1 The second scroll of the prophet Ezra son of Saraiah son of Azariah son of Hilkiah son of Shallum son of Zadok son of Ahitub 2 son of Ahijah son of Phinehas son of Eli son of Amariah son of Aziah son of Maraimoth son of Arna son of Uzziah son of Borith son of Abishua son of Phinehas son of Eleazar 3 son of Aaron from the tribe of Levi. Ezra was a captive in the region of the Medes during the rule of King Artaxerxes of the Persians.
Rejection of Israel as God’s people
4 The Lord’s word came to Ezra, Chusi’s son, in the days of King Nebuchadnezzar: 5 Go and announce to my people their crimes. Tell their children about the sins they committed against me. Let their children also announce this to their own children, 6 because the children have added to their parents’ sins. They forgot me and offered sacrifices to foreign gods! 7 Didn’t I bring them out of the land of Egypt where they lived in slavery? Why then have they angered me and rejected my advice?
8 Therefore, the Lord says: Tear out your hair and hurl every kind of disaster at them, because they haven’t obeyed my Law. Undisciplined people! 9 How long will I put up with them—and after I granted them so many favors? 10 I have overthrown many kings for their sakes. I plunged Pharaoh together with his servants and his whole army into the sea!
11 Didn’t I destroy the city of Bethsaida for your sake? Didn’t I burn up two cities south of you, Tyre and Sidon, with fire and kill those opposing you?[a] 13 Didn’t I bring you through the sea, and make walls to your right and left? I gave Moses and Aaron to you as leaders. 14 I gave you a column of lightning for light. These are the many wonderful deeds that I performed among you, but you have forgotten me, says the Lord.
15 The Lord says this: The quails were a sign for you. I gave you safe places to camp, and there you grumbled. 16 I sank your pursuer along with his army, and yet the people grumble about their own destruction. 17 What kind of return is this for the favors I granted you?[b]
When you were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, you called out to me, 18 “Why did you lead us into this wilderness to kill us? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in this desert.” 19 Therefore, I felt sorry for your groans. I gave you manna, and you ate. 20 When you were thirsty, I split open the rock so that water flowed in abundance. Because of the hot sun,[c] I created trees covered with leaves for you.
21 I gave you fertile lands. I drove out Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, and their children before you. What more can I do for you?! says the Lord.
22 The Lord says this: In the desert when you were thirsty at the bitter river and insulting my name, 23 I didn’t become angry. Instead, I cast wood into the water and made the river sweet.
24 What will I do to you, Jacob?
Judah, you wouldn’t obey me.
I will turn to another nation
and give them my name.
They will certainly keep my ordinances.
25 When those who abandoned me
beg for mercy,
I won’t have mercy on them.
26 When they call upon me,
I won’t hear them
because they have stained their souls,
and have hands stained with blood.
Your feet aren’t slow to commit murder.
27 You haven’t abandoned me;
rather, you have abandoned yourselves, says the Lord.
28 The Lord says this: Didn’t I plead with you like a father with his sons, like a mother with her daughters, and like a nurse who loves her little one, 29 that you should be my people and I your God, and that you should be my children and I your Father? 30 I gathered you as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings. But what will I do with you?
I will throw you out of my presence. 31 When you bring me offerings, I will turn my eyes away from you. I didn’t command you to observe[d] festival days, new moons, sabbaths, and circumcisions. 32 I sent my servants the prophets to you. You took them, mangled them, and slaughtered those who had been sent.[e] But I will make you pay for their deaths, says the Lord.
33 The almighty Lord says this: Your house is left empty. I will scatter you as the wind scatters straw. 34 Your children will have no children, because they have neglected my commandment, and have done evil in front of me.
35 I will hand over your houses to a people who will come from far away. Those who didn’t know me will believe me, and those to whom I showed no signs will do what I commanded. 36 They didn’t see prophets but are mindful of the prophets’ antiquity. 37 The apostles will joyfully testify to the coming people. Those who didn’t see me with their physical eyes believe in their spirit. They have heard the things I said and believe me.
38 Now, Father, look with pride and see the people coming from the east. 39 I will give them authority, together with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Elijah and Enoch, Zechariah and Hosea, Amos, Joel, Micah, Obadiah, Zephaniah, 40 Nahum, Jonah, Malachi, Habakkuk, and twelve angels carrying flowers.
Footnotes
- 2 Esdras 1:11 1:12, Bensly’s edition But you speak to them, saying: The Lord says this
- 2 Esdras 1:17 Lat Where are the favors I granted you?
- 2 Esdras 1:20 Lat heat
- 2 Esdras 1:31 Lat lacks to observe.
- 2 Esdras 1:32 Lat the apostles