1   And hee answered mee, saying, The most High made this worlde for many, but the worlde to come for fewe.

2   I wil tell thee a similitude, O Esdras. As when thou askest the earth, it shall say vnto thee, that it giueth much earthly matter to make pottes, but litle dust that golde commeth of, so is it with the worke of this world.

3    ^noteThere be many created, but fewe shall bee saued.

4   Then answered I, and saide, Then swallow vp the wit, O my soule, and deuoure vnderstanding.

5   For thou hast promised to heare, & thou wilt prophesie: for thou hast no longer space, but the life giuen thee.

6   O Lord, if thou suffer not thy seruant, that we may intreate thee, that thou maiest giue seede vnto our heart, and prepare our vnderstanding, that there may come fruite of it, whereby euery one which is corrupt, may liue, who can set himselfe for man?

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

8   For when the body is fashioned nowe in the wombe, and thou hast giuen it members, the creature is preserued by fire and water, and the worke, created by thee, doth suffer nine monethes the creature, which is fashioned in it.

9   But the thing that conteineth, and that which is conteined, shall both be preserued, and when time is come, the wombe, being preserued, deliuereth the things that grewe in it.

10   For thou hast commanded the members, euen the breastes, to giue milke vnto the fruite appointed to the breastes,

11   That the thing, which is created, may be nourished for a time, till thou disposest it to thy mercie.

12   Thou bringest it vp with thy righteousnesse, nourturest it in thy lawe, and reformest it with thy iudgement.

13   Thou slayest it as thy creature, and giuest it life as thy worke.

14   Seeing then that thou destroyest him, which with so great labours is fashioned, it is an easie thing to appoint by thy commaundement, that the thing also which is made, might be preserued.

15   Now therefore, O Lord, I wil speake (as touching men in general thou shalt rather prouide) but concerning thy people, for whose sake I am sorie,

16   And for thine inheritance for whose cause I mourne: for Israel, for whome I am wofull, and for Iacob, for whose sake I am grieued.

17   For them will I pray before thee, as well for my selfe, as for them: for I see our faultes that dwell in the lande.

18   ¶2; But I haue heard the sudden comming of the iudge, which is to come.

19   Therefore heare my voyce, & vnderstand my wordes, which I wil speake before thee. The beginning of the words of Esdras, before he was taken vp.

20   O Lord, that liuest for euer, which beholdest from aboue that which is aboue, and in the ayre,

21   Whose throne is inestimable, and his glory incomprehensible, before whome the hoste of the Angels stand with trembling,

22   Whose keeping is turned in winde and fire, whose word is true, and sayings stedfast, whose commandement is strong, and gouernment terrible,

23   Whose looke drieth vp the depthes, & wrath maketh the mountaines to melt away as the thing beareth witnesse.

24   Heare the prayer of thy seruant, and receiue into thine eares the petition of thy creature.

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

26   Looke not vpon the sinnes of thy people, rather then thy faithfull seruants.

27   Haue not respect vnto the wicked deedes of men, rather then to them that haue thy testimonies in afflictions.

28   Thinke not vpon those that haue walked fainedly before thee, but remember them that reuerence thy will.

29   Let it not be thy will to destroy them, which haue liued like beastes, but looke vpon them that haue clearely taught thy Lawe.

30   Take not displeasure with them, which appeare worse then beastes, but loue them that alway put their trust in thy righteousnesse and glory.

31   For wee and our fathers haue all the same sickenesse: but because of vs that are sinners, thou shalt be called mercifull.

32   If therefore thou wilt haue mercy vpon vs, thou shalt bee called mercifull towardes vs which haue no workes of righteousnesse.

33   For the righteous, which haue layde vp many good workes, let them receiue the rewarde of their owne deedes.

34   But what is man, that thou shouldest take displeasure at him? or what is this mortall generation, that thou shouldest be so grieued towardes it?

35    ^noteFor verely there is no man among them that be borne, but he hath done wickedly, nor any that doth c&obar;fesse thee, which hath not done amisse.

36   For in this, O Lord, thy righteousnes and thy goodnes shall be praised, if thou bee mercifull vnto them, which haue not þe; substance of good workes.

37   ¶2; Then answered he me, & said, Some things hast thou spoken aright, and according vnto thy wordes it shall be.

38   For I will not verely consider the workes of them, before the death, before the iudgement, before destruction:

39   But ^note I will reioyce in the wayes of the righteous, and I wil remember the pilgrimage, the saluation and the reward that they shall haue.

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

41   For as the husbandman soweth much seede vpon the ground, and planteth many trees, and yet alway the thing that is sowen, commeth not vp in time, neither yet doth all that is planted, take roote: so neither shall they all that are brought into the world, be saued.

42   I answered then and saide, If I haue founde grace, let me speake.

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

44   So perisheth man, which is created with thine handes, and thou art called his paterne, because he is created to thine image, for whose sake thou hast made all things, and likened him vnto the husbandmans seede.

45   Be not wroth with vs, O Lord, but spare thy people, and haue mercie vpon thine inheritance: for thou wilt be mercifull vnto thy creature.

46   Then answered he mee, and saide, The things present are for the present, and the thinges to come for such as be to come.

47   For thou art farre off that thou shouldest loue my creature aboue mee: but I haue oft times drawen neere vnto thee and vnto it, but neuer to the vnrighteous.

48   In this also thou art marueilous before the Highest,

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

50   For many miseries and calamities remaine for them that shall liue in the latter time, because they shall walke in great pride.

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

52   For vnto you is paradise opened: the tree of life is planted: the time to come is prepared, plenteousnes made ready: the citie is builded, and rest is prepared, perfect goodnesse and absolute wisdome.

53   The roote of euill is sealed vp from you: the weakenes and moth is destroyed from you, and into hell flieth corruption to be forgotten.

54   Sorowes are vanished away, and in the ende is shewed the treasure of immortalitie.

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

56   For when they had libertie, they despised the most High: they contemned his lawe and forsooke his wayes.

57   Moreouer, they haue troden downe his righteous,

58    ^noteSaying in their heart, that there was no God, though they knew that they should die.

59   For as þe; thing that I haue spoken of, is made readie for you: so is thirst and paine prepared for them: for God would not that man should perish:

60   But they, after that they were created, haue defiled þe; Name of him that made them, & are vnthankefull vnto him, which prepared life for them.

61   Therefore my iudgement is now at hand.

62   These thinges haue I not shewed vnto all men, but vnto thee, and to a fewe like thee: then I answered, and said,

63   Beholde now, O Lord: thou hast shewed me the many wonders, which thou art determined to doe in the last time, but in what time, thou hast not shewed me.

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