1 Thus saith the Lord, I brought this people out of bondage, and I gaue them my Commaundements by my seruants the prophets, whom they would not heare, but despised my counsailes.
2 The mother that bare them, saith vnto them, Goe your way ye children, for I am a widow, and forsaken.
3 I brought you vp with gladnesse, but with sorrow and heauinesse haue I lost you: for yee haue sinned before the Lord your God, and done that thing that is euil before him.
4 But what shall I now doe vnto you? I am a widow and forsaken: goe your way, O my children, and aske mercy of the Lord.
5 As for mee, O father, I call vpon thee for a witnesse ouer the mother of these children, which would not keepe my Couenant,
6 That thou bring them to confusion, and their mother to a spoile, that there may be no off spring of them.
7 Let them bee scattered abroad among the heathen, let their names bee put out of the earth: for they haue despised my Couenant.
8 Woe be vnto thee Assur, thou that hidest the vnrighteous in thee, O thou wicked people, remember what I did vnto Sodome and Gomorrhe.
9 Whose land lieth in clods of pitch and heapes of ashes: euen so also wil I doe vnto them that heare me not, saith the Almightie Lord.
10 Thus saith the Lord vnto Esdras, Tell my people that I will giue them the kingdome of Hierusalem, which I would haue giuen vnto Israel.
11 Their glory also wil I take vnto mee, and giue these the euerlasting Tabernacles, which I had prepared for them.
12 They shall haue the tree of Life for an oyntment of sweet sauour, they shall nether labour, nor be weary.
13 Goe and yee shall receiue: pray for few dayes vnto you, that they may be shortned: the kingdome is already prepared for you: Watch.
14 Take heauen and earth to witnesse; for I haue broken the euill in pieces, and created the good; for I liue, saith the Lord.
15 Mother, embrace thy children, and bring them vp with gladnesse, make their feet as fast as a pillar: for I haue chosen thee, saith the Lord.
16 And those that be dead wil I raise vp againe from their places, and bring them out of the graues: for I haue knowen my Name in Israel.
17 Feare not thou mother of the children: for I haue chosen thee, saith the Lord.
18 For thy helpe I will send my seruants Esay and Ieremie, after whose counsaile I haue sanctified and prepared for thee twelue trees, laden with diuers fruits;
19 And as many fountaines flowing with milke and hony: and seuen mightie mountaines, whereupon there grow roses and lillies, whereby I will fill thy children with ioy.
20 Doe right to the widow, iudge for the fatherlesse, giue to the poore, defend the orphane, clothe the naked,
21 Heale the broken and the weake, laugh not a lame man to scorne, defend the maimed, and let the blind man come into the sight of my clearenesse.
22 Keepe the olde and yong within thy walles.
23 Wheresouer thou findest the dead, take them and bury them, and I will giue thee the first place in my resurrection.
24 Abide still, O my people, and take thy rest, for thy quietnesse shall come.
25 Nourish thy children, O thou good nource, stablish their feete.
26 As for the seruants whom I haue giuen thee, there shall not one of them perish; for I will require them from among thy number.
27 Be not weary, for when the day of trouble and heauinesse commeth, others shal weepe and be sorrowfull, but thou shalt be merry, and haue abundance.
28 The heathen shall enuie thee, but they shall be able to doe nothing against thee, sayth the Lord.
29 My hands shal couer thee, so that thy children shall not see hell.
30 Be ioyfull, O thou mother, with thy children, for I will deliuer thee, sayth the Lord.
31 Remember thy children that sleep, for I shall bring them out of the sides of the earth, and shew mercy vnto them: for I am mercifull, sayth the Lord Almightie.
32 Embrace thy children vntill I come and shew mercy vnto them: for my welles runne ouer, and my grace shall not faile.
33 I Esdras receiued a charge of the Lord vpon the mount Oreb, that I should goe vnto Israel; but when I came vnto them, they set me at nought, and despised the commandement of the Lord.
34 And therefore I say vnto you, O yee heathen, that heare and vnderstand, Looke for your shepheard, hee shall giue you euerlasting rest; for he is nigh at hand, that shall come in the end of the world.
35 Be ready to the reward of the kingdome, for the euerlasting light shal shine vpon you for euermore.
36 Flee the shadow of this world, receiue the ioyfulnesse of your glory: I testifie my Sauiour openly.
37 O receiue the gift that is giuen you, and be glad, giuing thankes vnto him that hath called you to the heauenly kingdome.
38 Arise vp and stand, behold the number of those that be sealed in the feast of the Lord:
39 Which are departed from the shadow of the world, and haue receiued glorious garments of the Lord.
40 Take thy number, O Sion, and shut vp those of thine that are clothed in white, which haue fulfilled the Law of the Lord.
41 The number of thy children whom thou longedst for, is fulfilled: beseech the power of the Lord, that thy people which haue been called from the beginning, may be hallowed.
42 I Esdras saw vpon the mount Sion a great people, whom I could not number, and they all praised the Lord with songs.
43 And in the middest of them there was a young man of a high stature, taller then all the rest, and vpon euery one of their heads he set crownes, and was more exalted, which I marueiled at greatly.
44 So I asked the Angel, and said, Sir, what are these?
45 Hee answered, and said vnto me, These be they that haue put off the mortall clothing, and put on the immortall, and haue confessed the Name of God: now are they crowned, and receiue palmes.
46 Then sayd I vnto the Angel, What yong person is it that crowneth them, and giueth them palmes in their handes?
47 So hee answered, and said vnto me, It is the sonne of God, whom they haue confessed in the world. Then began I greatly to commend them, that stood so stiffely for the Name of the Lord.
48 Then the Angel sayd vnto me, Goe thy way, and tell my people what maner of things, and how great wonders of the Lord thy God thou hast seene.
