1He said to me, ‘At the beginning of the circle of the earth, before6.1 Meaning of Lat uncertain: Compare Syr The beginning by the hand of humankind, but the end by my own hands. For as before the land of the world existed there, and before; Ethiop: At first by the Son of Man, and afterwards I myself. For before the earth and the lands were created, and before the portals of the world were in place, and before the assembled winds blew, 2and before the rumblings of thunder sounded, and before the flashes of lightning shone, and before the foundations of paradise were laid, 3and before the beautiful flowers were seen, and before the powers of movements6.3 Or earthquakes were established, and before the innumerable hosts of angels were gathered together, 4and before the heights of the air were lifted up, and before the measures of the firmaments were named, and before the footstool of Zion was established, 5and before the present years were reckoned and before the imaginations of those who now sin were estranged, and before those who stored up treasures of faith were sealed— 6then I planned these things, and they were made through me alone and not through another; just as the end shall come through me alone and not through another.’

The Dividing of the Times

7I answered and said, ‘What will be the dividing of the times? Or when will be the end of the first age and the beginning of the age that follows?’

8He said to me, ‘From Abraham to Isaac,6.8 Other ancient authorities read to Abraham because from him were born Jacob and Esau, for Jacob's hand held Esau's heel from the beginning. 9Now Esau is the end of this age, and Jacob is the beginning of the age that follows. 10The beginning of a person is the hand, and the end of a person is the heel;6.10 Syr: Meaning of Lat uncertain seek for nothing else, Ezra, between the heel and the hand, Ezra!’

More Signs of the End

11I answered and said, ‘O sovereign Lord, if I have found favour in your sight, 12show your servant the last of your signs of which you showed me a part on a previous night.’

13He answered and said to me, ‘Rise to your feet and you will hear a full, resounding voice. 14And if the place where you are standing is greatly shaken 15while the voice is speaking, do not be terrified; because the word concerns the end, and the foundations of the earth will understand 16that the speech concerns them. They will tremble and be shaken, for they know that their end must be changed.’

17When I heard this, I got to my feet and listened; a voice was speaking, and its sound was like the sound of mighty6.17 Lat many waters. 18It said, ‘The days are coming when I draw near to visit the inhabitants of the earth, 19and when I require from the doers of iniquity the penalty of their iniquity, and when the humiliation of Zion is complete. 20When the seal is placed upon the age that is about to pass away, then I will show these signs: the books shall be opened before the face of the firmament, and all shall see my judgement6.20 Syr: Lat lacks my judgement together. 21Children a year old shall speak with their voices, and pregnant women shall give birth to premature children at three and four months, and these shall live and leap about. 22Sown places shall suddenly appear unsown, and full storehouses shall suddenly be found to be empty; 23the trumpet shall sound aloud, and when all hear it, they shall suddenly be terrified. 24At that time friends shall make war on friends like enemies, the earth and those who inhabit it shall be terrified, and the springs of the fountains shall stand still, so that for three hours they shall not flow.

25‘It shall be that whoever remains after all that I have foretold to you shall be saved and shall see my salvation and the end of my world. 26And they shall see those who were taken up, who from their birth have not tasted death; and the heart of the earth's6.26 Syr Compare Ethiop Arab 1 Arm: Lat lacks earth's inhabitants shall be changed and converted to a different spirit. 27For evil shall be blotted out, and deceit shall be quenched; 28faithfulness shall flourish, and corruption shall be overcome, and the truth, which has been so long without fruit, shall be revealed.’

Conclusion of the Second Vision

29While he spoke to me, little by little the place where I was standing began to rock to and fro.6.29 Syr Ethiop Compare Arab Arm: Meaning of Lat uncertain 30And he said to me, ‘I have come to show you these things this night.6.30 Syr Compare Ethiop: Meaning of Lat uncertain 31If therefore you will pray again and fast again for seven days, I will again declare to you greater things than these,6.31 Syr Ethiop Arab 1 Arm: Lat adds by day 32because your voice has surely been heard by the Most High; for the Mighty One has seen your uprightness and has also observed the purity that you have maintained from your youth. 33Therefore he sent me to show you all these things, and to say to you: “Believe and do not be afraid! 34Do not be quick to think vain thoughts concerning the former times; then you will not act hastily in the last times.” ’

The Third Vision

35Now after this I wept again and fasted for seven days in the same way as before, in order to complete the three weeks that had been prescribed for me. 36Then on the eighth night my heart was troubled within me again, and I began to speak in the presence of the Most High. 37My spirit was greatly aroused, and my soul was in distress.

God's Work in Creation

38I said, ‘O Lord, you spoke at the beginning of creation, and said on the first day, “Let heaven and earth be made”, and your word accomplished the work. 39Then the spirit was blowing, and darkness and silence embraced everything; the sound of human voices was not yet there.6.39 Syr Ethiop: Lat was not yet from you 40Then you commanded a ray of light to be brought out from your store-chambers, so that your works could be seen.

41‘Again, on the second day, you created the spirit of the firmament, and commanded it to divide and separate the waters, so that one part might move upwards and the other part remain beneath.

42‘On the third day you commanded the waters to be gathered together in a seventh part of the earth; six parts you dried up and kept so that some of them might be planted and cultivated and be of service before you. 43For your word went forth, and at once the work was done. 44Immediately fruit came forth in endless abundance and of varied appeal to the taste, and flowers of inimitable colour, and odours of inexpressible fragrance. These were made on the third day.

45‘On the fourth day you commanded the brightness of the sun, the light of the moon, and the arrangement of the stars to come into being; 46and you commanded them to serve humankind, about to be formed.

47‘On the fifth day you commanded the seventh part, where the water had been gathered together, to bring forth living creatures, birds, and fishes; and so it was done. 48The dumb and lifeless water produced living creatures, as it was commanded, so that therefore the nations might declare your wondrous works.

49‘Then you kept in existence two living creatures;6.49 Syr Ethiop: Lat two souls one you called Behemoth6.49 Other Lat authorities read Enoch and the name of the other was Leviathan. 50And you separated one from the other, for the seventh part where the water had been gathered together could not hold them both. 51And you gave Behemoth6.51 Other Lat authorities read Enoch one of the parts that had been dried up on the third day, to live in it, where there are a thousand mountains; 52but to Leviathan you gave the seventh part, the watery part; and you have kept them to be eaten by whom you wish, and when you wish.

53‘On the sixth day you commanded the earth to bring forth before you cattle, wild animals, and creeping things; 54and over these you placed Adam, as ruler over all the works that you had made; and from him we have all come, the people whom you have chosen.

Why Do God's People Suffer?

55‘All this I have spoken before you, O Lord, because you have said that it was for us that you created this world.6.55 Syr Ethiop Arab 2: Lat the firstborn world Compare Arab 1 first world 56As for the other nations that have descended from Adam, you have said that they are nothing, and that they are like spittle, and you have compared their abundance to a drop from a bucket. 57And now, O Lord, these nations, which are reputed to be as nothing, domineer over us and devour us. 58But we your people, whom you have called your firstborn, only-begotten, zealous for you,6.58 Meaning of Lat uncertain and most dear, have been given into their hands. 59If the world has indeed been created for us, why do we not possess our world as an inheritance? How long will this be so?’