2 ESDRAS 15

1 “See, speak in the ears of My people the words of neḇuah, which I shall put in your mouth,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

2 “And cause them to be written on paper; for they are trustworthy and true.

3 “Do not fear the schemes against you, do not let the unbelief of those who speak against you trouble you.

4 “For all the unbelieving shall die in their unbelief.

5 “Look,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “I shall bring plagues upon the world; the sword, scarcity of food, death and destruction.

6 “For wickedness has polluted the whole earth exceedingly, and their evil works are complete.

7 “Therefore,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄,

8 “I shall hold My tongue no more in regard to their wickedness, which they do evilly, neither shall I tolerate them in that which they wickedly engage themselves; see, the blood of the innocent and righteous cries out to Me, and the beings of the righteous protest continually.

9 “And therefore,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “I shall surely avenge them, and receive all the innocent blood from among them to Me.

10 “See, My people are led as a flock to the slaughter. I shall not allow them to now dwell in the land of Mitsrayim;

11 but I shall bring them with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, and smite Mitsrayim with plagues, as before, and shall destroy all its land.

12 “Mitsrayim shall mourn, and its foundation shall be smitten with the plague and punishment that Elohim brings upon it.

13 “Those who till the ground shall mourn, for their seed shall fail through the blight and hail, and from a frightening storm.

14 “Woe to the world and those who dwell in it!

15 “For the sword and their destruction draws near, and one people shall stand up and fight against another, with swords in their hands.

16 “For there shall be uproar among men, and they shall invade one another with no regard for their sovereigns nor princes, and the course of their actions shall stand in their strength.

17 “A man shall desire to go into a city, and not be able;

18 for because of their pride the cities shall be troubled, the houses shall be destroyed, and men shall be afraid.

19 “Man shall have no compassion for his neighbour, but shall destroy their houses with the sword, and plunder their goods, because of the lack of bread, and of great distress.

20 “See,” says Elohim, “I shall call together all the sovereigns of the earth to revere Me, who are from the rising of the sun – from the south, from the east and Leḇanon – to turn themselves one against another, and repay what they have done to them.

21 “As they still do today to My chosen, so I shall also do, and repay into their bosom.” Thus says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 Elohim;

22 “My right hand shall not spare the sinners, and My sword shall not cease over those who shed innocent blood on the earth.”

23 The fire of His wrath has gone forth and consumed the foundations of the earth, and the sinners, like straw that is kindled.

24 “Woe to those who sin, and do not guard My Commands!” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

25 “I shall not spare them. Go your way, you unbelieving children, do not defile My Miqdash!”

26 For 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 knows all those who sin against Him, therefore He gives them over to death and destruction.

27 For now the plagues have come upon the whole earth and you shall remain in them; for Elohim shall not deliver you, because you have sinned against Him.

28 Look, a horrible vision, and its appearance from the east:

29 Where the nations of the dragons of Araḇia shall come out with many chariots, and the multitude of them shall be carried as the wind upon the earth, that all those who hear them fear and tremble.

30 Also the Parasians raging in wrath shall go forth as the wild boars of the forest, and they shall come in great strength, and engage in battle with them, and shall destroy a portion of the land of Ashshur.

31 And then the dragons, remembering their nature, shall have the upper hand; and if they ally together, turning themselves in great strength to pursue them,

32 then these shall be troubled, and silenced by their strength, and shall flee.

33 And the enemy shall besiege them from the land of Ashshur, and consume some of them, and within their army shall be fear and dread, and strife among their sovereigns.

34 Look! Clouds from the east and from the north to the south, and they are very horrible to look upon, full of wrath and storm.

35 They shall clash against one another, and they shall bring down a great number of storms on the earth, even their own storm; and from the sword there shall be blood to the waist,

36 and dung of man to the camel’s hock.

37 And there shall be great fear and trembling on the earth; and those who see the wrath shall be afraid, and trembling shall come upon them.

38 And then great storms shall come from the south and from the north and another part from the west,

39 and strong winds shall rise from the east, and shall prevail; and the cloud which He raised up in wrath, and the storm stirred up causing fear toward the east and west wind, shall be destroyed.

40 The great and mighty clouds shall billow full of wrath, and the storm, with which they make all the earth afraid, and those who dwell in it; and they shall pour out a horrible storm over every high and lofty place:

41 fire, and hail, and flying swords, and many waters, so that all fields and all rivers, shall overflow with the exceedingly great amount of waters.

42 And they shall break down the cities and walls, mountains and hills, trees of the forest and grass of the field, and its grain.

43 And they shall move steadily onto Baḇel, and cause her fear.

44 They shall come to her, and besiege her, pouring out the storm and all wrath upon her; then the dust and smoke shall go up to the shamayim, and all those who are around her shall bewail her.

45 And those who remain under her shall do service to those who have put her in fear.

46 And you, Asia, who shares in the expectancy of Baḇel, and are the esteem of her person –

47 woe to you, you wretch, because you have made yourself like her, and have adorned your daughters with whoring, that they might please and boast in your lovers, who have always desired to commit whoring with you.

48 You have followed she who is hated in all her works and devices; “Therefore,” says Elohim,

49 “I shall send plagues upon you: widowhood, poverty, scarcity of food, sword and pestilence, to waste your dwellings with destruction and death.

50 “And the esteem of your strength shall be dried up as a flower, the burning that is sent upon you shall rise.

51 “You shall be weakened as a poor woman with stripes, and like one flogged with wounds, so you shall not be received by your mighty lovers!

52 “Would I have proceeded against you so fervently,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄.

53 “If you had not always slain My chosen, exulting and clapping your hands, and speaking over their dead, when you were drunk?

54 “Present your lovely face.

55 “The reward of your whoring shall be in your bosom, therefore you shall be repaid.

56 “As you have done to My chosen,” says 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, “even so shall Elohim do to you, and shall hand you over to evil.

57 “Your children shall die of hunger, and you shall fall by the sword. Your cities shall be broken down, and all those in the field shall perish by the sword.

58 “Those who are in the mountains shall die of hunger, and eat their own flesh, and drink their own blood, from hunger of bread, and thirst of water.

59 “Grieving, you shall pass through the sea, and receive plagues again,

60 and as they pass they shall rush on the treacherous city, and shall destroy some portion of your land, and consume part of your esteem, and shall return to Baḇel, which was destroyed.

61 “And you shall be thrown down by them as stubble, and they shall be as fire to you;

62 and shall consume you and your cities, your land and your mountains and all your woods; and they shall burn up your fruitful trees with fire.

63 “They shall carry your children away captive, and see, what you have, they shall plunder it, and destroy the loveliness of your face.”