II. ESDRAS. Chapter 8

(Original 1611 KJV Book of 2 Esdras)

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2 Esdras Chapter 8 Original 1611 Bible Scan

CHAP. VIII.

1 Many created, but few saued. 6 Hee asketh why God destroyeth his owne worke, 26 and prayeth God to looke vpon the people which onely serue him. 41 God answereth that all seed commeth not to God, 52 and that glory is prepared for him and such like.

¹And he answered me, saying, The most High hath made this world for many, but the world to come for fewe.

²I will tell thee a similitude, Esdras, As when thou askest the earth, it shall say vnto thee, that it giueth much mold wherof earthen vessels are made, but litle dust that golde commeth of: euen so is þ^e course of this present world.

³There be many created, but few shall be saued.³

⁴So answered I and said, Swallow then downe O my soule, vnderstanding, and deuoure wisedome.

⁵For thou hast agreed to giue eare, and art willing to prophesie: for thou hast no longer space then onely to liue.

⁶O Lord, if thou suffer not thy seruant that we may pray before thee, and thou giue vs seed vnto our heart, and culture to our vnderstanding, that there may come fruit of it, howe shall each man liue that is corrupt, who beareth the place of a man?⁶

⁷For thou art alone, and we all one workemanship of thine hands, like as thou hast said.

⁸For when the body is fashioned now in the mothers wombe, and thou giuest it members, thy creature is preserued in fire & water, and nine months doeth thy workemanship endure thy creature which is created in her.⁸

⁹But that which keepeth, and is kept, shall both be preserued: and when the time commeth, the wombe preserued, deliuereth vp the things that grew in it.

¹⁰For thou hast commanded out of the parts of the body, that is to say, out of the breasts milke to be giuen, which is the fruit of the breasts,

¹¹That the thing which is fashioned, may bee nourished for a time, till thou disposest it to thy mercy.

¹²Thou broughtest it vp with thy righteousnesse, and nourturedst it in thy Law, and reformedst it with thy iudgement.

¹³And thou shalt mortifie it as thy creature, and quicken it as thy worke.

¹⁴If therefore thou shalt destroy him which with so great labour was fashioned, it is an easie thing to be ordeined by thy Commaundement, that the thing which was made might be preserued.¹⁴

¹⁵Now therefore, Lord, I will speake (touchiug man in generall, thou knowest best) but touching thy people, for whose sake I am sory,

¹⁶And for thine inheritance, for whose cause I mourne, and for Israel, for whom I am heauy, and for Iacob, for whose sake I am troubled:

¹⁷Therefore will I begin to pray before thee, for my selfe, and for them: for I see the falles of vs that dwell in the land.

¹⁸But I haue heard the swiftnesse of the Iudge which is to come.

¹⁹Therefore heare my voyce, and vnderstand my wordes, and I shall speake before thee: this is the beginning of the words of Esdras, before he was taken vp: and I said;

²⁰O Lord, Thou that dwellest in euerlastingnes, which beholdest from aboue, things in the heauen, & in the aire,

²¹Whose Throne is inestimable, whose glory may not be comprehended, before whom the hosts of Angels stand with trembling,

²²(Whose seruice is conuersant in wind and fire,) whose word is true, and sayings constant, whose Commandement is strong, and ordinance fearefull,

²³Whose looke drieth vp the depths, and indignation maketh the mountaines to melt away, which the trueth witnesseth:

²⁴O heare the prayer of thy seruant, and giue eare to the petition of thy creature.

²⁵For while I liue, I will speake, and so long as I haue vnderstanding, I wil answere.

²⁶O looke not vpon the sinnes of thy people: but on them which serue thee in trueth.

²⁷Regard not the wicked inuentions of the heathen: but the desire of those that keepe thy Testimonies in afflictions.

²⁸Thinke not vpon those that haue walked fainedly before thee: but remember them, which according to thy will haue knowen thy feare.

²⁹Let it not bee thy will to destroy them, which haue liued like beasts: but to looke vpon them that haue clearely taught thy Law.

³⁰Take thou no indignation at them which are deemed worse then beasts: but loue them that alway put their trust in thy righteousnesse, and glory.

³¹For we and our fathers doe languish of such diseases; but because of vs sinners, thou shalt be called mercifull.³¹

³²For if thou hast a desire to haue mercy vpon vs, thou shalt bee called mercifull, to vs namely, that haue no workes of righteousnesse.³²

³³For the iust which haue many good workes layed vp with thee, shall out of their owne deedes receiue reward.

³⁴For what is man that thou shouldest take displeasure at him? or what is a corruptible generation, that thou shouldest be so bitter toward it?

³⁵For in trueth there is no man among them that be borne, but he hath dealt wickedly, and among the faithfull, there is none which hath not done amisse.³⁵

³⁶For in this, O Lord, thy righteousnesse, and thy goodnesse shalbe declared, if thou be mercifull vnto them which haue not the confidence of good workes.³⁶

³⁷Then answered he mee, and said, Some things hast thou spoken aright, and according vnto thy words it shalbe.

³⁸For indeed I will not thinke on the disposition of them which haue sinned before death, before iudgement, before destruction.

³⁹But I will reioyce ouer the disposition of the righteous, and I wil remember also their pilgrimage, and the saluation, and the reward that they shall haue.³⁹

⁴⁰Like as I haue spoken now, so shall it come to passe.

⁴¹For as the husbandmau soweth much seed vpon the ground, and planteth many trees, and yet the thing that is sowen good in his season, commeth not vp, neither doeth all that is planted take root: euen so is it of them that are sowen in the world, they shall not all be saued.

⁴²I answered then, and said, If I haue found grace, let me speake.

⁴³Like as the husbandmans seede perisheth, if it come not vp, and receiue not the raine in due season, or if there come too much raine and corrupt it:

⁴⁴Euen so perisheth man also which is formed with thy hands, and is called thine owne image, because thou art like vnto him, for whose sake thou hast made all things, and likened him vnto the husbandmans seede.

⁴⁵Be not wroth with vs, but spare thy people, and haue mercy vpon thine owne inheritance: for thou art mercifull vnto thy creature.

⁴⁶Then answered he me, and said, Things present are for the present, and things to come, for such as be to come.

⁴⁷For thou commest farre short, that thou shouldest be able to loue my creature more then I: but I haue oft times drawen nigh vnto thee, and vnto it, but neuer to the vnrighteous.

⁴⁸In this also thou art marueilous before the most high;

⁴⁹In that thou hast humbled thy selfe as it becommeth thee, and hast not iudged thy selfe worthy to be much glorified among the righteous.

⁵⁰For many great miseries shall be done to them, that in the latter time shal dwell in the world, because they haue walked in great pride.

⁵¹But vnderstand thou for thy selfe, and seeke out the glory for such as be like thee.

⁵²For vnto you is Paradise opened, the tree of life is planted, the time to come is prepared, plenteousnesse is made ready, a citie is builded, and rest is allowed, yea perfect goodnesse and wisedome.

⁵³The root of euil is sealed vp from you, weakenesse and the moth is hidde from you, and corruption is fled into hell to be forgotten.⁵³

⁵⁴Sorrows are passed, & in the end is shewed the treasure of immortalitie.

⁵⁵And therefore aske thou no more questions concerning the multitude of them that perish.

⁵⁶For when they had taken liberty, they despised the most High, thought scorne of his Lawe, and forsooke his wayes.

⁵⁷Moreouer, they haue troden downe his righteous,

⁵⁸And said in their heart, that there is no God, yea and that knowing they must die.⁵⁸

⁵⁹For as the things aforesaid shall receiue you, so thirst and paine are prepared for them; for it was not his will that men should come to nought.

⁶⁰But they which be created, haue defiled the Name of him that made them, and were vnthankefull vnto him which prepared life for them.

⁶¹And therefore is my iudgement now at hand.

⁶²These things haue I not shewed vnto all men, but vnto thee, and a fewe like thee. Then answered I, and said,

⁶³Behold, O Lord, now hast thou shewed me the multitude of the wonders which thou wilt begin to doe in the last times: but at what time, thou hast not shewed me.

Original 1611 KJV Sidenote References for 2 Esdras Chapter 8

³ Mat.20. 16.
⁶ Or, to giue vs.
⁸ Or, how is the body fashioned.
¹⁴ Iob 10.8. psal.139. 14. &c.
³¹ Are sicke.
³² Be willing.
³⁵ 1.King.8. 46.and 2. chro.6.36.
³⁶ Or, substance.
³⁹ Gen.4.4.
⁵³ Or, graue.
⁵⁸ Psal.14.1. and 53.1.

* Some content courtesy of Rare Book and Manuscript Library, University of Pennsylvania

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2 Esdras

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II. ESDRAS. Chapter 8

(Original 1611 KJV Book of 2 Esdras)