II. ESDRAS. Chapter 7

(Original 1611 KJV Book of 2 Esdras)

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2 Esdras Chapter 7 Original 1611 Bible Scan

CHAP. VII.

4 The way is narrow. 12 When it was made narrow. 28 All shall die and rise againe. 33 Christ shall sit in iudgement. 46 God hath not made Paradise in vaine, 62 & is merciful.

¹And when I had made an ende of speaking these words, there was sent vnto mee the Angel which had beene sent vnto mee the nights afore.

²And he said vnto me, Up Esdras, and heare the wordes that I am come to tell thee.

³And I said, Speake on, my God. Then said he vnto me, The Sea is set in a wide place, that it might be deepe and great.

⁴But put the case the entrance were narrow, and like a riuer,

⁵Who then could goe into the Sea to looke vpon it, and to rule it? If hee went not through the narrow, how could he come into the broad?

⁶There is also another thing. A city is builded, and set vpon a broad field, and is full of all good things.

⁷The entrance thereof is narrow, and is set in a dangerous place to fall, like as if there were a fire on the right hand, and on the left a deepe water.⁷

⁸And one only path between them both, euen betweene the fire and the water, so small that there could but one man goe there at once.

⁹If this city now were giuen vnto a man for an inheritance, if he neuer shall passe the danger set before it, how shall he receiue this inheritance?

¹⁰And I said, It is so, Lord. Then said he vnto me, Euen so also is Israels portion:

¹¹Because for their sakes I made the world: and when Adam transgressed my Statutes, then was decreed that now is done.

¹²Then were the entrances of this world made narrow, full of sorrow and trauaile: they are but few and euill, full of perils, and very painefull.

¹³For the entrances of the elder world were wide and sure, and brought immortall fruit.¹³

¹⁴If then they that liue, labour not to enter these strait and vaine things, they can neuer receiue those that are laide vp for them.

¹⁵Now therefore why disquietest thou thy selfe, seeing thou art but a corruptible man? and why art thou mooued, whereas thou art but mortall?

¹⁶Why hast thou not considered in thy minde this thing that is to come, rather then that which is present?

¹⁷Then answered I, and sayd, O Lord, that bearest rule, thou hast ordained in thy Law, that the righteous should inherite these things, but that the vngodly should perish:¹⁷

¹⁸Neuerthelesse, the righteous shal suffer strait things, and hope for wide: for they that haue done wickedly, haue suffered the strait things, and yet shall not see the wide.

¹⁹And he said vnto me, There is no iudge aboue God, and none that hath vnderstanding aboue the highest.

²⁰For there be many that perish in this life, because they despise the Lawe of God that is set before them.

²¹For God hath giuen strait commandement to such as came, what they should doe to liue, euen as they came, and what they should obserue to auoid punishment.

²²Neuerthelesse they were not obedient vnto him, but spake against him, and imagined vaine things:

²³And deceiued themselues by their wicked deeds, and sayd of the most Hie, that he is not, and knew not his waies.

²⁴But his Law haue they despised, and denied his couenants in his statutes haue they not beene faithfull, and haue not performed his workes.

²⁵And therfore Esdras, for the emptie, are emptie things, and for the ful, are the full things.

²⁶Behold, the time shall come, that these tokens which I haue told thee, shall come to passe, and the bride shall appeare, and she comming forth shall be seene, that now is withdrawen from the earth.

²⁷And whosoeuer is deliuered from the foresaid euils, shall see my wonders.

²⁸For my sonne Iesus shall be reuealed with those that be with him, and they that remaine shall reioyce within foure hundred yeeres.

²⁹After these yeeres shall my sonne Christ die, and all men that haue life.

³⁰And the world shall be turned into the old silence seuen dayes, like as in the former iudgements: so that no man shall remaine.³⁰

³¹And after seuen dayes, the world that yet awaketh not shall be raised vp, and that shall die, that is corrupt.

³²And the earth shall restore those that are asleepe in her, and so shall the dust those that dwell in silence, and the secret places shall deliuer those soules that were committed vnto them.

³³And the most high shall appeare vpon the seate of iudgement, and miserie shall passe away, and the long suffering shall haue an end.

³⁴But iudgement onely shall remaine, trueth shall stand, and faith shall waxe strong.

³⁵And the worke shall follow, and the reward shall be shewed, and the good deeds shall be of force, and wicked deeds shall beare no rule.

³⁶Then said I, Abraham prayed first for the Sodomites, and Moses for the fathers that sinned in the wildernesse:³⁶

³⁷And Iesus after him for Israel in the time of Achan,³⁷

³⁸And Samuel; and Dauid for the destruction: and Solomon for them that should come to the sanctuary.³⁸

³⁹And Helias for those that receiued raine, & for the dead that hee might liue.³⁹

⁴⁰And Ezechias for the people in the time of Sennacherib: and many for many.⁴⁰

⁴¹Euen so now seeing corruption is growen vp, and wickednesse increased, and the righteous haue prayed for the vngodly: wherefore shall it not be so now also?

⁴²He answered me and said, This present life is not the end where much glory doth abide; therefore haue they prayed for the weake.

⁴³But the day of doome shall be the end of this time, and the beginning of the immortality for to come, wherein corruption is past.

⁴⁴Intemperancie is at an end, infidelity is cut off, righteousnesse is growen, and trueth is sprung vp.

⁴⁵Then shall no man be able to saue him that is destroyed, nor to oppresse him that hath gotten the victory.

⁴⁶I answered then and said, This is my first and last saying; that it had beene better not to haue giuen the earth vnto Adam: or else when it was giuen him, to haue restrained him from sinning.

⁴⁷For what profit is it for men now in this present time to liue in heauinesse, and after death to looke for punishment?

⁴⁸O thou Adam, what hast thou done? for though it was thou that sinned, thou art not fallen alone, but we all that come of thee.⁴⁸

⁴⁹For what profit is it vnto vs, if there be promised vs an immortall time, wheras we haue done the works that bring death?

⁵⁰And that their is promised vs an euerlasting hope, whereas our selues being most wicked are made vaine?

⁵¹And that there are layd vp for vs dwellings of health and safety, whereas we haue liued wickedly?

⁵²And that the glory of the most high is kept to defend them which haue led a wary life, whereas we haue walked in the most wicked wayes of all?⁵²

⁵³And that there should be shewed a paradise whose fruite endureth for euer, wherein is securitie and medicine, sith we shall not enter into it?⁵³

⁵⁴For we haue walked in vnpleasant places.

⁵⁵And that the faces of them which haue vsed abstinence, shall shine aboue the starres, whereas our faces shall bee blacker then darkenesse?

⁵⁶For while we liued and committed iniquitie, we considered not that we should begin to suffer for it after death.

⁵⁷Then answered he me and saide, This is the condition of the battell, which man that is borne vpon the earth shall fight,⁵⁷

⁵⁸That if he be ouercome, he shall suffer as thou hast said, but if he get the victorie, he shall receiue the thing that I say.

⁵⁹For this is the life whereof Moses spake vnto the people while hee liued, saying, Choose thee life that thou mayest liue.⁵⁹

⁶⁰Neuerthelesse they beleeued not him, nor yet the prophets after him, no nor me which haue spoken vnto them,

⁶¹That there should not be such heauinesse in their destruction, as shall bee ioy ouer them that are perswaded to saluation.

⁶²I answered then and saide, I know, Lord, that the most Hie is called mercifull, in that he hath mercy vpon them, which are not yet come into the world,

⁶³And vpon those also that turne to his Law,

⁶⁴And that he is patient, and long suffereth those that haue sinned, as his creatures,⁶⁴

⁶⁵And that he is bountifull, for hee is ready to giue where it needeth,

⁶⁶And that is of great mercie, for he multiplieth more and more mercies to them that are present, and that are past, & also to them which are to come.

⁶⁷For if he shall not multiplie his mercies, the world would not continue with them that inherit therein.

⁶⁸And he pardoneth; for if hee did not so of his goodnesse, that they which haue committed iniquities might be eased of them, the ten thousand part of men should not remaine liuing.

⁶⁹And being Iudge, if he should not forgiue them that are cured with his word, and put out the multitude of contentions,⁶⁹

⁷⁰There should bee very fewe left peraduenture in an innumerable multitude.

Original 1611 KJV Sidenote References for 2 Esdras Chapter 7

⁷ Or, steepe place.
¹³ Or, greater
¹⁷ Deut.8.1.
³⁰ Or, first beginning.
³⁶ Gen.18. 13. , Exod.32. 11.
³⁷ Or, Archer.
³⁸ 2.Sam.24. 17. 2.chro. 6.14.
³⁹ 1.King.17 21. and 18. 42.45.
⁴⁰ 2.King. 19.15.
⁴⁸ Rom.5. 18.
⁵² Or, a chast life.
⁵³ Or, fulnes.
⁵⁷ Or, intent.
⁵⁹ Deut.30. 19.
⁶⁴ Rom.2.4.
⁶⁹ Or, created. , Or, contempts.

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

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2 Esdras

1611 King James Version (KJV)

II. ESDRAS. Chapter 7

(Original 1611 KJV Book of 2 Esdras)