1 This is the second book of the prophet Ezra. He was the son of Seraiah, the grandson of Azariah, and a descendant of Hilkiah, Shallum, Zadok, Ahitub, 2 Ahijah, Phinehas, Eli, Amariah, Azariah, Meraioth, Arna, Uzzi, Borith, Abishua, Phinehas, Eleazar, 3 and Aaron, of the tribe of Levi.
The Rejection of Israel
When I, Ezra, was a captive in Media during the reign of Artaxerxes, king of Persia, 4 the Lord said to me, 5 “Go and remind my people and their children of the sins they have committed against me, and let them tell their grandchildren. 6 My people have sinned even more than their ancestors, for they have forgotten me and offered sacrifices to foreign gods. 7 I rescued them from Egypt, where they were slaves, but they have done things that made me angry and have refused to listen to my warnings.
8 “Ezra, tear your hair in grief and call down on these people all the disasters they deserve. They are rebellious and refuse to obey my Law. 9 How much longer can I tolerate these people for whom I have done so much? 10 For their sake I overthrew many kings and crushed the king of Egypt together with his officials and all his army. 11 I destroyed all the nations that opposed them, and in the east I scattered the people of the provinces of Tyre and Sidon and killed all the enemies of Israel.
12 “Ezra, tell them that the Lord says: 13 I brought you across the Red Sea and made safe roads for you where there were none. I made Moses your leader and gave you Aaron as your priest. 14 I provided you with light from a pillar of fire and performed great miracles among you, but you have forgotten me. I, the Lord, have spoken.
15 “The Lord Almighty says: I sent you quails as a sign of my care for you. I provided you with camps where you could be safe, but all you did there was complain. 16 Even when I destroyed your enemies, you did not appreciate what I had done. You have never done anything but complain. 17 Have you forgotten the blessings I gave you? There in the desert when you were hungry and thirsty you cried out to me: 18 ‘Why have you brought us out to this desert to kill us? Being slaves to the Egyptians was better than coming here to die.’ 19 I was moved by your bitter groans and gave you manna, the bread of angels. 20 When you were thirsty, I split the rock and all the water you needed flowed out. To protect you from the heat, I provided you with shade trees. 21 I divided fertile lands among you and drove out the Canaanites, the Perizzites, and the Philistines who opposed your advance. What more could I have done for you?
22 “The Lord Almighty says: There in the desert by the river of bitter water when you were thirsty and cursed me, 23 in spite of your insults I did not send fire upon you. Instead, I made the water fit to drink by throwing wood into the river. 24 People of Israel, what can I do with you? People of Judah, you refuse to obey me. So I will turn to other nations and make them my people. They will keep my laws. 25 Because you have abandoned me, I will abandon you. You will beg me for mercy, but I will show you none. 26 When you pray to me, I will not hear you. You never hesitate to commit murder; your hands are stained with the blood of those you have killed. 27 It is not me that you have betrayed; you have betrayed yourselves.
Israel Is to Be Replaced
28 “The Lord Almighty says: I have pleaded with you as a father pleads with his sons, as a mother pleads with her daughters, or as a nursemaid pleads with her small children. 29 I begged you to be my people so that I could be your God, to be my children so that I could be your father. 30 I gathered you together as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings. But now what can I do with you? I will banish you from my sight; 31 and even when you offer sacrifices to me, I will turn away from you. Your religious festivals, your New Moon celebrations, or your circumcision ceremonies mean nothing to me. 32 I sent to you my servants, the prophets, but you killed them and mutilated their corpses. I will make you pay for murdering them.
33 “The Lord Almighty says: Your Temple is abandoned. I will scatter you like straw blown away by the wind. 34 Your children will have no descendants because they rejected my commandments and did what I hated, just as you did. 35 I will give your home to a people that is about to appear. They will believe me, even though they have not yet heard of me. They will do what I command, even though I never performed any miracles for them. 36 They have not seen the prophets, but they will live by their ancient teachings. 37 I give my solemn promise that I will bless those people, and their little children will laugh and shout for joy. Those people have never seen me, but deep within them they will believe my words.
38 “Now, Father Ezra, look with pride at the people you see coming from the east. 39 Look at the leaders I have given them: Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, Hosea, Amos, Micah, Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, 40 Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi (who is also called the Lord's messenger).
1 The second book of the prophet Esdras, the son of Saraias, the son of Azarias, the son of Helchias, the son of Sadamias, the son of Sadoc, the son of Achitob,
2 The son of Achias, the son of Phinees, the son of Heli, the son of Amarias, the son of Aziei, the son of Marimoth, the son of Arna, the son of Ozias, the son of Borith, the son of Abisei, the son of Phinees, the son of Eleazar,
3 The son of Aaron, of the tribe of Levi; which was captive in the land of the Medes, in the reign of Artexerxes king of the Persians.
4 And the word of the Lord came unto me, saying,
5 Go thy way, and shew my people their sinful deeds, and their children their wickedness which they have done against me; that they may tell their children’s children:
6 Because the sins of their fathers are increased in them: for they have forgotten me, and have offered unto strange gods.
7 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.
8 Pull thou off then the hair of thy head, and cast all evil upon them, for they have not been obedient unto my law, but it is a rebellious people.
9 How long shall I forbear them, unto whom I have done so much good?
10 Many kings have I destroyed for their sakes; Pharaoh with his servants and all his power have I smitten down.
11 All the nations have I destroyed before them, and in the east I have scattered the people of two provinces, even of Tyrus and Sidon, and have slain all their enemies.
12 Speak thou therefore unto them, saying, Thus saith the Lord,
13 I led you through the sea and in the beginning gave you a large and safe passage; I gave you Moses for a leader, and Aaron for a priest.
14 I gave you light in a pillar of fire, and great wonders have I done among you; yet have ye forgotten me, saith the Lord.
15 Thus saith the Almighty Lord, The quails were as a token to you; I gave you tents for your safeguard: nevertheless ye murmured there,
16 And triumphed not in my name for the destruction of your enemies, but ever to this day do ye yet murmur.
17 Where are the benefits that I have done for you? when ye were hungry and thirsty in the wilderness, did ye not cry unto me,
18 Saying, Why hast thou brought us into this wilderness to kill us? it had been better for us to have served the Egyptians, than to die in this wilderness.
19 Then had I pity upon your mournings, and gave you manna to eat; so ye did eat angels’ bread.
20 When ye were thirsty, did I not cleave the rock, and waters flowed out to your fill? for the heat I covered you with the leaves of the trees.
21 I divided among you a fruitful land, I cast out the Canaanites, the Pherezites, and the Philistines, before you: what shall I yet do more for you? saith the Lord.
22 Thus saith the Almighty Lord, When ye were in the wilderness, in the river of the Amorites, being athirst, and blaspheming my name,
23 I gave you not fire for your blasphemies, but cast a tree in the water, and made the river sweet.
24 What shall I do unto thee, O Jacob? thou, Juda, wouldest not obey me: I will turn me to other nations, and unto those will I give my name, that they may keep my statutes.
25 Seeing ye have forsaken me, I will forsake you also; when ye desire me to be gracious unto you, I shall have no mercy upon you.
26 Whensoever ye shall call upon me, I will not hear you: for ye have defiled your hands with blood, and your feet are swift to commit manslaughter.
27 Ye have not as it were forsaken me, but your own selves, saith the Lord.
28 Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Have I not prayed you as a father his sons, as a mother her daughters, and a nurse her young babes,
29 That ye would be my people, and I should be your God; that ye would be my children, and I should be your father?
30 I gathered you together, as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings: but now, what shall I do unto you? I will cast you out from my face.
31 When ye offer unto me, I will turn my face from you: for your solemn feastdays, your new moons, and your circumcisions, have I forsaken.
32 I sent unto you my servants the prophets, whom ye have taken and slain, and torn their bodies in pieces, whose blood I will require of your hands, saith the Lord.
33 Thus saith the Almighty Lord, Your house is desolate, I will cast you out as the wind doth stubble.
34 And your children shall not be fruitful; for they have despised my commandment, and done the thing that is an evil before me.
35 Your houses will I give to a people that shall come; which not having heard of me yet shall believe me; to whom I have shewed no signs, yet they shall do that I have commanded them.
36 They have seen no prophets, yet they shall call their sins to remembrance, and acknowledge them.
37 I take to witness the grace of the people to come, whose little ones rejoice in gladness: and though they have not seen me with bodily eyes, yet in spirit they believe the thing that I say.
38 And now, brother, behold what glory; and see the people that come from the east:
39 Unto whom I will give for leaders, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, Oseas, Amos, and Micheas, Joel, Abdias, and Jonas,
40 Nahum, and Abacuc, Sophonias, Aggeus, Zachary, and Malachy, which is called also an angel of the Lord.