1 And He said to me, “In the beginning, when the earth was made, before the borders of the world stood, or the winds ever blew;
2 before it thundered and lightening struck, or before the foundations of paradise were laid;
3 before the lovely flowers were seen, or ever the moveable powers were established, before the innumerable multitude of messengers were gathered together,
4 or before the heights of the shamayim were lifted up, before the measures of the expanse were named, or before the footstool of Tsiyon was established,
5 and before the present years were sought out, and before the deeds of those who now sin were turned, before those who have gathered belief for a treasure were sealed.
6 “Then I considered these, and they all were made through Me alone, and through none other; by Me they shall also be ended, and by none other.”
7 Then I answered and said, “What shall be the dividing of the times, or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of that which follows?”
8 And he said to me, “From Aḇraham to Yitsḥaq, when Ya’aqoḇ and Ĕsaw were born to him, Ya’aqoḇ’s hand first held the heel of Ĕsaw.
9 “For Ĕsaw is the end of the world, and Ya’aqoḇ is the beginning of that which follows.
10 “The hand of man is between the heel and the hand; other questions, Ezra, do not ask.”
11 Then I answered and said, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 who reigns, if I have found favour in Your sight,
12 please, show Your servant the end of Your signs, of which You showed me in part the last night.”
13 So He answered and said to me, “Stand up on your feet, and hear a mighty sounding voice.
14 “And there shall be a great shaking; but the place where you stand shall not be moved.
15 “And so, when it sounds do not be afraid; for the word is of the end, and the foundation of the earth understands.
16 “And why? Because the sound of these trembles and is moved; for it knows that the end of these must be changed.”
17 And it came to be, that when I heard it I stood up on my feet, and listened, and see, there was a voice that spoke, and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters.
18 And it said, “See, the days come, that I shall begin to draw near, and to visit those who dwell on the earth,
19 and shall begin to make inquiry of them, what harm they have done unrighteously with their wickedness, and when the affliction of Tsiyon shall be complete;
20 and when the world, that shall begin to vanish away, is finished, then I shall show these signs: the Books shall be opened before the expanse, and they all shall see together.
21 “And children a year old shall speak with their voices, the women with child shall bring forth children prematurely of three or four months old, and they shall live, and be raised up.
22 “And suddenly the sown places shall appear unsown, the full storehouses shall suddenly be found empty;
23 and the trumpet shall give a sound, which when every man hears, they shall be suddenly afraid.
24 “At that time friends shall fight against one another as enemies, and the earth shall stand in fear with those who dwell in it; the springs of the fountains shall stand still, and in three hours they shall not flow.
25 “Whoever remains from all these that I have told you shall escape, and see My deliverance, and the end of your world.
26 “And those who are received shall see it, who have not tasted death from their birth; and the heart of inhabitants shall be changed, turned into another spirit.
27 “For evil shall be blotted out, deception shall be quenched.
28 “As for belief, it shall flourish; corruption shall be overcome, and the truth, which has been so long without fruit, shall be declared.”
29 And when he talked with me, see, I looked little by little upon him before whom I stood.
30 And these words he said to me, “I have come to show you the time of the night to come.
31 “If you pray further, and fast seven days again, I shall tell you greater matters by day than you have heard.
32 “For your voice is heard before the Most High; for the Almighty has seen your righteous dealing, He has also seen your blamelessness, which you have had since your youth.
33 “And therefore He has sent me to show you all these, and to say to you, ‘Take courage and do not fear.’
34 “And do not hasten to think worthlessly about the past times, so that you do not hasten from the latter times.”
35 And it came to be after this, that I wept again, and fasted seven days in similar manner, that I might complete the three weeks which he told me.
36 And on the eighth night my heart was tortured within me again, and I began to speak before the Most High;
37 for my spirit burned greatly, and my being was in distress.
38 And I said, “O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, You spoke from the beginning of the creation, even the first day, and said, ‘Let the shamayim and earth be made,’ and Your word became a perfect work.
39 “And then the Ruaḥ and darkness and silence were on every side; the sound of man’s voice was not yet formed.
40 “Then You commanded a good light to come forth from Your treasures, that Your work might appear.
41 “On the second day You created the breath of the expanse, and commanded it to divide, and to make a division between the waters, that one part would go up, and the other remain beneath.
42 “On the third day You commanded the waters to be gathered into a seventh part of the earth; six parts You dried up, and kept them, in order that some of these being planted by Elohim and tilled might serve You.
43 “For as soon as Your word went forth the work was made,
44 for immediately there was great and innumerable fruit, and many and varied pleasures for the taste, and flowers of unchangeable colour, and fragrances of wondrous smell; and these were created the third day.
45 “On the fourth day You commanded that the sun should shine, and the moon give its light, and the stars should be in order;
46 and commanded them to do service to man, who was to be made.
47 “On the fifth day You spoke to the seventh part, where the waters were gathered, that it should bring forth living creatures, birds and fish; and so it came to be.
48 “For the silent, lifeless water brought forth living creatures at the command of Elohim, that all people might praise Your wondrous works.
49 “Then You appointed two living creatures, the one you called Behĕmoth, and the other Liwiathan,
50 and separated the one from the other; for the seventh part, namely, where the water was gathered together, would not hold them both.
51 “Unto Behĕmoth You gave one part, which was dried up the third day, that it should dwell in the same part, in which are a thousand hills:
52 “But to Liwiathan You gave the seventh part, that is, the waters; and have kept it to be consumed by whom You want, and when.
53 “On the sixth day You gave command to the earth, that it should bring forth beasts, cattle, and creeping creatures before You.
54 “And after these, Aḏam also, whom You made master of all your creatures; from him we have all come, and also the people whom You have chosen.
55 “All this have I spoken before You, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, because You made the world for our sakes.
56 “As for the other people, who also come from Aḏam, You have said that they are naught, but are as spittle; and have likened the abundance of them to a drop that falls from a vessel.
57 “And now, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, see, these gentiles, who have always been regarded as naught, have begun to be masters over us, and to consume us.
58 “But we Your people, whom You have called Your first-born, Your only brought forth, and Your dearly beloved, are given into their hands.
59 “If the world is now made for our sakes, why do we not possess an inheritance with the world? How long shall this endure?”