God knowing all things before they were made, created them 54. for man: and considereth the ends of all.God knowing al thinges before they were made, created them 54. for man: and considereth the endes of al.
And he said to me: In the beginning of the earthly world, and before the ends of the world stood, and before the congregation of the winds did blow,AND he sayd to me: In the beginning of the earthlie world, and before the endes of the world stood, and before the congregation of the windes did blow,Et dixit ad me, Initio terreni orbis et antequam starent exitus sæculi, et antequam spirarent conventiones ventorum,
2and before the voices of thunders sounded, and before the flashings of lightnings shined, and before the foundations of paradise were confirmed,and before the voyces of thunders sounded, & before the flashinges of lightenings shined, and before the fundations of paradise were confirmed,et antequam sonarent voces tonitruum, et antequam splenderent nitores coruscationum, et antequam confirmarentur fundamenta paradisi,
3and before beautiful flowers were seen, and before the moved powers were established, and before the innumerable hosts of angels were gathered,and before beautiful flowers were sene, and before the moued powers were established, and before the innumerable hostes of Angels were gathered,et antequam viderentur decori flores, et antequam confirmarentur motæ virtutes, et antequam colligerentur innumerabiles militiæ angelorum,
4and before the heights of the air were advanced, and before the measures of the firmaments were named, and before the camini: furnaces, hot ovens were hot in Sion,and before the heightes of the ayre were aduanced, and before the measures of the firmamentes were named, and before the chymneies were hote in Sion,et antequam extollerentur altitudines aëris, et antequam nominarentur mensuræ firmamentorum, et antequam æstuarent camini in Sion,
5and before the present years were searched out, and before their inventions that now sin, were put away, and they signed that made faith their treasure:and before the present yeares were searched out, and before their inuentions that now sinne, were put away, and they signed that made fayth their treasure:et antequam investigarentur præsentes anni, et antequam abalienarentur eorum qui nunc peccant adinventiones, et consignati essent, qui fidem thesaurizaverunt :
6then I thought, and they were made by me only, and not by any other: and the end by me, and not by any other.then I thought, and they were made by me only, and not by any other: and the end by me, and not by any other.tunc cogitavi, et facta sunt per me solum, et non per alium : et finis per me, et non per alium.
7And I answered, and said: What separation of times shall there be? and when shall the end of the former be, and the beginning of that which followeth?And I answered, and sayd: What separation of times shal there be? and when shal the end of the former be, and the begynning of that which foloweth?Et respondi, et dixi, Quæ erit separatio temporum ? aut quando prioris finis, et sequentis initium ?
8And he said to me, from Abraham unto Isaac, when Jacob and Esau were born of him, the hand of Jacob held from the beginning the heel of Esau,And he sayd to me, from Abraham vnto Isaac, when Iacob and Esau were borne of him, the hand of Iacob held from the bigynning the heele of Esau,Et dixit ad me, Ab Abraham usque ad Isaac, quando nati sunt ab eo Jacob et Esau, manus Jacob tenebat ab initio calcaneum Esau,
9for the end of this world is Esau, and the beginning of the next Jacob.for the end of this world is Esau, and the begynniug of the next Iacob.finis enim hujus sæculi Esau, et principium sequentis Jacob.
10The hand of a man between the heel and the hand. Ask no other thing Esdras.The hand of a man betwen the heele and the hand. Aske no other thing Esdras.Hominis manus inter calcaneum et manum. Aliud noli quærere Esdra.
11And I answered, and said: O Lord dominator: the sovereign Lord, not a domineering tyrant, if I have found grace before thine eyes,And I answered, and sayd: O Lord dominatour, if I haue found grace before thyne eyes,Et respondi, et dixi, O dominator Domine, si inveni gratiam ante oculos tuos,
12I pray thee shew thy servant the end of thy signs, whereof thou didst shew me part the night before.I pray thee shew thy seruant the end of thy signes, wherof thou didst shew me part the night before.oro ut demonstres servo tuo finem signorum tuorum, quorum partem mihi demonstrasti nocte præcedenti.
13And he answered, and said to me: Arise upon thy feet, and hear a voice most full of sound.And he answered, and sayd to me: Arise vpon thy feete, and heare a voice most ful of sound.Et respondit, et dixit ad me, Surge super pedes tuos, et audi vocem plenissimam sonitus.
14And it shall be as it were a commotion, neither shall the place be moved wherein thou standest.And it shal be as it were a commotion, neither shal the place be moued wherin thou standest.Et erit sicut commotio, nec commovebitur locus, in quo stes super eum.
15Therefore when it speaketh be not thou afraid, because of the end is the word, and the foundation of the earth understood,Therfore when it speaketh be not thou afrayd, because of the end is the word, and the fundation of the earth vnderstood,Ideo cum loquitur, tu non expaveas, quoniam de fine verbum et fundamentum terræ intelligitur,
16for concerning them the word trembleth and is moved, for it knoweth that their end must be changed.for concerning them the word trembleth and is moued, for it knoweth that their end must be changed.quoniam de ipsis sermo tremiscit et commovetur, scit enim quoniam finem eorum oportet commutari.
17And it came to pass, when I had heard, I rose upon my feet, and I heard: and behold a voice speaking, and the sound thereof as the sound of many waters:And it came to passe, when I had heard, I rose vpon my feete, and I heard: and behold a voice speaking, and the sound therof as the sound of manie waters:Et factum est, cum audissem, surrexi super pedes meos, et audivi : et ecce vox loquens et sonus ejus sicut sonus aquarum multarum,
18and it said: Behold the days come, and the time shall be when I will begin to approach, that I may visit the inhabitants upon the earth.and it sayd: Behold the dayes come, and the time shal be when I wil begyne to approch, that I may visite the inhabitantes vpon the earth.et dixit, Ecce dies veniunt et erit quando appropinquare incipiam, ut visitem habitantes in terra :
19And when I will begin to enquire of them that unjustly have hurt with their injustice, and when the humility of Sion shall be accomplished.And when I wil begin to enquire of them that vniustly haue hurt with their iniustice, and when the humilitie of Sion shal be accomplished.et quando inquirere incipiam ab eis qui iniuste nocuerunt iniustitia sua, et quando suppleta fuerit humilitas Sion.
20And when the world shall be supersignabitur: sealed over, marked out that shall begin to pass, I will do these signs: Books shall be opened before the face of the firmament, and all shall see together,And when the world shal be ouersigned that shal beginne to passe, I wil doe these signes: Bookes shal be opened before the face of the firmament, and al shal see together,et cum supersignabitur sæculum quod incipiet pertransire hæc signa faciam, Libri aperientur ante faciem firmamenti, et omnes videbunt simul,
21and infants of one year shall speak with their voices, and women with child shall bring forth untimely infants not ripe of three or four months, and shall live, and shall be raised up.and infantes of one yeare shal speake with their voices, & wemen with child shal bring forth vntimely infantes not ripe of three or foure monethes, and shal liue, and shal be raysed vp.et anniculi infantes loquentur vocibus suis, et prægnantes immaturos parient infantes trium et quattuor mensium, et vivent, et suscitabuntur.
22And suddenly shall appear sown places not sown, and full promptuaria: storehouses, garners shall suddenly be found empty:And sodenly shal appeare sowen places not sowen, & ful cellers shal sodenly be found emptie:Et subito apparebunt seminata loca non seminata, et plena promptuaria subito invenientur vacua :
23and a trumpet shall sound; which when all shall hear, they will suddenly be afraid.and a trumpet shal sound; which when al shal heare, they wil sodenly be afrayd.et tuba canet cum sono ; quam cum omnes audierint, subito expavescent.
24And it shall be in that time, friends as enemies shall overthrow friends, and the earth shall be afraid with them: and the veins of fountains shall stand, and shall not run in three hours:And it shal be in that time, freindes as enimies shal ouerthrow freindes, and the earth shal be afrayd with them: & the vaynes of fountaynes shal stand, and shal not runne in three howres:Et erit in illo tempore, debellabunt amici amicos ut inimici, et expavescet terra cum his : et venæ fontium stabunt, et non decurrent in horis tribus :
25and it shall be, every one that shall be left of all these, of whom I have foretold thee, he shall be saved, and shall see my salvation, and the end of your world.and it shal be, euerie one that shal be left of al these, of whom I haue foretold thee, he shal be saued, and shal see my saluation, & the end of your world.et erit, omnis qui derelictus fuerit ex omnibus istis, quibus prædixi tibi, ipse salvabitur, et videbit salutare meum, et finem sæculi vestri.
26And the men that are received, shall see, they that tasted not death from their nativity, and the heart of the inhabitants shall be turned into another sense.And the men that are receiued, shal see, they that tasted not death from their natiuitie, and the hart of the inhabitantes shal be turned into an other sense.Et videbunt qui recepti sunt homines, qui mortem non gustaverunt a nativitate sua, et mutabitur cor inhabitantium, et convertetur in sensum alium.
27For evil shall be put out, and deceit shall be extinguished,For euil shal be put out, and deceite shal be extinguished,Delebitur enim malum, et extinguetur dolus.
28but faith shall flourish, and corruption shall be overcome, and truth shall be shewed, which was without fruit so many days.but fayth shal florish, and corruption shal be ouercome, and truth shal be shewed, which was without fruite so manie dayes.Florebit autem fides, et vincetur corruptela, et ostendetur veritas quæ sine fructu fuit diebus tantis.
29And it came to pass, when he spake to me, and I lo by little and little looked on him before whom I stood,And it came to passe, when he spake to me, & I loe by litle & litle looked on him before whom I stood,Et factum est, cum loqueretur mihi, et ecce paulatim intuebar super eum ante quem stabam,
30and he said to me these words: I am come to shew thee the time of the night to come.and he sayd to me these wordes: I am come to shew thee the time of the night to come.et dixit ad me hæc, Veni tibi ostendere tempus venturæ noctis.
31If therefore thou pray again, and fast again seven days, again I will tell thee greater things by the day which I have heard.If therfore thou pray agayne, and fast agayne seuen dayes, agayne I wil tel thee greater thinges by the day which I haue heard.Si ergo iterum rogaveris, et iterum jejunaveris septem diebus, iterum tibi renuntiabo horum majora per diem quam audivi.
32For thy voice is heard before the Highest. For the strong hath seen thy direction, and hath foreseen the chastity which thou hast had from thy youth:For thy voice is heard before the Highest. For the strong hath sene thy direction, and hath fore sene the chastitie which thon hast had from thy youth:Audita est enim vox tua apud Altissimum. Vidit enim fortis directionem tuam, et providit pudicitiam, quam a juventute tua habuisti :
33and for this cause he hath sent me to shew thee all these things, and to say to thee, have confidence, and fear not,and for this cause he hath sent me to shew thee al these thinges, and to say to thee, haue confidence, and feare not,et propter hoc misit me demonstrare tibi hæc omnia, et dicere tibi, Confide, et noli timere,
34and hasten not with the former times to think vain things, that thou hasten not from the last times.and hasten not with the former times to thinke vayne thinges, that thou hasten not from the last times.et noli festinare cum prioribus temporibus cogitare vana, ut non properes a novissimis temporibus.
35And it came to pass after these things, and I wept again, and in like manner I fasted seven days, to accomplish the three weeks, that were told me.And it came to passe after these thinges, and I wept againe, and in like maner I fasted seuen dayes, to accomplish the three weekes, that were told me.Et factum est post hæc, et flevi iterum : et similiter jejunavi septem diebus, ut suppleam tres hebdomadas, quæ dictæ sunt mihi.
36And it came to pass in the eighth night, and my heart was troubled again in me, and I began to speak before the Highest.And it came to passe in the eight night, and my hart was trubled againe in me, and I began to speake before the Highest.Et factum est in octava nocte, et cor meum turbabatur iterato in me, et cœpi loqui coram Altissimo.
37For my spirit was inflamed exceedingly, and my soul was distressed.For my spirit was inflamed excedingly, and my soul was distressed.Inflammabatur enim spiritus meus valde, et anima mea anxiabatur.
38And I said: O Lord, speaking thou didst speak from the beginning of creature from the first day, saying: Let heaven be made and earth: and thy word was a perfect work.And I sayd: O Lord, speaking thou didst speake from the beginning of creature from the first day, saying: Let heauen be made and earth: and thy word was a perfect worke.et dixi, O Domine, loquens locutus es ab initio creaturæ in primo die dicens, Fiat cælum et terra : et tuum verbum opus perfectum.
39And then there was spirit, and darkness was carried about, and silence, the sound of the voice of man was not yet from thee.And then there was spirit, and darknesse was caried about, and silence, the sound of the voyce of man was not yet from thee.Et erat tunc spiritus, et tenebræ circumferebantur, et silentium, sonus vocis hominis nondum erat abs te.
40Then thou didst command the lightsome light to be brought forth of thy treasures, whereby thy work might appear.Then thou didst command the lighsome light to be brought forth of thy treasures, wherby thy worke might appeare.Tunc dixisti de thesauris tuis proferri lumen luminosum, quo appareret opus tuum.
41And in the second day thou didst create the spirit of the firmament, and commandest it to divide, and to make a division between the waters, that a certain part should depart upward, and part should remain beneath.And in the second day thou didst create the spirit of the firmament, and commandest it to diuide, and to make a diuision betwen the waters, that a certayn part should depart vpward, and part should remaine beneth.Et die secundo creasti spiritum firmamenti, et imperasti ei ut divideret et divisionem faceret inter aquas, ut pars quædam sursum recederet, pars vero deorsum maneret.
42And in the third day thou didst command the waters to be gathered together in the seventh part of the earth: but six parts thou didst dry and preserve, that of them might be serving before thee things sown of God, and tilled.And in the third day thou didst command the waters to be gathered together in the seueneth part of the earth: but sixe partes thou didst drie and preserue, that of them might be seruing before thee thinges sowen of God, and tilled.Et tertia die imperasti aquis congregari in septima parte terræ : sex vero partes siccasti et conservasti, ut ex his sint coram te ministrantia seminata a Deo, et culta.
43For thy word proceeded, and the work forthwith was made.For thy word proceded, and the worke forthwith was made.Verbum enim tuum processit, et opus statim fiebat.
44For suddenly came forth fruit of multitude infinite, and diverse tastes of concupiscentiæ: eager desire, craving, and flowers of unchangeable colour, and odours of unsearchable smell, and in the third day these things were made.For sodenly came forth fruite of multitude infinite, and diuerse tastes of concupiscence, and flowers of vnchangeable colour, and odours of vnsearcheable smel, and in the third day these thinges were made.Processit enim subito fructus multitudinis immensus, et concupiscentiæ gustus multiformes, et flores colore immutabili, et odores odoramenti investigabilis, et die tertia hæc facta sunt.
45And in the fourth day thou didst command to be made the brightness of the sun, the light of the moon, the disposition of the stars:And in the fourth day thou didst command to be made the brightnesse of the sunne, the light of the moone, the disposition of the starres:Quarta autem die imperasti fieri solis splendorem, lunæ lumen, stellarum dispositionem :
46and didst command them that they should serve man, that should be made.and didst command them that they should serue man, that should be made.et imperasti eis, ut deservirent futuro plasmato homini.
47And in the fifth day: thou saidst to the seventh part, where the water was gathered together, that it should bring forth beasts, and fowls, and fishes: and so was it done,And in the fifth day: thou saydst to the seuenth part, where the water was gathered together, that it should bring forth beastes, and foules, and fishes: and so was it done,Quinto autem die dixisti septimæ parti, ubi erat aqua congregata, ut procrearet animalia, et volatilia, et pisces : et ita fiebat.
48the dumb water and without life, the things that by God's appointment were commanded, made beasts, that thereby the nations may declare thy marvellous works.the dumme water and without life, the thinges that by Gods appointement were commanded, made beastes, that therby the nations may declare thy meruelous workes.Aqua muta, et sine anima quæ Dei nutu jubebantur, animalia faciebat, ut ex hoc mirabilia tua nationes enarrent.
49And then thou didst preserve two souls: the name of one thou didst call Henoch, and the name of the second thou didst call Leviathan,And then thou didst preserue two soules: the name of one thou didst cal Henoch, and the name of the second thou didst cal Leuiathan,Et tunc conservasti duas animas : nomen uni vocasti Henoch, et nomen secundæ vocasti Leviathan,
50and thou didst separate them from each other. For the seventh part, where the water was gathered together, could not hold them.and thou didst separate them from eche other. For the seuenth part, where the water was gathered together, could not hold them.et separasti ea ab alterutro. Non enim poterat septima pars, ubi erat aqua congregata, capere ea.
51And thou gavest to Henoch one part, which was dried the third day, to dwell therein, where are a thousand mountains.And thou gauest to Henoch one part, which was dried the third day, to dwelt therin, where are a thousand mountaynes.Et dedisti Henoch unam partem, quæ siccata est tertio die, ut habitet in ea ubi sunt montes mille.
52But to Leviathan thou gavest the seventh part being moist, and keptst it, that it might be to devour whom thou wilt, and when thou wilt.But to Leuiathan thou gauest the seuenth part being moyst, and kepst it, that it might be to deuoure whom thou wilt, and when thou wilt.Leviathan autem dedisti septimam partem humidam, et servasti eam, ut fieret in devorationem quibus vis, et quando vis.
53And in the sixth day thou didst command the earth, to create before thee cattle, and beasts, and creeping creatures:And in the sixt day thou didst command the earth, to create before thee cattel, and beastes, and creeping creatures:Sexto autem die imperasti terræ, ut crearet coram te jumenta, et bestias, et reptilia :
54and over these Adam, whom thou madest ruler over all the works, which thou didst make, and out of him are all we brought forth, and the people whom thou hast chosen.and ouer these Adam, whom thou madest ruler ouer al the workes, which thou didst make, & out of him are al we brought forth, and the people whom thou hast chosen.et super his Adam, quem constituisti ducem super omnibus factis quæ fecisti, et ex eo educimur nos omnes, quemque elegisti populum.
55And all these things I have said before thee O Lord, because thou didst create the world for us.And al these thinges I haue sayd before thee ô Lord, because thou didst create the world for vs.Hæc autem omnia dixi coram te Domine, quia propter nos creasti sæculum.
56But the residue of the nations born of Adam thou saidst that they were nothing, and that they were like to spittle, and as it were the dropping out of a vessel thou didst liken the abundance of them.But the residue of the nations borne of Adam thou saydst that they were nothing, and that they were like to spittle, and as it were the droping out of a vessel thou didst liken the abundance of them.Residuas autem gentes ab Adam natas dixisti eas nil esse, et quoniam salivæ assimilatæ sunt, et quasi stillicidium de vase similasti abundantiam eorum.
57And now Lord, behold these nations which are reputed for nothing, have begun to rule over us, and to devour us:And now Lord, behold these nations which are reputed for nothing, haue begune to rule ouer vs, and to deuoure vs:Et nunc Domine, ecce, istæ gentes quæ in nihilum deputatæ sunt, cœperunt dominari nostri, et devorare :
58but we thy people whom thou didst call thy first only-begotten æmulatorem: a zealous champion jealous for God, are delivered into their hands:but we thy people whom thou didst cal thy first onlie begotten emulatour, are deliuered into their handes:nos autem populus tuus, quem vocasti primogenitum unigenitum æmulatorem tuum, traditi sumus in manibus eorum :
59and if the world was created for us, why do we not possess inheritance with the world? how long these things?and if the world was created for vs, why doe not we possesse inheritance with the world? how long these thinges?et si propter nos creatum est sæculum, quare non hereditatem possidemus cum sæculo ? Usquequo hæc ?
The reading text follows the 1582 first edition.