The Bible and Holy Scriptures conteyned in the Olde and Newe Testament. Translated according to the Ebrue and Greke, and conferred with the best translations in diuers languges. VVith moste profitable annotations vpon all the hard places, and other things of great importance as may appeare in the epistle to the reader

CHAP. VIII.

1 The nomber of the godlie is smale. 6 The workes of God are excellent. 〈◊〉〈◊〉 Esdras prayerfor him and for his people. 39 The promes of 〈◊〉〈◊〉 to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 55 The destruction of the 〈◊〉〈◊〉.

1 ANd he answered me, saying, The most High made this worlde for manie, but the worlde to come for fewe.

2 I wil tel thee a similitude, o Esdras As when thou as kest the earth, it shal say vnto thee, that it gineth muche earthlie matter to ma∣ke pottes, but litle dust that golde cometh of, so is it with the worke of this worlde.

3 * There be manie created, but fewe shalbe saued.

4 Then answered I and said, Then swalowe vp the wit, ö my soule, and deuoure vnder∣standing.

5 For thou hast promised to heare, and thou wilt prophecie: for thou hast no longer spa∣ce, but the life giuen thee.

6 O Lord, if 〈◊〉〈◊〉 suffer not thy seruant, that we may intreat thee, that thou maist giue se∣de vnto our heart, & prepare our vnderstan∣ding, that there may come frute of it, where∣by euerie one which is corrupt, may liue, who can set him self for man?

7 For thou art alone, & we all are one worke man 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of thine hands, as thou hast said.

8 For when the bodie is facioned now in the wombe, and thou 〈◊〉〈◊〉 giuen it members, thy creatures is preserued by fyre and 〈◊〉〈◊〉, and the worke created by thee, doeth suffer nine moneths the creature, which is facio∣ned in it.

9 But the thing that cōteineth, & that which is conteined, shal bothe be preserued, & whē time is come, the wombe, being preserued, deliuereth the things that grewe in it.

10 For thou hast comman 〈◊〉〈◊〉 the members, euē 〈◊〉〈◊〉 breasts, to giue milke vnto the frute appointed to the 〈◊〉〈◊〉,

11 That the thing, which is created may be nourished for a time, 〈◊〉〈◊〉 thou dispolest it to thy mercie.

12 Thou bringest it vp with thy righteousnes,

nurturest it in thy Law, and reformest it with thy iudgement.

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

14 Seing then that thou destroyest him, which with so great labours is facioned, it is an ea∣sie thing to appoint by thy commandement that the thing also which is made, might be preserued.

15 Now therefore, ô Lord, I wilspeake [as tou ching men in general thou shalt rather pro∣uide] 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 woful, and for Iacob, for whose sake I am grieued.

17 For them wil I pray before thee, aswel for my self, as for them: for I se our fautes that dwelt in the land.

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

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

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

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

22 Whose keping is turned in winde and fyre, whose worde is true, and sayings sted fast, whose commandement is strong, and gouer∣nement terrible,

23 Whose loke dryeth vp the depths, & wrath maketh the mountaines to melt away as the thing beareth witnes.

24 Heare the prayer of thy seruant, and re∣ceiue into thine eares the peticion of thy creature.

25 For while I liue, I wil speake, and so long as I haue vnderstanding, I wil answer.

26 Loke not vpon the sinnes of thy people, ra∣ther then thy faithful seruants.

27 Haue not respect vnto the wicked dedes of men, rather then to them that haue thy testi∣monies in afflictions.

28 Thinke not vpon those that haue walked fainedly before thee, but remember thē that reuetence thy wil.

29 Let it not be thy wil to destroye thē, which haue liued like beasts, but loke vpon them that haue clearly taught thy Law.

30 Take not displeasure with them, which ap∣peare worse then beasts, but loue them, that alway put their trust in thy righteousnes and glorie.

31 For we and our fathers haue all the same sic∣knes: but because of vs that are sinners, thou shalt be called merciful.

32 If therefore thou wilt haue mercie vpon vs, thou shalt be called merciful towardes vs which haue no workes of righteousnes.

33 For the righteous, which haue laid vp manie good workes, let them receiue the rewarde of their owne dedes.

34 But what is man, that thou shuldest take dis∣pleasure at him? or what is this mortal gene∣racion, that thou shuldest be so grieued to∣wards it?

35 * For verely there is no man among thē that be borne, but he hathe done wickedly, nor anie that doeth confesse thee, which hathe not done amisse.

36 For in this, ô Lord, thy righteousnes & thy goodnes shalbe praised, if thou be merciful vnto them, which 〈◊〉〈◊〉 not the substance of good workes.

37 ¶ Thē answered he me, & said, Some things hast thou spoken a right, and according vntó thy wordes it shalbe.

38 For I wil not verely consider the workes of thē, before the death, before the iudgement before destruction:

39 But * I wil reioyce in the wayes of the righ∣teous, and I wil remember the pilgrimage, the saluation and the rewarde that they shal haue.

40 Like as I haue spoken now, so shal it come to passe.

41 For as the housband mā soweth much syde vpon the grounde, & planteth many trees, & yet alway the thing that is sowen, cometh not vp in time, nether yet doeth all that is plā ted, take roote: so nether shal thei all that are broght into the worlde, be saued.

42 I answered then & said, If I haue founde gra ce, let me speake.

43 Like as the housband mans sede perisheth, if it come not vp, and receiue not raine in due season, or if it be destroyed with to muche raine,

44 So perisheth man, which is created with thine hands, & thou art called his patern, be∣cause he is created to thine image, for whose sake thou hast, made all things, and lickened him vnto the housbandmans sede.

45 Be not wroth with vs, ô Lord, but spare thy people & haue mercie vpō thine inheritācet for thou wilt be merciful vnto thy creature.

46 Then answered he me, and said, The things present are for the present, and the things to come for suche as be to come.

47 For thou art farre of that thou shuldest loue my creature aboue me: but I haue oft times drawen nere vnto thee and vnto it, but neuer to the vn righteous.

48 In this also thou art maruelous before the Highest,

49 In that thou hast hūbled thy self, as it be co∣meth thee, and hast not iudged thy self wor∣thie to boast thy self greatly among the righ∣teous.

50 For many miseries and calamities remaine for them that shal liue in the latter time, be∣cause they shal walke in great pride-

51 But learne thou for 〈◊〉〈◊〉 self, & seke out the glorie for suche as be like thee.

52 For vnto you is paradise opened: the 〈◊〉〈◊〉 of

life is planted: the time to come is prepared, pléte ousnes made ready: the citie is buylded and rest is prepared, perfite goodnes and ab∣solute wisdome.

53 The roote of euil is sealed vp from you: the weakenes & moth is destroyed from you, & into hell sleeth corruption to be forgotten.

54 Sorowes are vanished away, and in the end is sheped the treasure of immortalitie.

55 Therefore aske thou no more questiōs con cerning the multitude of them that perish.

56 For when thei had libertie, thei despised the most High: they contemned his Law and for soke his wayes.

57 Moreouer, they haue trodēd downe his righ teous,

58 * Saying in their heart, that there was no God, thogh they knewe that they shuld dye

59 For as the thing that I haue spoken of, is made readie for you: so is thirst & peine pre∣pared for them: for God wolde not that man shulde perish:

60 But they, after that they were created, haue defilled the Name of him that made them, & are vnthankeful vnto him, which prepared life for them.

61 Therefore my iudgement is now at hand.

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

63 Beholde now, ô Lord: thou hast shewed me the many wonders, which thou art determi∣ned to do in the last time, but in what time, thou hast not shewed me.

Notes

• Mar. 20, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• 1. King 8, 46.
• 2. chro. 6, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• 〈◊〉〈◊〉. 4. 〈◊〉〈◊〉.
• Psal. 14, 1. & 〈◊〉〈◊〉, 〈◊〉〈◊〉.