shew his city, there can no man's building be able to stand.
[55] And therefore fear not, let not thine heart
be affrighted, but go thy way in, and see the beauty and greatness of the building, as much as thine
eyes be able to see:
[56] And then shalt thou hear as much as thine ears may comprehend.
[57] For thou
art blessed above many other, and art called with the Highest; and so are but few.
[58] But to morrow at
night thou shalt remain here;
[59] And so shall the Highest shew thee visions of the high things, which
the most High will do unto them that dwell upon the earth in the last days. So I slept that night and
another, like as he commanded me.
4Ezra.11
[1] Then saw I a dream, and, behold, there came up from the sea an eagle, which had twelve feathered
wings, and three heads.
[2] And I saw, and, behold, she spread her wings over all the earth, and all the
winds of the air blew on her, and were gathered together.
[3] And I beheld, and out of her feathers there
grew other contrary feathers; and they became little feathers and small.
[4] But her heads were at rest: the
head in the midst was greater than the other, yet rested it with the residue.
[5] Moreover I beheld, and,
lo, the eagle flew with her feathers, and reigned upon earth, and over them that dwelt therein.
[6] And
I saw that all things under heaven were subject unto her, and no man spake against her, no, not one
creature upon earth.
[7] And I beheld, and, lo, the eagle rose upon her talons, and spake to her feathers,
saying,
[8] Watch not all at once: sleep every one in his own place, and watch by course:
[9] But let the
heads be preserved for the last.
[10] And I beheld, and, lo, the voice went not out of her heads, but from
the midst of her body.
[11] And I numbered her contrary feathers, and, behold, there were eight of them.
[12]
And I looked, and, behold, on the right side there arose one feather, and reigned over all the earth;
[13]
And so it was, that when it reigned, the end of it came, and the place thereof appeared no more: so the
next following stood up. and reigned, and had a great time;
[14] And it happened, that when it reigned,
the end of it came also, like as the first, so that it appeared no more.
[15] Then came there a voice unto
it, and said,
[16] Hear thou that hast borne rule over the earth so long: this I say unto thee, before thou
beginnest to appear no more,
[17] There shall none after thee attain unto thy time, neither unto the half
thereof.
[18] Then arose the third, and reigned as the other before, and appeared no more also.
[19] So
went it with all the residue one after another, as that every one reigned, and then appeared no more.
[20]
Then I beheld, and, lo, in process of time the feathers that followed stood up upon the right side, that
they might rule also; and some of them ruled, but within a while they appeared no more:
[21] For some
of them were set up, but ruled not.
[22] After this I looked, and, behold, the twelve feathers appeared
no more, nor the two little feathers:
[23] And there was no more upon the eagle's body, but three heads
that rested, and six little wings.
[24] Then saw I also that two little feathers divided themselves from the
six, and remained under the head that was upon the right side: for the four continued in their place.
[25]
And I beheld, and, lo, the feathers that were under the wing thought to set up themselves and to have
the rule.
[26] And I beheld, and, lo, there was one set up, but shortly it appeared no more.
[27] And the
second was sooner away than the first.
[28] And I beheld, and, lo, the two that remained thought also in
themselves to reign:
[29] And when they so thought, behold, there awaked one of the heads that were at
rest, namely, it that was in the midst; for that was greater than the two other heads.
[30] And then I saw
that the two other heads were joined with it.
[31] And, behold, the head was turned with them that were
with it, and did eat up the two feathers under the wing that would have reigned.
[32] But this head put
the whole earth in fear, and bare rule in it over all those that dwelt upon the earth with much oppression; and
it had the governance of the world more than all the wings that had been.
[33] And after this I beheld,
and, lo, the head that was in the midst suddenly appeared no more, like as the wings.
[34] But there
remained the two heads, which also in like sort ruled upon the earth, and over those that dwelt therein.
[35]
And I beheld, and, lo, the head upon the right side devoured it that was upon the left side.
[36] Then I
head a voice, which said unto me, Look before thee, and consider the thing that thou seest.
[37] And
I beheld, and lo, as it were a roaring lion chased out of the wood: and I saw that he sent out a man's
voice unto the eagle, and said,
[38] Hear thou, I will talk with thee, and the Highest shall say unto thee,
[39]
Art not thou it that remainest of the four beasts, whom I made to reign in my world, that the end of their
times might come through them?
[40] And the fourth came, and overcame all the beasts that were past,
and had power over the world with great fearfulness, and over the whole compass of the earth with
much wicked oppression; and so long time dwelt he upon the earth with deceit.
[41] For the earth hast