2 ESDRAS 13

1 And it came to be after seven days, I dreamed a dream by night;

2 and see, a wind rose from the sea, that stirred up all its waves.

3 And I looked, and see, the wind formed the likeness of a Man from the heart of the sea, and the Man flew with the clouds of the shamayim; and when He turned his face to look, all that was seen under Him trembled.

4 And whenever the voice went out of His mouth, all those who heard His voice burned, as the earth falls away when it feels the fire.

5 And after this I looked, and see, a crowd of men without number was gathered together, from the four winds of the shamayim, to overcome the Man who came out of the sea.

6 But I looked, and see, He had carved Himself a great mountain, and rose up on it.

7 And I tried to see the region or place from which the mountain was carved, and I could not.

8 And after this I looked, and see, all those who were gathered together to overcome Him were very afraid, and yet were bold to fight.

9 And look, as He saw the violence of the crowd that came, He neither lifted up His hand, nor held a sword, nor any weapon of battle;

10 but I only saw that He sent what looked like a blast of fire out of His mouth, and a flaming breath out of His lips, and He threw out a storm of sparks out of His tongue.

11 And they were all mingled together; the blast of fire, the flaming breath, and the great storm; which fell with violence on the crowd that was prepared to fight, and burned up every one of them, so that suddenly none was seen of the innumerable crowd, but only dust and a smell of smoke. When I saw this I was afraid.

12 Afterward I saw the same Man come down from the mountain, and called to Himself another peaceful crowd.

13 And many people came to Him, of whom some were glad, some were sorrowful, and some of them were bound, and some brought others with offerings; then I was sick through great fear, and I woke, and said,

14 “You have shown Your servant these wonders from the beginning, and have counted me worthy that You should receive my prayer;

15 now show me the interpretation of this dream also.

16 “For as I consider in my understanding, woe to those who are left in those days and much more woe to those who are not left behind!

17 “For those who are not left shall be grieved.

18 “Now I understand that which is laid up in the latter days, which shall come upon them, and to those who are left behind.

19 “Therefore they have come into great danger and much distress, as these dreams declare.

20 “Yet it is better for he who is in danger to come to these, than to pass out of the world as a cloud, and not see that which shall come to be in the last days.” And He answered me, and said,

21 “I shall show you the interpretation of the vision, and I shall open to you that which you have asked.

22 “When you spoke of those who are left behind, this is the interpretation:

23 “He who shall endure the danger in that time guards himself; those who have fallen into danger are those who have works, and belief toward the Almighty.

24 “Know this therefore, that those who are left behind are more baruḵ than those who are dead.

25 “This is the meaning of the vision: When you saw a Man coming up from the midst of the sea;

26 “He is the One whom Elohim the Most High has kept for a long time, whom by Himself shall deliver His creation; and He shall lead those who are left behind.

27 “And when you saw, that a blast of wind and fire and storm came out of His mouth;

28 and that He held neither sword, nor any weapon of battle, but that His rushing in destroyed the whole crowd that came to overcome Him; this is the interpretation:

29 “See, the days are coming, when the Most High shall begin to deliver those who are on the earth.

30 “And those who dwell on the earth shall be astonished at His coming.

31 “And one shall begin to fight against another, one city against another, one place against another, one people against another, and one reign against another.

32 “And the time shall be when these come to pass, and the signs take place which I showed you before, and then My Bĕn shall be declared, whom you saw as a Man ascending.

33 “And when all the people hear His voice, every man in their own land shall leave the battle they have against one another,

34 and an innumerable crowd shall gather together, as you saw them, coming with desire to overcome Him in battle.

35 “But He shall stand on the top of Mount Tsiyon,

36 and Tsiyon shall come, and shall be shown to all men, being prepared and built, as you saw the mountain carved without hands.

37 “And He, My Bĕn shall rebuke the wicked deeds of those nations, who have fallen into the storm for their wicked life;

38 “And shall lay their evil thoughts before them, and the torture with which they shall begin to be tortured, which are like flames; and He shall destroy those without works by the Law which is comparable to Me.

39 “And when you saw that He gathered another peaceful multitude to Himself;

40 those are the ten tribes, which were carried away captive out of their own land in the time of Hoshĕa the sovereign, whom Shalmaneser the sovereign of Ashshur led away captive, and he carried them over the waters, and so they came to another land.

41 “But they took this counsel among themselves, that they would leave the multitude of the gentiles, and go out to a distant land, where mankind had not dwelt,

42 that there they might guard their Laws, which they had not kept in their own land.

43 “And they entered into Perath by the narrow places of the River,

44 for at that time the Most High showed signs for them, and held the flood, till they had passed over.

45 “For there was a great way to go through that land, of a year and a half; and that region is called Ḥarosheth.

46 “Then they dwelt there until the last days; and when they begin to come,

47 the Most High shall hold the springs of the River again, that they may go through; therefore you saw the multitude at peace.

48 “But those who are left behind of your people are those who are found within My borders.

49 “Now when He destroys the multitude of the nations that are gathered together, He shall defend His people that remain.

50 “And then He shall show them great wonders.”

51 Then I said, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who reigns, show me this: Why have I seen the Man coming up from the midst of the sea?”

52 And He said to me, “As you could neither seek out nor know that which is in the depths of the sea; even so no man on earth shall see My Bĕn, or those who are with Him, but in His time of day.

53 “This is the interpretation of the dream which you saw, and why you alone are enlightened,

54 for you have forsaken your own way, and applied your diligence to My Law, and sought it.

55 “You have ordered your life in wisdom, and have called understanding your mother.

56 “And therefore I have showed you the treasures of the Most High; after another three days I shall speak further to you, and declare to you mighty and wondrous matters.”

57 Then I went out into the field, giving great praise and thanks to the Most High because of His wonders which He does in due time;

58 And because he governs the times, and these fall in their seasons. And I sat there three days.