1 “But regarding the signs, see, the days shall come, that those who dwell upon the earth shall be taken in a great number, and the Way of truth shall be hidden, and the land shall be barren of belief.
2 “But wickedness shall be increased above that which you now see, or that you have heard long ago.
3 “And the land, which you now see to have a root, you shall see suddenly laid waste.
4 “But if the Most High grants you to live, you shall see after the third trumpet that the sun shall suddenly shine again in the night, and a third of the moon in that day.
5 “And blood shall drip from wood, and the stone shall give its cry, and the people shall be troubled;
6 and one shall rule, whom those who dwell upon the earth do not expect, and the birds shall take flight away together.
7 “And the Sea of Seḏom shall throw out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many have not known; but they shall all hear the sound of it.
8 “There shall also be confusion in many places, and the fire shall be often sent out again, and the wild beasts shall change their places, and women during uncleanness shall bring forth monsters.
9 “And salt water shall be found with the sweet, and all friends shall destroy one another; then knowledge shall hide itself, and understanding withdraw itself into its secret room,
10 and shall be sought by many, and yet not be found. Then unrighteousness and lack of self control shall be multiplied on earth.
11 “One land shall also ask another, and say, ‘Has righteousness that makes a man righteous passed through you?’ And it shall say, ‘No.’
12 “At the same time men shall have expectancy, but do not obtain; they shall labour, but their ways shall not prosper.
13 “To show you such signs I have permission; and if you pray again, and weep as now, and fast seven days, you shall hear yet greater matters.”
14 Then I woke, and an extreme fear went through my entire body, and my mind was so troubled, that I fainted.
15 So the messenger that had come to talk with me held me, comforted me, and stood me up on my feet.
16 And on the second night it came to be, that She’alti’ĕl the leader of the people came to me, saying, “Where have you been, and why is your countenance so heavy?
17 “Do you not know that Yisra’ĕl is entrusted to you in the land of their captivity?
18 “Rise therefore, and eat bread, and do not forsake us, as the shepherd that leaves his flock in the hands of cruel wolves.”
19 Then I said to him, “Go away from me, and do not come near me.” And he heard what I said, and went from me.
20 And so I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, as Uri’ĕl the messenger commanded me.
21 And after seven days it came to be, that the thoughts of my heart were very grievous to me again,
22 and my being recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to speak with the Most High again,
23 and said, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who reigns, over every forest of the earth, and all the trees in it, You have chosen Your one and only vine.
24 “And of all lands of the whole earth You have chosen Your one cistern, and of all the flowers of it; one lily.
25 “And of all the depths of the sea You have filled Your one river. And of all cities built, You have qadosh Tsiyon unto Yourself.
26 “And of all the birds that are created You have named Your one dove. And of all the beasts that are made You have supplied Your one sheep.
27 “And among all the multitudes of people You have chosen Your one people. And unto this people, whom You loved, You gave a Law that is acceptable for all.
28 “And now, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, why have You given this one people over to many, and upon the one root You have prepared others, and why have You scattered Your one and only people among many?
29 “And those who denied Your promises, and did not believe Your Covenants, have trodden them down.
30 “If You hated Your people so much, should You punish them with Your own hands?”
31 Now when I had spoken these words, the messenger that came to me the night before was sent to me,
32 and said to me, “Hear me, and I shall instruct you; listen to the word that I speak, and I shall tell you more.”
33 And I said, “Speak on, master.” Then he said to me, “You are greatly troubled in heart for the sake of Yisra’ĕl. Do you love that people more than He who made them?”
34 And I said, “No, master, but of very grief I have spoken, for my kidneys pain me every hour, while I labour to understand the Way of the Most High, and to seek out part of His Right-Ruling.”
35 And he said to me, “You cannot.” And I said, “Why, master? For what was I born then, or why was my mother’s womb not my grave, that I might not have seen the trouble of Ya’aqoḇ, and the wearisome toil of the race of Yisra’ĕl?”
36 And he said to me, “Number for me that which has not yet come; gather together for me the dross that is scattered abroad, make the flowers that are withered green again,
37 open for me the places that are closed, and bring forth for me the winds that in them are shut up, show me the image of a voice; and then I shall declare to you that which you labour to know.”
38 And I said, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who reigns, who may know these, but He whose dwelling is not with men?
39 “As for me, I am unwise; how may I then speak of these matters of which You ask me?”
40 Then He said to me, “As you are unable to do any of these that I have spoken of, even so you cannot find out My judgment, or the love in the end that I have promised to My people.”
41 And I said, “See, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, You are still near to those who are reserved till the end; but what shall they do who have been before me, or we who are here now, or those who shall come after us?”
42 And He said to me, “I shall liken My judgment to a circle; as there is no slackness for the last, even so there is no swiftness for the first.”
43 So I answered and said, “Could you not make those who have been made, and are now, and who are to come, at once; that You might show Your judgment sooner?”
44 Then He answered me, and said, “The creature cannot hasten more than the Maker; neither could the world hold at once those who shall be created within.”
45 And I said, “As You have said to Your servant, that You, who gives life to all, have given life at once to the creatures that You have created, and the creation bore it; even so it might also bear those who are now present at once.”
46 And He said to me, “Ask the womb of a woman, and say to her, ‘If you bring forth children, why not do them all together, but one after another?’ Ask her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.”
47 And I said, “She cannot; but must do it over a span of time.”
48 Then He said to me, “Even so have I given the womb of the earth to those who are sown in it in their times.
49 “For as a young child cannot bring forth those that belong to the aged, even so have I subjected the world which I created.”
50 And I asked, and said, “Seeing You have now given me an occasion, I shall proceed to speak before You; for our mother, of whom You have told me that she is young, now draws near to age.”
51 He answered me, and said, “Ask a woman that bears children, and she shall tell you.
52 “Say to her, ‘Why are those whom you have now brought forth like those who were before, but smaller in size?’
53 And she shall answer you, ‘Those who are born in the strength of youth are of one form, and those who are born in the time of age, when the womb fails, are otherwise.’
54 “Consider yourself also therefore, how you are less of stature than those who were before you,
55 and so are those who come after you lesser than you, as the creation which now begins to age, and has passed over the strength of youth.”
56 Then I said, “Please 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, if I have found favour in Your sight, show Your servant by whom You visit your creation.”