This Forgotten Book Predicts the EndTimes In Shocking Detail

What if I told you that one of the most extraordinary books about the end times is missing from the Bibles most Christians read today? A book once printed in the original King James Bible, filled with visions of judgment, collapsing kingdoms, and earthly chaos, was quietly removed from many Bibles after centuries of argument over which books should count as scripture.

This is Second Esdras, one of the most intense and overlooked apocalyptic books ever written. And while it asks the questions many believers still ask today: What are the signs before the end? Why do the wicked prosper while the righteous suffer? When will the Messiah appear? The answers are unlike any you'll have heard before.

This is the second book of the prophet Esdras, of the tribe of Levi. He was taken captive into the land of the Medes in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of the Persians. And the word of the Lord came unto me and said, "Go and show my people what they have done wrong, and also what their children have done against me, so that they will tell it to their children after them. For the sins of the fathers have only grown stronger in the next generation. They have forgotten me, and they have brought offerings to strange gods. Am I not the same Lord who brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage? Yet they have stirred up my wrath and treated my counsel as worthless.

So the Lord said to me, "Tear the hair from your head and throw their evil back upon them because they would not obey my law. They are a rebellious people. How long should I hold back when I have done so much good for them? For their sake, I have brought down many kings. Pharaoh, his servants, and all his strength I struck down. I cleared the nations out of their path. And in the east I scattered the people of two provinces, even of Tyre and Sidon, and I destroyed their enemies. Therefore, speak to them and say, 'Thus saith the Lord, I led you through the sea, and at the beginning I opened a wide and safe way for you. I gave you Moses to lead you, and Aaron to serve as priest. I gave you light by a pillar of fire. And I worked great wonders among you. But you have still forgotten me,' said the Lord.

Thus sayith the Almighty Lord. The quails were a sign to you. And I gave you tents for your protection. Yet even there you complained. You did not rejoice in my name when your enemies were defeated. Instead, you've kept on murmuring to this very day. Where is your gratitude for all I have done? When you were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did you not cry out to me and say, 'Why have you brought us into this wilderness to kill us? Would it not have been better to serve the Egyptians than to die here?' Yet I took pity on your misery and gave you manna to eat. So you ate angel's bread. When you were thirsty, did I not split the rock so that water flowed out until you had enough? And when the heat was heavy upon you, I shaded you under the leaves of the trees. I shed out a fruitful land among you. I drove out the Canaanites and the Perizzites and the Philistines before you. What more should I do for you?' Seth the Lord.

Thus says the Almighty Lord, when you were in the wilderness by the river of the Amorites, thirsty and speaking against my name, I did not send fire upon you for your blasphemies. Instead, I cast a tree into the water and made the river sweet. What shall I do unto thee, oh Jacob, and thou Judah, would not obey me? So I will turn to other nations and to them I will give my name so that they will keep my statutes. Since you have forsaken me, I will forsake you also. When you cry out for mercy, you will not find it. When you call upon me, I will not hear you because your hands are stained with blood and your feet are quick to run toward murder. You have not only turned away from me, you have ruined your own selves, says the Lord.

Thus says the Almighty Lord. Did I not plead with you? Like a father pleading with his sons, like a mother with her daughters, like a nurse with her little ones. I ask that you would be my people and I would be your God, that you would be my children, and I would be your father. I gathered you to myself like a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. But now what shall I do with you? I will cast you away from my face. When you bring offerings, I will turn my face from you. For I have turned away from your solemn feast days, your new moons, and your circumcisions. I sent my servants, the prophets, to you, but you seized them and killed them and tore their bodies, and for their blood I will hold you to account, sayeth the Lord.

Thus says the Almighty Lord, "Your house is left empty, and I will drive you out like the wind blows away stubble. Your children will not thrive because they have rejected my commandment and done what is evil before me. Your houses I will give to a people who will come later. Though they have not heard of me, they will believe me. Though I have shown them no signs, they will do what I have commanded. They have not seen prophets, yet they will remember their sins and admit them. I call as witness the grace I will show to the people who are coming, whose little ones will rejoice with gladness. Though they have not seen me with their eyes, they will believe what I say in their spirit. And now, brother, look and see what glory is coming. And behold the people who come from the east. Over them I will set leaders: Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, Osias, Amos and Micias, Joel, Abdias and Jonas, Nahum and Habacuc, Sophonias, Haggai, Zacharias and Malachi, who is also called an angel of the Lord."

Chapter 2.

Thus saith the Lord, I brought this people out of slavery, and I gave them my commandments through my servants, the prophets, but they would not listen. Instead, they rejected my counsel and turned away. Then the mother who bore them speaks to them and says, "Go your way, my children. I am like a widow now, left alone and abandoned. I raised you with joy, but I've lost you with grief and heaviness because you have sinned before the Lord your God and chosen what is evil in his sight. So what can I do for you now? I am a widow and forsaken. Go your way, my children, and beg the Lord for mercy."

Then I said, "Oh Father, let this be a witness before thee against the mother of these children, because she would not keep my covenant. Bring them to shame, and let their mother be plundered, so there will be no offspring left from them. Let them be scattered among the heathen, and let their names be wiped from the earth, because they have despised my covenant."

"Woe unto thee, Assyria, who hides the unrighteous within thee. Oh wicked people. Remember what I did to Sodom and Gomorrah. Their land became clouds of pitch and heaps of ashes. And in the same way, I will deal with those who refuse to hear me," said the Almighty Lord.

Then the Lord said unto Esdras, "Tell my people this. I will give them the kingdom of Jerusalem, the gift I would have given unto Israel. I will take their glory to myself, and I will give to these people the everlasting tabernacles I prepared for them. The tree of life will be like a sweet ointment to them, and they will not toil or grow weary. Go, and you shall receive. Pray and the days of trouble will be shortened for you. The kingdom is already prepared. So watch and be ready. Let heaven and earth stand as witness. I have shattered the evil and brought forth the good. For I live, sayeth the Lord. Mother, gather your children close. Raise them with gladness and make their feet steady and strong like a pillar. For I have chosen thee, saith the Lord. Those who are dead, I will raise up again from their places, and bring them out of their graves. For my name is known in Israel. Fear not, thou mother of the children, for I have chosen thee, sayeth the Lord. For thy help I will send my servants Esaias and Jeremy. And by their counsel I have set apart and prepared for thee 12 trees filled with many kinds of fruit and fountains flowing with milk and honey and seven strong mountains where roses and lilies grow. With these I will fill thy children with joy. So do what is right. Care for the widow. Judge fairly for the fatherless. Give to the poor. Defend the orphan. And clothe the naked. Help the broken and the weak. Do not mock the lame. Stand up for the maimed. And let the blind come into the light of my clearness. Keep the old and the young safe within thy walls. Wherever you find the dead, take them up and bury them. And I will give thee the first place in my resurrection. Remain still, oh my people, and take thy rest, for thy quietness is coming. Nourish thy children, thou good nurse, and set their feet firm. And as for the servants I have given thee, not one of them will be lost, for I will call for them from among thy number. Do not grow tired, for when the day of trouble and heaviness arrives, others will weep and mourn, but thou shalt rejoice and have abundance. The heathen will envy thee, but they will not be able to harm thee, sayeth the Lord. My hands will cover thee, so that thy children will not see hell. Be joyful, oh mother, with thy children, for I will deliver thee, sayaeth the Lord. Remember thy children that sleep, for I will bring them out from the sides of the earth, and show them mercy, for I am merciful, sayeth the Lord Almighty. Hold thy children close until I come and show mercy unto them, for my wells overflow, and my grace will not fail."

"I, Esdras, received a command from the Lord upon Mount Horeb to go unto Israel. But when I came to them, they treated me as nothing and despised the commandment of the Lord. Therefore I say to you, oh ye heathen who hear and understand, look for your shepherd. He will give you everlasting rest, for he is near. Even the one who shall come at the end of the world. Be ready for the reward of the kingdom. For the everlasting light will shine upon you forever. Flee the shadow of this world and receive the joy of your glory. I speak plainly of my savior. Receive the gift that is offered to you and be glad, giving thanks to him who has led you toward the heavenly kingdom. Rise up and stand and look upon the number of those who are sealed at the feast of the Lord. They have left the shadow of this world behind and they have received glorious garments from the Lord. Take thy number, O Zion, and gather in those who are clothed in white, who have fulfilled the law of the Lord. The number of thy children whom thou has longed for is now complete. Ask the power of the Lord that thy people who have been called from the beginning may be made holy."

Then I, Esdras, saw upon the mount Zion, a great multitude that I could not count. And they all praised the Lord with songs. In the middle of them stood a young man, tall and lifted up, taller than all the rest. He placed crowns upon each of their heads, and he was greater than them all. And I marveled greatly at what I saw. So I asked the angel, "Sir, who are these?" He answered me, "These are the ones who have taken off mortal clothing and put on what is immortal. They have confessed the name of God, and now they are crowned and receive palms." Then I asked, "And who is this young person who crowns them and places palms into their hands?" The angel said to me, "It is the Son of God whom they confessed in the world." And when I heard this, I began to praise those who had stood so firmly for the name of the Lord. Then the angel said to me, "Go thy way and tell my people what you have seen. What great things and what mighty wonders the Lord thy God has shown you."

Chapter 3.

In the 13th year after the ruin of the city, I was in Babylon lying on my bed with a troubled mind. My thoughts kept rising up within me because I could see the desolation of Zion. And at the same time, I could see the wealth and ease of those who lived in Babylon. My spirit was stirred and pained and fear filled my words as I began to speak to the Most High.

"Oh Lord, who rules over all, thou did speak from the beginning. When thou didst plant the earth, thou didst it alone, and thou didst give commands to mankind. Thou didst form Adam with a body that had no life in it, the work of thine own hands. And then thou didst breathe into him the breath of life, and he became living before thee. Thou didst lead him into paradise, which thy right hand had prepared, even before the world was fully set in its course. Thou didst give him a command to walk in thy way, but he broke it. And as soon as he transgressed, death was appointed for him, and for all who would come from him. And from him came nations and tribes and peoples beyond number. And every people followed their own desires. They did many things before thee, but they despised thy commandments.

Then in time thou didst bring the flood upon those who lived in the world, and thou didst wipe them out. And just as death came to Adam, so the flood came upon them. Yet thou didst not destroy all. Thou didst spare one, even Noah, with his household. And from him came those who would be counted righteous. But after that, when the people of the earth multiplied again, and grew into a great crowd with many children, they became even more ungodly than those before them. When their wickedness rose up in thy sight, thou didst choose one man from among them, whose name was Abraham. Thou didst love him, and to him alone thou didst make thy will known. Thou didst make an everlasting covenant with him, and promised that thou wouldest not forsake his seed. Then thou gavest Abraham Isaac, and thou gavest Isaac, Jacob, and Esau. But Jacob thou didst choose for thyself, and Esau thou didst set aside, and Jacob became a great multitude.

Later, when thou didst bring Jacob's seed out of Egypt, thou didst lead them up to Mount Sinai. Thou didst bow their heavens, thou didst fix earth in its place. Thou didst shake the world, and thou didst make the depths tremble, so that the men of that time were filled with dread. Thy glory passed through four gates: fire, earthquake, wind, and cold, so that thou mightest give thy law to the seed of Jacob, and teach diligence to the generation of Israel. Yet even then, thou dost not take away from them the wicked heart within them, so that thy law could truly bear fruit. For the first Adam carried a wicked heart and fell into transgression, and he was overcome. And so it has been with all who are born from him. Weakness became something that stayed, and the law sat in the people's hearts side by side with the evil at the root. So the good slipped away while the evil remained and held its place.

So the years passed on and the times reached their end. And then thou didst raise up a servant for thyself called David. Thou didst command him to build a city for thy name, and to offer incense and offerings unto thee there. But after many years, the people who lived in that city turned away from thee. In all their ways they acted like Adam and his generations, because they too carried a wicked heart. And so thy gave us thy city into the hands of thine enemies. But are the deeds of those who live in Babylon really better, that they should rule over Zion? When I came here and looked around, I saw evil without number. In this 30th year, my soul has seen so many evildoers that my heart has grown weak inside me. For I have watched how thou dost allow them to go on sinning. Thou has spared those who do wickedly, yet thy people have been destroyed, and thine enemies have been preserved, and it seems like no explanation has been given. I cannot understand how this path is meant to be. Are the people of Babylon truly better than those of Zion? Is there any other people that knows thee beside Israel? What generation has trusted thy covenants the way Jacob has? And yet their reward is not plain to see, and their labor seems to bear no fruit. I have traveled among the heathen, and I see how they overflow with wealth, and they do not even think about thy commandments. So weigh our wickedness in the balance, and weigh also the wickedness of those who dwell in the world. And it will seem that thy name is found nowhere except in Israel. For when has anyone on earth not sinned in thy sight? And what people has kept thy commandments as they should? Thou would find that Israel, at least by name, has held to thy precepts. But the heathen have not."

Chapter 4.

The angel who had been sent to me, whose name was Uriel, answered me and said, "Your heart has gone too far into the matters of this world. Do you really think you can grasp the way of the Most High?"

I said, "Yes, my lord."

And he replied, "I have been sent to show you three ways and to place three similitudes before you. If you can explain even one of them to me, then I will show you what you are longing to see, and I will also show you where the wicked heart comes from."

So I said, "Speak on, my lord."

Then he said to me, "Go then, tell me the weight of fire. Measure the blast of the wind or call back the day that has already passed."

I answered, "What man can do such a thing? Why would you ask this of me?"

And he said, "If I asked you how many dwellings are in the midst of the sea, or how many springs are in the beginning of the deep, or how many springs are above the firmament, or which are the outgoings of paradise, you would likely say, 'I have never gone down into the deep, nor into hell, and I have never climbed up into heaven.' Yet I have not asked you about those far-off things. I have asked you about fire and wind, about the day you've lived through, things that are always around you and from which you cannot be separated. And even of these, you cannot give me an answer."

Then he said, "You do not even understand what belongs to you and has grown up with you. So how could your vessel comprehend the way of the Highest? And how can you, while the world is outwardly corrupted, fully understand the corruption that is plain in my sight?"

Then I said, "It would be better for us not to exist at all than to go on living in wickedness, suffering, and not knowing why."

Uriel answered me with a similitude. He said that he went into a forest on a plain and the trees took counsel together and said, "Come, let us go and make war against the sea so that it will move away from us and we can make more woods." But the floods of the sea also took counsel and said, "Come, let us rise up and subdue the woods of the plain so that we may make another country there as well." Yet the plan of the wood was vain because fire came and consumed it. And the plan of the sea was also brought to nothing because the sand stood up and stopped it.

Then Uriel said, "If you were judge between these two, which would you defend, and which would you condemn?"

I answered, "Both plans are foolish. The ground has been given to the wood and the sea has its own place for its floods."

Then he said, "You have judged rightly. So why do you not judge yourself also? For just as the ground belongs to the wood and the sea belongs to its waters, so those who live on the earth can only understand what belongs to the earth. And he that dwelleth above the heavens understands the things that are above the height of the heavens."

I answered and said, "I beseech thee, oh Lord, let me have understanding. I'm not trying to pry into the highest things. I'm asking about what we face day by day. Why Israel is handed over as reproach to the heathen, by the people whom thou hast loved are delivered to ungodly nations. Why the law of our forefathers is treated as though it is nothing. Why the written covenants seem to fail. And why we pass through this world like grasshoppers, our lives filled with astonishment and fear, feeling unworthy of mercy. And what will he do for his name by which we are called? These are the things I have asked."

Uriel answered and said, "The more you search, the more you will be amazed because the world is rushing towards its end, and it cannot hold all that is promised to the righteous in the time to come. Because this world is full of unrighteousness and weakness. But concerning what you have asked, I will tell you this. Evil has been planted, but its full destruction has not yet come. If what is sown is not overturned, and if the place where evil is planted does not pass away, then what is planted with good cannot fully come? For the grain of evil seed was planted in the heart of Adam from the beginning. Look at how much ungodliness it has produced up to this day and how much it will still produce until the time of threshing comes. Think on it yourself. How much wicked fruit has that one seed brought forth? And when the ears are cut down, ears without number, how great a floor will they fill?"

Then I answered, "How will these things happen? And when and why are our years so few and so full of trouble?"

And he said to me, "Do not rush ahead of the Most High. Your haste is useless if you're trying to rise above him, and you have already gone too far. Do you not know that even the souls of the righteous asked such things in their chambers, saying, 'How long must we hope like this? When will the harvest of our reward come?'"

And Uriel the archangel answered them. "It will be when the number of seeds is filled within you. For he has weighed the world in the balance. He has measured the times by measure and numbered them by number, and he will not move them nor stir them until the measure is fulfilled."

Then I said, "Oh Lord, that rules over all, we are full of impiety, and perhaps for our sakes the flaws of the righteous are not filled, because of the sins of those who dwell on the earth."

So Uriel answered and said, "Go to a woman who is with child and ask her, when her nine months are complete, can her womb keep the child inside any longer?"

I said, "No, Lord, it cannot."

And he said, "In the grave, the chambers of souls are like the womb of a woman. For just as a woman in travail hastens to escape the necessity of labor, so those places hasten to deliver what has been committed to them."

Then he said, "From the beginning, what you desire to see will be shown to you."

I answered, "If I have found favor in thy sight, and if it is possible, and if I am fit for it, then show me this. Is there more time still to come than has already passed, or more past than is to come? For what is passed I can see, but what is coming I do not know."

Then he said to me, "Stand on the right side, and I will explain the similitude to you." So I stood and I saw an oven pass by me, burning with fierce heat. And when the flame had gone, smoke still lingered behind. After that, a watery cloud passed before me and poured down heavy rain with a storm. When the storm had passed, only the drops remained.

Then he said, "Consider it. The rain is more than the drops that remain, and the fire is greater than the smoke that lingers. Yet the drops and the smoke stay behind. In the same way, what is passed is greater in quantity than what remains."

Then I prayed and said, "Will I live until that time? And what will happen in those days?"

He answered me and said, "As for the tokens you ask about, I can tell you something of them, but only in part, but as for your life, I have not been sent to reveal it, and I do not know it."

Chapter 5.

Nevertheless, as for the tokens that are coming, behold, the day will arrive when many who dwell upon the earth will be taken away in great numbers. The way of truth will be hidden and the land will seem empty of faith. Evil will grow far beyond what you see now and beyond what you have heard of in former times. And the land that now appears firm and rooted will suddenly look wasted and stripped bare. If the Most High allows you to live, you will see this after the third trumpet. The sun will shine in the night as though it were day, and the moon will appear three times in one day. Blood will drip from wood, and stone will give out a voice, and the people will be shaken with fear and confusion. One will rise to rule whom the earth does not expect, and the birds will fly away together as though fleeing. The sodomitic sea will cast out fish and make a sound in the night that many have never known. Yet all will hear it. In many places there will be disorder and bewilderment. Fire will often break out again. Wild beasts will shift from where they belong as though their places have changed, and monstrous women will bring forth monsters. Salt waters will be found in the sweet, and friends will turn against one another and destroy each other. Then wit will hide itself and understanding will withdraw as though into a secret chamber. Many will search for it but they will not find it, and unrighteousness and lack of self-control will multiply over the earth. One land will ask another, "Is righteousness what makes a man righteous passing through you?" And the answer will be, "No." In those same days, men will hope, but gain nothing. They will labor, yet their ways will not prosper. These signs I'm allowed to show you. And if you will pray again and weep as you do now and fast for more days, you will hear even greater things.

Then I awoke, and great fear ran through my whole body. My mind was so troubled that I felt as though it would fail. But the angel who had come to speak with me took hold of me, comforted me, and set me on my feet.

On the second night, Cele came to me and said, "Where have you been? And why do you look so burdened? Do you not know that Israel is committed unto you in the land of their captivity? Rise up, eat bread, and do not leave us like a shepherd who abandons his flock to cruel wolves."

But I said to him, "Go thy way from me, and do not come near me." And he listened and went away.

So I fasted for 7 days, mourning and weeping just as Uriel the angel had commanded me. After those seven days, my heart was weighed down again, and the thoughts within me were bitter. Yet my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to speak to the Most High once more.

"Oh Lord, that beest rule. Out of every wood of the earth and all its trees, thou has chosen one vine. Out of all the lands of the world, thou has chosen one pit. And out of all flowers, one lily. From the depths of the sea, thou has filled for thyself one river. And out of all builded cities, thou hast hallowed Samaria unto thyself. Of all the birds that are made, thou has named one dove. And of all the cattle, thou has provided one sheep. And among all the multitudes of people, thou has taken to thyself one people. To this people whom thou lovest, thou gavest a law that is approved of all. So why, oh Lord, hast thou handed this one people over to many? Why hast thou planted others upon the one root and scattered thy only people among many nations? And those who opposed thy promises and did not believe thy covenants have trampled them down. If thou does hate thy people so greatly, then at least thou shouldest punish them with thine own hands."

When I had said these things, the angel who had come to me the night before was sent again, and he said, "Listen to me, and I will teach you. Pay attention and I will tell you more."

I answered, "Speak on, my lord."

Then he said, "Your mind is deeply troubled for Israel's sake. Do you love that people more than he who made them?"

I said, "No, Lord. It is grief that speaks out of me. My inward parts ache continually as I struggle to understand the way of the Most High and to seek out even a portion of his judgment."

He said to me, "You cannot."

And I said, "Why then, Lord, why was I born at all? Why was not my mother's womb my grave? So that I would not have seen the travail of Jacob and the weary toil of the stock of Israel."

Then he said, "If you want me to declare what you labor to know, then do this. Number the things that have not yet come. Gather up the scattered dross. Make the withered flowers green again. Open the places that are shut. Bring out the winds that are trapped within them. And show me the image of a voice. Then I will answer you."

So I said, "Oh Lord, that beest rule, who can know these things except one who does not live with men? As for me, I am unwise. How can I speak of such matters when I cannot do what you ask?"

Then he said, "Just as you can do none of these things, so you cannot fully discover my judgment, nor can you reach the end of the love I have promised to my people."

And I said, "Behold, oh Lord, thou art near to those who are kept for the end. But what of those who've lived before us? And what of us who live now and those who will come after?"

He answered, "I will liken my judgment to a ring. The last is not delayed, and the first is not rushed."

So I said, "Couldest thou not make all, those who have been, and those who are now, and those who are to come at once, so that thy judgment might be shown sooner?"

He answered, "The creature cannot hasten above the maker, and the world cannot hold all at once, who must be created within it."

Then I said, "Yet thou hast told thy servant that thou, who givest life to all, gavest life at once to the creature thou didst create, and the creature bore it. Could not the world bear many at once now as well?"

He said, "Ask the womb of a woman. Say to her, 'If you bring forth children, why not all together instead of one after another? Tell her to bring forth 10 at once.'"

I replied, "She cannot. It must be done over time."

Then he said, "In the same way, I have given the womb of the earth to those who are sown in it, each in their appointed times. For a young child cannot produce what belongs to the aged, and so I have ordered the world I created."

Then I said, "Since thou hast shown me this way, I will speak again before thee, for our mother, of whom thou has said she is young, now draws near to age."

He answered me, "Ask a woman who bears children, and she will tell you, 'Say to her, why are the children you bear now like those before, yet smaller in stature?' and she will answer, 'Those born in the strength of youth are one way, but those born in the time of age, when the womb grows weak, are different.' So consider this also. You are smaller in stature than those who lived before you, and those who come after you will be smaller still, like creatures that are now growing old and have passed beyond the strength of youth."

That I said, "Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, show thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature."

Chapter 6.

And he said unto me, "In the beginning, before the world had borders, before the winds had any breath, before thunder rolled or lightning flashed, and before paradise had any foundation, before flowers were seen, before the powers that order creation were set in place, and before the angels were gathered in their innumerable multitude, before the heights of the air were lifted, before the measures of the firmament were named. And before there was warmth in the chimneys in Zion, before men had searched out the years, before the devices of them that now sin were shaped, and before they were sealed, that have gathered faith for a treasure. Then I considered all these things, and all that was made came into being through me alone, and through none other. By me also shall all things be brought to their end, and by none other."

Then answered I and said, "How shall the times be divided? When shall the first season end, and when shall the next begin?"

And he said unto me, "Look to the generations from Abraham unto Isaac. When Isaac begat Jacob and Esau, even at their birth there was a sign. For Jacob took hold of Esau by the heel, and he said unto me, 'Esau is set for the ending of this world, and Jacob for the beginning of the world that followeth.'"

Then he warned me not to press further, saying that there is a boundary set as there is space between heel and hand, and that I should not ask beyond that.

Then I answered and said, "Oh Lord, the beerest rule, if I have found favor in thy sight, I beseech thee, show thy servant the last part of the tokens. For in the night past, thou showest me only a portion."

So he answered and said unto me, "Rise and stand upon thy feet, and prepare thyself to hear a voice of great strength. It will seem like a mighty stirring. Yet the place where thou standest shall remain steady, and when it speaketh, be not afraid, for it speaketh of the end, and it will make plain what is set in the foundations of the earth." And he told me that these sayings shake and tremble because they are bound up with change. And the end of these things cannot come without the turning of what now is.

And it came to pass when I was standing and listening that a voice spake, and the sound of it was like many waters. And it said, "Behold, the days draw near when I will visit them that dwell upon the earth. I will search out those who do wrong, and I will call to account the unjust harm they have done through their unrighteousness. And I will bring the affliction of Zion to its full measure. And when the world begins to fade and its course is finished, then will I show these tokens. The books shall be opened before the firmament, and all shall see together." And it said that strange signs will follow. A child of one year shall speak plainly, and women with child shall bring forth children before their time, even at three or four months. And yet those children shall live and be raised up. Fields that had been planted will suddenly look as though nothing had ever grown there. And storehouses that once were full will be found empty without warning. Then shall the trumpet sound, and when every man heareth it, fear will fall upon them suddenly. In that time friends shall rise against friends as if they were enemies. The earth itself shall stand in dread, and those who dwell in it shall tremble with it. The springs of fountains shall stop and for 3 hours they shall not run.

Then the voice said that whoever remains after these things shall escape and shall see my salvation and the end of your world. And there are some who are received who shall see it, even men who have not tasted death from their birth. And the heart of the inhabitants shall be changed, and their understanding shall be turned into another meaning. For evil shall be driven out, deceit shall be quenched, and faith shall rise, corruption shall be overcome, and the truth which for a long time has stood without fruit shall be made known at last.

While he talked with me after these things, I looked more closely upon him little by little, and he said unto me that he had come to show me what remained of the night that was yet to come. He told me that if I would pray again and fast 7 days more, then greater things would be shown to me by day than what I had heard before. For he said, "My voice is heard before the Most High. The Mighty hath seen my righteous dealing, and hath also seen my chastity, which I have kept from my youth. Therefore, he was sent to show me these things, and to tell me that I should be of good comfort and not fear." And he warned me not to let my mind race back over former times in a vain way, lest I become careless about the latter times that are still coming.

After this, I wept again and fasted seven days in the same manner, so that I might fulfill the 3 weeks of which he had spoken. And on the eighth night, my heart was troubled again within me. And I began to speak before the Most High, for my spirit burned, my soul was in distress. And I said, "Oh Lord, from the first day of creation, thou didst speak and thou didst set. Let heaven and earth be made, and thy word was perfect in its work. In that first beginning there was spirit, and there was darkness and silence on every side, and the voice of man was not yet formed. Then thou commandest light to come forth from thy treasures, so that thy work might be seen. On the second day, thou dost make the firmament, and thou didst command a division, so that the waters were separated, one part lifted up, and the other kept beneath. On the third day, thou dost command the waters to be gathered into the seventh part of the earth, and thou didst dry the other six parts, and keep them, so that they might be planted, worked, and made ready for service. And as soon as thy word went forth, the work was done. At once there came great fruit in abundance, many pleasant things for taste, flowers with colors that did not fade, and scents of wonderful sweetness. And this was done on the third day. On the fourth day, thou didst set the lights in order, commanding the sun to shine, the moon to give her light, and the stars to keep their appointed courses. And thou gavest them their charge to serve the man who was yet to be made. On the fifth day, thou didst command the place where the waters were gathered to bring forth living creatures, fowls, and fishes. And so it came to pass, the waters, which had been without life, brought forth living things at thy command, so that all might praise thy wondrous works. Then thou didst ordain two great living creatures, and thou has named the one Enoch, and the other Leviathan. Thou didst part them from one another, because the gathered waters could not hold them both. To Enoch, thou gavest the portion of the dry land, made ready on the third day, to dwell in the place where there are a thousand hills. But to Leviathan, thou gavest the seventh part, the moist, and thou hast kept him, for whom thou wilt, and for the time thou wilt. On the sixth day, thou dost command the earth to bring forth beasts, cattle, and creeping things. And after these thou madest Adam, and thou set him over all thy creatures. From him come we all, and from him also cometh the people whom thou hast chosen. All this I speak before thee, O Lord, because thou makest the world for our sakes. Yet of the other peoples who also come of Adam, thou has said they are as nothing, and thou has likened their multitude to a drop that falls from a vessel. And now, oh Lord, these heathen, who were once counted as nothing, have begun to rule over us and to devour us. But we are thy people, whom thou called thy firstborn, thy only begotten, and thy fervent lover. And yet we are given into their hands. If the world was made for our sakes, why do we not receive an inheritance with the world? How long shall this endure?"

Chapter 7.

And when I'd finished speaking these words, the angel who had been sent to me on the nights before came again, and he said unto me, "Rise up, Esdras, and hear what I am come to tell thee."

And I said, "Speak on, my God."

Then he said unto me, "Think of the sea. It lies in a wide place, so it can be deep and vast, but imagine its entrance were tight, like a rivermouth. If a man desired to reach the open sea and see it as it truly is, how could he do it unless he passed through the narrow way first? If he will not go through the straight, he will never come into the broad."

And he said unto me, "I will give thee another similitude. There is a city built in a wide field filled with good things. Yet the entrance into it is narrow and dangerous, like a place where a man could slip and be lost. On the right there is fire, and on the left deep water, and between them there is only one thin path, so small that only one man can pass at a time. If this city were given to a man for an inheritance, but he refused to go through the danger that stands before it, how shall he ever receive what is promised?"

And I said, "It is so, Lord."

Then he said unto me, "Even so is Israel's portion." And he said unto me, "For their sakes I made the world. And when Adam broke my statutes, what thou seeest now was decreed. From that time the entrances of this present world were made straight, full of sorrow, toil, trouble, and peril. The days are few, and they are hard. But the entrances of the elder world were wide and safe, and they brought forth fruit that did not perish. Therefore, if those who live will not strive to pass through these narrow ways, they can never receive the wide things that are laid up for them."

Then he said unto me, "Why does thou trouble thyself so greatly, seeing thou art corruptible? Why art thou shaken, seeing thou art mortal? Why fixest thou thy mind on what is present, and not rather on what is to come?"

Then answered I and said, "Oh Lord, that perest rule, thou has appointed in thy law that the righteous should inherit, and the ungodly should perish. Yet this grieves me. The righteous suffer straight things now, while they hope for the wide, and the wicked also suffer straight things, but they shall never see the wide."

Then he said unto me, "There is no judge above God, and none hath understanding above the Highest. Many perish in this life, because they despise the law set before them. And he said unto me, I have not left men without guidance. I gave a straight commandment to those that came into the world what they must do if they would live, and what they must keep, if they would escape punishment. Yet they would not obey. They spoke against me. They filled their minds with empty thoughts. By their own wicked deeds, they deceived themselves. They spoke of the Most High as though he were not because they did not know his ways. They despised his law, denied his covenants, were not faithful in his statutes, and would not do his works. Therefore, Esdras, for the empty are empty things, and for the full are full things."

Then he said unto me, "Behold, the time cometh when the tokens I have told thee shall be fulfilled. The bride shall appear, and she that is now withdrawn from the earth shall be seen coming forth. And whoever is delivered from the evils spoken of before shall see my wonders. For my son Jesus shall be revealed with those that are with him. And they that remain shall rejoice within 400 years. And after those years shall my son Christ die, and all men that have life. And he said unto me, Then shall the world return to the old silence, 7 days as in the former judgments, so that no man shall remain. And after 7 days, the world which yet awaketh not shall be raised up again, and what is corrupt shall perish. Then shall the earth give back those that sleep in her, and the dust shall restore them that dwell in silence, and the

Secret places shall deliver the souls that were committed unto them. And he said unto me, then shall the most high appear upon the seat of judgment. Misery shall pass away, and longsuffering shall have an end. Judgment shall stand alone. Truth shall remain and faith shall grow strong. Then shall the work follow after and the reward shall be shown. Good deeds shall have their force and wicked deeds shall bear no rule.

Then said I, many have prayed for others in times past. Abraham prayed for the sodomites and Moses for the fathers that sinned in the wilderness. Joshua prayed for Israel in the time of Achan. Samuel and David prayed in days of destruction. And Solomon for them that should come to the sanctuary. Helas prayed for those that received rain and for the dead that he might live. Ezekius prayed for the people in the time of Sinakaribb and many for many. So now also, seeing corruption is grown and wickedness increased, and the righteous have prayed for the ungodly, why should it not be so now?

Then he answered me and said, "This present life is not the end where much glory abides. Therefore did they pray for the weak. But the day of doom shall be the end of this time and the beginning of the immortality to come wherein corruption is passed. Then shall inmperance be finished, infidelity cut off, righteousness grown, and truth sprung up. And then shall no man be able to rescue the one that is destroyed, nor shall any be able to oppress the one that has gained the victory."

Then answered I and said, This is my first and last, saying, It has been better not to have given the earth unto Adam, or if it was given, to have restrained him from sinning. For what profit is it for men to live now in heaviness and after death to look for punishment? Oh Adam, what hast thou done? Though thou did sin, thou did not fall alone? We all who come from thee suffer with thee? What good is it to us if an immortal time is promised while we have done the works that bring death? What good is an everlasting hope when we have made ourselves vain through wickedness? What good are dwellings of safety laid up for us? If we have lived in evil, the glory of the most high is kept to defend those who've walked carefully. Yet we have walked in the worst ways. Paradise is spoken of, whose fruit endures forever, where there is security and healing. Yet we shall not enter, for we have walked in unpleasant places. The faces of those who used abstinence shall shine above the stars, while our faces shall be darker than darkness. For while we lived and did iniquity, we did not consider that after death we must suffer for it.

Then answered he me and said, "This is the condition of the battle which every man born upon the earth must fight. If he be overcome, he shall suffer as thou hast said. But if he gets the victory, he shall receive what I have spoken. For this is the life whereof Moses spake, saying, Choose the life that thou mayest live. Yet they believe not him, nor the prophets after him, nor the words that were spoken to them, so that heaviness should not be their end, but joy should be theirs if they were persuaded to salvation."

Then answered I and said, I know, Lord, that the Most High is called merciful. He hath mercy upon them that are not yet come into the world, and also upon those that turn to his law. He is patient, and long suffereth those that have sinned, because they are his creatures. He is ready to give where it needeth. He is rich in mercy, multiplying mercies to them that are present and to them that are past and also to them that are to come. For if he did not increase his mercies, the world would not continue with those that inherit in it. And he pardoneth. For if he did not pardon in his goodness, so that those who have done iniquity might be eased of it, scarcely a small part of men would remain alive. And if as judge he did not forgive those that are healed by his word, and did not put away the multitude of contentions, then very few would be left, even among an innumerable multitude.

Chapter 8. And he answered me and said, "The Most High has allowed this present world to be filled with many, but the world that is coming is kept for few." And he said unto me, "Estrus, hear a similitude. Ask the earth what it gives, and it will tell thee this, it produces heaps of common soil, enough to form countless clay pots. Yet the fine dust from which gold is taken is small. Even so it is with this age. Many come into being, but few are brought to salvation."

So I said within myself, take in understanding, oh my soul, and feed on wisdom. For thou hast agreed to listen, and thou art willing to speak what thou art shown. and thy time here is short, no more than the span of thy life.

Then I prayed and said, "Oh Lord, if thou dost not allow thy servant to speak before thee, and if thou does not plant seed in our hearts and train our minds to understand, how can a man live who is corrupt, though he bears the form of a man? For thou art the only one, and all of us are the work of thy hands, even as thou hast said. For when a child is being formed in the womb, thou dost shape the body, and set each part in place. Thy creature is guarded, though it passes through fire and water. And for 9 months, thy workmanship endures within her. The one who keeps the child and the child that is kept are both preserved by thee. And when the appointed time comes, the womb that has sheltered it gives up what is grown inside. Thou hast also ordered that milk should be drawn from the breasts, so that the newborn may be sustained for a season, until thou dost lead it into the days of thy mercy. Thou raise it under thy righteousness, teach it through thy law, and correct it through thy judgments. Thou canst bring low thy creature, and thou canst restore life to thy work. So if thou shouldest destroy the one who was formed with such careful labor, it is just as easy for thee by thy command to preserve what thou hast made. Now therefore, Lord, I will speak plainly concerning mankind as a whole. Thou knowest best. Yet my grief is for thy people. I mourn for thine inheritance. I am heavy for Israel and troubled for Jacob. Therefore I begin to pray for myself and for them because I see how we fall, we that dwell in the land, and yet I have also heard how swiftly the judge draws near. So hear my voice and take heed to my words, for I will speak before thee, O Lord, thou who dwellest forever. Who lookst down from above upon the things of heaven and the air, whose throne cannot be measured, whose glory no mind can contain. For whom the hosts of angels stand trembling, whose servants move in wind and flame, whose word is true and whose sayings do not fail, whose command is strong and whose decree is fearful, whose gaze dries up the depths and whose indignation melts the mountains. Hear the prayer of thy servant and listen to the plea of thy creature. While I have life, I will speak. While I have understanding, I will answer. Do not set thy face upon the sins of thy people, but upon those who serve thee in truth. Do not regard the wicked plots of the heathen, but the longing of those who cling to thy testimonies while they suffer. Forget those who've walked falsely, but remember those who've learned thy fear according to thy will. Let it not be thy pleasure to destroy those who've lived like beasts. Rather, look with favor on those who plainly taught thy law. Do not burn with anger against those counted worse than beasts. Instead, show love to those who place their trust in thy righteousness and thy glory. For we and our fathers waste away with many weaknesses. Yet because of us sinners, thou art called merciful. If thou dost show mercy to us, thou wilt be known as merciful to those who have no store of righteous works. For the just who have many good deeds laid up with thee, shall receive their reward from their own deeds. What is man that thou shouldest be displeased with him? What is a corruptible generation that thou should deal so sharply with it? For among those born there is none who has not done wickedly, and even among the faithful there is none who has not failed. Therefore, O Lord, thy goodness and righteousness are made plain, if thou art merciful to those who cannot boast of good works."

Then answered he me and said, Thou hast spoken rightly in part, and it shall be, as thou hast said, I will not occupy myself with the end of those who have chosen sin, whether before death or before judgment or before destruction. But I will delight in the portion of the righteous. and I will remember their journey and the salvation and reward that will be given to them. As I have spoken, so shall it be.

And he said unto me, "Think of a farmer. He casts much seed on the ground and sets many trees in place. But not every seed springs up when it should, and not every tree takes root. So it is with men in the world. Not all will be saved."

Then I answered and said, "If I have found grace, let me speak again. A farmer's seed is lost if it never rises, or if it misses the rain at the right time, or if heavy rain falls and ruins it. In the same way, man perishes. For man is formed by thy hands and is called thine image. And for his sake thou has made all things. And thou has made him like seed sown into the earth. Be not wroth with us. Spare thy people. Have mercy on thine inheritance, for thou hast mercy on thy creature."

Then answered he me and said, "What belongs to this time is for this time, and what belongs to the time to come is for those who will enter it. Thou art far beneath this, that thou shouldest love my creature more than I do. Yet I have often drawn near unto thee, and unto it also, but never unto the unrighteous."

And he said unto me, "This also makes thee marvelous before the most high. Thou hast humbled thyself as thou shouldest, and thou hast not counted thyself worthy of great honor among the righteous." But hear this, many bitter troubles shall fall on those who live in the latter times, because they've walked in proudness. But as for thee, understand for thyself, and seek the glory that is prepared for those who are like thee.

And he said unto me, paradise is opened unto you. The tree of life is planted for you. The time to come is made ready. Abundance is prepared. A city is built. Rest is granted. Yes, wisdom and perfect goodness. The root of evil is shut up from you. Weakness and decay are hidden from you. Corruption has fled into hell to be forgotten. Sorrow has passed, and in the end the treasure of immortality is shown. Therefore, ask no more about the multitude that perish, for they were given freedom, and used it to despise the most high, mock his law, and leave his ways. They have trampled down the righteous. In their hearts, they have said there is no God, even while knowing they must die. As these blessings are prepared for you, so thirst and pain are prepared for them. For it was not his will that men should come to nothing. But those who were created have dishonored the name of him that made them, and have been unthankful to him who prepared life for them. Therefore, my judgment is near.

And he said unto me, I have not shown these things to all men, but to thee and to a few like thee.

Then answered I and said, Behold, oh Lord, thou has shown me many wonders that thou wil begin to do in the last times, but thou hast not shown me the time when these things shall be.

Chapter nine. He answered me and said, "Watch the course of time carefully. When you begin to see the signs I told you about earlier coming to pass, then you will know that the moment has arrived when the highest will begin to visit the world he made." So when earthquakes happen and nations are thrown into unrest, you should understand that these are the very things the most high spoke of long ago from the beginning. Everything in this world has a beginning and an ending and in the end it becomes clear. In the same way the times appointed by the highest also have clear beginnings marked by wonders and mighty acts and clear endings marked by results and signs. Everyone who is saved, who escapes through their works and through the faith by which they have believed, will be kept safe from these dangers. They will see my salvation in my land and within my borders because I set them apart for myself from the beginning. But those who have misused my ways will then be miserable. And those who rejected them with contempt will live in torment. These are the ones who received blessings during their lives but did not know me. They hated my law while they still had freedom. And while repentance was still open to them, they did not understand. Instead, they despised it. Because of that, they will come to know it through pain after death. So do not trouble yourself over how or when the ungodly will be punished. Ask instead how the righteous will be saved, for the world belongs to them, and it was made for them.

Then I answered and said, I have said it before, I say it now, and I will say it again. Far more people are lost than saved. A wave is much greater than a single drop.

He replied, "As the field is, so is the seed. As the flowers are, so are their colors. As the craftsman is, so is his work. As the farmer is, so is the harvest he brings forth. So it was in the time of the world. When I prepared the world before it was made, so that those now living might dwell in it. No one spoke against me. At that time, all obeyed. But now the people created in this finished world have become corrupted by a lasting evil seed. And by a law beyond searching, they have turned themselves away. So I looked upon the world, and I saw the danger brought into it by the thoughts and schemes that had entered it. Yet I looked on it with great mercy, and I preserved for myself one grape from the cluster, and one plant from a great people. Let the great crowd perish then, since they were brought forth in vain. But let my grape remain, and my plant be kept, for I have shaped it with great labor. But if you are willing, wait another 7 days. Do not fast during them. Go instead to a field full of flowers where no house has been built. Eat only what grows there. Do not taste flesh or drink wine, but live only on the flowers of the field. Pray constantly to the highest, and I will come and speak with you again."

So I went to the field called Ardath just as he told me. There I sat among the flowers and ate the plants of the field and that food was enough for me. After 7 days I sat down on the grass and my heart was troubled again as it had been before. Then I opened my mouth and spoke before the Most High. I said, "Oh Lord, who revealed thyself to us, thou did reveal thyself to our fathers in the wilderness, in a place no man walked, in a barren land when they came out of Egypt." Thou did say, "Hear me, O Israel, and listen to my words, seed of Jacob. I plant my law within you, and it will bear fruit in you, and through it you will be honored forever. But our fathers, though they received the law, did not keep it. They did not obey thy commands. The fruit of thy law did not fail, nor could it, because it was thine. Yet those who received it were destroyed because they did not keep what had been planted in them. Usually when seed is sown in the ground or a ship is cast into the sea or food and drink are placed into a vessel, if the place that received them is destroyed, then what was placed in it is lost as well and does not remain with us. But that has not happened in our case. We receive the law yet we perish because of sin and so does the heart that received it. Still, the law itself does not perish. It remains in its strength."

As I was saying these things in my heart, I looked behind me and saw a woman on my right side. She was mourning and crying out loudly. Her heart was full of grief. Her clothes were torn and ashes were on her head. Then I set aside the thoughts I had been carrying and turned to her. I said, "Why are you weeping? Why is your heart so full of sorrow?" She said to me, "Sir, leave me alone so I may mourn and add to my grief, for I am deeply troubled in my soul and brought very low." I said to her, "What is wrong with you? Tell me." She answered, "I, thy servant, was barren and had no child, though I had a husband for 30 years. For all those years, day and night, and at every hour, I did nothing but pray to the highest. After 30 years, God heard me, looked on my suffering, considered my trouble, and gave me a son. I rejoiced greatly because of him, and so did my husband and all my neighbors. And we gave much honor to the Almighty. I raised him with great effort. And when he grew up and reached the age to be married, I prepared a feast."

Chapter 10. It happened that when my son entered the wedding chamber, he suddenly fell down and died. At once, we threw down the lights and all my neighbors got up to comfort me. I stayed there until the second night. Then when everyone had finally stopped trying to console me and left me alone so I could be quiet, I rose up in the night and ran away. I came here into this field just as thou seeest. Now I have decided that I will never return to the city. I will remain here and I will neither eat nor drink, but I will go on mourning and fasting until I die.

Then I left the thoughts I had been dwelling on and spoke to her in anger. I said, "Thou foolish woman, more foolish than all the rest. Dust thou not see our grief and what has happened to us?" Son, our mother is weighed down with sorrow and brought very low, mourning bitterly. And now, when we are all mourning and crushed with grief, art thou overcome because of one son? Ask the earth, and she will tell thee that she has more reason to mourn than anyone, because so many who grow from her have fallen. From her all came in the beginning, and from her the rest will also come. Yet almost all are walking toward destruction, and multitudes are completely cut off. Who should grieve more than the earth after losing so many? and not thou who sorrowest only for one. And if thou sayest to me, my grief is not like the earth's because I have lost the child to my womb, whom I bore with pain and raised with sorrow, then I will answer this. Just as thou did bring forth thy son with labor, so the earth also has brought forth her fruit, that is man, from the beginning for him who made her. So now keep thy grief within measure, and bear what has happened with courage. For if thou dost accept that the judgment of God is right, then in due time thou shalt receive thy son again, and thou shalt be praised among women. Go back now into the city to thy husband.

But she said to me, I will not do it. I will not return to the city. I will die here instead.

So I continued speaking and said, "Do not do this, but listen to my counsel. Think of the many troubles of Zion, and let the sorrow of Jerusalem bring thee some comfort. Thou seeest that our sanctuary lies in ruins. Our altar is broken, and our temple has been destroyed. Our music has fallen silent. Our songs are gone. Our joy has ended. The light of our candlestick is put out. The ark of our covenant has been taken. Our holy things are defiled. And the name called upon us is nearly profained. Our children are humiliated. Our priests have been burned. Our Levites have gone into captivity. Our virgins have been defiled. And our wives have been violated. Our righteous men have been carried away. Our little ones destroyed. Our young men made slaves and our strong men left weak. And worst of all, the honor of Sion has been stripped away. For she has been handed over to those who hate us. So cast off this great heaviness, and put away this flood of sorrow, so that the mighty may show mercy to thee again, and the highest may give thee rest and relief from thy suffering."

While I was still speaking to her, her face suddenly began to shine, and her appearance flashed with brightness. I was afraid to look at her and wondered what this could mean. Then all at once she cried out with a loud and terrible voice, and the earth shook at the sound of her cry. I looked again, and the woman was gone. In her place there appeared a city, already built, and a great open space rose up from its foundations.

Then fear came upon me and I cried out with a loud voice saying, "Where is Uriel, the angel who came to me at first? He has caused me to fall into many deep trances, and now my end is turned into decay and my prayer into rebuke." As I was speaking, he came to me and looked upon me. I lay there like a dead man with my understanding gone from me. But he took me by the right hand, comforted me, set me on my feet, and said, "What troubles thee? Why art thou so disturbed? Why is thy understanding shaken? And why are the thoughts of thy heart in turmoil?"

I answered, "Because thou hast left me alone. Yet I did what thou commandest. I went into the field, and now I have seen things that I cannot explain. I hear what I do not understand. Has my mind deceived me, or is my soul caught in a dream? So now I beg thee, show thy servant what this vision means."

He answered and said, "Stand up like a man, and I will instruct thee."

Then I said, "Speak, my lord, I pray thee. Only do not leave me, lest I die and lose the hope I still have. For I have seen what I did not know, and I have heard what I cannot understand. Has my reason failed me, or is my soul dreaming?" I beg thee, make this vision known to thy servant."

He answered me and said, "Listen, and I will explain it to thee, and show thee why thou art afraid. The highest is revealing many hidden things to thee. He has seen that thy path is right, because thou sorrowest continually for thy people, and mournest deeply for Zion."

This is the meaning of the vision thou hast just seen. Thou sawest a woman in mourning, and thou did begin to comfort her. But now thou no longer seeest the woman's form. Instead, a city appeared before thee. As for what she told thee about the death of her son, this is the meaning. The woman thou sest is, and when she appeared to thee as a city already built, that was also Zion. when she said that she had been barren for 30 years. This means the 30 years in which no offering was made there. Then after those 30 years, Solomon built the city and offered sacrifices. And so the barren woman brought forth a son. And when she said she raised him with labor, that refers to the dwelling of Jerusalem. When she told thee that her son went into the marriage chamber, fell, and died, this pointed to the destruction that came upon Jerusalem. Thou sawest her outward form, and because she mourned for her son, thou did begin to comfort her. Now the meaning of those events has been open to thee. For the Most High has seen that thy grief for her is true, and that thou dost suffer from thy whole heart for her sake. Because of this, he has shown thee the brightness of her glory, and the beauty of her splendor. That is why I told thee to stay in the field where no house had been built. I knew that the highest would show thee these things there. So I commanded thee to go to that place where no building had any foundation. For where the highest begins to reveal his city, no work of man can remain standing. So do not be afraid, and do not let thy heart tremble. Go forward now, and look upon the beauty and greatness of the building as much as thine eyes are able to see. After that, thou shalt hear as much as thine ears are able to receive. For thou art blessed above many others, and thou art called by the highest, and only a few are so called. But tomorrow night remain here again, and the highest will show thee visions of greater things, of what he will do in the last days to those who dwell upon the earth.

So I slept that night and the next as well, just as he had commanded me.

Chapter 11. Then I saw a dream. Out of the sea there rose an eagle with 12 great wings covered in feathers and three heads. I watched as she spread her wings across the whole earth. The winds of heaven blew upon her and gathered around her. As I looked closer, other feathers began to grow out from her, strange ones, unlike the first, and these became small feathers. Her heads remained still. The middle head was larger than the other two, though it stayed at rest with them. Then I saw the eagle fly with her wings and rule over the earth and over all who lived on it. Everything under heaven was made subject to her, and no one spoke against her, not even a single creature on the earth. Then the eagle rose up on her claws and spoke to her feathers, saying, "Do not all keep watch at the same time. Let each one rest in its own place and take its turn in watching, but keep the heads for the end." I noticed that the voice did not come from her heads, but from the middle of her body. I counted the smaller, strange feathers, and there were eight of them. Then I saw one feather rise on the right side, and it ruled over the whole earth. But when its time ended, it vanished, and its place was seen no more. After it another rose and ruled, and its reign lasted a long time. Yet when its end came, it also disappeared like the first. Then a voice spoke to it and said, "Hear this. Thou who hast ruled the earth for so long. Before thou vanishest, know this. None who come after thee will reach the length of thy reign, not even half of it." After that, the third feather rose and ruled like those before it, and it too disappeared. The same thing happened to the rest, one after another. Each one ruled for a time, and then was gone. Later I saw that the feathers which came after them rose up on the right side, wanting to rule as well. Some of them did rule, but only for a short while before they vanished. Others were raised up, but never ruled at all. After this, I looked again, and the 12 wings were gone, and the two small feathers were gone as well. Nothing remained on the eagle's body except the three resting heads and six little wings. Then I saw that two of the little feathers separated themselves from the six and stayed under the head on the right side, while the other four remained where they were. The feathers under the wing began to think of rising up and taking power for themselves. I watched, and one of them was raised up, but after a short time it disappeared. The second vanished even more quickly than the first. Then the two that remained also thought within themselves that they should rule. But while they were thinking this, one of the resting heads awoke, the middle one, which was greater than the other two. Then I saw the other two heads join themselves to it. The great head turned toward the feathers beneath the wing, the ones that wanted to rain, and it devoured the two of them. That head brought fear upon the whole earth and ruled over everyone in it with harsh oppression. It held power over the world more than any of the wings before it. After this, I looked again, and the middle head suddenly disappeared, just as the wings had done. Then the two remaining heads were left, and they also ruled over the earth and over those who dwelt in it. But I saw that the head on the right side devoured the one on the left. Then I heard a voice say to me, "Look ahead, and consider what thou seeest." So I looked and they came out of the woods something like a roaring lion. I saw him send out a man's voice to the eagle and he said, "Hear me. I will speak to thee, and the highest also speaks through me. Art not thou the last of the four beasts which I appointed to rule in my world, so that through them the end of their times might come." The fourth came and overcame all the beasts before it. It held power over the world with great terror and over the whole earth with cruel oppression. And it remained on the earth for a long time in deceit. Thou hast not judged the earth in truth. Thou hast crushed the meek and harmed the peaceful. Thou loved liars and destroyed the homes of those who were fruitful. Thou has torn down the walls of those who had done thee no wrong. Because of this, thy unjust deeds have risen up before the highest, and thy pride has come before the mighty. The highest has looked upon these proud times, and now they are at an end. Their evil is complete. So now appear no more thou eagle, nor thy dreadful wings, nor thy wicked feathers, nor thy evil heads, nor thy harmful claws, nor all thy worthless body. Let the whole earth be given rest. Let her recover, delivered from thy violence, so that she may hope again in the judgment and mercy of him who made her.

Chapter 12. While the lion was still speaking these words to the eagle, I kept watching. Then I saw that the one head which remained along with the four wings disappeared. After that, the two came forward and set themselves up to rule. But their kingdom was small and full of turmoil. Then they also vanished, and the whole body of the eagle was burned up, so that the earth was struck with great fear. At that point I awoke from the troubled trance of my mind, trembling with fear. And I said within myself, "This is what thou hast brought upon me, because thou search out the ways of the highest. My mind is worn out, my spirit is weak, and I have hardly any strength left because of the terror that came upon me this night. So now I will call upon the highest and ask him to strengthen me to the end. And I said, "Oh Lord, who rulest over all, if I have found favor in thy sight, if I am counted righteous before thee above many others, and if my prayer has truly come before thee, then comfort me. Show thy servant the meaning and clear explanation of this fearful vision, so that my soul may be fully comforted, for thou hast counted me worthy to see the last times."

Then he said to me, "This is the meaning of the vision. The eagle thou sawest rising from the sea is the kingdom that was shown earlier in the vision given to thy brother Daniel, but it was not explained to him." Now I make it known to thee. The time is coming when a kingdom will arise on the earth, and it will be more feared than all the kingdoms that came before it. In it 12 kings will reign one after another. The second of these will begin his rule and will reign longer than any of the 12. That is what the 12 wings represent. As for the voice thou heard his speaking, which did not come from the heads, but from the middle of the body, this is the meaning. After the time of that kingdom, there will be great struggles within it, and it will be in danger of collapse. Yet it will not fall at that time, but will return again to its former strength. And the eight little feathers thou sawest growing from the wings means this. Eight kings will arise in that kingdom, but their times will be short, and their years will pass quickly. Two of them will perish when the middle of that time draws near. Four will remain until the end begins to approach and two will be kept until the very end. As for the three heads that were resting, this is their meaning. In the last days, the Most High will raise up three kingdoms. He will renew many things through them. And they will rule over the earth and over those who live on it with more oppression than any who came before them. This is why they're called the heads of the eagle. They are the ones who will complete its wickedness and bring its final end. And when thou sorest that the great head disappeared, it means that one of them will die in his bed, though not without pain. The two that remain will be killed by the sword. One will destroy the other with the sword, but in the end he too will die by the sword. And the two feathers thou sawest passing under the wings toward the head on the right side mean this. They are the ones the highest has kept until the end. This is the small and troubled kingdom that thou did see. And the lion that thou sawest rising out of the wood, roaring and speaking to the eagle, rebuking her for her unrighteousness, with all the words thou heardest, is the anointed one. The highest has kept him until the end against them and against their wickedness. He will rebuke them and accuse them because of their cruelty. He will bring them alive into judgment before him. And he will reprove and punish them. But he will deliver the rest of my people with mercy those who have suffered within my borders. And he will make them rejoice until the day of judgment comes of which I told thee from the beginning. This is the dream thou sawest, and this is its meaning. Thou alone has been found worthy to know this secret of the highest. Therefore, write all these things that thou has seen in a book, and keep them hidden. Teach them to the wise among the people, those whose heart thou knowest are able to understand, and guard these secrets. but remain here yourself for seven more days, so that whatever the highest chooses to reveal to thee may be shown to thee.

Then he went away. When the people saw that the seven days had passed, and I had still not returned to the city, they all came together from the least to the greatest, and came to me. They said, "What wrong have we done against thee? What offense have we given thee that thou has left us and remainest here in this place? Of all the prophets, thou alone has been left to us, like a cluster after the harvest, like a lamp in a dark place, like a harbor, or a ship spared from the storm. Are not the troubles that have already come upon us enough? If thou also forsake us, it would have been better for us if we too had been burned in the midst of Zion. We are no better than those who died there." Then they wept loudly.

I answered them and said, "Take courage, O Israel, and do not be cast down, house of Jacob. The highest remembers you, and the mighty has not forgotten you in your trial. As for me, I have not abandoned you, nor have I left you behind. I have come to this place to pray over the desolation of Zion, and to seek mercy for the low condition of your sanctuary. Now go back home, each of you, and after these days, I will return to you."

So the people went back into the city, just as I told them. But I stayed in the field for seven days as the angel had commanded me. During those days, I ate only the flowers of the field, and the herbs were my food.

Chapter 13. After 7 days, I had another dream in the night. I saw a wind rise from the sea, and it stirred up all its waves. Then I looked, and that man became strong with the thousands of heaven. Whenever he turned his face to look, everything beneath him shook, and whenever a voice went out from his mouth, all who heard it were consumed, just as the earth melts away when fire touches it. After this, I saw an uncountable multitude of men gathered from the four winds of heaven to fight against the man who had come up from the sea. But I saw that he carved out for himself a great mountain and flew up onto it. I wanted to see the place from which the mountain had been cut, but I could not. Then I looked again, and all those who had gathered to overcome him were terrified. And yet they still dared to fight. But when he saw the violence of the crowd coming against him, he did not raise his hand, and he held no sword or any other weapon of war. Instead, I saw a blast like fire come from his mouth, a flaming breath from his lips, and sparks and storm from his tongue. All of these came together, the fire, the flaming breath, and the mighty storm, and rushed with force upon the great crowd that had prepared for battle. They burned them all up so that in a moment nothing could be seen of that countless multitude except dust and the smell of smoke. When I saw this, I was afraid. Afterward, I saw the same man come down from the mountain and call another multitude to himself, a peaceful one. Many people came to him. Some were joyful, some were grieving, some were in chains, and others were bringing those who had been offered up. Then fear overcame me so greatly that I became weak. And I awoke, and I said, Thou hast shown thy servant these wonders from the beginning, and now thou hast counted me worthy to have my prayer heard. Now show me the meaning of this dream. As I understand it, sorrow awaits those who are left in those days and even greater sorrow for those who are not left behind. For those who are not left are in grief. Now I understand that these things are stored up for the last days and that they will happen both to them and to those who remain. That is why they fall into such great danger and so many troubles just as these dreams have shown. Yet it is still better for a man to come into these dangers than to pass away like a cloud from the world and never see what happens in the last days.

Then he answered me and said, I will explain the vision to thee and open up the matter thou has asked about. As for what thou sets concerning those who are left behind, this is the meaning. The one who endures the danger in that time is the one who has kept himself. Those who fall into peril are the ones who have works and faith toward the Almighty. Know this then, those who are left behind are more blessed than those who have died. This is the meaning of the vision. The man thou sawest rising out of the middle of the sea is the one whom God the highest has kept for a long time. By him he will deliver his creation. And he will govern those who are left behind. And when thou sawest wind, fire, and storm coming out of his mouth, and that he held no sword or weapon of war, yet destroyed the whole multitude that came against him. This is the meaning. The days are coming when the Most High will begin to deliver those who are upon the earth. He will come to the amazement of all who dwell there. People will rise against one another, city against city, place against place, nation against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. When these things begin to happen, and the signs I showed thee before come to pass, then my son will be revealed, the one thou sawest rising as a man. And when all the nations hear his voice, each man will leave the battle he is fighting in his own land. Then an uncountable multitude will gather together just as thou sawest desiring to come and make war against him. But he will stand upon mount Zion. And Zion will appear and be shown to all, prepared and built, just as thou sawest the mountain cut out without human hands. Then my son will expose the wicked plans of those nations who because of their evil lives have been swept into judgment. He will set their evil thoughts before them and the punishments that are about to come upon them which are like fire, and he will destroy them without effort by the law that is like me. And when thou sawest that he gathered another peaceful multitude to himself, these are the 10 tribes. They were taken away captive from their own land in the days of Oaya the king when Salmana, king of Assyria, carried them away beyond the waters into another land. But they made this plan among themselves. They would leave behind the multitude of the heathen and go into a distant country where no one had ever lived, so that there they might keep their statutes which they had not kept in their own land. They entered through the narrow parts of the Euphrates. The Most High showed signs for them then and stopped the flow of the river until they had crossed over, for it was a long journey through that region lasting a year and a half. And that land is called Asereath. They live there until the latter times. And when the time comes for them to return, the highest will again stop the springs of the stream so they may pass through. That is why thou sest that peaceful multitude. But those of thy people who are left behind are the ones found within my borders. And when he destroys the gathered nations, he will protect the people who remain. Then he will show them great wonders.

Then I said, "Oh Lord, that rulest over all, show me this. Why did I see the man rising from the middle of the sea?" He answered me, "Just as thou canst not search out or know what lies in the depths of the sea. In the same way, no one on earth can see my son or those who are with him except in the appointed time. This is the meaning of the dream thou sest. And this is why thou alone has been given understanding. For thou hast left thy own way, and given thyself to my law, and has sought after it. Thou has ordered thy life with wisdom and called understanding thy mother. Because of this, I have shown thee the treasures of the highest. After three more days, I will speak to thee again and reveal to thee mighty and wondrous things."

Then I went out into the field praising and greatly thanking the most high for the wonders he does in their proper time. And because he rules over time itself and over all things that come in their appointed season. And there I sat for 3 days.

Chapter 14. On the third day, as I sat beneath an oak, a voice came from a bush opposite me and called, "Estrus, estrus," I answered, "here am I, Lord." And stood up on my feet. Then he said to me, "In the bush, I clearly revealed myself to Moses and spoke with him when my people was serving in Egypt. I sent him, led my people out of Egypt, and brought them up to the mountain, where I kept him with me for a long time. I showed him many wonderful things, revealed to him the secrets of the times and of the end, and commanded him, saying, "These words thou shalt make known, and these thou shalt keep hidden." And now I say the same to thee. Keep in thy heart the signs I have shown thee, the dreams thou has seen, and the explanations thou hast heard. For thou shalt be taken away from among men. And from this time onward, thou shalt remain with my son, and with those who are like thee, until the times are finished. The world has grown old and lost the strength of its youth. It has been divided into 12 parts and 10 parts have already passed away along with half of the 10th. Only what remains after that half is left. So now put thine house in order, correct thy

People, comfort those among them who are in trouble, and turn away from corruption. Cast away mortal thoughts. Put aside the burdens of man, and lay down thy weak nature. Leave behind the thoughts that weigh thee down the most, and make haste to escape these times. For even greater evils than those thou hast already seen will happen later. The older and weaker the world becomes, the more evil will increase among those who dwell in it. The end is drawing much nearer now, and falsehood is close at hand. For the vision thou hast seen is quickly coming to pass.

Then I answered and said, Lord, I will go as thou hast commanded me, and I will warn the people who are here now. But what of those who are born later? Who will warn them? The world lies in darkness, and those living in it have no light. Thy law has been burned, so no one knows thy works or what is about to happen. But if I have found favor in thy sight, send the Holy Ghost into me, and I will write all that has happened in the world from the beginning, the things that were written in thy law, so that men may find thy way, and so that those who live in the last days may be able to live.

He answered me and said, Go now and gather the people together. Tell them not to look for thee for 40 days. Then prepare many box trees, and take with thee Sarah, Dabria, Selmia, Ikanus, and Aiel, these five men who are ready to write quickly. Come here again, and I will light a lamp of understanding in thy heart, and it will not go out until the work thou art about to begin is finished. When it is done, some things thou shalt make known openly, and some thou shalt show in secret to the wise. Tomorrow at the same time, thou shalt begin to write.

So I went out as he commanded and gathered all the people together. I said, Hear these words, O Israel. At the first our fathers were strangers in Egypt, and from there they were delivered. They received the law of life, but they did not keep it, and he also have broken it after them. Then the land, even the land of Zion, was divided among you by lot. But both your fathers and you yourselves have done evil, and have not walked in the way the highest commanded, since he is a righteous judge, he took back in due time what he had given you. And now ye are here with your brethren still among you. So if ye will humble your own understanding and change your hearts, ye shall be kept alive, and after death ye shall receive mercy. For after death comes judgment, when we shall live again, then the names of the righteous will be made known, and the deeds of the ungodly will be revealed. So let no man come to me now or seek me for these 40 days.

Then I took the five men just as he had commanded me. And we went into a field and stayed there. The next day a voice called to me and said, Estrus, open thy mouth and drink what I give thee. So I opened my mouth and he held out to me a full cup. It seemed to be filled with water, but the color looked like fire. I took it and drank it. And when I had drunk, understanding poured forth in my heart, and wisdom grew within me, and my spirit made my memory strong. My mouth was opened, and it was not closed again. The highest also gave understanding to the five men, and they wrote down the wonderful visions of the night as they were told, though they had not known them before. They remained there for 40 days. By day, they wrote, and by night they ate bread. As for me, I spoke all day, and by night I did not keep silent. In those 40 days, they wrote 24 books. And when the 40 days were ended, the highest spoke again and said, The first writings thou has made. Publish them openly, so that both the worthy and the unworthy may read them, but keep the last 70 back, and give them only to the wise among the people. For in them is the spring of understanding, the fountain of wisdom, and the stream of knowledge. And I did so.

Chapter 15. The Lord said, Speak these prophetic words in the hearing of my people, the words that I will place in thy mouth. Write them down, for they are true and faithful. Do not fear the thoughts people have against thee, and do not let the unbelief of those who speak against thee trouble thee. All who refuse to believe will die in their unbelief. Behold, sayeth the Lord, I will bring plagues upon the world. Sword, famine, death, and destruction. Wickedness has spread all across the earth, and their evil deeds have reached their full measure. So now, sayeth the Lord, I will no longer keep silent about their sins which they commit so boldly. I will not overlook the things they do in their evil ways. The blood of the innocent and righteous cries out to me, and the souls of the just continually call for justice. Therefore, I will surely avenge them, sayeth the Lord, and I will gather to myself all the innocent blood that has been shed among them. My people are being led like sheep to slaughter. I will no longer allow them to remain in the land of Egypt. I will bring them out with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm. And I will strike Egypt again with plagues as before, and I will destroy the whole land. Egypt will mourn, and its foundations will be struck by the punishment God sends upon it. Those who work the ground will grieve because their seed will fail through blasting, hail, and fearful signs in the heavens.

Woe to the world and to all who live in it. The sword is near and destruction is close behind it. One people shall rise up against another, and they will fight with swords in their hands. There will be rebellion amongst men. They will invade one another and show no regard for kings or rulers, but will act however they please. A man will want to enter a city, but he will not be able because of pride. The cities will be thrown into confusion, houses will be torn down, and fear spread among men. No one will show mercy to his neighbor. Instead, they will break into houses with the sword and plunder what is inside because of hunger and deep trouble.

Behold, sayeth God, I will call together all the kings of the earth to stand before me, those from the sunrise, from the south, from the east, and from Lebanon. I will turn them against one another and repay them for what they have done. Just as they have treated my chosen people, so I will deal with them and repay them in full, sayeth the Lord God. My right hand will not spare sinners. And my sword will not stop from striking those who shed innocent blood on the earth. Fire has gone out in his wrath and has consumed the foundations of the earth, and sinners are like straw set ablaze. Woe to those who sin and do not keep my commandments, sayeth the Lord. I will not spare them. Depart, ye children, from the power of evil, and do not defile my sanctuary. The Lord knows all who sin against him, and so he gives them over to death and destruction. For now the plagues have come upon the whole earth, and ye will remain in them because God will not deliver you since ye have sinned against him.

Behold, a dreadful vision appears from the east. The nations of the dragons of Arabia will come out with many chariots, and their great numbers will sweep over the earth like the wind, so that all who hear of them will be afraid and tremble. The Carmona also will come out in fury, like wild boars from the forest. With great strength, they will join battle against them and lay waste part of the land of the Assyrians. Then the dragons will gain the upper hand, stirred by their own nature. And if they turn and unite together in great strength to attack them, then their enemies will be thrown into confusion, silenced by their power, and made to flee. Then an enemy from the land of the Assyrians will besiege them and destroy some of them. Fear, dread, and fighting will spread through their army. And even their kings will be divided.

Look, clouds are coming from the east, from the north, and toward the south. They are dreadful to behold, full of fury and storm. They will strike one another and they will cast down a great multitude of stars upon the earth, even their own star. Blood will flow from the sword in abundance, and dead bodies will lie everywhere, even as high as a camel's hawk. Great fear, great terror, and trembling will cover the earth. All who see this wrath will be overcome with fear. Then mighty storms will rise from the south, from the north, and another part from the west. Strong winds will come out of the east, and break it open. And the cloud raised up in wrath along with the star stirred up to bring fear between east and west will be destroyed. The great and powerful clouds will swell up full of wrath together with the star to make all the earth and all who dwell in it afraid over every high and lofty place. They will pour out dreadful judgment, fire, hail, flying swords, and great floods of water until the fields are covered, and the rivers overflow with abundance. They will tear down cities and walls, mountains and hills, trees of the forest, grass of the meadows, and their grain. Then they will move steadily toward Babylon and fill her with terror. They will come upon her and surround her, and the star and all his wrath will be poured out on her. The dust and smoke will rise to heaven, and all those around her will weep for her. Those who remain under her will serve the ones who brought fear upon her.

And thou Asia, who has shed in the hope of Babylon, and taken pride in her glory. Woe unto thee, thou miserable one. Thou hast made thyself like her, and adorned thy daughters in whoredom, so they might please thy lovers, and boast before them. those who've always desired to commit whoredom with thee. Thou hast followed that hated one in all her deeds and inventions. Therefore, God says, I will send plagues upon thee, widowhood, poverty, famine, sword, and pestilence to lay waste thy houses with destruction and death. The glory of thy power will wither like a flower, and the burning heat sent against thee will rise up. Thou shalt become weak like a poor woman beaten with stripes, like one wounded and punished, so that the mighty, and thy lovers will no longer be able to receive thee. Would I have dealt with thee so severely in jealousy, sayeth the Lord, if thou hast not always slain my chosen people, and gloried in the violence of thy own hands? Over their dead, while drunken, thou did say, show forth the beauty of thy face. So the reward of thy whoredom shall return upon thine own bosom, and thou shalt receive thy due payment. As thou hast done to my chosen, sayeth the Lord, so will God do to thee, and he will hand thee over to disaster. Thy children will die from hunger, and thou shalt fall by the sword. Thy cities shall be torn down, and all that is thine shall perish by the sword in the field. Those in the mountains will die of hunger because of the terrible lack of bread and water. They will eat their own flesh and drink their own blood. Thou in thy misery shall come through the sea and be struck again with plagues. On the way they will rush upon the idol city and destroy part of thy land, consume some of thy glory. Then return to Babylon that was destroyed. Thou shalt be laid low by them like stubble, and they will be like fire against thee. They will consume thee, thy cities, thy land, and thy mountains, all thy woods, and fruitful trees. They will burn with fire. Thy children they will carry away captive. And all that thou hast they will take as spoil, and they will ruin the beauty of thy face.

Chapter 16. Woe to thee Babylon and Asia. Woe to thee Egypt and Syria. Put on sackcloth and rough cloth. Mourn for your children and grieve for your destruction is near. A sword has been sent against you and who can turn it back? Fire has been sent among you and who can put it out? Plagues have gone forth against you and who can drive them away? Can any man chase off a hungry lion in the forest? Can anyone stop fire once it has taken hold of dry stubble? Can a man call back an arrow once a mighty archer has released it? The mighty Lord sends these plagues, and no one can turn them aside. Fire goes out from his wrath, and no one can quench it. He sends lightning, and who will not fear? He thunders, and who will not tremble? The Lord speaks in judgment. And who can stand before him without being crushed? The earth shakes and even his foundations move. The sea rises up from the deep. Its waves are stirred and even the fish are troubled before the Lord and the glory of his power. Strong is his right hand that bends the bow. The arrows he sends are sharp, and when they go out to the ends of the earth, they do not miss. Look, the plagues have been sent, and they will not return until they have struck the earth. The fire has already been kindled, and it will not go out until it has consumed the foundations of the earth. Just like an arrow shot by a mighty archer does not turn back, so the plagues sent upon the earth will not return empty.

Woe is me. Who will rescue me in those days? It will be the beginning of sorrow and deep mourning, the beginning of famine and great death, the beginning of wars, when even the mighty shall stand in fear. It will be the start of many evils. What shall I do when all these things come? Famine, plague, suffering, and distress are sent as punishments meant to correct men. Yet even after all this, they will not turn away from their wickedness or keep these warnings in mind. Food will still seem plentiful and cheap in the land. And because of that, they will think they are safe. But even then, sword, famine, and great confusion will spread across the earth. Many who live on the earth will die from hunger, and those who escape famine will be cut down by the sword. The dead will be thrown out like refuse left to mourn them because the earth will be stripped bare and the cities laid waste. No one will remain to plow the ground or sow seed. Trees will bear fruit, but who will gather it? Grapes will ripen, but who will tread them? Everywhere will be empty of men, so much so that one man will long to see another and hear another human voice. Out of a city, only 10 may remain. And out in the country, only two, hiding themselves in thick groves and in the cracks of the rocks. It will be like an olive tree after the harvest where only three or four olives are left on its branches or like a vineyard after gathering where a few clusters remain for those who search carefully through it. In the same way in those days only a few will remain alive after men search houses with the sword. The earth will become desolate. Its fields will grow old and its roads and paths will be overrun with thorns because no one passes through them. Virgins will mourn because they have no bridegrooms. Women will mourn because they have no husbands. Their daughters will mourn because they have no one to help them. In the wars, their bridegrooms will be killed and their husbands will die from famine.

So hear these things and understand them. Be servants of the Lord. Receive the word of the Lord. Do not trust in the gods of whom the Lord has spoken. The plagues are drawing near and will not delay. It will be like a woman in the ninth month of pregnancy. When her hour comes, great pains come suddenly upon her. And once the child begins to come forth, those pains do not stop. In the same way, the plagues will not delay once they begin to come upon the earth. The whole world will mourn and sorrow will come upon it from every side.

Oh my people, hear my word. Prepare yourselves for the struggle ahead. And in those days, live like pilgrims on the earth. Let the man who sells live as though he were fleeing away. Let the one who buys live as though he were about to lose what he bought. Let the merchant act as though he will gain no profit. Let the builder live as though he will never dwell in the house he raises. Let the sower sow as though he will not reap. Let the planter of a vineyard plant as though he will never gather the grapes. Let those who marry live as though they will have no children, and those who do not marry live like men already widowed. For this reason, men will labor in vain. Strangers will reap their fruits, take their goods, pull down their houses, and carry away their children captive. In captivity and famine, they will bring forth children. And those who carry on in trade through robbery, adorning their cities, their houses, their possessions, and themselves only stir up more of my anger against them for their sin, says the Lord.

Just as a harlot envies a pure and faithful woman, so righteousness hates iniquity when she dresses herself up and makes herself seem beautiful. Righteousness will accuse her openly when he comes who defends the one who carefully searches out every sin on the earth. So do not be like her or like her deeds. In a little while wickedness will be swept from the earth and righteousness will rain among you. Let not the sinner say, I have not sinned. For God will heap burning coals upon the head of the one who says before the Lord and his glory, I have not sinned. The Lord knows all the works of men, their imaginations, their thoughts, and their hearts. He spoke saying, Let the earth be made, and it was made. He said, Let heaven be made, and it was created. By his word, the stars came into being, and he knows their number. He searches the deep and all its treasures. He has measured the sea and all that is in it. He has shut up the sea in the midst of the waters. And by his word, he has hung the earth upon the waters. He spreads out the heavens like a covering and sets them upon the waters. In the desert he made springs, and on the mountaintops he formed pools so that streams might run down from the high rocks to water the earth. He made man, placed the heart within the body, and gave him breath, life, and understanding. And the spirit of Almighty God, who made all things and searches out all hidden matters in the secret places of the earth, surely knows your plans and the thoughts of your hearts, even the thoughts of those who sin and try to hide their sin. Because of this, the Lord has examined all your deeds exactly, and he will expose you to shame. When your sins are brought into the open, you will be ashamed before men, and your own sins will stand against you as witnesses in that day. What will you do then? How will you hide your sins before God and his angels? Look, God himself is judge, so fear him. Turn away from your sins and leave your iniquities behind. Do not cling to them any longer, and God will lead you out and rescue you from all trouble.

For look, the burning anger of a great multitude is stirred up against you. They will seize some of you and feed you in idleness with things offered to idols. Those who join themselves to them will be mocked, disgraced, and trampled down. In every place, and in the cities nearby, there will be a great uprising against those who fear the Lord. They will behave like mad men, sparing no one, but robbing and destroying all who fear the Lord. They will plunder their goods and drive them out of their houses. Then it will become clear who my chosen ones are, and they will be tested like gold in the fire. Here, oh my beloved, says the Lord. The days of trouble are near, but I will deliver you from them. Do not be afraid or doubtful, for God is your guide. He guides those who keep my commandments and my laws, saith the Lord God. Do not let your sins weigh you down, and do not let your iniquities rise up over you. Woe to those who are tied up in their sins and covered over by their iniquities, like a field overgrown with bushes and a path choked with thorns so that no one can pass through. It is left untended and in the end it is thrown into the fire and burned up.