Chapter 69
1 For the last waters which thou hast seen which were darker than all that were before them, those which were after the twelfth number, which were collected together, belong to the whole world.
2 For the Most High made division from the beginning because He alone knoweth what shall befall.
3 For as to the enormities and the impieties which should be wrought before Him, He foresaw six kinds of them. 4 And of the good works of the righteous which should be accomplished before Him, He foresaw six kinds of them, beyond those which He should work at the consummation of the age. 5 On this account there were not black waters with black, nor bright with bright; for it is the consummation.
Chapter 70
1 Hear therefore the interpretation of the last black waters which are to come [after the black]: this is the word: 2 Behold! the days come, and it shall be when the time of the age has ripened, And the harvest of its evil and good seeds hath come, That the Mighty One will bring upon the earth and its inhabitants and upon its rulers Perturbation of spirit and stupor of heart.
3 And they will hate one another, And provoke one another to light, And the mean shall rule over the honourable, And those of low degree shall be extolled above the famous,
4 And the many shall be delivered into the hands of the few, And those who are nothing shall rule over the strong, And the poor shall have abundance beyond the rich, And the impious shall exalt themselves above the heroic,
5 And the wise shall be silent, And the foolish shall speak, Neither shall the thought of men be then confirmed, Nor the counsel of the mighty, Nor shall the hope of those who hope be confirmed;
6 Moreover, it shall be when those things which were predicted have come to pass, That confusion shall fall upon all men, And some of them shall fall in battle, And some of them shall perish in anguish, And some of them shall be destroyed by their own.
7 Then the Most High will reveal those peoples whom He hath prepared before, And they shall come and make war with the leaders that shall then be left.
8 And it shall come to pass that whosoever getteth safe out of the war shall die in the earthquake, and whosoever getteth safe out of the earthquake shall be burned by the fire, and whosoever getteth safe out of the fire shall be destroyed by famine. [9 And it shall come to pass that whosoever of the victors and the vanquished getteth safe out of and escapeth all these things aforesaid shall be delivered into the hands of My servant Messiah.] 10 For all the earth will devour its inhabitants.
Chapter 71
1 And the holy land shall have mercy on its own, And it shall protect its inhabiters at that time.
2 This is the vision which thou hast seen, and this is the interpretation. 3 For I have come to tell thee these things, because thy prayer hath been heard with the Most High.
Chapter 72
1 Hear now also regarding the bright lightning which is to come at the consummation after these black (waters), this is the word: 2 After the signs have come, of which thou wast told before, when the nations become turbulent, and the time of My Messiah is come, He shall both summon all the nations, and some of them He shall spare, and some of them He shall slay. 3 These things therefore shall come upon the nations which are to be spared by Him. 4 Every nation which knoweth not Israel, and hath not trodden down the seed of Jacob, shall indeed be spared. 5 And this because some of every nation shall be subjected to thy people. 6 But all those who have ruled over you, or have known you, shall be given up to the sword.
Chapter 73
1 And it shall come to pass, when He hath brought low everything that is in the world, And hath sat down in peace for the age on the throne of His kingdom, That joy shall then be revealed, And rest appear;
2 And then healing shall descend in dew, And disease shall withdraw, And anxiety and anguish and lamentation shall pass from amongst men, And gladness shall proceed through the whole earth;
3 And no one shall again die untimely, Nor shall any adversity suddenly befall,
4 And judgements, and revilings, and contentions, and revenges, And blood, and passions, and envy, and hatred, And whatsoever things are like these shall go into condemnation when they are removed.
5 For it is these very things which have filled this world with evils, And on account of these the life of man has been greatly troubled.
6 And wild beasts shall come from the forest and minister unto men, And asps and dragons shall come forth from their holes to submit themselves to a little child,
7 And women shall no longer then have pain when they bear, Nor shall they suffer torment when they yield the fruit of the womb.
Chapter 74
1 And it shall come to pass in those days that the reapers shall not grow weary, Nor those that build be toilworn; For the works shall of themselves speedily advance With those who do them in much tranquillity.
2 For that time is the consummation of that which is corruptible, And the beginning of that which is not corruptible.
3 Therefore those things which were predicted shall belong to it; Therefore it is far away from evils, and near to those things which die not.
4 This is the bright lightning which came after the last dark waters.”
Chapter 75
1 And I answered and said: “Who can understand, O Lord, Thy goodness? For it is incomprehensible.
2 Or who can search into Thy compassions, Which are infinite?
3 Or who can comprehend Thy intelligence?
4 Or who is able to recount the thoughts of Thy mind?
5 Or who of those that are born can hope to come to those things, Unless he is one to whom Thou art merciful and gracious?
6 Because, if assuredly Thou didst not have compassion on man, Those who are under Thy right hand, They could not come to those things, But those who are in the numbers named can be called.
7 But if, indeed, we who exist know wherefore we have come, And submit ourselves to Him Who brought us out of Egypt, We shall come again and remember those things which have passed, And shall rejoice regarding that which hath been.
8 But if now we know not wherefore we have come, And recognise not the principate of Him Who brought us up out of Egypt, We shall come again and seek after those things which have been now, And be grieved with pain because of those things which have befallen.”
Chapter 76
1 And He answered and said unto me: [” Inasmuch as the revelation of this vision hath been interpreted to thee as thou besoughtest], hear the word of the Most High that thou mayest know what is to befall thee after these things. 2 For thou shalt surely depart from this earth, nevertheless not unto death; but thou shalt be preserved unto the consummation of the times. 3 Go up, therefore, to the top of that mountain, and there shall pass before thee all the regions of that land, and the figure of the inhabited world, and the tops of the mountains, and the depths of the valleys, and the depths of the seas, and the number of the rivers, that thou mayest see what thou art leaving, and whither thou art going. 4 Now this shall befall after forty days. 5 Go now, therefore, during these days and instruct the people so far as thou art able, that they may learn so as not to die at the last times, but may learn in order that they may live at the last times.”