2 Esdras 10

Apo

1 And it so came to pass, that when my son was entered into his wedding chamber, he fell down, and died.

2 Then we all overthrew the lights, and all my neighbours rose up to comfort me: so I took my rest unto the second day at night.

3 And it came to pass, when they had all left off to comfort me, to the end I might be quiet; then rose I up by night and fled, and came hither into this field, as thou seest.

4 And I do now purpose not to return into the city, but here to stay, and neither to eat nor drink, but continually to mourn and to fast until I die.

5 Then left I the meditations wherein I was, and spake to her in anger, saying,

6 Thou foolish woman above all other, seest thou not our mourning, and what happeneth unto us?

7 How that Sion our mother is full of all heaviness, and much humbled, mourning very sore?

8 And now, seeing we all mourn and are sad, for we are all in heaviness, art thou grieved for one son?

9 For ask the earth, and she shall tell thee, that it is she which ought to mourn for the fall of so many that grow upon her.

10 For out of her came all at the first, and out of her shall all others come, and, behold, they walk almost all into destruction, and a multitude of them is utterly rooted out.

11 Who then should make more mourning than she, that hath lost so great a multitude; and not thou, which art sorry but for one?

12 But if thou sayest unto me, My lamentation is not like the earth's, because I have lost the fruit of my womb, which I brought forth with pains, and bare with sorrows;

13 But the earth not so: for the multitude present in it according to the course of the earth is gone, as it came:

14 Then say I unto thee, Like as thou hast brought forth with labour; even so the earth also hath given her fruit, namely, man, ever since the beginning unto him that made her.

15 Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself, and bear with a good courage that which hath befallen thee.

16 For if thou shalt acknowledge the determination of God to be just, thou shalt both receive thy son in time, and shalt be commended among women.

17 Go thy way then into the city to thine husband.

18 And she said unto me, That will I not do: I will not go into the city, but here will I die.

19 So I proceeded to speak further unto her, and said,

20 Do not so, but be counselled. by me: for how many are the adversities of Sion? be comforted in regard of the sorrow of Jerusalem.

21 For thou seest that our sanctuary is laid waste, our altar broken down, our temple destroyed;

22 Our psaltery is laid on the ground, our song is put to silence, our rejoicing is at an end, the light of our candlestick is put out, the ark of our covenant is spoiled, our holy things are defiled, and the name that is called upon us is almost profaned: our children are put to shame, our priests are burnt, our Levites are gone into captivity, our virgins are defiled, and our wives ravished; our righteous men carried away, our little ones destroyed, our young men are brought in bondage, and our strong men are become weak;

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.

24 And therefore shake off thy great heaviness, and put away the multitude of sorrows, that the Mighty may be merciful unto thee again, and the Highest shall give thee rest and ease from thy labour.

25 And it came to pass 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.

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

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,

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.

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

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,

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

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.

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

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

35 For I have seen that I knew not, and hear that I do not know.

36 Or is my sense deceived, or my soul in a dream?

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

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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.

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:

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

52 For I knew that the Highest would shew this unto thee.

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

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

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:

56 And then shalt thou hear as much as thine ears may comprehend.

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

58 But to morrow at night thou shalt remain here;

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.

Sep

1 καὶ ὡς προσηύξατο Εσδρας καὶ ὡς ἐξηγόρευσεν κλαίων καὶ προσευχόμενος ἐνώπιον οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ συνήχθησαν πρὸς αὐτὸν ἀπὸ Ισραηλ ἐκκλησία πολλὴ σφόδρα ἄνδρες καὶ γυναῖκες καὶ νεανίσκοι ὅτι ἔκλαυσεν ὁ λαὸς καὶ ὕψωσεν κλαίων

2 καὶ ἀπεκρίθη Σεχενιας υἱὸς Ιιηλ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ηλαμ καὶ εἶπεν τῷ Εσδρα ἡμεῖς ἠσυνθετήσαμεν τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν καὶ ἐκαθίσαμεν γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας ἀπὸ λαῶν τῆς γῆς καὶ νῦν ἔστιν ὑπομονὴ τῷ Ισραηλ ἐπὶ τούτῳ

3 καὶ νῦν διαθώμεθα διαθήκην τῷ θεῷ ἡμῶν ἐκβαλεῖν πάσας τὰς γυναῖκας καὶ τὰ γενόμενα ἐξ αὐτῶν ὡς ἂν βούλῃ ἀνάστηθι καὶ φοβέρισον αὐτοὺς ἐν ἐντολαῖς θεοῦ ἡμῶν καὶ ὡς ὁ νόμος γενηθήτω

4 ἀνάστα ὅτι ἐπὶ σὲ τὸ ῥῆμα καὶ ἡμεῖς μετὰ σοῦ κραταιοῦ καὶ ποίησον

5 καὶ ἀνέστη Εσδρας καὶ ὥρκισεν τοὺς ἄρχοντας τοὺς ἱερεῖς καὶ Λευίτας καὶ πάντα Ισραηλ τοῦ ποιῆσαι κατὰ τὸ ῥῆμα τοῦτο καὶ ὤμοσαν

6 καὶ ἀνέστη Εσδρας ἀπὸ προσώπου οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ καὶ ἐπορεύθη εἰς γαζοφυλάκιον Ιωαναν υἱοῦ Ελισουβ καὶ ἐπορεύθη ἐκεῖ ἄρτον οὐκ ἔφαγεν καὶ ὕδωρ οὐκ ἔπιεν ὅτι ἐπένθει ἐπὶ τῇ ἀσυνθεσίᾳ τῆς ἀποικίας

7 καὶ παρήνεγκαν φωνὴν ἐν Ιουδα καὶ ἐν Ιερουσαλημ πᾶσιν τοῖς υἱοῖς τῆς ἀποικίας τοῦ συναθροισθῆναι εἰς Ιερουσαλημ

8 καὶ πᾶς ὃς ἂν μὴ ἔλθῃ εἰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας ὡς ἡ βουλὴ τῶν ἀρχόντων καὶ τῶν πρεσβυτέρων ἀναθεματισθήσεται πᾶσα ἡ ὕπαρξις αὐτοῦ καὶ αὐτὸς διασταλήσεται ἀπὸ ἐκκλησίας τῆς ἀποικίας

9 καὶ συνήχθησαν πάντες ἄνδρες Ιουδα καὶ Βενιαμιν εἰς Ιερουσαλημ εἰς τὰς τρεῖς ἡμέρας οὗτος ὁ μὴν ὁ ἔνατος ἐν εἰκάδι τοῦ μηνὸς ἐκάθισεν πᾶς ὁ λαὸς ἐν πλατείᾳ οἴκου τοῦ θεοῦ ἀπὸ θορύβου αὐτῶν περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος καὶ ἀπὸ τοῦ χειμῶνος

10 καὶ ἀνέστη Εσδρας ὁ ἱερεὺς καὶ εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτούς ὑμεῖς ἠσυνθετήκατε καὶ ἐκαθίσατε γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας τοῦ προσθεῖναι ἐπὶ πλημμέλειαν Ισραηλ

11 καὶ νῦν δότε αἴνεσιν κυρίῳ τῷ θεῷ τῶν πατέρων ὑμῶν καὶ ποιήσατε τὸ ἀρεστὸν ἐνώπιον αὐτοῦ καὶ διαστάλητε ἀπὸ λαῶν τῆς γῆς καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν γυναικῶν τῶν ἀλλοτρίων

12 καὶ ἀπεκρίθησαν πᾶσα ἡ ἐκκλησία καὶ εἶπαν μέγα τοῦτο τὸ ῥῆμά σου ἐφ᾽ ἡμᾶς ποιῆσαι

13 ἀλλὰ ὁ λαὸς πολύς καὶ ὁ καιρὸς χειμερινός καὶ οὐκ ἔστιν δύναμις στῆναι ἔξω καὶ τὸ ἔργον οὐκ εἰς ἡμέραν μίαν καὶ οὐκ εἰς δύο ὅτι ἐπληθύναμεν τοῦ ἀδικῆσαι ἐν τῷ ῥήματι τούτῳ

14 στήτωσαν δὴ οἱ ἄρχοντες ἡμῶν τῇ πάσῃ ἐκκλησίᾳ καὶ πάντες οἱ ἐν πόλεσιν ἡμῶν ὃς ἐκάθισεν γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας ἐλθέτωσαν εἰς καιροὺς ἀπὸ συνταγῶν καὶ μετ᾽ αὐτῶν πρεσβύτεροι πόλεως καὶ πόλεως καὶ κριταὶ τοῦ ἀποστρέψαι ὀργὴν θυμοῦ θεοῦ ἡμῶν ἐξ ἡμῶν περὶ τοῦ ῥήματος τούτου

15 πλὴν Ιωναθαν υἱὸς Ασαηλ καὶ Ιαζια υἱὸς Θεκουε μετ᾽ ἐμοῦ περὶ τούτου καὶ Μεσουλαμ καὶ Σαβαθαι ὁ Λευίτης βοηθῶν αὐτοῖς

16 καὶ ἐποίησαν οὕτως υἱοὶ τῆς ἀποικίας καὶ διεστάλησαν Εσδρας ὁ ἱερεὺς καὶ ἄνδρες ἄρχοντες πατριῶν τῷ οἴκῳ καὶ πάντες ἐν ὀνόμασιν ὅτι ἐπέστρεψαν ἐν ἡμέρᾳ μιᾷ τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ δεκάτου ἐκζητῆσαι τὸ ῥῆμα

17 καὶ ἐτέλεσαν ἐν πᾶσιν ἀνδράσιν οἳ ἐκάθισαν γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας ἕως ἡμέρας μιᾶς τοῦ μηνὸς τοῦ πρώτου

18 καὶ εὑρέθησαν ἀπὸ υἱῶν τῶν ἱερέων οἳ ἐκάθισαν γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ἰησοῦ υἱοῦ Ιωσεδεκ καὶ ἀδελφοὶ αὐτοῦ Μαασηα καὶ Ελιεζερ καὶ Ιαριβ καὶ Γαδαλια

19 καὶ ἔδωκαν χεῖρα αὐτῶν τοῦ ἐξενέγκαι γυναῖκας αὐτῶν καὶ πλημμελείας κριὸν ἐκ προβάτων περὶ πλημμελήσεως αὐτῶν

20 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Εμμηρ Ανανι καὶ Ζαβδια

21 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ηραμ Μασαια καὶ Ελια καὶ Σαμαια καὶ Ιιηλ καὶ Οζια

22 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Φασουρ Ελιωηναι Μαασαια καὶ Ισμαηλ καὶ Ναθαναηλ καὶ Ιωζαβαδ καὶ Ηλασα

23 καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν Λευιτῶν Ιωζαβαδ καὶ Σαμου καὶ Κωλια αὐτὸς Κωλιτας καὶ Φαθαια καὶ Ιοδομ καὶ Ελιεζερ

24 καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν ᾀδόντων Ελισαφ καὶ ἀπὸ τῶν πυλωρῶν Σελλημ καὶ Τελημ καὶ Ωδουε

25 καὶ ἀπὸ Ισραηλ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Φορος Ραμια καὶ Ιαζια καὶ Μελχια καὶ Μεαμιν καὶ Ελεαζαρ καὶ Ασαβια καὶ Βαναια

26 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ηλαμ Μαθανια καὶ Ζαχαρια καὶ Ιαϊηλ καὶ Αβδια καὶ Ιαριμωθ καὶ Ηλια

27 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ζαθουα Ελιωηναι Ελισουβ Μαθανια καὶ Ιαρμωθ καὶ Ζαβαδ καὶ Οζιζα

28 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Βαβι Ιωαναν Ανανια καὶ Ζαβου Οθαλι

29 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Βανουι Μεσουλαμ Μαλουχ Αδαιας Ιασουβ καὶ Σαλουια καὶ Ρημωθ

30 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Φααθμωαβ Εδενε Χαληλ Βαναια Μασηα Μαθανια Βεσεληλ καὶ Βανουι καὶ Μανασση

31 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ηραμ Ελιεζερ Ιεσσια Μελχια Σαμαια Σεμεων

32 Βενιαμιν Μαλουχ Σαμαρια

33 καὶ ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ησαμ Μαθανι Μαθαθα Ζαβεδ Ελιφαλεθ Ιεραμι Μανασση Σεμεϊ

34 ἀπὸ υἱῶν Βανι Μοοδι Αμραμ Ουηλ

35 Βαναια Βαδαια Χελια

36 Ουιεχωα Ιεραμωθ Ελιασιβ

37 Μαθανια Μαθαναι καὶ ἐποίησαν

38 οἱ υἱοὶ Βανουι καὶ οἱ υἱοὶ Σεμεϊ

39 καὶ Σελεμια καὶ Ναθαν καὶ Αδαια

40 Μαχναδαβου Σεσι Σαρου

41 Εζερηλ καὶ Σελεμια καὶ Σαμαρια

42 καὶ Σαλουμ Αμαρια Ιωσηφ

43 ἀπὸ υἱῶν Ναβου Ιιηλ Μαθαθια Σεδεμ Ζαμβινα Ιαδαι καὶ Ιωηλ καὶ Βαναια

44 πάντες οὗτοι ἐλάβοσαν γυναῖκας ἀλλοτρίας καὶ ἐγέννησαν ἐξ αὐτῶν υἱούς