1 The second book of the naḇi Ezra son of Serayah, son of Azaryah, son of Ḥizqiyah, son of Shallum, son of Tsaḏoq, son of Aḥituḇ,
2 son of Aḥiyah, son of Pineḥas, son of Ĕli, son of Amaryah, son of Azaryah, son of Merĕmoth, son of Arna, son of Uzzi, son of Buqqi, son of Aḇishua, Pineḥas, son of Eli’ezer,
3 son of Aharon, of the tribe of Lĕwi; who was captive in the land of the Maḏites, in the reign of Artaḥshashta sovereign of Paras.
4 And the word of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 came to me, saying,
5 “Go your way, and show My people their sinful deeds, and their children their wickedness which they have done against Me; that they may tell their children’s children.
6 “Because the sins of their fathers are increased in them; for they have forgotten Me, and have offered to foreign mighty ones.
7 “Am not I even He who brought them out of the land of Mitsrayim, from the house of bondage? But they have provoked Me to wrath, and despised My counsels.
8 “Pull off the hair from your head, and throw all evil upon them, for they have not been obedient to My Law, but are a rebellious people.
9 “How long shall I endure them, to whom I have done so much good?
10 “I have destroyed many sovereigns for their sakes; I have struck down Pharaoh with his servants and all his strength.
11 “I have destroyed all the nations before them, and in the east I have scattered the people of two provinces, even of Tsor and Tsiḏon, and have slain all their enemies.
12 “Therefore you speak to them, saying,” ‘Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,
13 “I led you through the sea and from the beginning gave you a wide and safe passage. I gave you Mosheh for a leader, and Aharon for a kohĕn.
14 “I gave you light in a pillar of fire, and I have done great wonders among you; yet have you forgotten Me,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
15 ‘Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 the Almighty, “The quails were as a sign to you; I gave you booths for your safety; still you grumbled there,
16 and did not overcome in My Name for the destruction of your enemies, but even to this day you still grumble.
17 “Where is the good that I have done for you? When you were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did you not cry out to Me,
18 saying, ‘Why have You brought us into this wilderness to kill us? It would have been better for us to have served the Mitsrites, than to die in this wilderness!’
19 “Then I took pity on your groaning, and gave you manna to eat; so you ate bread of messengers.
20 “When you were thirsty, did I not split the rock, and waters flowed out to your fill? For the heat I covered you with the leaves of the trees.
21 “I divided among you a fruitful land, I drove out the Kena’anites, the Perizzites and the Pelishtites before you. What more shall I do for you?” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
22 ‘Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 the Almighty, “When you were in the wilderness, at the river of the Amorites, thirsting, and blaspheming My Name,
23 I did not send fire for your blasphemies, but threw a branch in the water, and made the river sweet.
24 “What shall I do unto you, O Ya’aqoḇ? You, Yahuḏah, would not obey me. I shall turn myself to other nations, and to them I shall give My Name, that they may guard My Laws.
25 “Seeing you have forsaken me, I shall also forsake you. When you desire for me to show favour to you, I shall show no kindness to you.
26 “Whenever you call upon Me, I do not hear you; for you have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit murder.
27 “It is not as though you have forsaken Me, but your own selves,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
28 ‘Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 the Almighty, “Have I not treated you as a father his sons, as a mother her daughters, and a nurse her young infants,
29 that you would be my people, and I should be your Elohim; that you would be my children, and I should be your Father?
30 “I gathered you together, as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings; but now, what shall I do to you? I shall throw you out from My presence.
31 “When you offer unto Me, I shall turn my face from you; for I have rejected your Moedim, your new moons, and your circumcisions.
32 “I sent to you My servants the neḇi’im, whom you have taken and slain, and torn their bodies in pieces, whose blood I shall require of your hands,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.
33 ‘Thus says the Almighty, “Your house is laid waste, I shall cast you out as the wind does stubble.
34 “And your children shall not be fruitful; for they have despised My Command, and done that which is evil before Me.
35 “I shall give your houses to a people that shall come; who having not yet heard of Me, shall believe Me; to whom I have showed no signs, yet they shall do what I have Commanded them.
36 “They have seen no neḇi’im, yet they call their sins to remembrance, and acknowledge them.
37 “I call to witness the favour of the people to come, whose little ones rejoice in gladness, and though they have not seen Me with bodily eyes, yet in spirit they believe the Word that I say.
38 “And now brother, see what esteem; and see the people that come from the East,
39 to whom I shall give for leaders, Aḇraham, Yitsḥaq and Ya’aqoḇ, Hoshea, Amos and Mikah, Yo’ĕl, Oḇaḏyah and Yonah,
40 Naḥum and Ḥaḇaqquq, Tsephanyah, Ḥaggai, Zeḵaryah and Mal’aḵi, who is also called a messenger of 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.” ‘