2Esdr 12:1 And it came to pass, whiles the lion
spake these words unto the eagle, I saw,
2Esdr 12:2 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.
2Esdr 12:3 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,
2Esdr 12:4 Lo, this hast thou done unto me, in that thou searchest out the
ways of the Highest.
2Esdr 12:5 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.
2Esdr 12:6 Therefore will I now beseech the Highest, that he will comfort me
unto the end.
2Esdr 12:7 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;
2Esdr 12:8 Comfort me then, and shew me thy servant the interpretation and
plain difference of this fearful vision, that thou mayest perfectly comfort
my soul.
2Esdr 12:9 For thou hast judged me worthy to shew me the last times.
2Esdr 12:10 And he said unto me, This is the interpretation of the vision:
2Esdr 12:11 The eagle, whom thou sawest come up from the sea, is the kingdom
which was seen in the vision of thy brother Daniel.
2Esdr 12:12 But it was not expounded unto him, therefore now I declare it
unto thee.
2Esdr 12:13 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.
2Esdr 12:14 In the same shall twelve kings reign, one after another:
2Esdr 12:15 Whereof the second shall begin to reign, and shall have more
time than any of the twelve.
2Esdr 12:16 And this do the twelve wings signify, which thou sawest.
2Esdr 12:17 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:
2Esdr 12:18 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.
2Esdr 12:19 And whereas thou sawest the eight small under feathers sticking
to her wings, this is the interpretation:
2Esdr 12:20 That in him there shall arise eight kings, whose times shall be
but small, and their years swift.
2Esdr 12:21 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.
2Esdr 12:22 And whereas thou sawest three heads resting, this is the
interpretation:
2Esdr 12:23 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,
2Esdr 12:24 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.
2Esdr 12:25 For these are they that shall accomplish his wickedness, and
that shall finish his last end.
2Esdr 12:26 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.
2Esdr 12:27 For the two that remain shall be slain with the sword.
2Esdr 12:28 For the sword of the one shall devour the other: but at the last
shall he fall through the sword himself.
2Esdr 12:29 And whereas thou sawest two feathers under the wings passing
over the head that is on the right side;
2Esdr 12:30 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.
2Esdr 12:31 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;
2Esdr 12:32 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.
2Esdr 12:33 For he shall set them before him alive in judgment, and shall
rebuke them, and correct them.
2Esdr 12:34 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
the beginning.
2Esdr 12:35 This is the dream that thou sawest, and these are the
interpretations.
2Esdr 12:36 Thou only hast been meet to know this secret of the Highest.
2Esdr 12:37 Therefore write all these things that thou hast seen in a book,
and hide them:
2Esdr 12:38 And teach them to the wise of the people, whose hearts thou
knowest may comprehend and keep these secrets.
2Esdr 12:39 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.
2Esdr 12:40 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,
2Esdr 12:41 What have we offended thee? and what evil have we done against
thee, that thou forsakest us, and sittest here in this place?
2Esdr 12:42 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.
2Esdr 12:43 Are not the evils which are come to us sufficient?
2Esdr 12:44 If thou shalt forsake us, how much better had it been for us, if
we also had been burned in the midst of Sion?
2Esdr 12:45 For we are not better than they that died there. And they wept
with a loud voice. Then answered I them, and said,
2Esdr 12:46 Be of good comfort, O Israel; and be not heavy, thou house of
Jacob:
2Esdr 12:47 For the Highest hath you in remembrance, and the Mighty hath not
forgotten you in temptation.
2Esdr 12:48 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.
2Esdr 12:49 And now go your way home every man, and after these days will I
come unto you.
2Esdr 12:50 So the people went their way into the city, like as I commanded
them:
2Esdr 12:51 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