1   Thus saith the Lorde, I brought this people out of bondage: I gaue them also my commaundements by my seruants the Prophets, whom they woulde not heare, but despised my counsels.

2   The mother that bare them, saith vnto them, Goe you away, O children: for I am a widowe and forsaken.

3   I brought you vp with gladnes, but with sorowe and heauinesse haue I lost you: for ye haue sinned against the Lorde your God, and done the thing that displeaseth him.

4   But what shall I nowe doe vnto you? I am a widowe and forsaken: go ye, O my children, and aske mercie of the Lorde.

5   And thee, O Father, I call for a witnesse for the mother of these children, which woulde not keepe my couenant,

6   That thou bring them to confusion, and their mother to a spoyle, that their kindred be not continued.

7   Let their names be scattered among the heathen: let them be put out of the earth, for they haue despised my couenant.

8   Woe vnto thee, Assur: for thou hidest the

vnrighteous in thee: O wicked people, remember ^note what I did vnto Sodom and Gomorrha,

9   Whose lande is mixed with cloudes of pitch and heapes of ashes: so will I doe vnto them, that heare me not, saith the Almightie Lorde.

10   Thus saith the Lorde vnto Esdras, Tell my people, that I will giue them the kingdome of Ierusalem, which I would haue giuen vnto Israel.

11   And I will get me glorie by them, and giue them the euerlasting tabernacles, which I had prepared for those.

12   They shall haue at will the tree of life, smelling of ointment: they shall neither labour nor be wearie.

13   Goe ye, and ye shall receiue it: pray that the time, which is long, may be shortened: the kingdome is alreadie prepared for you: watch.

14   Take heauen and earth to witnesse: for I haue abolished the euill, and created the good: for I liue, saith the Lorde.

15   Mother, embrace thy children, and bring them vp with gladnesse: make their feete as fast as a piller: for I haue chosen thee, saith the Lorde.

16   And those that be dead, will I raise vp 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 Lorde.

18   I will sende thee my seruants Esay and Ieremie to helpe thee, by whose counsell I haue sanctified and prepared for thee twelue trees laden with diuers fruites,

19   And as many fountaines, flowing with milke and honie, and seuen mightie mountaines, whereupon there growe roses and lilies, whereby I will fil thy children with ioy.

20   Execute iustice for the widowe: iudge the cause of the fatherlesse: giue to the poore: defend the fatherlesse: clothe the naked.

21   Heale the wounded, and sicke: laugh not a lame man to scorne: defende the creeple, and let the blinde come into the light of my cleerenes.

22   Keepe the olde and the yong that are within thy walles.

23    ^noteWheresoeuer 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 rest: for thy quietnesse shall come.

25   Nourish thy children, O thou good nurce: stablish their feete.

26   None of the seruants that I haue giuen thee, shall perish: for I will seeke them from among thy number.

27   Be not weary: for when the day of trouble & heauinesse commeth, other shal weepe & be sorowfull, but thou shalt be mery and haue abundance.

28   The heathen shall enuie thee, and shall doe nothing against thee, sayth the Lord.

29   Mine hands shall couer thee, so that thy children shall not see hell.

30   Be ioyful, O thou mother, with thy children: for I will deliuer thee, sayth the Lord.

31   Remember thy children that sleepe: for I will bring them out of the sides of the earth, and will shew mercy vnto them: For I am mercifull, saith the Lord almightie.

32   Embrace thy children, vntil I come and shew mercie vnto them: for my fountaines runne ouer, and my grace shall not faile.

33   I Esdras receiued a charge of the Lord vpon the mount Horeb, that I should goe vnto them of Israel, but when I came to them, they cast me off, and despised the commandement of the Lord.

34   And therefore I say vnto you, O yee heathen, that heare and vnderstande, Wayte for your shepheard, who shall giue you euerlasting rest: for hee is neere at hande, that shall come in the ende of the worlde.

35   Be readie to the rewarde of the kingdome: for the euerlasting light shall shine vpon you for euermore.

36   Flee the shadowe of this world: receiue the ioy of your glorie: I testifie my Sauiour openly.

37   Receiue the gift that is giuen you, and bee glad, giuing thankes vnto him, that hath called you to the heauenly kingdome.

38   Arise, and stand vp, and beholde the number of those that are sealed for the feast of the Lord,

39   Which are departed from the shadow of the worlde, and haue receiued glorious garments of the Lorde.

40   Take thy number, O Sion, and shut vp them that are clothed in white, which haue fulfilled the Law of the Lord.

41   The number of thy children whome thou longest for, is fulfilled: beseeche the power of the Lord, that thy people which haue bene called from the beginning, may be sanctified.

42    ^noteI Esdras saw vpon mount Sion a great people whome I could not number, and they all praysed the Lord with songs.

43   And in the middes of them there was a yong man hier in stature then them all, and vpon euery one of their heads he set crownes, & was hier then the others, which I much marueiled at.

44   So I asked the Angell, and sayde, Who are these, my Lord?

45   Who answered, and saide vnto me, These be they, that haue put off the mortall clothing, and haue put on the immortall, and haue confessed the Name of God: now are they crowned, and receiue the palmes.

46   Then saide I vnto the Angell, What yong man is it, that setteth crownes on them, and giueth them the palmes in their hands?

47   And he answered, and said vnto me, It is the Sonne of God, whome they haue confessed in the worlde. Then began I greatly to commend them, that had stand so strongly for þe; Name of the Lord.

48   Then the Angel said vnto me, Goe thy way, and tell my people, what, and how great wonders of the Lord God thou hast seene.

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