2 Esdras 15

1Behold, speak in the hearing of my people the words of prophecy

2that I will put into your mouth, says the Lord, and cause them to be written on a scroll,

3because they are faithful and true. Do not fear the thoughts against you, nor let the unbelief of those who speak against you trouble you.

4For every unbeliever will die in his unbelief.

5Behold, I am bringing evils upon the world, says the Lord: sword and famine and death and destruction,

6because iniquity has spread over the whole earth, and their deeds have been filled up.

7Therefore the Lord says:

8I will no longer keep silent about their impieties, which they commit irreligiously, nor will I endure the things they carry out unjustly. Behold, innocent and righteous blood cries out to me, and the souls of the righteous cry out continually.

9I will surely avenge them, says the Lord, and I will require from them all innocent blood for myself.

10Behold, my people are being led like a flock to the slaughter. I will no longer allow them to dwell in the land of Egypt,

11but I will lead them out with a mighty hand and an uplifted arm, and I will strike Egypt with plagues as before, and I will destroy all its land.

12Let Egypt mourn, and its foundations, because of the plague of blows and scourging that the Lord will bring upon it.

13Let those who cultivate the land mourn, because their seed will fail, and their trees will be laid waste by blight and hail and by a dreadful star.

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

15For the sword and their destruction have drawn near, and nation will rise against nation for battle, and broadswords will be in their hands.

16For there will be instability among men; overpowering one another, they will pay no attention to their king or to the chief of their nobles, in their power.

17For a man will desire to go into a city and will not be able.

18For because of their pride the cities will be thrown into confusion, the houses will be destroyed, and men will be afraid.

19A man will have no pity on his neighbor, but will rush upon their houses with the sword, plundering their possessions because of hunger for bread and great distress.

20Behold, I am summoning, says God, all the kings of the earth to stir up, those who are from the north and the south and the east and Lebanon, to turn against one another and repay what they gave them.

21As they have done to my chosen ones to this day, so I will do and repay into their lap. Thus says the Lord God:

22My right hand will not spare the sinners, nor will the sword cease against those who shed innocent blood upon the earth.

23And fire went out from his wrath and devoured the foundations of the earth, and sinners like straw set ablaze.

24Woe to those who sin and do not keep my commandments, says the Lord.

25I will not spare them. Depart, you apostate children; do not defile my sanctification.

26God knows those who sin against him; therefore he will hand them over to death and slaughter.

27For already evils have come upon the world, and you will remain in them; for God will not deliver you, because you have sinned against him.

28Behold, a dreadful vision, and its face is from the east.

29And nations of Arabian dragons will come out with many chariots, and their hissing is carried over the earth from a day's journey away, so that all who hear them will fear and tremble.

30The Carmonians, raging in wrath, will come out from the forest, and they will come with great force and stand for battle against them, and they will lay waste the portion of the land of the Assyrians with their teeth.

31And after this the dragon, mindful of its origin, will prevail; and if they turn, conspiring in great force to pursue them,

32then these will be thrown into confusion and fall silent because of their strength, and they will turn their feet to flight.

33And from the territory of the Assyrians an ambusher will lie in wait for them and consume one of them, and there will be fear and trembling in their army and instability in their kingdom.

34Behold, clouds from the east and from the north as far as the south, and their appearance is very dreadful, full of wrath and storm.

35And they will strike one another and pour out an abundant storm upon the earth, their storm; and there will be blood from the sword up to the horse's belly.

36and a man's thigh and a camel's hock. And there will be great fear and trembling upon the earth,

37And those who see that wrath will shudder, and trembling will seize them. And after this, abundant storm-clouds will be stirred up.

38from the south and from the north, and another part from the west.

39And the winds from the east will grow strong and shut it in, along with the cloud that he raised up in wrath; and the star appointed to bring destruction will be violently assailed by the east wind, the south wind, and the west wind.

40And great and mighty clouds full of wrath, and a star, will be lifted up to destroy all the earth and those who dwell in it, and they will pour out a dreadful star upon every high and lofty place.

41fire and hail and flying swords and many waters, so that even all the fields and all the rivers will be filled from the abundance of those waters.

42And they will tear down cities and walls, mountains and hills, trees of the forests and grass of the meadows.

43their pastures and their grain. And they will pass steadily on as far as

44Babylon, and they will destroy her. They will gather against her and surround her and pour out a storm and all wrath upon her, and dust and smoke will rise up to heaven, and all around her will mourn.

45And those who remain will serve those who terrified her.

46And you, Asia, partner in the splendor of Babylon and in the glory of her person—

47Woe to you, miserable one, because you made yourself like her and adorned your daughters for prostitution, to please and glory in your lovers.

48You have imitated that hateful prostitute in all her works and devices; therefore God says:

49I will send evils upon you: widowhood and poverty and famine and sword and pestilence, to lay waste your houses, for violation

50and death. And the glory of your strength will wither like a flower when

51The burning that has been sent out against you will rise up, and you will be weakened and made poor by the blow, and scourged by wounds, so that you will not be able to receive your own.

52Would I be so zealous against you, says the Lord,

53says the Lord, "If you had not killed my chosen ones all along, exulting with the striking of your hands and speaking over their death

54When were you made drunk? Adorn the beauty of your face! The wages of a harlot are in your bosom; therefore you will receive repayment.

55The wages of a prostitute are in your bosom; therefore you will receive repayment.

56As you do to my chosen ones, says the Lord, so God will do to you and will hand you over to evils.

57Your cities will be shattered, and all your people in the field will fall by the sword. And those in the mountains will perish by famine and will eat flesh.

58and drink their own blood because of hunger for bread and thirst for water. Unhappy one, as the foremost you will come, and again you will receive evils.

59As chief you will come, and again you will receive evils. And in passing

60They will strike the idle city and lay waste some portion of your land, and they will destroy part of your glory, returning again from devastated Babylon. And you will be broken down by them like stubble, and they will be to you like fire.

61They will be fire to you. And they will devour you and your cities, your land and your mountains; all your forests and your fruitful trees they will burn with fire.

62Your children they will carry away captive, and your wealth they will take as spoil,

63and they will have plunder and wipe out the glory of your face.