1   And when I had made an ende of these wordes, there was sent vnto me an Angel, which had bene sent downe to me the nightes afore.

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

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

4   But presuppose that the entrance thereof were narrow, and like the riuers,

5   Who could go into the sea to looke vpon it, and to rule it? if he went not thorowe the narowe, howe could he come into the broad?

6   There is also another thing: a citie is builded and set vpon a broad fielde, and is full of all good things:

7   The entrance thereof is narrowe and in a dangerous place to fall, that there is fire at the right hand, and a deepe water at the left,

8   And there is but one path betwixt them, euen betweene the fire and the water, so that there could but one man go there.

9   If this citie were giuen vnto a man for an inheritance, if he neuer went thorowe the perill before it, how could he receiue his inheritance?

10   And I sayd, It is so, Lord. Then sayd he, So is the portion of Israel.

11   Surely for their sakes haue I made the world: and when Adam transgressed my statutes, then came this thing to passe.

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

13   For the entrances of the fore worlde were wide and sure, and brought immortall fruite.

14   If then they that are liuing, labour not to enter by these straight and brittle things, they can not attaine to those things that are hid.

15   Why then disquietest thou thy selfe, seeing thou art corruptible? and why art thou moued, seeing thou art mortall?

16   And why hast thou not considered in thy minde the things to come, rather then them that are present?

17   Then said I, O Lord, Lord, ^note seeing thou hast ordeined in thy Law, that the righteous should inherite these things, and that the vngodly should perish,

18   Should the righteous suffer straitnes in hoping for large things? yet they that haue liued vngodly and suffered straitnes, shall not see the large things.

19   Then he sayd vnto me, There is no iudge more iust then God, and there is none more wise then the most High.

20   For many perish in this life, because they despise the Lawe of God that is appointed.

21   For God hath diligently admonished such as came, so oft as they came, what they should doe to haue life, and what they should obserue, to auoyde punishment.

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

23   And deceiued them selues by their wicked deedes, and denyed the power of the most High, and regarded not his wayes.

24   But they despised his Law, & refused his promises: they haue vnfaithfully broken his ordinances, and haue not perfourmed his workes.

25   And therefore, Esdras, vnto the emptie are emptie things, and to the full, full things.

26   Beholde, the time shall come, that these tokens which I haue tolde thee, shall come to passe, and the bride shall appeare, & she shall come forth, and be seene that nowe is vnder the earth.

27   And whosoeuer shall escape these euils, he shall see my wonders.

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

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

30   And the world shalbe turned into the olde silence for seuen dayes, as in the fore iudgements, so that no man shall remaine.

31   But after seuen dayes, the worlde that is yet a sleepe, shall be raised vp: and that shall die, that is corrupt.

32   Then the earth shall restore those that haue slept in her, and so shall the dust those that dwell therein in silence, and the secret places shall deliuer the soules that were committed vnto them.

33   And the most High shall appeare vpon the seate of iudgement, and miseries shall vanish away, and long suffering shall haue an ende.

34   Iustice onely shall continue: the trueth shal remaine, and faith shalbe strong.

35   The worke shal follow, & the reward shalbe shewed: the good deedes shalbe of force, and vnrighteousnes shall beare no more rule.

36   Then sayd I, ^note Abraham prayed first for the Sodomites, and ^note Moyses for the fathers that sinned in the wildernes,

37   And they that came after him, for Israel in the time of Achaz, and Samuel,

38   And ^note Dauid for the destruction, ^note and Salomon for them that came into the Sanctuarie,

39    ^noteAnd Elias for those that receiued raine, and for the dead that he might liue,

40    ^noteAnd Ezechias for the people in the time of Sennacherib, and diuers others for many.

41   Euen so now, seeing vice is increased, & wickednes aboundeth, and the righteous haue prayed for the vngodly, wherefore shall not the same effect followe also nowe?

42   Then he answered me, and sayd, This present life is not the ende: oft times honour is reteined in it: therefore haue they prayed for the weake.

43   But the day of iudgement shall be the ende of this world, and the beginning of the immortalitie to come, wherein all corruption shall cease.

44   Intemperancie shall passe away: infidelitie shall be cut off: righteousnes shall growe vp, and the veritie shall spring vp.

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

46   I answered then, and said, This is my first and last saying, that it had bene better not to haue giuen the earth vnto Adam, or when it was giuen him, to haue kept him that hee should not haue sinned.

47   For what profite is it for men in this present life to be in heauinesse, and after death to feare punishment?

48   O Adam, what hast thou done? ^note for in that that thou hast sinned, thou art not fallen alone, but the fall also redoundeth vnto vs that come of thee.

49   For what profite is it vnto vs, if there be promised an immortall life, when we doe the works that bring death?

50   And that an euerlasting hope should be promised vs, seeing that we be tied our selues to deadly vanitie?

51   And that there shoulde be appointed vs dwellings of health and safetie, if we haue liued wickedly?

52   And that the glory of the most High should be kept to defend them which haue led a patient life, if we haue walked in the wicked wayes?

53   And that an eternal Paradise should be shewed, whose fruite remaineth incorruptible, wherein is safetie and health, if we wil not enter into it?

54   (For we haue bene conuersant in vnpleasant places)

55   And that the faces of them, which haue absteined, should shine more then starres, if our faces be blacker then darkenes?

56   For while we liued, we did not remember when we did vnrighteously, that we should suffer after death.

57   Then answered he me, and sayd, This is the maner of the battell, which man, that is borne in the earth shall fight,

58   That if he be ouercome, he should suffer as thou hast sayd: but if he get the victorie, he should receiue the thing that I sayd.

59   For this is the life, whereof Moyses spake vnto the people, while he liued, saying, ^note Chuse thee life that thou mayest liue.

60   Neuertheles, they beleeued him not, neither the Prophets after him, nor me also which haue sayd vnto them,

61   That heauinesse should not so be to their destruction, as ioy should come vnto them, to whome saluation is perswaded.

62   I answered then, and sayd, I know, Lord, that the most High is called mercifull, in that he hath mercie vpon them, which are not yet come to that world,

63   And that he hath pitie on those that walke in his Lawe,

64   And that ^note he is pacient: for he long suffereth those that haue sinned as his creatures,

65   And that he is liberal: for he wil giue as much as needeth,

66   And that he is of great mercie: for hee ouercommeth in mercie those that are present, and that are past, and them which are to come.

67   For if he were not aboundant in his mercies, the world coulde not continue, nor they that haue the possession thereof.

68   Hee pardoneth also: for if he gaue not of his goodnesse, that they which haue done euil, might be relieued from their wickednesse, the tenne thousand part of men should not remaine aliue.

69   And if he, being iudge, forgaue not those that be healed with his worde, and tooke away the multitude of sinnes,

70   There should peraduenture be very fewe left in an vnnumerable multitude.

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