1Nevertheless as concerning the tokens, behold, the days shall come, that they which dwell upon earth shall be taken ³⁴with great amazement, and the way of truth shall be hidden, and the land shall be barren of faith.

2But iniquity shall be increased above that which now thou seest, or that thou hast heard long ago.

3And the land, that thou seest now to have rule, shall be waste and ³⁵untrodden, and men shall see it desolate.

4But if the Most High grant thee to live, thou shalt see that which is after the third kingdom to be troubled; and the sun shall suddenly shine forth in the night, and the moon in the day:

5and blood shall drop out of wood, and the stone shall give his voice, and the peoples shall be troubled; and ³⁶their goings shall be changed:

6and he shall rule, whom they that dwell upon the earth look not for, and the fowls shall take their flight away together:

7and the Sodomitish sea shall cast out fish, and make a noise in the night, which many have not known: but all shall hear the voice thereof.

8There shall be chaos also in many places, and the fire shall be oft sent out, and the wild beasts shall change their places, and women shall bring forth monsters:

9and salt waters shall be found in the sweet, and all friends shall destroy one another; then shall wit hide itself, and understanding withdraw itself into its chamber;

10and it shall be sought of many, and shall not be found: and unrighteousness and incontinency shall be multiplied upon earth.

11One land also shall ask another, and say, Is righteousness, is a man that doeth righteousness, gone through thee? And it shall say, No.

12And it shall come to pass at that time that men shall hope, but shall not obtain: they shall labour, but their ways shall not prosper.

13To shew thee such tokens I have leave; and if thou wilt pray again, and weep as now, and fast seven days, thou shalt hear yet greater things than these.

14Then I awaked, and an extreme trembling went through my body, and my mind was troubled, so that it fainted.

15So the angel that was come to talk with me held me, comforted me, and set me up upon my feet.

16And in the second night it came to pass, that ³⁷Phaltiel the captain of the people came unto me, saying, Where hast thou been? and why is thy countenance sad?

17or knowest thou not that Israel is committed unto thee in the land of their captivity?

18Up then, and eat some bread, and forsake us not, as the shepherd that leaveth in the hands of cruel wolves.

19Then said I unto him, Go thy ways from me, and come not nigh me for seven days, and then shalt thou come unto me. And he heard what I said, and went from me.

20And so I fasted seven days, mourning and weeping, like as Uriel the angel commanded me.

21And after seven days, so it was, that the thoughts of my heart were very grievous unto me again,

22and my soul recovered the spirit of understanding, and I began to speak words before the Most High again,

23and said, O Lord that bearest rule, of all the woods of the earth, and of all the trees thereof, thou hast chosen thee one vine:

24and of all the lands of the world thou hast chosen thee one ³⁸country: and of all the flowers of the world thou hast chosen thee one lily:

25and of all the depths of the sea thou hast filled thee one river: and of all builded cities thou hast hallowed Sion unto thyself:

26and of all the fowls that are created thou hast named thee one dove: and of all the cattle that are made thou hast provided thee one sheep:

27and among all the multitudes of peoples thou hast gotten thee one people: and unto this people, whom thou lovedst, thou gavest a law that is approved of all.

28And now, O Lord, why hast thou given this one people over unto many, and ³⁹hast dishonoured the one root above others, and hast scattered thine only one among many?

29And they which did gainsay thy promises have trodden them down that believed thy covenants.

30If thou dost so much hate thy people, they should be punished with thine own hands.

31Now when I had spoken these words, the angel that came to me the night afore was sent unto me,

32and said unto me, Hear me, and I will instruct thee; hearken unto me, and I shall tell thee more.

33And I said, Speak on, my Lord. Then said he unto me, Thou art sore troubled in mind for Israel’s sake: lovest thou that people better than he that made them?

34And I said, No, Lord: but of very grief have I spoken: for my reins torment me every hour, while I labour to comprehend the way of the Most High, and to seek out part of his judgement.

35And he said unto me, Thou canst not. And I said, Wherefore, Lord, or whereunto was I born? or why was not my mother’s womb then my grave, that I might not have seen the travail of Jacob, and the wearisome toil of the stock of Israel?

36And he said unto me, Number me them that are not yet come, gather me together the drops that are scattered abroad, make me the flowers green again that are withered,

37open me the chambers that are closed, and bring me forth the winds that in them are shut up, or shew me the image of a voice: and then I will declare to thee the travail that thou askest to see.

38And I said, O Lord that bearest rule, who may know these things, but he that hath not his dwelling with men?

39As for me, I am unwise: how may I then speak of these things whereof thou askest me?

40Then said he unto me, Like as thou canst do none of these things that I have spoken of, even so canst thou not find out my judgement, or the end of the love that I have promised unto my people.

41And I said, But, lo, O Lord, thou hast made the promise unto them that be in the end: and what shall they do that have been before us, or we that be now, or they that shall come after us?

42And he said unto me, I will liken my judgement unto a ring: like as there is no slackness of them that be last, even so there is no swiftness of them that be first.

43So I answered and said, Couldest thou not make them to be at once that have been made, and that be now, and that are for to come; that thou mightest shew thy judgment the sooner?

44Then answered he me, and said, The creature may not haste above the creator; neither may the world hold them at once that shall be created therein.

45And I said, How hast thou said unto thy servant, that ⁴⁰thou wilt surely make alive at once the creature that thou hast created? ⁴¹If therefore they shall be alive at once, and the creature shall sustain them: even so it might now also support them to be present at once.

46And he said unto me, Ask the womb of a woman, and say unto her, If thou bringest forth ten children, why doest thou it at several times? pray her therefore to bring forth ten children at once.

47And I said, she cannot: but must do it by distance of time.

48Then said he unto me, Even so have I given the womb of the earth to those that be sown therein in their several times.

49For like as a young child may not bring forth, neither she that is grown old bring forth any more, even so have I disposed the world which I created.

50And I asked, and said, Seeing thou hast now shewed me the way, I will speak before thee: Is our mother, of whom thou hast told me, still young? or doth she now draw nigh unto age?

51He answered me, and said, Ask a woman that beareth children, and she shall tell thee.

52Say unto her, wherefore are not they whom thou hast now brought forth like those that were before, but less of stature?

53And she also shall answer thee, They that be born in the strength of youth are of one fashion, and they that are born in the time of age, when the womb faileth, are otherwise.

54Consider therefore thou also, how that ye are less of stature than those that were before you.

55And so are they that come after you less than ye, as born of the creature which now beginneth to be old, and is past the strength of youth.

56Then said I, Lord, I beseech thee, if I have found favor in thy sight, shew thy servant by whom thou visitest thy creature.