2 Esdras (4 Esdras) · Revised Version (con apócrifos)
2 Esdras (4 Esdras) 10 Revised Version (con apócrifos)
1 And it so came to pass, that when my son was entered into his wedding chamber, he fell down, and died.
1 “So it 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: and I remained quiet unto the second day at night.
2 Then we all put out the lamps, and all my neighbors rose up to comfort me. I remained quiet until 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.
3 It came to pass, when they had all stopped consoling me, encouraging me to be quiet, then rose I up by night, and fled, and came here into this field, as you see.
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.
4 Now I don’t intend to return into the city, but to stay here, and not eat or drink, but to continually mourn and fast until I die.”
5 Then left I the meditations wherein I was, and answered her in anger, and said,
5 Then I left the reflections I was engaged in, and answered her in anger,
6 Thou foolish woman above all other, seest thou not our mourning, and what hath happened unto us?
6 “You most foolish woman, don’t you see our mourning, and what has happened to us?
7 how that Sion the mother of us all is full of sorrow, and much humbled.
7 For Zion the mother of us all is full of sorrow, and much humbled.
8 It is right now to mourn very sore, seeing we all mourn, and to be sorrowful, seeing we are all in sorrow, but thou sorrowest for one son.
8 It is right now to mourn deeply, since we all mourn, and to be sorrowful, since we are all in sorrow, but you are mourning for one son.
9 For ask the earth, and she shall tell thee, that it is she which ought to mourn for so many that grow upon her.
9 Ask the earth, and she will tell you that it is she which ought to mourn for so many that grow upon her.
10 For out of her all had their beginnings, and others shall come; and, behold, they walk almost all into destruction, and the multitude of them is utterly rooted out.
10 For out of her, all had their beginnings, and others will come; and, behold, almost all of them walk into destruction, and the multitude of them is utterly doomed.
11 Who then should make more mourning, she, that hath lost so great a multitude, or thou, which art grieved but for one?
11 Who then should mourn more, she who has lost so great a multitude, or you, who are grieved but for one?
12 but if thou sayest unto me, My lamentation is not like the earth’s, for I have lost the fruit of my womb, which I brought forth with pains, and bare with sorrows:
12 But if you say to me, ‘My lamentation is not like the earth’s, for I have lost the fruit of my womb, which I brought forth with pains, and bare with sorrows;’
13 but [it is with ] the earth after the manner of the earth; the multitude present in it is gone, as it came:
13 but it is with the earth after the manner of the earth. The multitude present in it has gone as it came.
14 then say I unto thee, Like as thou hast brought forth with sorrow; even so the earth also hath given her fruit, namely, man, ever since the beginning unto him that made her.
14 Then say I to you, ‘Just as you have brought forth with sorrow, even so the earth also has given her fruit, namely, people, ever since the beginning to him who made her.’
15 Now therefore keep thy sorrow to thyself, and bear with a good courage the adversities which have befallen thee.
15 Now therefore keep your sorrow to yourself, and bear with a good courage the adversities which have happened to you.
16 For if thou shalt acknowledge the decree of God to be just, thou shalt both receive thy son in time, and shalt be praised among women.
16 For if you will acknowledge the decree of God to be just, you will both receive your son in time, and will be praised among women.
17 Go thy way then into the city to thine husband.
17 Go your way then into the city to your husband.”
18 And she said unto me, That will I not do: I will not go into the city, but here will I die.
18 She said to me, “I won’t do that. I will not go into the city, but I will die here.”
19 So I proceeded to speak further unto her, and said,
19 So I proceeded to speak further to her, and said,
20 Do not so, but suffer thyself to be prevailed on by reason of the adversities of Sion; and be comforted by reason of the sorrow of Jerusalem.
20 “Don’t do so, but allow yourself to be persuaded by reason of the adversities of Zion; and be comforted by reason of the sorrow of Jerusalem.
21 For thou seest that our sanctuary is laid waste, our altar broken down, our temple destroyed;
21 For you see that our sanctuary has been laid waste, our altar broken down, our temple destroyed,
22 our psaltery is brought low, 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 profaned; our freemen are despitefully treated, 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 betrayed, our young men are brought into bondage, and our strong men are become weak;
22 our lute has been brought low, 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 plundered, our holy things are defiled, and the name that we are called is profaned. Our free men are despitefully treated, our priests are burned, our Levites have gone into captivity, our virgins are defiled and our wives ravished, our righteous men carried away, our little ones betrayed, our young men are brought into bondage, and our strong men have become weak.
23 and, what is more than all, the seal of Sion - for she hath now lost the seal of her honour, and is delivered into the hands of them that hate us.
23 What is more than all, the seal of Zion has now lost the seal of her honor, and is delivered into the hands of those who hate us.
24 Thou therefore shake off thy great heaviness, and put away from thee the multitude of sorrows, that the Mighty may be merciful unto thee again, and the Most High may give thee rest, even ease from thy travails.
24 Therefore shake off your great heaviness, and put away from yourself the multitude of sorrows, that the Mighty One may be merciful to you again, and the Most High may give you rest, even ease from your troubles.”
25 And it came to pass, while I was talking with her, behold, her face upon a sudden shined exceedingly, and her countenance glistered like lightning, so that I was sore afraid of her, and mused what this might be;
25 It came to pass while I was talking with her, behold, her face suddenly began to shine exceedingly, and her countenance flashed like lightning, so that I was very afraid of her, and wondered what this meant.
26 and, behold, suddenly she made a great cry very fearful; so that the earth shook at the noise.
26 Behold, suddenly she made a great and very fearful cry, so that the earth shook at the noise.
27 And I looked, and, behold, the woman appeared unto me no more, but there was a city builded, and a place shewed itself from large foundations: then was I afraid, and cried with a loud voice, and said,
27 I looked, and behold, the woman appeared to me no more, but there was a city built, and a place shown itself from large foundations. Then I was afraid, and cried with a loud voice,
28 Where is Uriel the angel, who came unto me at the first? for he hath caused me to fall into this great trance, and mine end is turned into corruption, and my prayer to rebuke.
28 “Where is Uriel the angel, who came to me at the first? For he has caused me to fall into this great trance, and my end has turned into corruption, and my prayer a reproach!”
29 And as I was speaking these words, behold, the angel who had come unto me at the first came unto me, and he looked upon me:
29 As I was speaking these words, behold, the angel who had come to me at first came to me, and he looked at 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,
30 Behold, I lay as one who had been dead, and my understanding was taken from me. He took me by the right hand, and comforted me, and set me on my feet, and said to me,
31 What aileth thee? and why art thou so disquieted? and why is thine understanding troubled, and the thoughts of thine heart?
31 “What ails you? Why are you so troubled? Why is your understanding and the thoughts of your heart troubled?”
32 And I said, Because thou hast forsaken me: yet I did according to thy words, and went into the field, and, lo, I have seen, and yet see, that which I am not able to express.
32 I said, “Because you have forsaken me; yet I did according to your words, and went into the field, and, behold, I have seen, and still see, that which I am not able to explain.”
33 And he said unto me, Stand up like a man, and I will advise thee.
33 He said to me, “Stand up like a man, and I will instruct you.”
34 Then said I, Speak on, my Lord; only forsake me not, lest I die frustrate of my hope.
34 Then I said, “Speak on, my Lord; only don’t forsake me, lest I die before my time.
35 For I have seen that I knew not, and hear that I do not know.
35 For I have seen what I didn’t know, and hear what I don’t know.
36 Or is my sense deceived, or my soul in a dream?
36 Or is my sense deceived, or my soul in a dream?
37 Now therefore I beseech thee to shew thy servant concerning this trance.
37 Now therefore I beg you to explain to your servant what this vision means.”
38 And he answered me, and said, Hear me, and I shall inform thee, and tell thee concerning the things whereof thou art afraid: For the Most High hath revealed many secret things unto thee.
38 He answered me, “Listen to me, and I will inform you, and tell you about the things you are afraid of, for the Most High has revealed many secret things to you.
39 He hath seen that thy way is right: for that thou sorrowest continually for thy people, and makest great lamentation for Sion.
39 He has seen that your way is righteous, because you are continually sorry for your people, and make great lamentation for Zion.
40 This therefore is the meaning of the vision.
40 This therefore is the meaning of the vision.
41 The woman which appeared unto thee a little while ago, whom thou sawest mourning, and begannest to comfort her:
41 The woman who appeared to you a little while ago, whom you saw mourning, and began to comfort her,
42 but now seest thou the likeness of the woman no more, but there appeared unto thee a city in building:
42 but now you no longer see the likeness of the woman, but a city under construction appeared to you,
43 and whereas she told thee of the death of her son, this is the solution:
43 and she told you of the death of her son, this is the interpretation:
44 This woman, whom thou sawest, is Sion, whom thou now seest as a city builded;
44 This woman, whom you saw, is Zion, whom you now see as a city being built.
45 and whereas she said unto thee, that she hath been thirty years barren, [it is, ] because there were three thousand years in the world wherein there was no offering as yet offered in her.
45 She told you that she had been barren for thirty years because there were three thousand years in the world in which there was no offering as yet offered in her.
46 And it came to pass after three thousand years that Solomon builded the city, and offered offerings: then it was that the barren bare a son.
46 And it came to pass after three thousand years that Solomon built the city and offered offerings. It was then that the barren bore a son.
47 And whereas she told thee that she nourished him with travail: that was the dwelling in Jerusalem.
47 She told you that she nourished him with great care. That was the dwelling in Jerusalem.
48 And whereas she said unto thee, My son coming into his marriage chamber died, and that misfortune befell her: this was the destruction that came to Jerusalem.
48 When she said to you, ‘My son died when he entered into his marriage chamber, and that misfortune befell her,’ this was the destruction that came to Jerusalem.
49 And, behold, thou sawest her likeness, how she mourned for her son, and thou begannest to comfort her for what hath befallen her; these were the things to be opened unto thee.
49 Behold, you saw her likeness, how she mourned for her son, and you began to comfort her for what has happened to her. These were the things to be opened to you.
50 For now the Most High, seeing that thou art grieved unfeignedly, and sufferest from thy whole heart for her, hath shewed thee the brightness of her glory, and the comeliness of her beauty:
50 For now the Most High, seeing that you are sincerely grieved and suffer from your whole heart for her, has shown you the brightness of her glory and the attractiveness of her beauty.
51 and therefore I bade thee remain in the field where no house was builded:
51 Therefore I asked you to remain in the field where no house was built,
52 for I knew that the Most High would shew this unto thee.
52 for I knew that the Most High would show this to you.
53 Therefore I commanded thee to come into the field, where no foundation of any building was.
53 Therefore I commanded you to come into the field, where no foundation of any building was.
54 For in the place wherein the city of the Most High was to be shewed, the work of no man’s building could stand.
54 For no human construction could stand in the place in which the city of the Most High was to be shown.
55 Therefore fear thou not, nor let 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:
55 Therefore don’t be afraid nor let your heart be terrified, but go your way in and see the beauty and greatness of the building, as much as your eyes are able to see.
56 and then shalt thou hear as much as thine ears may comprehend.
56 Then will you hear as much as your ears may comprehend.
57 For thou art blessed above many, and with the Most High art called by name, like as but few.
57 For you are more blessed than many, and are called by name to be with the Most High, like only a few.
58 But to-morrow at night thou shalt remain here;
58 But tomorrow at night you shall remain here,
59 and so shall the Most High shew thee those visions in dreams, of what the Most High will do unto them that dwell upon earth in the last days. So I slept that night and another, like as he commanded me.
59 and so the Most High will show you those visions in dreams of what the Most High will do to those who live on the earth in the last days.” So I slept that night and another, as he commanded me.