2 Esdras 15:1-13

Revised Standard Version

Vengeance on the Wicked

15 ^[a] The Lord says, “Behold, speak in the ears of my people the words of the prophecy which I will put in your mouth, ² and cause them to be written on paper; for they are trustworthy and true. ³ Do not fear the plots against you, and do not be troubled by the unbelief of those who oppose you. ⁴ For every unbeliever shall die in his unbelief.”

⁵ “Behold,” says the Lord, “I bring evils upon the world, the sword and famine and death and destruction. ⁶ For iniquity has spread throughout every land, and their harmful deeds have reached their limit. ⁷ Therefore,” says the Lord, ⁸ “I will be silent no longer concerning their ungodly deeds which they impiously commit, neither will I tolerate their wicked practices. Behold, innocent and righteous blood cries out to me, and the souls of the righteous cry out continually. ⁹ I will surely avenge them,” says the Lord, “and will receive to myself all the innocent blood from among them. ¹⁰ Behold, my people is led like a flock to the slaughter; I will not allow them to live any longer in the land of Egypt, ¹¹ but I will bring them out with a mighty hand and with an uplifted arm, and will smite Egypt with plagues, as before, and will destroy all its land.”

¹² Let Egypt mourn, and its foundations, for the plague of chastisement and punishment that the Lord will bring upon it. ¹³ Let the farmers that till the ground mourn, because their seed shall fail and their trees shall be ruined by blight and hail and by a terrible tempest.