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2 ESDRAS

Comprising what are sometimes called 5 Ezra (chapters 1—2), 4 Ezra (chapters 3—14), and 6 Ezra (chapters 15—16)

The Genealogy of Ezra

1The book^* of the prophet Ezra son of Seraiah, son of Azariah, son of Hilkiah, son of Shallum, son of Zadok, son of Ahitub, ²son of Ahijah, son of Phinehas, son of Eli, son of Amariah, son of Azariah, son of Meraimoth, son of Arna, son of Uzzi, son of Borith, son of Abishua, son of Phinehas, son of Eleazar, ³son of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi, who was a captive in the country of the Medes in the reign of Artaxerxes, king of the Persians.^*

Ezra’s Prophetic Call

4 The word of the Lord came to me, saying, ⁵‘Go, declare to my people their evil deeds, and to their children the iniquities that they have committed against me, so that they may tell^* their children’s children ⁶that the sins of their parents have increased in them, for they have forgotten me and have offered sacrifices to strange gods. ⁷Was it not I who brought them out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage? But they have angered me and despised my counsels. ⁸Now you, pull out the hair of your head and hurl^* all evils upon them, for they have not obeyed my law—they are a rebellious people. ⁹How long shall I endure them, on whom I have bestowed such great benefits? ¹⁰For their sake I have overthrown many kings; I struck down Pharaoh with his servants and all his army. ¹¹I destroyed all nations before them, and scattered in the east the peoples of two provinces,^* Tyre and Sidon; I killed all their enemies.

God’s Mercies to Israel

12 ‘But speak to them and say, Thus says the Lord: ¹³Surely it was I who brought you through the sea, and made safe highways for you where there was no road; I gave you Moses as leader and Aaron as priest; ¹⁴I provided light for you from a pillar of fire, and did great wonders among you. Yet you have forgotten me, says the Lord.

15 ‘Thus says the Lord Almighty:^* The quails were a sign to you; I gave you camps for your protection, and in them you complained. ¹⁶You have not exulted in my name at the destruction of your enemies, but to this day you still complain.^{* 17}Where are the benefits that I bestowed on you? When you were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did you not cry out to me, ¹⁸saying, “Why have you led us into this wilderness to kill us? It would have been better for us to serve the Egyptians than to die in this wilderness.” ¹⁹I pitied your groanings and gave you manna for food; you ate the bread of angels. ²⁰When you were thirsty, did I not split the rock so that waters flowed in abundance? Because of the heat I clothed you with the leaves of trees.^{* 21}I divided fertile lands among you; I drove out the Canaanites, the Perizzites, and the Philistines^* before you. What more can I do for you? says the Lord. ²²Thus says the Lord Almighty:^* When you were in the wilderness, at the bitter stream, thirsty and blaspheming my name, ²³I did not send fire on you for your blasphemies, but threw a tree into the water and made the stream sweet.

Israel’s Disobedience and Rejection

24 ‘What shall I do to you, O Jacob? You, Judah, would not obey me. I will turn to other nations and will give them my name, so that they may keep my statutes. ²⁵Because you have forsaken me, I also will forsake you. When you beg mercy of me, I will show you no mercy. ²⁶When you call to me, I will not listen to you; for you have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit murder. ²⁷It is not as though you had forsaken me; you have forsaken yourselves, says the Lord.

28 ‘Thus says the Lord Almighty: Have I not entreated you as a father entreats his sons or a mother her daughters or a nurse her children, ²⁹so that you should be my people and I should be your God, and that you should be my children and I should be your father? ³⁰I gathered you as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But now, what shall I do to you? I will cast you out from my presence. ³¹When you offer oblations to me, I will turn my face from you; for I have rejected your^* festal days, and new moons, and circumcisions of the flesh.^{* 32}I sent you my servants the prophets, but you have taken and killed them and torn their bodies^* in pieces; I will require their blood of you, says the Lord.^*

33 ‘Thus says the Lord Almighty: Your house is desolate; I will drive you out as the wind drives straw; ³⁴and your sons will have no children, because with you^* they have neglected my commandment and have done what is evil in my sight. ³⁵I will give your houses to a people that will come, who without having heard me will believe. Those to whom I have shown no signs will do what I have commanded. ³⁶They have seen no prophets, yet will recall their former state.^{* 37}I call to witness the gratitude of the people that is to come, whose children rejoice with gladness;^* though they do not see me with bodily eyes, yet with the spirit they will believe the things I have said.

38 ‘And now, father,^* look with pride and see the people coming from the east; ³⁹to them I will give as leaders Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and Hosea and Amos and Micah and Joel and Obadiah and Jonah ⁴⁰and Nahum and Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, who is also called the messenger of the Lord.^*