2 Esdras 10

1And it happened that when my son had entered his bridal chamber, he fell down and died.

2Then we all put out the lamps, and all my fellow citizens rose up to comfort me, and I rested until the next day, until night.

3And it happened, when all had stopped comforting me so that I might rest, that I rose by night and fled and came, as you see, into this field.

4And I have come, as you see, into this field. I intend to return to the city no more, but to stay here; and I will neither eat nor drink, but without ceasing I will mourn and fast until I die.”

5Then I left off the words in which I had still been engaged, and I answered in anger and said,

6In anger at her, I said, “Most foolish of all women, do you not see our mourning and what has happened to us?

7see our mourning and what has happened to us? For Zion, the mother of us all, is grieving in sorrow and humiliation

8She has been humbled; mourn most bitterly. And now, since we all mourn and are sad, since we are all grieved—but you

9But you are grieving over one son. For ask the earth, and it will tell you that it is she who ought to mourn for so many upon her.

10From her all have had their beginnings, and others come; and behold, nearly all walk to destruction and to extermination.

11Who then ought to mourn more, if not she who has lost so great a multitude, rather than you, who grieve for one?

12But if you say to me, ‘My lament is not like the earth’s, because I have lost the fruit of my womb,’

13whom I bore with sorrows and brought forth with pains; but the earth, according to the way of the earth, goes away, as does the multitude now present in it’—

14Then I say to you: just as you gave birth in pain, so also the earth has given its fruit, man, from the beginning, to him who made her.

15Now therefore, keep your grief within yourself, and bravely bear the misfortunes that have happened to you.

16For if you acknowledge the justice of God’s decree, you will receive your son in due time and will be praised among women.

17Therefore go into the city to your husband.” And he said to me:

18But she said to me, “I will not do it, nor will I go into the city, but here I will die.”

19Then I continued to speak to her and said,

20Do not say this, but consent to be persuaded—for how great is Zion’s downfall!—and be comforted because of Jerusalem’s sorrow.

21For you see that our sanctuary has been laid waste, our altar has been torn down, and our temple has been destroyed.

22Our harp has been brought low, our hymn has fallen silent, our rejoicing has been dissolved, the light of our lampstand has been extinguished, the ark of our covenant has been plundered, our holy things have been defiled, and the name that was called over us has been almost profaned. Our children have suffered insult, our priests have been burned, our Levites have gone into captivity, our virgins have been defiled, our women have suffered violence, our righteous men have been carried off, our little ones have been betrayed, our young men have been enslaved, and our strong men have become weak.

23And what is greatest of all, the seal of Zion—for now she has been unsealed from her glory and handed over into the hands of those who hate us.

24Therefore shake off your great sadness, and put away from yourself the multitude of sorrows, so that the Mighty One may again be gracious to you, and the Most High may give you rest, relief from your labors.”

25And it happened, while I was speaking to her, that behold, her face suddenly shone exceedingly, and the appearance of her face became flashing, so that even [I was greatly afraid of her].

26and behold, suddenly she let out a great cry, full of terror, so that the earth was shaken by the sound. And I saw,

27And behold, the woman no longer appeared to me, but a city was being built, and a place with great foundations was being revealed. Then I was afraid and cried out with a loud voice and said,

28“Where is Uriel the angel, who came to me at the beginning? For it was he who brought me into this great bewilderment of mind, and my end has become corruption, and my prayer a reproach.”

29And while I was speaking these things, behold, the angel who had come to me at the beginning came to me and saw me.

30And behold, I was lying there like a dead man, and my understanding had been taken away; and he took my right hand and strengthened me and set me on my feet,

31and said to me, “What is the matter with you? And why are you troubled? And why are your understanding and the perception of your heart troubled?”

32And I said, “Because you have utterly forsaken me. For I did according to your words and went out into the field, and behold, I saw and still see what I am not able to describe.”

33I will remind you.” And I said, “Speak, my lord; only do not

34And I said, “Speak, my lord; only do not forsake me, lest I die for nothing.

35For I knew, and I hear what I do not know; or is my understanding

36Or is my mind deceived, and is my soul dreaming?

37Therefore I beg you to show your servant the meaning of this departure.” And he answered me and

38And he said, “Listen to me, and I will teach you, and I will tell you about the things you fear, because the Most High has revealed many mysteries to you.

39For he has seen your upright way, because you were grieving without ceasing for your people and mourning greatly for Zion.

40This, then, is the interpretation of the vision: the woman who appeared to you a little while ago, whom

41you saw her mourning and began to comfort her; but now

42You no longer see the form of a woman, but a city appeared to you being built. And as for her telling you about the misfortune of her son, this is the interpretation:

43This woman whom you saw is Zion, whom you now see

44this woman whom you saw is Zion, whom you now see as a city being built.

45And as for her saying to you that she had been barren for thirty years, this is because there were three thousand years in the world when no offering had yet been offered in her.

46Three things Solomon built in the city and offered offerings; then it was that the barren woman bore a son. And what it told you, that

47And as for what she said to you, ‘I nourished him with toil,’ this was the dwelling of Jerusalem.

48And as for her saying to you, ‘My son, when he entered his bridal chamber, died, and disaster befell him,’ this was the ruin that came upon Jerusalem.

49And behold, you saw her likeness, how she mourns for her son, and you began to comfort her concerning what had happened. These things had to be revealed to you.

50For because you were grieved from your soul, and because you suffer for her from your whole heart, he showed you the splendor of her glory and the beauty of her majesty. Therefore I told you to remain in

51For this reason I told you to remain in the field where no house has been built.

52For I knew that the Most High was beginning to show you these things. Therefore I said

53Therefore I told you to come into the field, where there is no foundation of a building.

54For no work of human building could endure in the place where the city of the Most High was beginning to be shown.

55Therefore do not fear, and do not let your heart be terrified, but go in and see the splendor or the greatness of the building, as much as your eyes are able to see.

56And after this you will hear as much as your ears are able to hear.

57But you are blessed above many, and you have been called by the Most High, as only a few have been.

58But tomorrow night you shall remain here,

59and the Most High will show you those dream-visions that the Most High will bring about for those who dwell on the earth in the last days.”

60And I slept that night and another, as he had told me.