2 Esdras 13:1–58

¹ It came to pass after seven days, I dreamed a dream by night. (WEB) ² Behold, a wind arose from the sea that moved all its waves. (WEB) ³ I saw, and behold, [this wind caused to come up from the midst of the sea something like the appearance of a man. I saw, and behold,] that man flew with the clouds of heaven. When he turned his face to look, everything that he saw trembled. (WEB) ⁴ Whenever the voice went out of his mouth, all who heard his voice melted, like the wax melts when it feels the fire. (WEB) ⁵ After this I saw, and behold, an innumerable multitude of people was gathered together from the four winds of heaven to make war against the man who came out of the sea. (WEB) ⁶ I saw, and behold, he carved himself a great mountain, and flew up onto it. (WEB) ⁷ I tried to see the region or place from which the mountain was carved, and I couldn’t. (WEB) ⁸ After this I saw, and behold, all those who were gathered together to fight against him were very afraid, and yet they dared to fight. (WEB) ⁹ Behold, as he saw the assault of the multitude that came, he didn’t lift up his hand, or hold a spear or any weapon of war; (WEB) ¹⁰ but I saw only how he sent out of his mouth something like a flood of fire, and out of his lips a flaming breath, and out of his tongue he shot out a storm of sparks. (WEB) ¹¹ These were all mixed together: the flood of fire, the flaming breath, and the great storm, and fell upon the assault of the multitude which was prepared to fight, and burned up every one of them, so that all of a sudden an innumerable multitude was seen to be nothing but the dust of ashes and the smell of smoke. When I saw this, I was amazed. (WEB) ¹² Afterward, I saw the same man come down from the mountain, and call to himself another multitude which was peaceful. (WEB) ¹³ Many people came to him. Some of them were glad. Some were sorry. Some of them were bound, and some others brought some of those as offerings. Then through great fear I woke up and prayed to the Most High, and said, (WEB) ¹⁴ “You have shown your servant these wonders from the beginning, and have counted me worthy that you should receive my prayer. (WEB) ¹⁵ Now show me also the interpretation of this dream. (WEB) ¹⁶ For as I conceive in my understanding, woe to those who will be left in those days! Much more woe to those who are not left! (WEB) ¹⁷ For those who were not left will be in heaviness, (WEB) ¹⁸ understanding the things that are laid up in the latter days, but not attaining to them. (WEB) ¹⁹ But woe to them also who are left, because they will see great perils and much distress, like these dreams declare. (WEB) ²⁰ Yet is it better for one to be in peril and to come into these things, than to pass away as a cloud out of the world, and not to see the things t… (WEB)