And he said to me, In the beginning, when the earth was made, before the borders of the world stood, before the winds blew,
Before it thundered and lightened, before the foundations of paradise were laid,
Before the fair flowers were seen, before the moveable powers were established, before the innumerable multitude of angels were gathered together,
Before the heights of the air were lifted up, before the measures of the expanse were named, before the chimneys in Zion were hot,
And before the present years were sought out, and before the inventions of them that now sin were turned, before they were sealed that have gathered faith for a treasure:
Then did I consider these things, and they all were made through me alone, and through none other: by me also they shall be ended, and by none other.
Then answered I and said, What shall be the parting of the times? or when shall be the end of the first, and the beginning of it that follows?
And he said to me, From Abraham to Isaac, when Jacob and Esau were born of him, Jacob’s hand held first the heel of Esau.
For Esau is the end of the world, and Jacob is the beginning of it that follows.
The hand of man is between the heel and the hand: other question, Esdras, ask not.
I answered then and said, O Lord you who bear rule, if I have found favor in your sight,
I beg you, show your servant the end of your tokens, of which you showed me part the last night.
So he answered and said to me, Stand up upon your feet, and hear a mighty sounding voice.
And it shall be as it were a great motion; but the place where you stand shall not be moved.
And therefore when it speaks be not afraid: for the word is of the end, and the foundation of the earth is understood.
And why? because the speech of these things trembles and is moved: for it knows that the end of these things must be changed.
And it happened, that when I had heard it I stood up upon my feet, and listened, and indeed, there was a voice that spoke, and the sound of it was like the sound of many waters.
And it said, Look, the days come, that I will begin to draw near, and to visit them that dwell upon the earth,
And will begin to make inquisition of them, what they be that have hurt unjustly with their unrighteousness, and when the affliction of Zion shall be fulfilled;
And when the world, that shall begin to vanish away, shall be finished, then will I show these tokens: the books shall be opened before the expanse, and they shall see all together:
And the children of a year old shall speak with their voices, the women with child shall bring forth untimely children of three or four months old, and they shall live, and be raised up.
And suddenly shall the sown places appear unsown, the full storehouses shall suddenly be found empty:
And the trumpet shall give a sound, which when every man hears, they shall be suddenly afraid.
At that time shall friends fight one against another like enemies, and the earth shall stand in fear with those that dwell therein, the springs of the fountains shall stand still, and in three hours they shall not run.
Whoever remains from all these that I have told you shall escape, and see my salvation, and the end of your world.
And the men that are received shall see it, who have not tasted death from their birth: and the heart of the inhabitants shall be changed, and turned into another meaning.
For evil shall be put out, and deceit shall be quenched.
As for faith, it shall flourish, corruption shall be overcome, and the truth, which has been so long without fruit, shall be declared.
And when he talked with me, look, I looked by little and little upon him before whom I stood.
And these words he said to me; I have come to show you the time of the night to come.
If you will pray yet more, and fast seven days again, I shall tell you greater things by day than I have heard.
For your voice is heard before the most High: for the Mighty has seen your righteous dealing, he has seen also your chastity, which you have had ever since your youth.
And therefore has he sent me to show you all these things, and to say to you, Be of good comfort, and fear not.
And hasten not with the times that are past, to think vain things, that you may not hasten from the latter times.
And it happened after this, that I wept again, and fasted seven days in like manner, that I might fulfill the three weeks which he told me.
And in the eighth night was my heart troubled within me again, and I began to speak before the most High.
For my spirit was greatly set on fire, and my soul was in distress.
And I said, O Lord, you spoke from the beginning of the creation, even the first day, and said thus; Let heaven and earth be made; and your word was a perfect work.
And then was the spirit, and darkness and silence were on every side; the sound of man’s voice was not yet formed.
Then commanded you a fair light to come forth of your treasures, that your work might appear.
Upon the second day you made the spirit of the expanse, and commanded it to separate, and to make a division between the waters, that the one part might go up, and the other remain beneath.
Upon the third day you did command that the waters should be gathered in the seventh part of the earth: six parts have you dried up, and kept them, to the intent that of these some being planted of God and tilled might serve you.
For as soon as your word went forth the work was made.
For immediately there was great and innumerable fruit, and many and various pleasures for the taste, and flowers of unchangeable color, and odors of wonderful smell: and this was done the third day.
Upon the fourth day you commanded that the sun should shine, and the moon give her light, and the stars should be in order:
And gave them a charge to do service to man, that was to be made.
Upon the fifth day you said to the seventh part, where the waters were gathered, that it should bring forth living creatures, birds and fish: and so it happened.
For the mute water and without life brought forth living things at the commandment of God, that all people might praise your wondrous works.
Then did you ordain two living creatures, the one you called Enoch, and the other Leviathan;
And did separate the one from the other: for the seventh part, namely, where the water was gathered together, might not hold them both.
To Enoch you gave one part, which was dried up the third day, that he should dwell in the same part, in which are a thousand hills:
But to Leviathan you gave the seventh part, namely, the moist; and have kept him to be devoured of whom you will, and when.
Upon the sixth day you gave commandment to the earth, that before you it should bring forth beasts, cattle, and creeping things:
And after these, Adam also, whom you made lord of all your creatures: of him come we all, and the people also whom you have chosen.
All this have I spoken before you, O Lord, because you made the world for our sakes.
As for the other people, which also come of Adam, you have said that they are nothing, but be like to spittle: and have likened the abundance of them to a drop that falls from a vessel.
And now, O Lord, look, these pagans, which have ever been reputed as nothing, have begun to be lords over us, and to devour us.
But we your people, whom you have called your firstborn, your only begotten, and your fervent lover, are given into their hands.
If the world now be made for our sakes, why do we not possess an inheritance with the world? how long shall this endure?