great and mighty clouds, full of wrath, will be lifted up with the storm, that they may destroy all the earth and those who dwell in it. They will pour out over every high and lofty one a terrible storm,

fire, hail, flying swords, and many waters, that all plains may be full, and all rivers, with the abundance of those waters.

They will break down the cities and walls, mountains and hills, trees of the forest, and grass of the meadows, and their grain.

They will go on steadily to Babylon and destroy her.

They will come to it and surround it. They will pour out the storm and all wrath on her. Then the dust and smoke will go up to the sky, and all those who are around it will mourn for it.

Those who remain will serve those who have destroyed it.

You, Asia, who are partaker in the beauty of Babylon, and in the glory of her person—

woe to you, you wretch, because you have made yourself like her. You have decked out your daughters for prostitution, that they might please and glory in your lovers, which have always lusted after you!

You have followed her who is hateful in all her works and inventions. Therefore God says,

“I will send evils on you: widowhood, poverty, famine, sword, and pestilence, to lay waste your houses and bring you to destruction and death.

The glory of your power will be dried up like a flower when the heat rises that is sent over you.

You will be weakened like a poor woman who is beaten and wounded, so that you won’t be able to receive your mighty ones and your lovers.

Would I have dealt with you with such jealousy,” says the Lord,

“if you had not always slain my chosen, exalting and clapping of your hands, and saying over their dead, when you were drunk?

“Beautify your face!

The reward of a prostitute will be in your bosom, therefore you will be repaid.

Just as you will do to my chosen,” says the Lord, “even so God will do to you, and will deliver you to your adversaries.

Your children will die of hunger. You will fall by the sword. Your cities will be broken down, and all your people in the field will perish by the sword.

Those who are in the mountains will die of hunger, eat their own flesh, and drink their own blood, because of hunger for bread and thirst for water.

You, unhappy above all others, will come and will again receive evils.

In the passage, they will rush on the hateful city and will destroy some portion of your land, and mar part of your glory, and will return again to Babylon that was destroyed.

You will be cast down by them as stubble, and they will be to you as fire.

They will devour you, your cities, your land, and your mountains. They will burn all your forests and your fruitful trees with fire.

They will carry your children away captive, and will plunder your wealth, and mar the glory of your face.”

Behold, speak thou in the ears of my people the words of prophecy, which I will put in thy mouth, saith the Lord:

And cause them to be written in paper: for they are faithful and true.

Fear not the imaginations against thee, let not the incredulity of them trouble thee, that speak against thee.

For all the unfaithful shall die in their unfaithfulness.

Behold, saith the Lord, I will bring plagues upon the world; the sword, famine, death, and destruction.

For wickedness hath exceedingly polluted the whole earth, and their hurtful works are fulfilled.

Therefore saith the Lord,

I will hold my tongue no more as touching their wickedness, which they profanely commit, neither will I suffer them in those things, in which they wickedly exercise themselves: behold, the innocent and righteous blood crieth unto me, and the souls of the just complain continually.

And therefore, saith the Lord, I will surely avenge them, and receive unto me all the innocent blood from among them.

Behold, my people is led as a flock to the slaughter: I will not suffer them now to dwell in the land of Egypt:

But I will bring them with a mighty hand and a stretched out arm, and smite Egypt with plagues, as before, and will destroy all the land thereof.

Egypt shall mourn, and the foundation of it shall be smitten with the plague and punishment that God shall bring upon it.

They that till the ground shall mourn: for their seeds shall fail through the blasting and hail, and with a fearful constellation.

Woe to the world and them that dwell therein!

For the sword and their destruction draweth nigh, and one people shall stand up and fight against another, and swords in their hands.

For there shall be sedition among men, and invading one another; they shall not regard their kings nor princes, and the course of their actions shall stand in their power.

A man shall desire to go into a city, and shall not be able.

For because of their pride the cities shall be troubled, the houses shall be destroyed, and men shall be afraid.

A man shall have no pity upon his neighbour, but shall destroy their houses with the sword, and spoil their goods, because of the lack of bread, and for great tribulation.

Behold, saith God, I will call together all the kings of the earth to reverence me, which are from the rising of the sun, from the south, from the east, and Libanus; to turn themselves one against another, and repay the things that they have done to them.

Like as they do yet this day unto my chosen, so will I do also, and recompense in their bosom. Thus saith the Lord God;

My right hand shall not spare the sinners, and my sword shall not cease over them that shed innocent blood upon the earth.

The fire is gone forth from his wrath, and hath consumed the foundations of the earth, and the sinners, like the straw that is kindled.

Woe to them that sin, and keep not my commandments! saith the Lord.

I will not spare them: go your way, ye children, from the power, defile not my sanctuary.

For the Lord knoweth all them that sin against him, and therefore delivereth he them unto death and destruction.

For now are the plagues come upon the whole earth and ye shall remain in them: for God shall not deliver you, because ye have sinned against him.

Behold an horrible vision, and the appearance thereof from the east:

Where the nations of the dragons of Arabia shall come out with many chariots, and the multitude of them shall be carried as the wind upon earth, that all they which hear them may fear and tremble.

Also the Carmanians raging in wrath shall go forth as the wild boars of the wood, and with great power shall they come, and join battle with them, and shall waste a portion of the land of the Assyrians.

And then shall the dragons have the upper hand, remembering their nature; and if they shall turn themselves, conspiring together in great power to persecute them,

Then these shall be troubled bled, and keep silence through their power, and shall flee.

And from the land of the Assyrians shall the enemy besiege them, and consume some of them, and in their host shall be fear and dread, and strife among their kings.

Behold clouds from the east and from the north unto the south, and they are very horrible to look upon, full of wrath and storm.

They shall smite one upon another, and they shall smite down a great multitude of stars upon the earth, even their own star; and blood shall be from the sword unto the belly,

And dung of men unto the camel’s hough.

And there shall be great fearfulness and trembling upon earth: and they that see the wrath shall be afraid, and trembling shall come upon them.

And then shall there come great storms from the south, and from the north, and another part from the west.

And strong winds shall arise from the east, and shall open it; and the cloud which he raised up in wrath, and the star stirred to cause fear toward the east and west wind, shall be destroyed.

The great and mighty clouds shall be puffed up full of wrath, and the star, that they may make all the earth afraid, and them that dwell therein; and they shall pour out over every high and eminent place an horrible star,

Fire, and hail, and flying swords, and many waters, that all fields may be full, and all rivers, with the abundance of great waters.

And they shall break down the cities and walls, mountains and hills, trees of the wood, and grass of the meadows, and their corn.

And they shall go stedfastly unto Babylon, and make her afraid.

They shall come to her, and besiege her, the star and all wrath shall they pour out upon her: then shall the dust and smoke go up unto the heaven, and all they that be about her shall bewail her.

And they that remain under her shall do service unto them that have put her in fear.

And thou, Asia, that art partaker of the hope of Babylon, and art the glory of her person:

Woe be unto thee, thou wretch, because thou hast made thyself like unto her; and hast decked thy daughters in whoredom, that they might please and glory in thy lovers, which have always desired to commit whoredom with thee.

Thou hast followed her that is hated in all her works and inventions: therefore saith God,

I will send plagues upon thee; widowhood, poverty, famine, sword, and pestilence, to waste thy houses with destruction and death.

And the glory of thy Power shall be dried up as a flower, the heat shall arise that is sent over thee.

Thou shalt be weakened as a poor woman with stripes, and as one chastised with wounds, so that the mighty and lovers shall not be able to receive thee.

Would I with jealousy have so proceeded against thee, saith the Lord,

If thou hadst not always slain my chosen, exalting the stroke of thine hands, and saying over their dead, when thou wast drunken,

Set forth the beauty of thy countenance?

The reward of thy whoredom shall be in thy bosom, therefore shalt thou receive recompence.

Like as thou hast done unto my chosen, saith the Lord, even so shall God do unto thee, and shall deliver thee into mischief

Thy children shall die of hunger, and thou shalt fall through the sword: thy cities shall be broken down, and all thine shall perish with the sword in the field.

They that be in the mountains shall die of hunger, and eat their own flesh, and drink their own blood, for very hunger of bread, and thirst of water.

Thou as unhappy shalt come through the sea, and receive plagues again.

And in the passage they shall rush on the idle city, and shall destroy some portion of thy land, and consume part of thy glory, and shall return to Babylon that was destroyed.

And thou shalt be cast down by them as stubble, and they shall be unto thee as fire;

And shall consume thee, and thy cities, thy land, and thy mountains; all thy woods and thy fruitful trees shall they burn up with fire.

Thy children shall they carry away captive, and, look, what thou hast, they shall spoil it, and mar the beauty of thy face.