2 Esdras 11
11
Vision of the eagle and the lion
1On the second night I had a dream. I saw an eagle, with twelve feathered wings and three heads, rising up from the sea. 2As I looked, it spread its wings over the whole earth, and all the winds of heaven blew toward it, and the clouds#11.2 Syr and other versions; Lat omits clouds. gathered around it. 3Out of its wings grew opposing wings. These became small, tiny wings. 4Its heads were at rest. The middle head was larger than the other heads, but it was also at rest with them.
5I kept looking and saw the eagle flying with its wings to rule over the earth and over those who lived on the earth. 6I saw how everything under heaven was made to submit to it, and no one opposed it, not a single creature that lives on the earth. 7I looked and saw the eagle rise on its talons and call out to its wings, saying, 8“Don’t all watch together. Let each one sleep in its place and take turns watching, 9but the heads will be kept for the end.” 10I looked and saw that the voice didn’t come from its heads but from the middle of its body. 11I counted its opposing wings, and there were eight of them. 12A wing arose on the right side, and it ruled over the whole earth; 13and while it was ruling, it came to an end and disappeared so that its place vanished. The next one rose up and ruled, and it held sway a long time. 14While it was exercising its rule, it came to its end, so that it disappeared like the previous one.
15Then a voice rang out, saying to this wing, 16“Listen, you who have held sway over the earth all this time. I announce#11.16 Syr this to you before you begin to disappear. 17No one after you will hold sway as long a time—not even half as long.” 18A third wing raised itself up, and it also exercised rulership like the previous ones, and it too disappeared. 19And so it happened to each of the wings in turn, to come to power and then never to be seen again. 20I looked, and indeed the wings that followed on the right side also rose up in time so that they too might rule, but some of those who came to power disappeared immediately, 21while others of them rose up but didn’t succeed in establishing their rule. 22After all this, I looked again, and the twelve wings and two of the little wings had disappeared. 23Nothing remained on the body of the eagle except the three heads that were at rest and six little wings.
24I looked and noticed that two of the six little wings were set apart and remained under the head on the right side, but four remained in their place. 25I watched as these little wings plotted to rise up and take power. 26One was raised up, but it immediately disappeared, 27and then a second, but this one disappeared more quickly than the previous one. 28I saw the two that were left plotting among themselves that they too should rule, 29and while they were making their plans, one of the heads that had been at rest, the one in the middle, woke up. This one was bigger than the other two heads. 30I saw how it formed a partnership with the two other heads, 31and then how the head turned with those that were with it, and it ate the two little wings that had planned to rule. 32Moreover, this head gained power over the whole earth and dominated those who lived on it, inflicting great distress. It had greater power over the whole world than all the wings that had gone before.
33After all this, I watched as the middle head, just like the wings, suddenly disappeared. 34There were two heads left, however, which also ruled over the earth and over those who live on it. 35I looked and watched as the head on the right side devoured the one on the left. 36I heard a voice saying to me, “Look in front of you and consider what you see.” 37I looked and saw something like a lion being roused, roaring out of the forest. I heard how he spoke in a human voice and said to the eagle, 38“Listen, you, and I will speak to you. The Most High says to you, 39‘Aren’t you the last of the four beasts that I made to rule in my world so that I might bring about the end of my times through them? 40You, the fourth that has come, conquered all the beasts that came before you, ruling over the world with much terror and over the whole world with harsh oppression. You have lived in the world with deceit for so long! 41You judged the earth, but not in truth, 42for you have oppressed the meek and injured those who caused no unrest. You hated those who spoke the truth and loved liars. You destroyed the dwellings of those who bore fruit and tore down the walls of those who had done you no harm. 43Your insolence has ascended to the Most High and your pride to the mighty one. 44The Most High has reviewed his times. Look! They are finished, and his ages are complete. 45Therefore, eagle, you must utterly vanish, you and your terrifying wings, your dreadful little wings and your evil heads, and your dreadful talons and all your worthless body. 46Then the whole earth will be refreshed and restored, set free from your violence, and will hope for the judgment and mercy of him who made it.’”
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2 Esdras 11: CEB
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