2 Esdras 12

1 And it came to pass whiles the lion spake these words unto the eagle I saw

2 And behold the head that remained and the four wings appeared no more and the two went unto it and set themselves up to reign and their kingdom was small and fill of uproar

3 And I saw and behold they appeared no more and the whole body of the eagle was burnt so that the earth was in great fear then awaked I out of the trouble and trance of my mind and from great fear and said unto my spirit

4 Lo this hast thou done unto me in that thou searchest out the ways of the Highest

5 Lo yet am I weary in my mind and very weak in my spirit and little strength is there in me for the great fear wherewith I was afflicted this night

6 Therefore will I now beseech the Highest that he will comfort me unto the end

7 And I said Lord that bearest rule if I have found grace before thy sight and if I am justified with thee before many others and if my prayer indeed be come up before thy face

8 Comfort me then and shew me thy servant the interpretation and plain difference of this fearful vision that thou mayest perfectly comfort my soul

9 For thou hast judged me worthy to shew me the last times

10 And he said unto me This is the interpretation of the vision

11 The eagle whom thou sawest come up from the sea is the kingdom which was seen in the vision of thy brother Daniel

12 But it was not expounded unto him therefore now I declare it unto thee

13 Behold the days will come that there shall rise up a kingdom upon earth and it shall be feared above all the kingdoms that were before it

14 In the same shall twelve kings reign one after another

15 Whereof the second shall begin to reign and shall have more time than any of the twelve

16 And this do the twelve wings signify which thou sawest

17 As for the voice which thou heardest speak and that thou sawest not to go out from the heads but from the midst of the body thereof this is the interpretation

18 That after the time of that kingdom there shall arise great strivings and it shall stand in peril of failing nevertheless it shall not then fall but shall be restored again to his beginning

19 And whereas thou sawest the eight small under feathers sticking to her wings this is the interpretation

20 That in him there shall arise eight kings whose times shall be but small and their years swift

21 And two of them shall perish the middle time approaching four shall be kept until their end begin to approach but two shall be kept unto the end

22 And whereas thou sawest three heads resting this is the interpretation

23 In his last days shall the most High raise up three kingdoms and renew many things therein and they shall have the dominion of the earth

24 And of those that dwell therein with much oppression above all those that were before them therefore are they called the heads of the eagle

25 For these are they that shall accomplish his wickedness and that shall finish his last end

26 And whereas thou sawest that the great head appeared no more it signifieth that one of them shall die upon his bed and yet with pain

27 For the two that remain shall be slain with the sword

28 For the sword of the one shall devour the other but at the last shall he fall through the sword himself

29 And whereas thou sawest two feathers under the wings passing over the head that is on the right side

30 It signifieth that these are they whom the Highest hath kept unto their end this is the small kingdom and full of trouble as thou sawest

31 And the lion whom thou sawest rising up out of the wood and roaring and speaking to the eagle and rebuking her for her unrighteousness with all the words which thou hast heard

32 This is the anointed which the Highest hath kept for them and for their wickedness unto the end he shall reprove them and shall upbraid them with their cruelty

33 For he shall set them before him alive in judgment and shall rebuke them and correct them

34 For the rest of my people shall he deliver with mercy those that have been pressed upon my borders and he shall make them joyful until the coming of the day of judgment whereof I have spoken unto thee from the beginning

35 This is the dream that thou sawest and these are the interpretations

36 Thou only hast been meet to know this secret of the Highest

37 Therefore write all these things that thou hast seen in a book and hide them

38 And teach them to the wise of the people whose hearts thou knowest may comprehend and keep these secrets

39 But wait thou here thyself yet seven days more that it may be shewed thee whatsoever it pleaseth the Highest to declare unto thee And with that he went his way

40 And it came to pass when all the people saw that the seven days were past and I not come again into the city they gathered them all together from the least unto the greatest and came unto me and said

41 What have we offended thee and what evil have we done against thee that thou forsakest us and sittest here in this place

42 For of all the prophets thou only art left us as a cluster of the vintage and as a candle in a dark place and as a haven or ship preserved from the tempest

43 Are not the evils which are come to us sufficient

44 If thou shalt forsake us how much better had it been for us if we also had been burned in the midst of Sion

45 For we are not better than they that died there And they wept with a loud voice Then answered I them and said

46 Be of good comfort O Israel and be not heavy thou house of Jacob

47 For the Highest hath you in remembrance and the Mighty hath not forgotten you in temptation

48 As for me I have not forsaken you neither am I departed from you but am come into this place to pray for the desolation of Sion and that I might seek mercy for the low estate of your sanctuary

49 And now go your way home every man and after these days will I come unto you

50 So the people went their way into the city like as I commanded them

51 But I remained still in the field seven days as the angel commanded me and did eat only in those days of the flowers of the field and had my meat of the herbs