2 Esdras 16:18-34

Common English Bible

¹⁸ The beginning of groaning and an abundance of sighing! The beginning of famine, and many will perish; the beginning of wars, and powerful ones will be afraid; the beginning of disasters, and all will be terrified. ¹⁹ What will they do when the disasters come? ²⁰ Look! A plague of famine has been sent out, and the distress it inflicts is like a whip, a punishment for discipline. ²¹ But in the midst of all these, they won’t turn from their sins and won’t keep the plagues in mind.

²² Look! In a short time provisions will be so cheap on earth that people will think that peace has been established for them, but then disasters will blossom all over the earth—the sword and famine. ²³ They will lack life’s necessities, and the sword will scatter those who survive the famine. ²⁴ The dead will be tossed out like dung, and there will be no one to console them, for the earth will be left abandoned, and its cities will be cast down. ²⁵ No farmer will be left to till the ground or to sow seed upon it. ²⁶ Trees will yield fruit, but who will harvest them? ²⁷ Grapes will ripen, but who will gather them? There will be vast, empty wastelands. ²⁸ A person will want to see another human being and hear his voice. ²⁹ Ten will survive out of an entire city; out of a field only two who have hidden themselves in dense groves and fissures in the rocks will be left. ³⁰ As three or four olives are left on individual trees in an olive orchard, ³¹ or as in a vineyard that has been harvested a few clusters are left by those who diligently search the vineyard, ³² so in those days three or four will be left by those who search house to house with the sword. ³³ The earth will be left desolate, and its fields will be taken over by thornbushes, and its roads and all its paths will sprout thorns, because sheep won’t pass on them. ³⁴ Virgins will mourn, having no bridegrooms; women will mourn, having no husbands; their daughters will mourn, having no support.