2 Esdras (4 Ezra) · Revised Version with Apocrypha
2 Esdras (4 Ezra) 3 Revised Version with Apocrypha
1 In the thirtieth year after the ruin of the city, I Salathiel (the same is Esdras) was in Babylon, and lay troubled upon my bed, and my thoughts came up over my heart:
1 In the thirtieth year after the ruin of the city, I Salathiel, also called Esdras, was in Babylon, and lay troubled upon my bed, and my thoughts came up over my heart,
2 for I saw the desolation of Sion, and the wealth of them that dwelt at Babylon.
2 for I saw the desolation of Zion and the wealth of those who lived at Babylon.
3 And my spirit was sore moved, so that I began to speak words full of fear to the Most High, and said,
3 My spirit was very agitated, so that I began to speak words full of fear to the Most High, and said,
4 O Lord that bearest rule, didst thou not not speak at the beginning, when thou didst fashion the earth, and that thyself alone, and commandest the dust.
4 “O sovereign Lord, didn’t you speak at the beginning when you formed the earth—and that yourself alone—and commanded the dust
5 and it gave thee Adam, a body without a soul? yet it was the workmanship of thine hands, and thou didst breathe into him the breath of life, and he was made living before thee.
5 and it gave you Adam, a body without a soul? Yet it was the workmanship of your hands, and you breathed into him the breath of life, and he was made alive in your presence.
6 And thou leddest him into paradise, which thy right hand did plant, before ever the earth came forward.
6 You led him into the garden which your right hand planted before the earth appeared.
7 And unto him thou gavest thy one commandment: which he transgressed, and immediately thou appointedst death for him and in his generations; and there were born of him nations and tribes, peoples and kindreds, out of number.
7 You gave him your one commandment, which he transgressed, and immediately you appointed death for him and his descendants. From him were born nations, tribes, peoples, and kindred without number.
8 And every nation walked after their own will, and did ungodly things before thee, and despised [thy commandments, ] and thou didst not forbid them.
8 Every nation walked after their own will, did ungodly things in your sight, and despised your commandments, and you didn’t hinder them.
9 Nevertheless again in process of time thou broughtest the flood upon those that dwelt in the world, and destroyedst them.
9 Nevertheless, again in process of time, you brought the flood on those who lived in the world and destroyed them.
10 And it came to pass that the same hap befell them; like as death was to Adam, so was the flood to these.
10 It came to pass that the same thing happened to them. Just as death came to Adam, so was the flood to these.
11 Nevertheless one of them thou leftest, Noah with his household, [even ] all the righteous men [that came ] of him.
11 Nevertheless, you left one of them, Noah with his household, and all the righteous men who descended from him.
12 And it came to pass, that when they that dwelt upon the earth began to multiply, they multiplied also children, and peoples, and many nations, and began again to be more ungodly than the first.
12 “It came to pass that when those who lived upon the earth began to multiply, they also multiplied children, peoples, and many nations, and began again to be more ungodly than their ancestors.
13 And it came to pass, when they did wickedly before thee, thou didst choose thee one from among them, whose name was Abraham;
13 It came to pass, when they did wickedly before you, you chose one from among them, whose name was Abraham.
14 and him thou lovedst, and unto him only thou shewedst the end of the times secretly by night:
14 You loved, and to him only you showed the end of the times secretly by night,
15 and madest an everlasting covenant with him, promising him that thou wouldest never forsake his seed.
15 and made an everlasting covenant with him, promising him that you would never forsake his descendants. To him, you gave Isaac, and to Isaac you gave Jacob and Esau.
16 And unto him thou gavest Isaac, and unto Isaac thou gavest Jacob and Esau. And thou didst set apart Jacob for thyself, but didst put by Esau: and Jacob became a great multitude.
16 You set apart Jacob for yourself, but rejected Esau. Jacob became a great multitude.
17 And it came to pass, that when thou leddest his seed out of Egypt, thou broughtest them up to the mount Sinai.
17 It came to pass that when you led his descendants out of Egypt, you brought them up to Mount Sinai.
18 Thou bowedst the heavens also, and didst shake the earth, and movedst the whole world, and madest the depths to tremble, and troubledst the [course of that ] age.
18 You bowed the heavens also, shook the earth, moved the whole world, made the depths tremble, and troubled the age.
19 And thy glory went through four gates, of fire, and of earthquake, and of wind, and of cold; that thou mightest give the law unto the seed of Jacob, and the commandment unto the generation of Israel.
19 Your glory went through four gates, of fire, of earthquake, of wind, and of ice, that you might give the law to the descendants of Jacob, and the commandment to the descendants of Israel.
20 And yet tookest thou not away from them [their ] wicked heart, that thy law might bring forth fruit in them.
20 “Yet you didn’t take away from them their wicked heart, that your law might produce fruit in them.
21 For the first Adam bearing a wicked heart transgressed, and was overcome; [and not he only, ] but all they also that are born of him.
21 For the first Adam, burdened with a wicked heart transgressed and was overcome, as were all who are descended from him.
22 Thus disease was made permanent; and the law was in the heart of the people along with the wickedness of the root; so the good departed away, and that which was wicked abode still.
22 Thus disease was made permanent. The law was in the heart of the people along with the wickedness of the root. So the good departed away and that which was wicked remained.
23 So the times passed away, and the years were brought to an end: then didst thou raise thee up a servant, called David,
23 So the times passed away, and the years were brought to an end. Then you raised up a servant, called David,
24 whom thou commandedest to build a city unto thy name, and to offer oblations unto thee therein of thine own.
24 whom you commanded to build a city to your name, and to offer burnt offerings to you in it from what is yours.
25 When this was done many years, then they that inhabited the city did evil,
25 When this was done many years, then those who inhabited the city did evil,
26 in all things doing even as Adam and all his generations had done: for they also bare a wicked heart:
26 in all things doing as Adam and all his generations had done, for they also had a wicked heart.
27 and so thou gavest thy city over into the hands of thine enemies.
27 So you gave your city over into the hands of your enemies.
28 And I said then in mine heart, are their deeds any better that inhabit Babylon? and hath she therefore dominion over Sion?
28 “Then I said in my heart, ‘Are their deeds of those who inhabit Babylon any better? Is that why it gained dominion over Zion?’
29 For it came to pass when I came hither, that I saw also impieties without number, and my soul saw many evil-doers in this thirtieth year, so that my heart failed me.
29 For it came to pass when I came here, that I also saw impieties without number, and my soul saw many sinners in this thirtieth year, so that my heart failed me.
30 For I have seen how thou sufferest them sinning, and hast spared the ungodly doers, and hast destroyed thy people, and hast preserved thine enemies; and thou hast not signified
30 For I have seen how you endure them sinning, and have spared those who act ungodly, and have destroyed your people, and have preserved your enemies;
31 unto any how thy way may be comprehended. Are the deeds of Babylon better than those of Sion?
31 and you have not shown how your way may be comprehended. Are the deeds of Babylon better than those of Zion?
32 Or is there any other nation that knoweth thee beside Israel? or what tribes have so believed thy covenants as these [tribes of ] Jacob?
32 Or is there any other nation that knows you beside Israel? Or what tribes have so believed your covenants as these tribes of Jacob?
33 And yet their reward appeareth not, and their labour hath no fruit: for I have gone hither and thither through the nations, and I see that they abound [in wealth, ] and think not upon thy commandments.
33 Yet their reward doesn’t appear, and their labor has no fruit, for I have gone here and there through the nations, and I see that they abound in wealth, and don’t think about your commandments.
34 Weigh thou therefore our iniquities now in the balance, and theirs also that dwell in the world; and so shall it be found which way the scale inclineth.
34 Weigh therefore our iniquities now in the balance, and theirs also who dwell in the world, and so will it be found which way the scale inclines.
35 Or when was it that they which dwell upon the earth have not sinned in thy sight? or what nation hath so kept thy commandments?
35 Or when was it that they who dwell on the earth have not sinned in your sight? Or what nation has kept your commandments so well?
36 Thou shalt find that men [who may be reckoned ] by name have kept thy precepts; but nations thou shalt not find.
36 You will find some men by name who have kept your precepts, but you won’t find nations.”