And measures and matters of The Truth of the "time" we are in ...how "man" ..."thought to change time and times ... Dearly beloved, be not ignorant of this one thing, how that one day is with the Lord, as a thousand year, and a thousand year as one day.
The Lord is not slack to fulfil his promise, as some men count slackness: but is patient to us ward, and would have no man lost, but would receive all men to repentance.
creteis@yahoo.com Behold in a dread full dream during the whoreable nightmare of the dark season ...of the times and time ..of the season of man ...see son of man ...
and i was taken and shown ...a house ...in the UNGodlie world of the worldly ...
and the house was bought unawares ...being unaware of the damage (dam aged ) to house ...
nevertheless in the UNGodlie world ...the house ...appeared to be "worthy" and a "good" value ...
and a whole family showed up to "work" on the house ...to make it worthy ...
and that before they wanted ...to moved in ...within ...
and a man appeared and the man loved God his father and Jesus his brother and Lord in spirit and truth.
and the people asked the appearing man ...who was "blessed" with skills to help them ...
and they thought and imagined and fantized that the house would be worthy ...even a fine house ...even a great house ...
and that for it had been a greatly admired house in the past ...in the UNGodlie world of the worldly ...
and so the appearing man blessed with skills and knowing began to help as much as he was able ...
evenso as the appearing man entered into the house ...the foundation was crooked ...
and of the crooked foundation ...therefore the doors and walls and floors and roof covering of the house ...were also crooked and twisted the more ...
and there were crooked doors that led to nowhere ...
and rooms where there was no room ...not even for a closet ...
and crooked twisted stairs that made everyone lean to LEFT if they wanted to go up higher ...in the house ...
and the appearing man of skills went outside the crooked house to see ...
and the earth had given away ... a way from under the house ...
even as though a deep pit ...on the LEFT...
and the heavy glorious (glory us ) house that was before thought to be wonder full and grand ...was ...leaning drastically ....
and sinking into the hole ...the deep pit of the LEFT...
even everything that the house was made of ...was returning to the earth ...from which it came ...
and the appearing man looked and there were thousands and thousands of hornets nesting on the LEFT side of the crooked house ...
and the appearing man shrugged his shoulders and said ...the house was LEFT to ruin ...and unpassable for any inspection ...
and the scene and seeing changed ...
and i was taken and shown a town or suburb or city ...
and it appeared as a waste land ...dark and dirty and stained ...
and the streets were mostly empty and full of trash along the gutters ...
and over the hole place ...electric and transmission lines of power and communications hung like webs of giant spiders ...over everything ...
and i wondered a mighty wonder of the streets being mostly empty ...for they were usually packed with raging cars rushing and raging and honking viciously at one another ...
Yet much and most of the wretched habitation of darkness looked as though abandoned ...abandoned ...
and i was shown a man ...
and the mans car had stopped running ...
and the man walked to a garage to see if someone could help him ...
and that for the phones did not work very well and were mostly static and screeching ...
and the man at the garage said oh oh ...your car finally failed ...as certain parts were designed to fail ...
and whatsoever it was that fried the computers in most of the cars did not help ...
and yours must have been parked in a protected area ...
and the more ...the laws were made ...that all cars must be able to be shut off ...by authorities ...for any reason deemed necessary ...
even to keep certain undesirable cars away from certain areas ...
and most of the streets and highways were only to be used for business traffic and commercial purposes ...
and the man whose car had quit shrugged his shoulders ...and asked what he could do ...
and the man at the garage said oh oh you can see if you can get a car from the dealer around the corner to the LEFT...
and so the man went to the car dealer ...
and the car dealer had only a couple of cars ...in the show room ...
and that for cars were only for certain people who were allowed to go certain places ...
and the most and many people were forced to use public transportation ...or bicycles... or walk ...
and that for most all cars ...of the peons ...like the Europeans ...(your a peon) ...after a certain time were ...banned ...
and or disabled by destroying the electronics and computers that allowed the car to run ...
evenso of the most and many ...when the navigation systems began to fail ...either of their car or phones ...they did not know where they were !!!
and again of the most and many became lost in the UNGodlie wicked cities ... that were LEFT.
and the man asked the car dealer ...don't you have any other cars that you might sell ...???
and the car dealer looked at the man as if to trust him or not ...
evenso the man appeared as though he would not report the car dealer ...
and so the car dealer took the man out back of the dealership ...
and there were what looked like a couple of old cars there ...
Yet upon a closer look was actually and old car and an old truck ...
and the man looked at the car dealer like what is this ???
and the car dealer said ...these are the only vehicles ...that can be driven ...for they were made before computers ...
and we have only "just got them running" so there is no guarantee ...
and the man asked the price ...
and the car dealer said a very high price ...
and the man said ...OH oh that seems very high for such old vehicles ...
and for vehicles that there is no guarantee how long they might run ...
and the car dealer said the more ...saying it worse that you might think ...
and that for these old vehicles are illegal in most places ...
and i do not know where you live ...
Yet in the country ...away ...A WAY from the what is LEFT of the cities and suburbs ...there is not much concern ...
evenso you if you buy one of these old vehicles ...you will still have to find a way ...THE WAY out of the UNGODLIE wicked cities and suburbs that are LEFT.
and scripture came back to remembrance ...
Therefore holy brethren, partakers of the celestial callings consider the ambassador and high priest of our profession Christ Jesus, which was faithful to him that made him, even as was Moses in all his house. And yet was this man counted worthy of more glory than Moses: In as much as he which hath prepared the house, hath most honour in the house. Every house is prepared of some man. But he that ordained all things, is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a minister, to bear witness of those things which should be spoken afterward. But Christ as a son, hath rule over the house, whose house are we, so that we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of that hope, unto the end.
Wherefore as the *holy ghost saith: today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts, after the rebellion in the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years long. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said: They *erre ever in their hearts: they verily have not known my ways so that I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest. Take heed brethren that there be in none of you an evil heart in unbelief, that he should depart from the living God: but exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you wax hard hearted through the deceitfulness of sin.
We are partakers of Christ if we keep sure unto the end the first substance, so long as it is said: today if ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as when ye rebelled. For some, when they heard, rebelled: how be it not all that came out of Egypt under Moses. But with whom was he displeased forty years? Was he not displeased with them that sinned whose carcasses were overthrown in the desert? To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest: but unto them that believed not? And we see that they could not enter in, because of unbelief.THE GOSPELL OF ST. LUKE Chpt 21
As he beheld, he saw the rich men, how they cast in their offerings into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow, which cast in thither two mites. And he said: of a truth I say unto you, this poor widow hath put in more than they all. For they all have of their *superfluity added unto the offering of God: but she, of her penury, hath cast in all the substance that she had.
As some spake of the temple, how it was garnished with goodly stones and Jewels, he said. The days will come, when of these things which ye see, shall not be left stone upon stone, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him saying: Master when shall these things be, and what sign will there be, when such things shall come to pass.
And he said: take heed, that ye be not deceived. For many will come in my name saying: I am he: and the time draweth near. Follow ye not them therefore. But when ye hear of war and of dissension: be not afraid. For these things must first come: but the end followeth not by and by. Then said he unto them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and great earthquakes shall be in all quarters, and hunger, and pestilence: and fearful things. And great signs shall there be from heaven.
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prison, and bring you before kings and rulers for my names sake. And this shall chance you for a testimonial. Let it stick therefore fast in your hearts, not once to study before, what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, where against, all your adversaries shall not be able to speak nor resist. Ye and ye shall be betrayed of your fathers and mothers, and of your brethren, and kinsmen, and lovers, and some of you shall they put to death. And hated shall ye be of all men for my names sake. Yet there shall not one hair of your heads perish. With your patience possess your souls.
And when ye see Jerusalem besieged with an host, then understand that the desolation of the same is nigh. Then let them which are in Jewrye fly to the mountains. And let them which are in the midst of it, depart out. And let not them that are in other countries, enter therein. For these be the days of vengeance, to fulfil all that are written. But woe be to them that be with child, and to them that give suck in those days: for there shall be great trouble in the land, and wrath over all this people. And they shall fall on the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive, into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden under foot of the gentiles, until the time of the gentiles be fulfilled.
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and in the earth the people shall be in such perplexity, that they shall not tell which way to turn themselves. The sea and the waters shall roar, and mens hearts shall fail them for fear, and for looking after those things which shall come on the earth. For the powers of heaven shall move. And then shall they see the son of man come in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to come to pass: then look up, and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh.
And he showed them a similitude: behold the fig tree, and all other trees, when they shoot forth their buds, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is then nigh at hand. So like wise ye (when ye see these things come to pass) understand, that the kingdom of God is nigh. Verily I say unto you: this generation shall not pass, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass: but my words shall not pass.
Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be overcome with *surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this world: and that, that day come on you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that sit on the face of the earth. Watch therefore continually and pray, that ye may obtain grace to fly all this that shall come, and that ye may stand before the son of man.
In the day time, he taught in the temple and at night, he went out, and had abiding in the mount olivete. And all the people came in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him*superfluity (excess) *surfeit: caused by excessive eating or drinking; sickness or derangement.
Every man can *eschue a person moved to anger, for what he doth wisely? Even so shall the Lord of Hosts take away from Jerusalem and from Juda, all possessions and power, all meat and drink, the captain and the soldier, the judge and the prophet, the wise and the aged man, the worshipful of fifty year old, and the honorable: the Senators, and the men of understanding: the masters of crafts and orators. And I shall give you children to be your princes,( sayeth the Lord ) and babes shall have the rule of you. One shall ever be doing violence and wrong to another. The boy will presume against the elder, and the vile person against the honorable. Ye when one shall take a friend of his own kindred by the bosom, and say: Thou hast clothing, thou shalt be our head, for thou mayest keep us from this fall and peril.
Then shall he swear and say: I can not help you. Moreover, there is neither meat nor clothing in my house, make me no ruler of the people. For Jerusalem and Juda must decay, because both their words and counsel are against the Lord, they provoke the presence of his Majesty unto anger. The changing of their countenance betrayeth them, yee they declare their own sins themselves, as the Sodomites, and hide them not. Woe be unto their souls, for they shall be heavily rewarded. Then shall they say: O happy are the godly, for they may enjoy the fruits of their studies. But woe be unto the ungodly and unrighteous for they shall be rewarded after their works. O my people, *ribaudes oppress thee, and women have rule of thee. O my people, thy leaders deceive thee, and tread out the way of thy footsteps. The Lord is here to commune of the matter, and standeth to give judgement with the people. The Lord shall come forth to reason with the Senators and princes of his people, and shall say thus unto them: It is ye that have burnt up my vineyard, the robbery of the poor is in your house. Wherefore do ye oppress my people, and marred the faces of the innocents? thus shall the Lord God of Hosts revile them.
Moreover thus sayeth the Lord: Seeing the daughters of Sion are become so proud, and come in with stretched out necks, and with vain wanton eyes: seeing they come in tripping so nicely with their feet: Therefore shall the Lord shave the heads of the daughters of Sion, and make their beauty bare in the day. In that day shall the Lord take away the gorgeousness of their apparel, and spangles, chains, *partlets, and collars, bracelets and hooves, that goodly flowered wide and boarded raiment, brushes and head bands, rings and garlands, holy day clothes and veils, kerchiefs and pins, glasses and smocks, bonnets and *taches
And instead of good smell there shall be stink among them. And for their girdles there shall be loose bands. And for well set hair there shall be baldness. Instead of a stomacher, a sackcloth, and for their beauty witherdness and *son burning. Their husbands and their mighty men shall perish with the sword in battle.
*eschue (avoid, escape) *ribaudes ( extortioners :MN). *partlets = ruffled covering for the neck. *taches = buckles, clasps, fasteners. *son burning exactly as recorded
The Lord hateth as well him that justifieth the ungodly, as him that condemeth the innocent.
THE GOSPELL OF ST. MATTHEW Chpt 24
As the time of noe was, so likewise shall the coming of the son of man be. For as in the days before the flood: they did eat and drink, marry, and were married, even unto the day that Noe entered in to the ship, and knew of nothing, till the flood came and took them all away: So shall also the coming of the son of man be. Then two shall be in the fields, the one shall be received, and the other shall be refused, two shall be grinding at the mill the one shall be received, and the other shall be refused. Wake therefore, because ye know not what hour your master will come. Of this be sure, that if the good man of the house knew what hour the thief would come: he would surely watch, and not suffer his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready, for in the hour ye think he would not: will the son of man come. If there be any faithful servant and wise, whom his master hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in season convenient, happy is that servant whom his master (when he cometh) shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my master will defer his coming, and begin to smite his fellows, ye and to eat and to drink with the drunken: that servants master will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of, and will divide him, and give him his reward with hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth
THE REVELATION OF ST JOHN Chpt 20
And when the thousand years are expired, Satan shall be loosed out of his prison, and shall go out to deceive the people which are in the four quarters of the earth Gog and Magog, to gather them together to battle, whose number is as the sand of the sea: and they went up on the plain of the earth, and compassed the tents of the saints about, and the beloved city. And fire came down from God, out of heaven, and devoured them: and the devil that deceived them, was cast into a lake of fire and brimstone, where the beast and the false prophet were and shall be tormented day and night for ever more.
THE REVELATION OF ST JOHN Chpt 12
And there appeared a great wonder in heaven: A woman clothed with the sun, and the moon under her feet, and upon her head a crown of twelve stars. And she was with child and cried travailing in birth, and pained ready to be delivered. And there appeared another wonder in heaven, for behold a great red dragon having seven heads, and ten horns and crowns upon his heads: and his tail drew the third part of the stars, and cast them to the earth.
And the dragon stood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered: for to devour her child as soon as it were born. And she brought forth a man child, which should rule all nations with a rod of iron. And her son was taken up unto God, and to his seat. And the woman fled into wilderness, where she had a place, prepared of God, that they should feed her there one thousand two hundred and sixty days.
And there was a great battle in heaven, Michael and his Angels fought with the dragon, and the dragon fought and his Angels, and prevailed not: neither was their place found any more in heaven. And the great dragon, that old serpent called the devil and Satan was cast out. Which deceiveth all the world. And he was cast into the earth, and his angels were cast out also.
And I heard a loud voice saying: in heaven is now made salvation and strength and the kingdom of our God, and the power of his Christ. For he is cast down which accused them before God day and night. And they overcame him by the blood of the lamb, and by the word of their testimony, and they loved not their lives unto the death. Therefore rejoice heavens, and ye that dwell in them. Woe to the inhabiters of the earth, and of the sea: for the devil is come down unto you which hath great wrath, because he knoweth that he hath but a short time.And when the dragon saw, that he was cast unto the earth, he persecuted the woman, which brought forth the man child. And to the woman were given two wings of a great eagle, that she might fly into the wilderness, into her place, where she is nourished for a time, times, and half a time, from the presence of the serpent. And the dragon cast out of his mouth water after the woman as it had been a river, because she should have been caught of the flood. And the earth helped the woman, and the earth opened her mouth and swallowed, up the river, which the dragon cast out of his mouth. And the dragon was wroth with the woman: and went and made war with the remnant of her seed, which keep the commandments of God, and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. And I stood on the sea *stonde.
this flood is the wicked waters of any and all LIES ...especially evil spiritual lies ...even as the king james bible of Gog and Magog ...fills the land ...
even true evil ...evil masked in good ...evil masked in love ...
and how we must do the SAME THING ...bid Jesus that WE are able ( within IN abled ) to walk on the the wicked waters of satan THAT NOW FLOODS THE EARTH.
And the dragon stood before the woman, which was ready to be delivered: for to devour her child as soon as it were born. JUSTIFICATION OF ABORTION comes to mind
Behold, the Lord waste and *plague the world, he shall make the face of the earth desolate, and scatter abroad the inhabitors thereof. Then shall the Priest be as the people, the master as the servant, the dame like the maid, the seller like the buyer, he that lendeth upon usury, like him that borroweth upon usury, the creditor like the debtor. Yee miserably shall the world be wasted and clean destroyed. For the Lord hath so determined in himself. The earth shall be heavy and decay: The face of the earth shall perish away, the proud people shall come to naught. For the earth is corrupt of her indwellers.
For why? they have offended the law changed the ordinances, and made the everlasting testament of none effect. And therefore shall the curse devour the earth: for they that dwell theron have sinned, wherefore they shall be burnt also, and those that remain, shall be very few. The sweet wine shall mourn, the grapes shall be weak, and all that have been merry in heart, shall sigh. The mirth of tabrets shall be layed down, the cheer of the joyful shall cease, and the pleasure of the lutes shall have an end: there shall be no more wine be drunk with mirth, the beer shall be bitter to them that drink it, the wicked cities shall be broken down, all houses shall be shut, that no man may come in.
In the streets shall there be lift up a cry because of wine, all mens cheer shall vanish away, and all joy of the earth shall pass. desolation shall remain in the cities, and the gates shall be smitten with wasteness. For it shall happen unto all lands and to all people, like as when a man smiteth down the olives, that are left on the olive tree: or seeketh after grapes, when the wine gathering is out. And those same ( that remain ) shall lift up their voice, and be glad, and shall magnify the glory of the Lord, even from the *see and praise the name of the Lord God of Israel in the *valleys and Flondes. We heard songs sung to the praise of the righteous, from all the ends of the world. Therefore I must speak: O mine unfruitfulness, O my poverty. Woe is me, all is full of sinners, which offend of purpose and malice. And therefore ( O thou that dwellest upon the earth ) there is at hand for thee, fear, pit and snare. Who so escapeth the terrible cry, shall fall in to the pit. And if he come out of the pit, he shall be taken with the snare. For the windows above shall be opened, and the foundation of the earth shall move. The earth shall give a great crack, it shall have a sore ruin, and take an horrible fall. The earth shall *stacker like a drunken man, and be taken away like a tent. Her misdeeds shall lay so heavy upon her, that she must fall, and never rise up again. At the same time shall the Lord muster together the high host above, and the Kings of the world upon the earth. These shall be coupled together as prisoners be, and shall be shut in one ward and punished innumerable days. The Moon and the Sun shall be ashamed, when the Lord of Hosts shall rule them at Jerusalem upon the mount Zion, before and with his excellent counselFor *plagues; see Job (of the heart, and also the flesh) RN
*see (sea). *valleys and Flondes (floods). (kjv and other bibles of man = isles of the sea). The earth shall *stacker (stagger) like a drunken manCome ye heathen and hear, take heed ye people. Hearken thou earth and all that is therin: thou round compass and all that groweth there upon, for the Lord is angry with all people, and his displeasure is kindled against all the multitude of them, to curse them, and to slay them. So that their slayen shall be cast out, and their bodies stink: that even the very hills shall be wet with the blood of them. All the stars of heaven shall be consumed, and the heaven shall fold together like a roll, and all the stars thereof shall fall, like as the leaves fall from the vines and fig trees. For my sword ( sayeth he ) shall be bathed in heaven, and shall immediately come down upon *Idumea, and upon the people which I have cursed for my vengeance.
And the Lords sword shall be full of blood, and be rusty with the fatness and blood of lambs and goats, with the fatness of the kidneys of wethers. For the Lord shall kill a great offering in Bosra. and in the land of Idumea. There shall the Unicorns fall with the Bulls, ( that is with the giants ) and their land shall be washed with blood, and their ground corrupt with fatness. Unto thee also ( O Sion ) shall come the day of the vengeance of God, and the year when thine own judgements shall be recompensed. Thy floods shall be turned to pitch, and thine earth to brimstone, and therewith shall the land be kindled, so that it shall not be quenched day ner night: But smoke evermore, and so forth to lie waste. And no man shall go through thy land forever: But Pelicans, Storks, great Owls, and Ravens shall have it in possession, and dwell therin.
God shall spread out the line of desolation upon it, and weight it with the stones of emptiness. When the kings are called upon, there shall be none, and all princes shall be away. Thorns shall grow in her palaces, nettles and thistles in their strongholds, that the dragons may have their pleasure therin, and that they may be a court for Ostriches. There shall strange *visures and monstrous beasts meet one another, and the wild keep company together. There shall the lamya lie, and have her lodging. There shall the hedge hog build, dig, be there at home, and bring forth his young ones. There shall the kites come together, each one to his like.
Seek through the scripture of the Lord and read it. There shall none of these things be left out, there shall not one (ner such like ) fail. For what his mouth commandeth, that same doeth his spirit gather together ( or fulfilleth ). Upon whomsoever the lot falleth, or whom he dealeth it with the line: those shall possess the inheritance from generation to generation, and dwell therin*"The red ones" from the Hebrew ; Edomites : Esau RN.
*visures may be from viscera, which would be those that eviscerate: meaning to disembowel the dead or dying, as do vultures. All the above animals, are similitude of the natures of people, as revealed in the last line of this next paragraph. Hebrew root words do reveal these characters....having a lot of "guts" to do what wickedness they do. RNBut as for thee ( O daughter thou virgin Babylon ) Thou shalt sit in the dust thou shall sit upon the ground, and not in a throne, ( O thou maiden of Chaldea ) Thou shalt no more be called tender and pleasant. Thou shalt bring forth that *querne and grind meal, put down thy stomacher make bear thy knees, and shalt wade through the water rivers. Thy shame shall be discovered, and thy *previties shall be seen. For I will avenge me of thee, and no man shall let me: sayeth our redeemer, which is called the Lord of Hosts, the holy one of Israel.
Sit still, hold thy tongue, and get thee into some dark corner, O daughter Chaldea, for thou shalt no more be called lady of kingdoms. I was so wroth with my people, that I *punished mine inheritance, and give them into thy power. Nevertheless, thou showiest them no mercy, but even the very aged men of them, didest thou oppress right sore with thy yoke, and thou thoughtest thus. I shall be lady for ever. And beside all that, thou hast not regarded these things, neither cast, (camest) what should come after. Hear now therefore, thou willful, that sittest so careless, and speakest it thus in thine heart: I am alone, and without me is there none: *I shall never be widow, ner desolate again. And yet both these things shall come to thee upon one day in the twinkling of an eye: Namely widowhood, and desolation. They shall mightily fall upon thee, for the multitude of thy *witches, and for the great heap of thy *conjurers. For thou hast comforted thyself in deceitfulness, and hast said: No man seeth me. Thy own wisdom and conning has deceived thee. In that thou hast said: I am alone, and without me there is none. Therefore shall trouble come upon thee, and thou shall not know, from whence it shall arise. Mischief shall fall upon thee, which thou shalt not be able to put off. A sudden misery shall come upon thee, or ever thou be aware.
Now go to thy conjurers, and to the multitude of thy witches ( whom thou hast been acquainted withal from thy youth ) if they may help thee, or strengthen thee. Thou hast hither to had many counsels of them, so let the heaven gazers and the beholders of stars come on now and deliver thee: yee and let them show, when these new things shall come upon thee. Behold, they shall be like straw, which if it be kindled with fire, no man may rid it for the vehemence of the flame: And yet it giveth no cinders to warm a man by, ner clear fire to sit by. Even so shall they be unto thee whom thou hast used and occupied from thy youth. Every one shall show thee his erroneous way, yet shall none of them defend thee*querne = hand held grain mill. *previties = secrets held between people, to cover up something . Not "private parts" as we have been told, see Genesis 3:11, when God asked Adam, "who told thee that thou wast naked"
*punished mine inheritance, (kjv and other bibles of man = polluted )
*I shall never be a widow; see Apocalypse 18. Look to the Hebrew root words for the revealing definitions of witches and conjurers. RNIn the first year of Darius the son of Ahasuerus, which was of the seed of the Medes, and was made king over the realm of the Caldees: yee even in the first year of his reign, I Daniel desired to know the yearly number out of the books, whereof the Lord spake unto Jeremy the Prophet: that Jerusalem should lay waste seventy years: and I turned unto God the Lord, for to pray and make mine intercession, with fasting, sack cloth and ashes, I prayed before the Lord my God, and knowledged, saying:
O' Lord, thou great and dreadful God, thou that keepest the covenant and mercy with them, that love thee, and do thy commandments: We have sinned, we have offended, we have been disobedient and gone back: yee we have departed from all thy precepts and judgments.
We would never follow thy servants the Prophets, that spake in thy name to our kings and our princes, to forefathers, and to all the people of the land. O' Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee, unto us pertaineth nothing but open shame: as it is come to pass this day unto every man of Judah, and to them that dwell at Jerusalem: Yee unto all Israel, whether they be so far or nye: throughout all lands: wherein thou hast strewn them, because of the offenses that they had done against thee.
Yee O' Lord, unto us, our kings and our princes, to forefathers: even to us all, that have offended thee, belongeth open shame. But unto thee O' Lord our God, pertaineth mercy and forgiveness. As for us, we are gone back from him, and have not obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws, which he layed before us by his servants the Prophets: Yee all Israel have transgressed, and gone back from thy law, so that they have not harkened unto thy voice.
Wherefore the curse and oath, that is written in the law of Moses the servant of God ( against whom we have offended ) is poured upon us. And he hath performed his words, which he spake against us, and against our judges that judged us: to bring upon us such a great plague, as never was under heaven, like as it is now come to pass in Jerusalem. Yee all this plague, as it is written in the law of Moses, is come upon us. Yet made we not our prayer before the Lord our God, that we might turn again from our wickedness, and to be learned in thy *verite. Therefore hath the Lord made hast, to bring this plague upon us: for the Lord our God is righteous, in all his works which he doeth: for why? we would not hearken unto his voice.
And now, O' Lord our God, thou that with a mighty hand hast brought thy people out of Egypt, to get thyself a name, which remaineth this day: we have sinned, O' Lord, and done wickedly against all thy righteousness: Yet let thy wrothful displeasure be turned away ( I beseech thee ) from thy city Jerusalem, thy holy hill. And why? for our sins sake, and for the wickedness of our fathers is Jerusalem and thy people abhorred, of all them that are about us. Now therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servant, and his intercession. *O let not thy face shine over thy Sanctuary, that lieth waste.
O my God, incline thine ear, and hearken ( at the least for thine own sake ) open thine eyes: behold, how we be desolated, yee and the city also, which is called after thy name: for we do not cast our prayers before thee in our own righteousnesses, no, but only in thy great mercies. O' Lord, hear: O forgive Lord, O' Lord consider, tarry not over long: but for thine own sake do it. O my God: for thy city and thy people are called after thy name.
As I was yet speaking at my prayers, knowledging mine own sins, and the sins of my people, making so my intercession before the Lord my God, for the holy hills sake of my God: Yee while I was yet speaking in my prayer, behold, the man Gabriel, ( whom I had seen afore in the vision ) came flying to me, and touched me about the offering time in the evening. He informed me, and spake unto me: O Daniel said he, I am now come to make thee understand it: For as soon as thou beganest to make thy prayer, it was so devised, and therefore am I come to show thee. And why? For thou art a man greatly beloved.
Wherefore, ponder the matter well, that thou mayest learn, to understand the vision. *Seventy weeks are determined over thy people and over the holy city: that the wickedness may be consumed, that the sin may have an end, that the offense may be reconciled, and to bring in ever lasting righteousness, to fulfill the visions and the Prophets, and to anoint the most holy one. Understand this then, and mark it well: that from the time it shall be concluded, to go and repair Jerusalem again, unto the Christ ( or the anointed ) prince: there shall be seven weeks. Then shall the streets and walls be built again sixty two weeks, but with hard troublous time. After these sixty two weeks, shall Christ be slain, and they shall have no pleasure in him, Then shall there come a people with the Prince, and destroy the city and the Sanctuary: and his end shall come as the water flood. But the desolation shall continue till the end of the battle.
He shall make a strong bond with many, for the space of a week: and when the week is half gone, he shall put down the slain and meat offering. And in the temple there shall be an abominable desolation, till it have destroyed all. And it is concluded, that this wasting shall continue unto the end*verite (realness: in spirit and truth ) *note: this let NOT thy face shine over thy Sanctuary RN .*A week here is taken to be seven years as in Leviticus 25 pp3 Wherefore seventy weeks are four hundred and ninety years MN
And in the first year of Darius of Medea, I stood by him, to comfort and to strengthen him, and now I will show thee the truth. Behold, there shall stand up yet three kings in Persia, but the fourth shall be far richer than they all. And when he is in the chiefest power of his riches, he provoke every man against the realm of Greekland. Then there shall arise a mighty king, that shall rule with great dominion, and do what him list. And as soon as his kingdom cometh up, it shall be destroyed, and divided toward the four winds of heaven. They that come after him, shall not have such power and dominion as he: but his kingdom shall be scattered, yee even among other than those. And the king of the south shall be mightier, then his other princes. Against him there shall one make himself strong, and shall rule his dominion with great power.
But after certain years they shall be joined together, and the kings daughter of the south shall come to the king of the North, for to make friendship, but she shall not obtain the power of that arm, neither shall she be able to endure through her, yee and he that begat her, and comforted her for his time, shall be delivered up. Out of the branches of her root, there shall stand one up in his stead: which with power of armies shall go through the kings land of the north, and handle him according to his strength. As for their Idols and princes, with their costly Jewels of gold and silver, he shall carry them away captives into Egypt, and he shall prevail against the king of the north certain years. And when he is come into the kings realm of the south, he shall be faine to turn again in to his own land. Wherefore his sons shall be displeased, and shall gather together a mighty great host of people: and one of them shall come, and go through like a water flowed: then shall he return, and go forth with defying and boasting into his own land.
Then the king of the south shall be angry, and shall come forth to fight with the king of the north: yee he shall bring a great multitude of people together, and a great heap shall be given into his hand. these he shall carry away with great pride, for so much as he hath cast down so many thousands, nevertheless he shall not prevail. For the king of the north shall gather ( of the new ) a greater heap of people than afore, and come forth ( after a certain time of years ) with a mighty host and exceeding great good.
At the same time there shall many stand up against the king of the south, so that the wicked children of thy people also shall exalt themselves ( to fulfill the vision) and then fall. So the king of the north shall come to lay siege, and to take the strong fenced cities: And the power of them of the south shall not be able to abide him, and the best men of the people shall not be so strong, as to resist him. Shortly, when he cometh, he shall handle him as he list, and no man shall be so hardy as to stand against him. He shall stand in the pleasant country, which through him shall be destroyed. He shall set his face with all his power to obtain his kingdom, and to be like it. Yee that shall he do, and give him unto the daughters among women, to destroy him. But he shall fail, neither shall he obtain his purpose. After this shall he set his face unto the Isles, and take many of them. A prince shall stop him, to do him a shame, beside the confusion that else shall come upon him. Thus shall he turn again to his own land, stumble, and fall, and be no more found: so that he that came upon him and did him violence, shall stand in his place, and have a pleasant kingdom: and after few days he shall be destroyed, and that neither in wrath, nor in battle. In his stead there shall arise a vile person, not holden worthy of a kings dignity: this shall come in craftily, and obtain the kingdom with fair words: he shall fight against the armies of the mighty ( and destroy them ) yee and against the prince of the covenant.
So after that he hath taken truce with him, he shall handle deceitfully: that he may get up, and overcome him with a small flock: and so with craftiness to get him to the fattest place of the land, and to deal otherwise, then either his fathers or grandfathers did. For he shall destroy the thing, that they had robbed and spoiled, yee all of their substance: imagining thoughts against the strong holds, and that for a time. His power and heat shall be stirred up with a great army against the king of the south: where through the king of the south shall be moved then unto battle, with a great mighty host also. Nevertheless, he shall not be able to stand, for they shall conspire against him. Yee they that eat of his meat, shall hurt him: so that his host shall fall, and many be slain down.
These two kings shall be minded to do mischief, and talk of deceit at one table: but they shall not prosper: for why? the end shall not come yet, unto the time appointed. Then shall he go home again into his own land with great good, and set his heart against the holy covenant, he shall be busy against it, and then return home. At the time appointed he shall come again, and go toward the south: So shall it happen otherwise then at the first, yet once again. And why? the ships of Cithum shall come upon him, that he may be smitten and turn again: that he may take indignation against the covenant of holiness, to meddle against it. Yee he shall turn him, and draw such unto him, as leave the holy covenant.
He shall set mighty men to unhallow the Sanctuary of strength, and to put down the daily offering, and to set up the abominable desolation. And such as break the covenant shall he flatter with fair words. But the people that will know their God, shall have the overhand and prosper. Those also that have understanding among the people shall inform the multitude: and for a long season, they shall be persecuted with sword, with fire, with captivity and with the taking away of their goods. Now when they fall, they shall be set up with a little help: but many shall cleave unto them *fainedly.
Ye some of those which have understanding shall be persecuted also: that they may be tried, purified, and cleansed, till the time be out: for there is yet another time appointed. The king shall do what him list, he shall exalt and magnify himself against all, that is God. Yee he shall speak marvelous things against the God of all gods, wherein he shall prosper, so long till the wrath be fulfilled, for the conclusion is devised already. He shall not regard the God of his fathers, but his lust shall be upon women: Yee he shall not care for any God, for he shall magnify himself above all. In his place shall he worship the mighty Idols: and the God whom his fathers knew not, shall he honor with gold and silver, with precious stones and pleasant jewels.
This shall he do, seeking help and *sucure at the mighty Idols and strange Gods. Such as receive him, and take him for God, he shall give them great worship and power: yee and make them lords of the multitude, and give them the land with rewards. In the latter time shall the king of the south strive with him: and the king of the north in like manner shall come against him with chariots, horsemen and a great navy of ships. He shall come into the lands, destroy and go through: he shall enter also in to the fair pleasant land. Many cities and countries shall decay, except Edom, Moab and the best of the children of Ammon, which shall escape from his hand. He shall stretch forth his hands upon the countries, and the land of Egypt shall not escape him. For through his going in, he shall have dominion over the treasures of silver and gold, and over all the precious jewels of Egypt, Lybia and Ethiopia. Nevertheless the tidings out of the East and north shall trouble him, for the which he will go forth to destroy and curse a great multitude. The tents of his palace shall be pitched between the two seas, upon the hill of the noble Sanctuary, for he shall come to the end of it, and then shall no man help him*fainedly= obligated / ready willing pleased happy. *sucure (secure, security) RN
The time will come also, that the great prince Michael, which standeth on thy people side, shall arise up, for there shall come a time of trouble, such as never was, since there began to be any people, unto that same time. Then shall thy people be delivered, yee all those that be found written in the book. Many of them that sleep in the dust of the earth, shall awake, some to everlasting life, some to perpetual shame and reproof. The wise ( such as have taught other ) shall glister, as the shining of heaven: and those that have instruct the multitude unto Godliness, shall be as the stars, world without end.
And thou O Daniel, shut up these words, and seal the book to the last time. Many shall go about here and there, and then shall knowledge increase. So I Daniel looked, and behold, there stood other two: one upon this shore of the water, the other upon yonder side. And one of them said unto him, which was clothed in linen, and stood above upon the waters of the flood, How long shall it be to the end of these wonderous works?
Then I heard the man with the linen clothes, which stood above upon the waters of the flood: when he held up his right and left hand unto heaven, and sware by him that liveth for ever: that it shall tarry for a time, two times and half a time: when the power of the holy people is clean scattered abroad, then shall this things be fulfilled.
I heard it well, but I understood it not. Then said I : O my Lord, what shall happen after that ? He answered: Go thy way Daniel, for the words shall be closed up and sealed, till the last time: and many shall be purified, cleansed and tried. But the ungodly shall live wickedly, and those wicked ( as many as they be ) shall have no understanding. As for such as have understanding, they shall regard it. And from that time forth that the daily offering shall be put down and the abominable desolation set up, there shall be a thousand two hundred and ninety days. O well is him, that waiteth, and cometh to the thousand three hundred and thirty five days. Go thou thy way now, till it be ended: take thy rest, and bide in thy lot, till the days have an endTHE FOURTH BOOK OF ESDRAS Chpt 3
In the third year of the fall of the city, I was at Babylon, and lay troubled upon my bed, and my thoughts came up over my heart: for I saw the desolation of Sion, and the plenteous wealth of them that dwelt at Babylon: and my spirit was sore moved, so that I began to speak fearful words to the most highest, and said: O' Lord, Lord, thou spakest at the beginning, when thou planted the earth ( and that thyself alone) and gavest commandment unto the people, and a body unto Adam, which was a creature of thy hands, and hast breathed in him the breath of life: and so he lived before thee, and thou leadest him into paradise, which garden of pleasure thy right hand had planted, or ever the earth was made. And unto him thou gavest the commandment to love thy ways, which he transgressed, and immediately thou appointedest death in him, and in his generations. Of him came nations, tribes, people and kindreds out of number. And every people walked after their own will, and did nice things before thee: and as for thy commandments, they despised them.
But in process of time thou broughtest the water flood, upon those that dwelt in the world, and destroyed them. And like as the death was in Adam, so was the water flood also in these. Nevertheless one of them thou leftest: namely Noe with his household, of whom came all righteous men. And it happened that when they that dwell upon the earth, began to multiply, and had gotten many children, and were a great people, they began to be more ungodly than the first.
Now when they all lived so wickedly before thee, thou chose thee a man from among them, whose name was Abraham. Him thou lovest, and unto him only thou showest thy will, and made an everlasting covenant with him, promising him, that thou wouldest never forsake his seed. And unto him thou gavest Isaac, unto Isaac also thou gavest Jacob and Esau. As for Jacob thou didest choose him, and put back Esau. And so Jacob became a great multitude.
And it happened that when thou leadest his feet out of Egypt, thou broughtest them up to the mount Sion, bowing down the heavens, setting fast the earth, moving the ground, making the depths to shake, and troubling the world: And thy glory went through four ports of fire, and earthquakes, and winds, and cold: that thou mayest give the law unto the seed of Jacob, and diligence unto the generation of Israel.
And yet tookest thou not away from them that wicked heart, that thy law might bring forth fruit in them. For the first Adam bear a wicked heart, transgressed, and was overcome, and so be all that were born of him. Thus remained weakness with the law in the heart of the people, with the wickedness of the root: so that the good departed away, and the evil abode still. So the times past and fled away, and the years were brought to an end. Then didest thou raise up a servant called David, whom thou commandest to build a city unto thy name, and to offer up incense and sacrifice unto thee therein. This was done now many years. Then the inhabitors of the city forsook thee, and in all things did even as Adam and all his generations had done: for they also had a wicked heart.
And so thou gavest the city over into the hands of thine enemies. Are they of Babylon then better and more righteous then thy people, that they shall therefore have the dominion of Sion: For when I came there, and saw their ungodliness, and so great wickedness, that it could not be numbered: yee when my soul saw so many evil doers ( in the thirty year) my heart failed me, for I saw, how thou sufferest them in such ungodliness, and spareth the wicked doers: but thy own people thou hast routed out, and preserved thine enemies, and this thou hast not showed me.
I cannot perceive how this happeneth. Do they of Babylon then better, then they of Sion: Or is there any other people, that knoweth thee, saving the people of Israel? Or what generation hath so believed thy covenants, as Jacob? And yet their reward appeareth not, and their labor hath no fruit. For I have gone here and there through the Heathen, and I see that they be rich and wealthy, and think not upon thy commandments. Weigh thou therefore our wickedness in the balance, and theirs also that dwell in the world, and so shall your name be no where found but in Israel. Or where is there a people upon earth, that has not sinned before thee? Or what people hath so kept thy commandments? Thou shalt find, that Israel by name hath kept thy precepts, but not the other people and the HeathenTHE FOURTH BOOK OF ESDRAS Chpt 12
And it happened when the Lion spake, these words unto the Eagle, I saw, and behold, the head that afore had the upper hand, appeared no more: neither did the four wings appear any more, that came to him, and were set up to reign: and their kingdom was small and full of uproar. And I saw, and behold, they appeared no more, and the whole body of the Eagle was burnt, and the earth was in great fear. Then awakened I out of the trance of my mind, and from great fear, and said unto my spirit: Lo, this hast thou given me, in that thou searchest out the ways of the Highest: lo, yet I am weary in my mind, and very weak in my spirit, and little strength is there in me, for the great fear that I received this night. Therefore will I now beseech the Highest, that he will comfort me unto the end: And I said, Lord, Lord, if I have before thy sight, and if I am justified with thee before many other, and if my prayer be come up before thy face, comfort me then, and show me thy servant the interpretation and plain difference of this horrible sight, that thou mayest perfectly comfort my soul: for thou hast judged me worthy, to show me the last of times.
And he said unto me: this is the interpretation of this sight. The Eagle whom thou saw sawest come up from the sea, is the kingdom which was seen in the vision of thy brother Daniel, but it was not expounded unto him, for now I declare it unto thee. Behold, the days come, that there shall rise up a kingdom upon the earth, and it shall be feared above all the kingdoms that were before it. In the same kingdom shall twelve kings reign, one after the other. For the second shall begin to reign, and shall have more time than the other, and this do the twelve wings signify, which thou sawest. As for the voice that spake, and that thou sawest go out from the heads but not from the body, it be tokeneth, that after the time of that kingdom there shall arise great strivings, and it shall stand in peril of falling: nevertheless it shall not yet fall, but shall be set in to his beginning. And the eight under wings which thou sawest hang unto the wings of him, betoken, that in him there shall arise eight kings, whose time shall be small, and their years swift, and two of them shall bear. But when the midst time cometh, there shall be four kept in that time, when his time begineth to come that it may be ended, but two shall be kept unto the end.
And where as thou sawest three heads resting, this is the interpretation: In his last shall the Highest raise up three kingdoms, and call many again into them, and they shall have the dominion of the earth, and of those that dwell therein, with much labor above all those that were before them. Therefore are they called the heads of the Eagle: for it is they that shall bring forth his wickedness again, and that shall perform and finish his last. And where as thou sawest, that the great head appeared no more, it signifieth, that one of them shall die upon his bed, and yet with pain, for the two that remain, shall be slain with the sword. For the sword of the one shall devour the other, but at the last shall he fall through the sword himself.
And where as thou sawest two underwings upon the head that is on the right side, it signifieth that it is they, whom the Highest hath kept unto their end: this is a small kingdom, full of trouble. The Lion whom thou sawest rising up out of the wood, and roaring, and speaking unto the Eagle, and rebuking him for his unrighteousness, is the wind, which the Highest hath kept for them and for their wickedness unto the end: he shall reprove them, and rent them asunder before them. For he shall set them living before the judgement, and shall rebuke them: for the residue of my people shall he deliver with trouble, those that be preserved over mine ends: and he shall make them joyful until the coming day of Judgement, where of I have spoken unto thee from the beginning. This is the dream that thou sawest, and this is the interpretation. Thou only hast been mete to know the secret of the Highest.
Therefore write all these things that thou hast seen in a book, and hide them, and teach them the wise in the people, whos hearts thou knowest may comprehend and keep these secrets. But wait thou here thyself yet seven days more, that it may be showed the , whatsoever pleaseth the Highest to declare unto thee, and with that he went his way.
And when all the people perceived, that the seven days were past, And I come again into the city, they gathered them all together from the least to the most, and came unto me, and said: what have we offended thee? and what evil have we done against thee, that thou forsake us, and sitteth here in this place? For of all the people thou only are left us, as a grape of the vine, and as a candle in a dark place, and as a haven a ship preserved from the tempest. Have we not adversity enough, but thou must forsake us? Were it not better for us, that we had been burnt with Sion? For we are no better, then they that died there: and they wept with loud voice. Then answered I them and said: Be of good comfort O' Israel, be not heavy thou house of Jacob: for the Highest hath you in remembrance, and the Mighty hath not forgotten you in temptation. As for me, I have not forsaken you, neither am I departed from you: but am come into this place to pray, because of the misery of Israel, that I might seek mercy for the low estate of your Sanctuary. And now go your way home every man, and after these days will I come unto you. So the people went their way into the city, like as I commanded them: but I remained in the field seven days, as the Angel bade me: and I ate only of the flowers of the field, and had my meat of the herbs in those daysTHE FIRST OF THE MACHABEES Chpt 1
After that Alexander the son of Philippe, king of Macedonia went forth of the land of Cethim, and slew Darius king of the Persians and Medes: It happened, that he took great wars in hand, won very many strong cities, and slew many kings of the earth: going through to the ends of the world and getting many spoils of the people: In so much, that the world stood in great awe of him, and therefore was *he proud in his heart. Now when he had gathered a mighty strong host, and subdued the lands and people with their princes, so that they became tributaries unto him: he fell sick. And when he perceived that he must needs die, he called for his noble estates ( which had been brought up with him of children ) and parted his kingdom among them, while he was yet alive. So Alexander reigned twelve years, and then died.
After his death fell the kingdom unto his princes, and they obtained it everyone in his room, and caused themselves to be crowned as kings: and so did their children after them many years, and much wickedness increased in the world. Out of these came the ungracious root, noble *Antiochus the son of Antiochus the king ( which had been a *pledge) at Rome ) and he reigned in the hundred and thirty and seventh year of the reign of the Greeks.
In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, which moved much people with their council, saying: Let us go and make a covenant with the Heathen, that are round about us: for since we departed from them, we have had much sorrow. So this device pleased them well, and certain of the people took upon them for to go unto the king, which gave them license to do after the ordinances of the Heathen. Then set they up an open school ( at Jerusalem ) of the laws of the Heathen, and were no more circumcised: but forsook the holy Testament, and joined themselves to the Heathen, and were clean sold to do mischief.
So when Antiochus began to be mighty in his kingdom, he went about to obtain the land of Egypt also, that he might have the dominion of two realms. Upon this he entered into Egypt with a strong host with chariots, elephants, horsemen and a great number of ships, and began to war against Ptolomy the king of Egypt. But Ptolomy was afraid of him, and fled: and many of his people were wounded to death. Thus Antiochus won many strong cities, and took away great good out of the land of Egypt.
And after that Antiochus had smitten Egypt, he returned again in the hundred forty third year, and went toward Israel, and came up to Jerusalem with a mighty people: and entered proudly into the Sanctuary, and took away the golden altar, the *candlestick and all the ornaments thereof, the table of the showbread, the pouring vessel and the chargers, the golden spoons, the veil, the crowns and golden apparel of the temple, and break down all. He took also the silver and gold, the precious Jewels and the secret treasures that he found. And when he had taken away altogether, caused a great murder of men, and so fulfilled his malicious pride, he departed into his own land.
Thus there arose a great heaviness and misery in all the land of Israel. The princes and elders of the people mourned, the young men and maidens were defiled, and the fair beauty of women was changed: the bridegroom and the bride took them to mourning the land and those that dwelt therein, was moved: for all the house of Jacob was brought to confusion.
After two years the king sent his chief treasurer unto the cities of Juda, which came to Jerusalem with a great multitude of people, speaking peaceable words unto them, but all was deceit: for when they had given him credence, he fell suddenly upon the city, and smote it sore, and destroyed much people of Israel. And when he had spoiled the city, he set fire on it, casting down houses and walls on every side. The women and their children took they captive, and lead away their cattle. Then builded they the castle of David with a great thick wall, and with mighty towers, and made it a stronghold for them. Beside all this they set wicked people and ungodly men to keep it, stored it with weapons and vitals: gathered the goods of Jerusalem, and laid them up there: thus became it a *thievish castle.
And this was done to lay wait for the people that went into the Sanctuary, and for the cruel destruction of Israel. Thus they shed innocent blood on every side of the Sanctuary, and defiled it: Insomuch that the citizens were faine to depart, and the city became an habitation of strangers, being desolate of her own seed, for her own natives were faine to leave her. Her Sanctuary was clean wasted, her holy days were turned to mourning, her Sabbaths were had in derision, and her honor was brought to nought. Look how great her glory was afore, so great was her confusion, and her joy turned into sorrow.
Antiochus also the king sent out a commission unto all his kingdom, that all the people should be one. Then they left every man his law, and all the Heathen agreed to the commandment of king Antiochus: Yee, many of the Israelites consented there unto, offering unto Idols, and defiling the Sabbath. So the king Antiochus sent his messengers with his commission unto Jerusalem, and to all the cities of Juda: that they should follow the laws of the Heathen, and forbade either burntofferings, meat offerings or peace offerings to be made in the temple of God, and that there should no Sabbath ner high feast day to be kept: but commanded, that the Sanctuary and the holy people of Israel should be defiled.
He commanded also that there should be set up other altars, temples and Idols: to offer up swines flesh and other unclean beasts: that men should leave their children uncircumcised, to defile their souls with all manner of uncleanness and abominations: that they might so forget the law, and change all the *holy ordinances of God: and whosoever would not do according to the commandment of king Antiochus, should suffer death. In like manner commanded he throughout all his realm, and set rulers over the people, for to compel them to do these things, commanding the cities of Juda to do sacrifice unto Idols.
Then went the people unto the Heathen by heaps, forsook the law of the Lord, and committed much evil in the land: yee and chased out the secret Israelites, which had hid themselves in corners and privy places. The fifteenth day of the month Casleu, in the hundred forty fifth year, set king Antiochus an abominable Idol of desolation upon the altar of God, and they builded altars throughout all the cities of Juda on every side, before the doors of the houses, and in the streets: where they burnt incense, and did sacrifice. And as for the books of the law of God, they burnt them in the fire, and rent them in pieces. Whatsoever he was that had a book of the Testament of the Lord found by him, yee whosoever endeavored himself to keep the law of the Lord, the kings commandment was, that they should put him to death. And through his authority they executed these things every month, upon the people of Israel that were found in the cities.
The five and twentieth day of the month, what time as they did sacrifice upon the altar ( which stood instead of the altar of the Lord ) according to the commandment of king Antiochus, they put certain women to death, which had caused their children to be circumcised: Not only that, but they hanged up the children by the necks throughout all their houses, and slew the circumcisers of them.
Yet were there many of the people of Israel, which determined in themselves, that they would not eat unclean things: but chose rather to suffer death, then to be defiled with unclean meats. So because they would not break the blessed law of God, they were cruelly slain. And this great tyranny increased very sore upon the people of Israel*he proud in his heart. (kjv and other bibles of man = he was exalted and his heart was lifted up) *candlestick (kjv and other bibles of man = candlestick of light)
*Antiochus (kjv and other bibles of man = surnamed Epiphanes) *pledge (kjv and other bibles of man = hostage)
*thievish (thieves) *holy ordinances of God: (kjv and other bibles of man =leaves out "of God")Therefore holy brethren, partakers of the celestial callings consider the ambassador and high priest of our profession Christ Jesus, which was faithful to him that made him, even as was Moses in all his house. And yet was this man counted worthy of more glory than Moses: In as much as he which hath prepared the house, hath most honour in the house. Every house is prepared of some man. But he that ordained all things, is God. And Moses verily was faithful in all his house, as a minister, to bear witness of those things which should be spoken afterward. But Christ as a son, hath rule over the house, whose house are we, so that we hold fast the confidence and the rejoicing of that hope, unto the end.
Wherefore as the *holy ghost saith: today if ye shall hear his voice, harden not your hearts, after the rebellion in the day of temptation in the wilderness, where your fathers tempted me, proved me, and saw my works forty years long. Wherefore I was grieved with that generation and said: They *erre ever in their hearts: they verily have not known my ways so that I sware in my wrath, that they should not enter into my rest. Take heed brethren that there be in none of you an evil heart in unbelief, that he should depart from the living God: but exhort one another daily, while it is called today, lest any of you wax hard hearted through the deceitfulness of sin.
We are partakers of Christ if we keep sure unto the end the first substance, so long as it is said: today if ye hear his voice, harden not your hearts, as when ye rebelled. For some, when they heard, rebelled: how be it not all that came out of Egypt under Moses. But with whom was he displeased forty years? Was he not displeased with them that sinned whose carcasses were overthrown in the desert? To whom sware he that they should not enter into his rest: but unto them that believed not? And we see that they could not enter in, because of unbelief.
THE GOSPELL OF ST. MATTHEW Chpt 24
And Jesus went out and departed from the temple: and his disciples came to him, for to show him the building of the temple. Jesus said unto them: see ye not all these things? Verily I say unto you: there shall not be here left one stone upon another, that shall not be cast down.
And as he sat upon the mount Olivet, his disciples came unto him secretly saying. Tell us when these things shall be: and what sign shall be of thy coming, and of the end of the world? And Jesus answered, and said unto them: take heed that no man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying: I am Christ: and shall deceive many. Ye shall hear of wars, and of the fame of wars: but see that ye be not troubled. For all these things must come to pass, but the end is not yet. For nation shall rise against nation, and realm against realm: and there shall be pestilence, hunger and earthquakes in all quarters. All these are the beginning of sorrows.
Then shall they put you to trouble, and shall kill you: and ye shall be hated of all nations for my names sake. And then shall many be offended, and shall betray one another, and shall hate one the other. And many false prophets shall arise, and shall deceive many. And because iniquity shall have the upper hand, the love of many shall abate. But he that endureth to the end, the same shall be safe. And this glad tidings of the kingdom: shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations: and then shall the end come.
When ye therefore shall see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, spoken of by Daniel the Prophet, stand in the holy place: let him that readeth it, understand it. Then let them which be in *Jury, fly into the mountains. And let him which is on the house top, not come down to fetch anything out of his house. Neither let him which is in the field, return back to fetch his clothes. Woe shall be in those days to them that are with child, and to them that give suck. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, neither on the Sabbath day. For then shall be great tribulation, such as was not from the beginning of the world to this time, nor shall be. Ye and except those days should be shortened, there should no flesh be saved: but for the chosens sake, those days shall be shortened.
Then if any man shall say unto you: lo, here is Christ, or there is Christ: believe it not. For there shall arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall do great miracles and wonders. In so much that if it were possible, the very elect should be deceived. Take heed, I have told you before. Wherefore if they shall say unto you: behold he is in the desert, go not forth: behold he is in the secret places, believe not. For as the lightning cometh out of the East and shineth unto the west: so shall the coming of the son of man be. For wheresoever a dead carcass is, even thither will the eagles resort. Immediately after the tribulations of those days, shall the sun be darkened: and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars shall fall from heaven, and the powers of heaven shall move. And then shall appear the sign of the son of man in heaven. And then shall all the kindreds of the earth mourn, and they shall see the son of man come in the clouds of heaven with power and great glory. And he shall send his Angels with the great voice of a trumpet, and they shall gather together his chosen, from the four winds, and from the one end of the world to the other.
Learn a similitude of the fig tree: when his branches are yet tender and his leaves sprung, ye know that summer is nigh. So likewise ye, when ye see all these things, be ye sure that it is near, even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass till all these be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall perish, but my words shall abide. But of that day and hour knoweth no man, no not the angels of heaven, but my father only.
As the time of Noe was, so likewise shall the coming of the son of man be. For as in the days before the flood: they did eat and drink, marry, and were married, even unto the day that Noe entered in to the ship, and knew of nothing, till the flood came and took them all away: So shall also the coming of the son of man be. Then two shall be in the fields, the one shall be received, and the other shall be refused, two shall be grinding at the mill the one shall be received, and the other shall be refused. Wake therefore, because ye know not what hour your master will come. Of this be sure, that if the good man of the house knew what hour the thief would come: he would surely watch, and not suffer his house to be broken up. Therefore be ye also ready, for in the hour ye think he would not: will the son of man come. If there be any faithful servant and wise, whom his master hath made ruler over his household to give them meat in season convenient, happy is that servant whom his master (when he cometh) shall find so doing. Verily I say unto you, he shall make him ruler over all his goods. But and if that evil servant shall say in his heart, my master will defer his coming, and begin to smite his fellows, ye and to eat and to drink with the drunken: that servants master will come in a day when he looketh not for him, and in an hour that he is not ware of, and will divide him, and give him his reward with hypocrites. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth
*Jury (Jewry) : exact spelling was JuryTHE GOSPELL OF ST. MARK Chpt 13
And as he went out of the temple, one of his disciples said unto him: Master, see what stones, and what buildings are here. And Jesus answered and said unto him: Seest thou these great buildings? There shall not be left one stone upon another, that shall not be thrown down. And as he sat on mount Olivet, over against the temple, Peter, and James, and John, and Andrew asked him secretly: tell us, when shall these things be? And what is the sign when all these things shall be fulfilled? And Jesus answered them, and began to say: take heed lest any man deceive you. For many shall come in my name saying: I am Christ, and shall deceive many.
When ye shall hear of war and tidings of war, be ye not troubled. For such things must needs be. But the end is not yet. For there shall nation arise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom. And there shall be earth quakes in all quarters, and famishment and troubles. These are the beginning of sorrows. But take ye heed to yourselves. For they shall bring you up to the councils and into the synagogues, and ye shall be beaten: yea and shall be brought before rulers and kings for my sake, for a testimonial unto them. And the Gospel must first be published among all nations.
But when they lead you and present you take no thought aforehand what ye shall say, neither imagine: but whatsoever is given you at the same time, that speak. For it shall not be ye that shall speak, but the holy ghost. Yea and the brother shall deliver the brother to death, and the father the son, and the children shall rise against their fathers and mothers, and shall put them to death. And ye shall be hated of all men for my names sake. But whosoever shall endure unto the end, the same shall be safe.
Moreover when ye see the abomination that betokeneth desolation, whereof is spoken by Daniel the prophet, stand where it ought not, let him that readeth understand. Then let them that be in *Jurie, flee to the mountains. And let him that is on the house top, not descend down into the house, neither enter therein, to fetch anything out of his house. And let him that is in the field, not turn back again unto those things which he left behind him, for to take his clothes with him. Woe shall be then to them that are with child, and to them that give suck in those days. But pray, that your flight be not in the winter. For there shall be in those days such tribulation, as was not from the beginning of creatures which God created unto this time, neither shall be. And except that the Lord should shorten those days, no man should be saved. But for the elects sake, which he hath chosen, he hath shortened those days.
And then, if any man say to you: lo, here is Christ: lo, he is there, believe not. For false Christs shall arise, and false prophets, and shall show miracles and wonders, to deceive if it were possible, even the elect. But take ye heed: behold I have showed you all things before.
Moreover in those days, after that tribulation, the sun shall wax dark, and the moon shall not give her light, and the stars of heaven shall fall: and the powers which are in heaven, shall move. And then shall they see the son of man coming in the clouds, with great power and glory. And then shall he send his angels, and shall gather together his elect from the four winds, and from the one end of the world to the other.
Learn a similitude of the fig tree. When his branches are yet tender, and hath brought forth leaves, ye know that summer is near. So in like manner when ye see these things come to pass: understand, that it is nigh even at the doors. Verily I say unto you, that this generation shall not pass, till all these things be done. Heaven and earth shall pass, but my words shall not pass. But of the day and the hour knoweth no man: no not the Angels which are in heaven: neither the son himself, save the father only.
Take heed, watch and pray, for ye know not when the time is. As a man which is gone into a strange country, and hath left his house, and given authority to his servants, and to every man his work, and commanded the porter to watch. Watch therefore, for ye know not when the master of the house will come, whether at evening or at midnight, whether at the cock crowing or in the dawning: lest if he come suddenly, he should find you sleeping. And that I say unto you, I say unto all men, watch
*Jurie (Jewry),THE GOSPELL OF ST. LUKE Chpt 21
As he beheld, he saw the rich men, how they cast in their offerings into the treasury. And he saw also a certain poor widow, which cast in thither two mites. And he said: of a truth I say unto you, this poor widow hath put in more than they all. For they all have of their *superfluity added unto the offering of God: but she, of her penury, hath cast in all the substance that she had.
As some spake of the temple, how it was garnished with goodly stones and Jewels, he said. The days will come, when of these things which ye see, shall not be left stone upon stone, that shall not be thrown down. And they asked him saying: Master when shall these things be, and what sign will there be, when such things shall come to pass.
And he said: take heed, that ye be not deceived. For many will come in my name saying: I am he: and the time draweth near. Follow ye not them therefore. But when ye hear of war and of dissension: be not afraid. For these things must first come: but the end followeth not by and by. Then said he unto them: Nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and great earthquakes shall be in all quarters, and hunger, and pestilence: and fearful things. And great signs shall there be from heaven.
But before all these, they shall lay their hands on you and persecute you, delivering you up to the Synagogues and into prison, and bring you before kings and rulers for my names sake. And this shall chance you for a testimonial. Let it stick therefore fast in your hearts, not once to study before, what ye shall answer: for I will give you a mouth and wisdom, where against, all your adversaries shall not be able to speak nor resist. Ye and ye shall be betrayed of your fathers and mothers, and of your brethren, and kinsmen, and lovers, and some of you shall they put to death. And hated shall ye be of all men for my names sake. Yet there shall not one hair of your heads perish. With your patience possess your souls.
And when ye see Jerusalem besieged with an host, then understand that the desolation of the same is nigh. Then let them which are in Jewrye fly to the mountains. And let them which are in the midst of it, depart out. And let not them that are in other countries, enter therein. For these be the days of vengeance, to fulfil all that are written. But woe be to them that be with child, and to them that give suck in those days: for there shall be great trouble in the land, and wrath over all this people. And they shall fall on the edge of the sword, and shall be led captive, into all nations. And Jerusalem shall be trodden under foot of the gentiles, until the time of the gentiles be fulfilled.
And there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars: and in the earth the people shall be in such perplexity, that they shall not tell which way to turn themselves. The sea and the waters shall roar, and mens hearts shall fail them for fear, and for looking after those things which shall come on the earth. For the powers of heaven shall move. And then shall they see the son of man come in a cloud with power and great glory. When these things begin to come to pass: then look up, and lift up your heads for your redemption draweth nigh.
And he showed them a similitude: behold the fig tree, and all other trees, when they shoot forth their buds, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is then nigh at hand. So like wise ye (when ye see these things come to pass) understand, that the kingdom of God is nigh. Verily I say unto you: this generation shall not pass, till all be fulfilled. Heaven and earth shall pass: but my words shall not pass.
Take heed to yourselves, lest your hearts be overcome with *surfeiting and drunkenness and cares of this world: and that, that day come on you unawares. For as a snare shall it come on all them that sit on the face of the earth. Watch therefore continually and pray, that ye may obtain grace to fly all this that shall come, and that ye may stand before the son of man.
In the day time, he taught in the temple and at night, he went out, and had abiding in the mount olivete. And all the people came in the morning to him in the temple, for to hear him*superfluity (excess) *surfeit: caused by excessive eating or drinking; sickness or derangement.
THE FOURTH BOOK OF ESDRAS Chpt 1
The second book of the prophet Esdras ( the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias the son of Neichia, the son of Sallum, the son of Sadoc, the son of Achitou, the son of *Amerias, the son of Azarias, the son of Maraioth, the son of Sahias, the son of Uzi, the son of Boccus, the son of Abisu, the son of Phineas, the son of Eleazar, the son of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi ) which was prisoner in the land of the Meedes, in the reign of Artaxerses king of Persia.
And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying : go thy way, and show my people their sinful deeds, and their children their wickednesses, which they have done against me, that they may tell their childrens children the same: for the sins of their fathers are increased in them. And why they have forgotten me, and have offered unto strange gods. Am not I even he, that brought them out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage: But they have provoked me unto wrath, and despised my counsels. Pull thou out then the heart of thy head, and call all evil over them, for they have not been obedient to my law.
This is a people with out learning and nurture. How long shall I forebear them, unto whom I have done so much good: Many kings have I destroyed for their sakes: Pharo with his servants and all his power have I smitten down and slayen: All the nations have I destroyed and rooted out before them, and in the East I brought two lands and people to nought, even Tyre and Sidon, and have slayen all their enemies. Speak thou therefore unto them, saying: Thus sayeth the Lord: I lead you through the sea, and have given you sure streets since the beginning. I gave you Moses to be your captain, and Arron to be the priest: I gave you light in a pillar of fire, and great wonders have I done among you: yet have ye forgotten me, sayeth the Lord.
Thus sayeth the almighty Lord: I gave you quails to eat, and tents for your succor: Nevertheless ye murmured, and ascribed not the victory of your enemies unto my name: yee this same day do ye murmur. Where are the benefits, that I have done for you: when ye were hungry in the wilderness, did ye not cry unto me: Why hast thou brought us unto this wilderness, to kill us: It had been better for us, to have served the Egyptians, then to die in this wilderness. Then had I pity upon your mournings, and gave you manna to eat. Ye ate angels food. When ye were thirsty, did not I hew the hard stone, and cause water to flow thereout? For the heat I covered you with the leaves of the trees. And good pleasant fat land gave I you: I cast out the Canaanites, the Pheresites, and the Philistines before you. What shall I do more for you, sayeth the Lord?
Thus sayeth the almighty Lord: When ye were in the wilderness, in the water of the Amorites, being a thirst, and blaspheming my name, I gave you not fire for your blasphemes, but cast a tree into the water, and made the river sweet. What shall I do unto thee, O' Jacob? Thou Juda wouldest not obey me: I will turn me to another people, and unto those I will give my name, that they may keep my statutes. Seeing ye have forsaken me, I will forsake you also. When ye desire me to be gracious unto you, I shall have not mercy upon you. When ye call upon me, I will not hear you. For ye have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit manslaughter. Ye have not forsaken me ( in a manner ) but your own selves, sayeth the Lord.
Thus sayeth the almighty Lord: have I not prayed you, as a father his sons, as a mother her daughters, and as a nurse her young babes, that ye would be my people, and I should be your God: that ye would be my children, and I should be your own father: I gathered you together, as an hen gathereth her chickens under her wings. But now what shall I do unto you? I shall cast you out from my face: When ye offer unto me, I shall turn my face from you: for your solemn feast days, your new moons, and your circumcisions have I forsaken. I sent unto you my servants the Prophets, whom you have taken and slayen, and torn their bodies in pieces, whose blood I will require of your hands, sayeth the Lord.
Thus sayeth the almighty Lord: your house must be desolate. I will cast you out as the wind doeth the straw: your children shall not be fruitful, for they have despised my commandment, and done the thing that is evil before me. Your houses will I give unto a people that shall come, and they that never heard me shall believe in me: and they unto whom I never showed token, shall do the thing that I command them. They have seen no Prophets, yet shall they call their sin to remembrance, and knowledge them. I report me unto the grace, that I will do for that people which is to come, whose childern rejoice in gladness: and though they have not seen me with bodily eyes, yet in spirit they believe: the things that I say. And now brother, behold what great worship, and see the people that cometh from the East, unto whom I will give the dukedom of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, of *Dseas, Amos, and Micheas, of Joel, Abdy, Jonas, Naum, and Abacuc, of Sophony, Aggeus, Zachary, and Malachi; which is called also an angel (or messenger ) of the Lord*Amerias later see the Eagle whose wings cover the earth: note. RN
*Dseas =Hosea, Micheas =Micah, Abdy =Obadiah, Jonas = Jonah, Naum =Nahum, Abacuc =Habakkuk, Sophony =Zephanaih, Aggeus = Haggai, Zachary =ZechariahTHE FOURTH BOOK OF ESDRAS Chpt 16
Woe be unto thee Babylon and Asia, woe be unto thee Egypt and Syria: gird yourselves with clothes of sack and hear, and mourn for your children, be sorry, for your destruction is at hand. A sword is sent upon you, and who will turn it back? A fire is kindled among you, and who will quench it: Plagues are sent unto you, and what is he that will drive them away? May any man drive away an hungry lion in the woods? Or may any man quench the fire in the stubble, when it hath gone to burn? May one turn again the arrow, that is shot of a strong archer? The mighty Lord sendeth the plagues, and what is he that will drive them away? The fire is kindled and gone forth in his wrath, and what is he that will quench it? He shall cast lightings, and who shall not fear? He shall thunder, and who shall not be afraid: The Lord shall threaten and who shall not utterly be beaten to powder at his presence? The earth quaketh, and the foundations thereof: the sea ariseth up with waves from the deep, and the floods of it are unquiet and the fishes thereof also before the Lord, and before the glory of his power. For strong is his right hand that holdeth the bow, his arrows that he shooteth, are sharp, and shall not miss, when they begin to be shot to the ends of the world.
Behold, the plagues are sent, and shall not turn again, till they come upon the earth. The fire is kindled, and shall not be put out, till it consume the foundations of the earth. Like as an arrow shot of a mighty archer, returneth not backward: even so the plagues that shall be sent upon the earth, shall not turn again. Woe is me, woe is me, who will deliver me in those days? The beginning of sorrows and great mourning: the beginning of *darth and great death: the beginning of wars, and the powers shall stand in fear: the beginning of evils, and they shall tremble everyone. What shall I do in these things, when the plagues come? Behold, hunger, and plague, trouble and anguish are sent, as scourging for amendment. But for all these things they shall not turn from their wickedness, nor be always mindful of the scourging.
Behold, vitals shall be so good cheap upon the earth, that they shall think them selves to be in good case? And even then shall mischief grow up upon the earth, wars, darth and great disquietness. For many of them that dwell upon the earth shall perish of hunger, and the other that escape the hunger, shall the sword destroy: And the dead shall be cast out as dung, and there should be no man to comfort them. For the earth shall be wasted, and the cities shall be cast down: there shall be no man left to till the earth and to sew it. The trees shall give fruit, and who shall pluck them of and gather them? The grapes shall be ripe, and who shall tread them: for all the places shall be desolate of men, so that one man shall desire to see another, or to hear his voice. For of one whole city there shall be ten left, and two in the field, which shall hide themselves in the thick bushes, and in the cliffs of stones: like as when there remain three or four olives upon the tree, or as when a vineyard is gathered there are left some grapes, of them that diligently sought through the vineyard.
Even so, in those days there shall be three or four left, for them that search their houses with the sword. And the earth shall be left waste, and the fields thereof shall wear old: and her ways and her paths shall grow full of thorns, because no man shall travel there through. The daughters shall mourn, having no bridegrooms: the women shall make lamentation, having no husbands, their daughters shall mourn, having no help of their bride groom. In the wars shall they be destroyed, and their husbands shall perish of hunger. O' ye servants of the Lord, hear these things, and mark them. Behold, the word of the Lord, O' receive it: behold the plagues draw near, and are not slack in tarrying. Like as a travailing woman, which after nine months bringeth forth a son, when the hour of the birth is come, an hour two or three afore that the pains come upon her body, and when the child cometh to the birth, they tarry not the twinkling of an lie: Even so shall not the plagues be slack to come upon the earth, and the world shall mourn, and sorrows shall come upon it on every side.
O' my people, hear my word, make you ready to the battle: and in all evil be as pilgrims upon the earth He that selleth, let him be as he that flyeth his way: and he that buyeth, as one that will lease. Who so occupieth merchandise, as he that winneth not: and he that buildeth, as he that shall not dwell therin: he that soweth, as one that shall not reap: he that twisteth the vineyard, as he that shall not gather the grapes: they that marry, as they that shall get no children: and they that marry not, as the widows: and therefore they that labor, labor in vain. For strangers shall reap their fruits, and spoil their goods, overthrow their houses, and take their children captive, for in captivity and hunger shall they get children. And they that occupy their merchandise with robbery, how long deck they their cities, their houses, their possessions, their persons? the more will I punish them for their sins, sayeth the Lord. Like as an whore envieth an honest woman, so shall righteousness hate iniquity, when she decketh herself, and shall accuse her to her face, when he cometh that defendeth, which shall make inquisition for all sin upon the earth. And therefore be not ye like thereunto, near to the works thereof: for or ever it be long, iniquity shall be taken away out of the earth, and righteousness shall reign among you.
Let not the sinner say, that he hath not sinned: for coals of fire shall burn upon his head, which sayeth before the Lord God and his glory: I have not sinned. Behold, the Lord knoweth all the works of men, their imaginations, their thoughts and their hearts. For he spoke but the word: let the earth be made, and it was made: let the heaven be made, and it was made. In his word were the stars made, and he knoweth the number of them. He searcheth the ground of the deep, and the treasures thereof: he hath measured the sea, and what it containeth. He hath shut the sea in the midst of the waters, and with his word hath he hanged the earth upon the waters. He spreadeth out the heaven like a *vawte, upon the waters hath he founded it. In the desert a dry wilderness hath he made springs of water, and poles upon the tops of mountains, that the floods might pour down from the stony rocks to water the earth. He made man, and put his heart in the midst of the body, and gave him breath, life and understanding, yee and the spirit of the Almighty God, which made all things, and hath searched the ground of all the secrets of the earth.
He knoweth your imaginations and inventions, and what ye think when ye sin, and would hide your sins. Therefore hath the Lord searched and sought out all your works, and he shall *bewray you all. And when your sins are brought forth, ye shall be ashamed before men, and your own sins shall be your accusers in that day. What will ye do? Or how will ye hide your sins before God and his Angels? Behold, God himself is the judge, fear him, leave off from your sins, and forget your unrighteousness, and meddle no more with them: so shall God lead you forth, and deliver you from all trouble. For behold, the heat of the great multitude is kindled over you, and they shall take away certain of you, and feed the idle with Idols: and they that consent unto them, shall be had in *derision, laughed to scorn, and trodden under foot.
For unto the places there shall be a place, and in the next cities a great insurrection upon those that fear the Lord. They shall be like madmen, they shall spare no man: they shall spoil and waste such as fear the Lord, their goods shall they take from them, and shut them out of their houses. Then shalt it be known who are my chosen, and they shall be tried as the gold in the fire. Hear O' ye my beloved, sayeth the Lord: behold, the days of trouble are at hand, but I will deliver you from the same. Be not afraid, despair not, for God is your captain.
Who so keepeth my commandments and precepts ( sayeth the Lord God ) let not your sins weigh you down, and let not your unrighteousness be lift up. Woe be unto to those that are subdued unto their own sins, and tangled in their wickednesses: like as a field is hedged in with bushes, and the path thereof covered with thorns, that no man may travel through: and so is he taken, and cast in the fire, and burnt.*darth=famine, lack. *vawte, ( vault ; from Mid Eng vaute: meaning an arched overhead covering). *bewray (disclose, reveal, uncover). *derision; laughed to scorn, and trod under foot contempt
THE GOSPELL OF ST. MATTHEW Chpt 23
Then spake Jesus to the people, and to his disciples saying: The Scribes and the Pharisees sit in Moses seat. All therefore whatsoever they bid you observe, that observe and do: but after their works do not: For they say, and do not. Ye, and they bind heavy burdens and grievous to be borne, and lay them on mens shoulders: but they themselves will not heave at them with one of their fingers. All their works they do, for to be seen of men. They set abroad their *phylacteries, and make large borders on their garments, and love to sit uppermost at feasts and to have the chief seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets, and to be called of men Rabbi.
But ye shall not *suffer yourselves to be called Rabbi. For one is your master, that is to *wit Christ, and all ye are brethren. And call no man your father upon the earth, for there is but one your father, and he is in heaven. Be not called masters, for there is but one your master, and he is Christ. He that is greatest among you, shall be your servant. But whosoever exalteth himself, shall be brought low. And he that humbleth himself, shall be exalted. *Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, for ye shut up the kingdom of heaven before men: ye yourselves go not in, neither suffer ye them that come, to enter in.
Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites: ye devour widows houses: and that under a colour of praying long prayers wherefore ye shall receive greater damnation.
Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, which compass sea and land, to bring one in to your belief: and when he is brought, ye make him two fold more the child of hell, than ye yourselves are.
Woe be unto you blind guides, which say whosoever swear by the temple: it is nothing: but whosoever swear by the gold of the temple, he offendeth. Ye fools and blind: whether is greater, the gold, or the temple that sanctifieth the gold? And whosoever sweareth by the altar, it is nothing: but whosoever sweareth by the offering that lieth on the altar, offendeth. Ye fools and blind: whether is greater the offering, or the altar which sanctifieth the offering? Whosoever therefore sweareth by the altar, sweareth by it, and by all that thereon is. And whosoever sweareth by the temple, sweareth by it, and by him that dwelleth therein. And he that sweareth by heaven, sweareth by the seat of God and by him that sitteth thereon.
Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, which tithe mint, annise and cummin, and leave the weightier matters of the law undone: judgement, mercy, and faith. These ought ye to have done, and not to have left the other undone. Ye blind guides which strain out a gnat and swallow a camel.
Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, which make clean the outer side of the cup, and of the platter: but within they are full of bribery and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first, the inside of the cup and platter, that the outside of them may be clean also.
Woe be to you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, for ye are like unto painted tombs which appear beautiful outward: but are within full of dead bones and of all filthiness. So are ye, for outward ye appear righteous unto men, when within, ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
Woe be unto you Scribes and Pharisees hypocrites: ye build the tombs of the Prophets, and garnish the sepulchers of the righteous, and say: If we had been in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in the blood of the Prophets. So then ye be witnesses unto yourselves, that ye are the children of them which killed the Prophets. Fulfil ye likewise the measure of your fathers. Ye serpents and generation of vipers, how should ye scape the damnation of hell?
Wherefore, behold I send unto you, prophets, wise men and scribes, and of them ye shall kill and crucify: and of them ye shall scourge in your synagogues, and persecute from city to city, that upon you may come all the righteous blood that was shed upon the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel, unto the blood of Zacharias the son of Barachias, whom ye slew between the temple and the altar. Verily I say unto you, all these things shall light upon this generation. Jerusalem, Jerusalem which killest Prophets, and stonest them which are sent to thee: how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, but ye would not: Behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. For I say to you, ye shall not see me henceforth, till that ye say: blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord*phylacteries: either of two leather pouches containing scriptures, one worn on the left arm, the other on the forehead, by these Scribes or Pharisees. *suffer (allow)
*wit (know) *Woe: this woe and the following appear as "bold type" in the text.THE GOSPELL OF ST. LUKE Chpt 11
And it fortuned as he was praying in a certain place: when he ceased, one of his disciples said unto him: Master, teach us to pray, as John taught his disciples. And he said unto them: When ye pray, say: O' our father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be fulfilled, even in earth as it is in heaven. Our daily bread give us evermore. And forgive us our sins: For even we forgive every man that trespasseth us. And lead us not into temptation. But deliver us from evil.
And he said unto them: if any of you should have a friend, and should go to him at midnight, and say unto him: friend lend me three loaves, for a friend of mine is come out of the way to me, and I have nothing to set before him: and he within should answer and say, trouble me not, the door is now shut, and my servants are with me in the chamber, I cannot rise and give them to thee. I say unto you, though he would not arise and give him, because he is his friend: yet because of his importunity he would rise, and give him as many as he needed. And I say unto you: ask, and it shall be given you. Seek, and ye shall find. Knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh, receiveth: and he that seeketh, findeth: and to him that knocketh, shall it be opened. If the son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father: will he give him a stone? Or if he ask fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? Or if he ask an egg: will he offer him a scorpion? If ye then which are evil, can give good gifts unto your children, how much more shall the father of heaven give an holy spirit to them, that desire it of him?
And he was casting out a devil, which was dumb. And it followed when the devil was gone out, the dumb spake, and the people wondered. But some of them said: he casteth out devils by the power of Belzebub, the chief of the devils. And other tempted him seeking of him a sign from heaven. But he knew their thoughts, and said unto them: Every kingdom divided with in itself shall be desolate: and one house shall fall upon another. So if Satan be divided with in himself: how shall his kingdom endure? Because ye say that I cast out devils by the power of Belzebub. If I, by the power of Belzebub cast out devils: by whom do your children cast them out? Therefore shall they be your judges. But if I, with the finger of God cast out devils, no doubt the kingdom of God is come upon you.
When a strong man armed watcheth his house: that he possesseth is in peace. But when a stronger than he cometh upon him and overcometh him: he taketh from him his harness wherein he trusted and divideth his goods. He that is not with me, is against me. And he that gathereth not with me, scattereth.
When the unclean spirit is gone out of a man, he walketh through waterless places, seeking rest. And when he findeth none, he sayeth: I will return again unto my house whence I came out. And when he cometh, he findeth it swept and garnished. Then goeth he and taketh to him seven other spirits worse than him self: and they enter in, and dwell there. And the end of that man, is worse than the beginning.
And it fortuned as he spake those things, a certain woman of the company lifted up her voice, and said unto him: Happy is the womb that bare thee, and the paps which gave thee suck. But he said: Ye, happy are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.
When the people were gathered thick together: he began to say. This is an evil nation: they seek a sign, and there shall no sign be given them, but the sign of Jonas the prophet. For as Jonas was a sign to the Ninivites, so shall the son of man be to this nation.
The queen of the south shall rise at judgement, with the men of this generation, and condemn them: for she came from the end of the world, to hear the wisdom of Salomon. And behold a greater than Salomon is here. The men of Nineveh shall rise at the judgement with this generation: and shall condemn them: for they repented at the preaching of Jonas. And behold a greater than Jonas is here.
No man lighteth a candle, and putteth it in a *privy place, neither under a bushel: but on a candlestick, that they that come in may see the light. The light of thy body is the eye. Therefore when thine eye is single: then is all thy body full of light. But if thine eye be evil: then shall thy body also be full of darkness. Take heed therefore that the light which is in thee, be not darkness. For if all thy body shall be light, having no part dark: then shall all be full of light, even as when a candle doth light thee with his brightness.
And as he spake, a certain Pharisee besought him to dine with him: and he went in and sat down to meat. When the Pharisee saw that, he marvelled that he had not first washed before dinner. And the Lord said to him: Now do ye Pharisees, make clean the outside of the cup, and of the platter: but your inward parts are full of ravening and wickedness. Ye fools, did not he that made that which is without: make that which is within also? Nevertheless give *almose of that ye have and behold all is clean to you. But woe be to you Pharisees, for ye tithe the mint and *rue, and all manner herbs, and pass over judgement and the love of God. These ought ye to have done, and yet not to have left the other undone.
Woe be to you, Pharisees: for ye love the uppermost seats in the synagogues, and greetings in the markets. Woe be to you scribes and Pharisees hypocrites, for ye are as graves which appear not, and the men that walk over them, are not ware of them. Then answered one of the lawyers, and said unto him: Master, thus saying thou puttest us to rebuke also. Then he said: Woe be to you also, ye lawyers: for ye lade men with burdens grievous to be born, and ye your selves touch not the packs with one of your fingers. Woe be to you: ye build the sepulchers of the Prophets, and your fathers killed them, truly ye bear witness, that ye allow the deeds of your fathers: for they killed them, and ye build their sepulchers. Therefore said the wisdom of God: I will send them Prophets and Apostles, and of them they shall slay and persecute: that the blood of all Prophets, which was shed from the beginning of the world, may be required of this generation, from the blood of Abel unto the blood of Zachary, which perished between the altar and the temple. Verily I say unto you: it shall be required of this nation.
Woe be to you lawyers: for ye have taken away the key of knowledge, ye entered not in yourselves, and them that came in ye forbade. When he thus spake unto them, the lawyers and the Pharisees began to wax busy about him, and to stop his mouth with many questions, laying wait for him, and seeking to catch something of his mouth, whereby they might accuse him*privy (private, hidden)
*almose: this is the exact spelling as found in the text. If this word is "almost" it is consistent with "the giving up of all goods" found in the Acts of the Apostles. Some have read it as alms. *rue (aromatic plant),THE GOSPELL OF ST. LUKE Chpt 13
There were present at the same season, that showed him of the Galileans, whose blood Pilate mingled with their own sacrifice. And Jesus answered, and said unto them: Suppose ye that these Galileans were greater sinners then all the other Galileans, because they suffered such punishment? I tell you nay: but except ye repent, ye shall all in like wise perish. Or those eighteen upon which the tower in Siloe fell, and slew them, think ye that they were sinners above all men that dwell in Jerusalem? I tell you nay: But except ye repent, ye all shall likewise perish.
He put forth this similitude: A certain man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard and he came and sought fruit thereon, and found none. Then said he to the dresser of his vineyard: Behold, this three year have I come and sought fruit in this fig tree, and find none: cut it down: why cumbereth it the ground? And he answered and said unto him: Lord let it alone this year also, till I dig round about it, and dung it, to see whether it will bear fruit: and if it bear not then, after that, cut it down. And he taught in one of their synagogues on the Saboth days. And behold there was a woman which had a spirit of infirmity eighteen years: and was bowed together and could not lift up herself at all. When Jesus saw her, he called her to him, and said to her: woman, thou art delivered from thy disease. And he laid his hands on her, and immediately she was straight, and glorified God. And the ruler of the synagogue answered with indignation ( because that Jesus had healed on the Saboth day) and said unto the people. There are six days in which men ought to work: in them come and be healed, and not on the Saboth day.
Then answered him the Lord, and said: Hypocrite, doth not each one of you on the Saboth day, loose his ox or his ass from the stall, and lead him to the water? And ought not this daughter of Abraham, whom Satan hath bounde lo eighteen years, be loosed from this bond on the Saboth day? And when he thus said, all his adversaries were ashamed, and all the people rejoiced on all the excellent deeds, that were done by him.
Then said he: What is the kingdom of God like? or whereto shall I compare it? It is like a grain of mustard seed, which a man took and sowed in his garden: and it grew and waxed a great tree, and the fowls of the air made nests in the branches of it.
And again he said: whereunto shall I liken the kingdom of God? It is like leaven, which a woman took, and hid in three bushels of flour, till all was through leavened. And he went through all manner of cities and towns teaching, and journeying towards Jerusalem. Then said one unto him: Lord, are there few that shall be saved? And he said unto them: strive with your selves to enter in at the strait gate: For many I say unto you, will seek to enter in, and shall not be able.
When the goodman of the house is risen up, and hath shut to the door, ye shall begin to stand without, and to knock at the door saying: Lord, Lord, open unto us: and he shall answer and say unto you: I know you not whence ye are. Then shall ye begin to say: We have eaten in thy presence and drunk, and thou hast taught in our streets. And he shall say: I tell you, I know you not whence ye are: depart from me all ye workers of iniquity. There shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth when ye shall see Abraham and Isaac and Jacob, and all the Prophets in the kingdom of God, and yourselves thrust out at doors. And they shall come from the east and from the west, and from the north and from the south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God. And behold, there are last, which shall be first: And there are first which shall be last.
The same day there came certain of the Pharisees and said unto him: Get thee out of the way, and depart hence: for Herod will kill thee. And he said unto them, Go ye and tell that fox, behold I cast out devils and heal the people today and tomorrow, and the third day I make an end. Nevertheless, I must walk today and tomorrow, and the day following: For it cannot be, that a Prophet perish any other where, save at Jerusalem.
O' Jerusalem, Jerusalem, which killest Prophets, and stonest them that are sent to thee: how often would I have gathered thy children together, as the hen gathereth her nest under her wings, but ye would not. Behold your habitation shall be left unto you desolate. For I tell you, ye shall not see me until the time come that ye shall say, blessed is he that cometh in the name of the LordTHE REVELATION OF ST JOHN Chpt 17
And there came one of the seven Angels, which had the seven vials: and talked with me, saying unto me: come I will show thee the judgement of the great whore that sitteth upon many waters, with whom have committed fornication the kings of the earth, so that the inhabiters of the earth, are drunken with the wine of her fornication. And he carried me away into the wilderness in the spirit. And I saw a woman sit upon a rose colored beast full of names of blasphemy which had ten horns. And the woman was arrayed in purple and rose colour and decked with gold, precious stone, and pearls, and had a cup of gold in her hand, full of abominations and filthiness of her fornication. And in her forehead was a name written, a mystery, great Babylon the mother of whoredom and abominations of the earth. And I saw the wife drunken with the blood of saints, and with the blood of the witnesses of *Jesu. And when I saw her: I wondered with great marvel.
And the Angel said unto me: wherefore marvellest thou? I will show thee the mystery of the woman, and of the beast that beareth her, which hath seven heads, and ten horns. The beast that thou seest, was, and is not, and shall ascend out of the bottomless pit, and shall go into perdition, and they that dwell on the earth shall wonder (whose names are not written in the book of life from the beginning of the world) when they behold the beast that was and is not. And here is a mind that hath wisdom.
The seven heads are seven mountains, on which the woman sitteth: they are also seven kings. Five are fallen, and one is, and another is not yet come. When he cometh he must continue a space. And the beast that was, and is not, is even the eighth, and is one of the seven, and shall go into destruction. And the ten horns which thou seest, are ten kings, which have received no kingdom, but shall receive power as kings at one hour with the beast. These have one mind, and shall give their power and strength unto the beast. These shall fight with the lamb, and the lamb shall overcome them: For he is Lord of lords, and king of kings and they that are on his side, are called, and chosen and faithful.
And he said unto me: the waters which thou sawest, where the whore sitteth, are people, and folk, and nations, and tongues. And the ten horns, which thou sawest upon the beast, are they that shall hate the whore, and shall make her desolate, and naked, and shall eat her flesh, and burn her with fire. For God hath put in their hearts, to fulfil his will, and to do with one consent, for to give her kingdom unto the beast, until the words of God be fulfilled. And the woman which thou sawest, is that great city, which reigneth over the kings of the earth*Jesu: Hebrew for Jesus
THE REVELATION OF ST JOHN Chpt 18
And after that, I saw another Angel come from heaven, having great power, and the earth was lightened with his brightness. And he cried mightily with a strong voice saying: Great Babylon is fallen, is fallen: and is become the habitation of devils, and the hold of all foul spirits, and a cage of all unclean and hateful birds for all nations have drunken of the wine of the wrath of her fornication. And the kings of the earth have committed fornication with her, and her merchants are waxed rich of the abundance of her pleasures.
And I heard another voice from heaven, say: come away from her my people, that ye be not partakers in her sins, that ye receive not of her plagues. For her sins are gone up to heaven, and God hath remembered her wickedness. Reward her even as she rewarded you, and give her double according to her works. And pour in double to her in the same cup which she filled unto you. And as much as she glorified herself and lived wantonly so much pour ye in for her of punishment and sorrow, for she said in her heart: I sit being a queen and am no widow and shall see no sorrow. Therefore shall her plagues come at one day, death, and sorrow, and hunger, and she shall be burnt with fire: for strong is the Lord God which judgeth her.
And the kings of the earth shall beweep her and wail over her, which have committed fornication with her, and have lived wantonly with her, when they shall see the smoke of her burning, and shall stand afar off, for fear of her punishment, saying . Alas, Alas, that great city Babylon, that mighty city: for at one hour is her judgment come. And the merchants of the earth shall weep and wail in themselves, for no man will buy their ware any more, the ware of gold and silver, and precious stones, neither of pearl, and raynes and purple, and scarlet, and all thine wood, and all manner vessels of ivory, and all manner vessels of most precious wood, and of brass and of iron, and cinnamon, and odours, and ointments, and frankincense, and wine, and oil, and fine flour, and wheat, beasts, and sheep, and horses, and chariots, and bodies and souls of men.
And the apples that thy soul lusted after are departed from thee. And all things which were dainty, and had in price are departed from thee, and thou shalt find them no more. The merchants of these things which were waxed rich, shall stand afar off from her, for fear of the punishment of her, weeping and wailing, and saying: Alas, alas, that great city, that was clothed in raynes, and purple, and scarlet, and decked with gold, and precious stone, and pearls: for at one hour so great riches is come to nought.
And every ship governor, and all they that occupied ships, and shipmen which work in the sea, stood afar off, and cried, when they saw the smoke of her burning, saying: what city is like unto this great city? And they cast dust on their heads, and cried weeping, and wailing, and said: Alas, alas, that great city, wherein were made rich all that had ships in the sea, by the reason of her costliness, for at one hour is she made desolate.
Rejoice over her thou heaven, and ye holy Apostles and Prophets: for God hath given your judgement on her. And a mighty angel took up a stone like a great millstone, and cast it into the sea, saying: with such violence shall that great city Babylon be cast, and shall be found no more. And the voice of harpers, and musicians, and of pipers, and trumpeters, shall be heard no more in thee: and no crafts man, of whatsoever craft he be, shall be found any more in thee. And the sound of a mill shall be heard no more in thee, and the voice of the bridegroom and of the bride, shall be heard no more in thee, for thy merchants were the great men of the earth. And with thine enchantment were deceived all nations: and in her was found the blood of the Prophets, and of the saints, and of all that were slain upon the earth
and others of a similitude ...
"mean streets and a desert of desolation..."
"celebration in desolation..."
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