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The inevitability of suffering on earth as a transitional step to future benefits (1–16). The deservedness of the torment of sinners (17–25). The Last Judgment of the World (26–44, ed. Bensley). The small number of those who save and their special value in the eyes of God (45–61). The responsibility of rational beings for their actions and, as a consequence of this, the legitimacy of torment in the future life (62–74). Seven degrees of torment for sinners (75–87) and seven degrees of bliss for the righteous (88–101). The invalidity of the intercessions of the righteous for sinners at the final judgment (102–115). Life is like a struggle, the outcome of which depends on the free discretion of man (116–131). The compatibility of the condemnation of sinners with the mercy of God (132–139). 3Ezra 7:1 When I had finished speaking these words, the angel who was sent to me on previous nights was sent to me, 3Ezra 7:2 And he said to me, Arise, Ezra, and listen to the words that I have come to speak to you. 3Ezra 7:3 I said, Speak, my lord. And he said to me: The sea is located in a spacious place to be deep and immeasurable; 3Ezra 7:4 But the entrance to it is in a narrow place, so that it is like rivers. 3Ezra 7:5 Whoever would want to enter the sea and see it, or have dominion over it, if he does not go through the narrowness, how can he reach the wideness? 3Ezra 7:6 Or another similarity: the city was built and located on a plain, and filled with all goods; 3 Ezra 7:7 but the entrance to it is narrow and located on a steep slope so that there is fire on the right side and deep water on the left. 3Ezra 7:8 Between them, that is, between fire and water, there lies only one path, on which no more than the degree of a person can fit. 3Ezra 7:9 If this city is given to a man as an inheritance, how will he receive his inheritance if he never crosses the danger that lies in the way? 3–9. The present world, full of sorrows and hardships, represents an inevitable transitional stage to the benefits of the next century. To illuminate his thought, the author offers several similarities: he compares the future age with a boundless sea, access to which is possible only through a narrow strait, as well as with a comfortable and well-fortified city, which can only be penetrated by a narrow path, on one side of which there is a raging stream emerging from the banks, and on the other there is fire (cf. Matthew VII: 13-14). 3Ezra 7:10 I said, Yes, Lord. And He said to me: This is the lot of Israel. 3Ezra 7:11 For them I created the age; but when Adam violated My decrees, what was done was determined to be done. 11. As a result of Adam's violation of God's commandments, “what was created was condemned” (judicatum est quod factum est). Ap. speaks about the condemnation of all creation for the fall of our ancestors. Paul (Rom VIII:20; cf. III:17). 3Ezra 7:12 And the entrances of this world have become narrow, painful, weary, also narrow, crafty, full of disasters and requiring great labor. 3Ezra 7:13 But the entrances of the next age are spacious, safe, and bear the fruit of immortality. 12–13. The meaning of the Latin text is rather obscure and does not fit well with previous comparisons, which note the tightness of the entrance leading to the benefits of the future century. In one of the editions of the Arabic translation (ar. 2), the present century is recognized as a difficult entrance into the future century. In the Ethiopian translation, in both cases it is not about entrances, but about the paths of life in the broad sense of the word. Here, the present life, full of grief and embarrassment at every step, is contrasted with the future life, where the human personality is given full scope to discover itself and where all dangers are eliminated. 3Ezra 7:14 Therefore, unless those who come in and live enter into this narrow and affliction, they cannot receive what is prepared. 3Ezra 7:15 Why are you troubled when you are corruptible, and why are you troubled when you are mortal? 15. Ezra should not be grieved because he is corruptible, nor worried because he is mortal. This is just an inevitable transitional step towards a glorious future. 3Ezra 7:16 Why did you not accept in your heart what is future, but accepted what is present? 3Ezra 7:17 I answered and said: Sovereign Lord! Behold, Thou hast determined by Thy law that the righteous shall inherit it, and the sinners shall perish. 17. The inheritance of the next age by the righteous and the destruction of sinners are promised in Deuteronomy (VIII: 1, 19–20). 3Ezra 7:18 The righteous will endure hardship, hoping for the abundant, but those who live wickedly, although they endure the hardship, will not see the abundant. 18. The suffering that the righteous have to endure is softened by the hope of the benefits awaiting them in the future life. Meanwhile, all people on earth are suffering. Because of this, the fate of sinners in this life is even sadder, since no hope glimmers in their souls of easing their situation beyond the grave. 3Ezra 7:19 And He said to me, There is no judge greater than God, no one who understands greater than the Most High. 3Ezra 7:20 Many perish in this life because they are careless about the law of God that is laid before them. 20. “Let many of the living perish rather than the law of God proposed to them be neglected” (Bensley). 3Ezra 7:21 For God strictly commanded those who came when they came, that if they did they would live, and that if they kept they would not be punished. 3Ezra 7:22 But they did not listen and resisted Him, and confirmed in themselves vain thoughts. 3Ezra 7:23 They were carried away by sinful deceptions, they said about the Most High that He does not exist, they did not know His ways, 3Ezra 7:24 They despised His law, rejected His promises, had no faith in His ritual decrees, did not do His works. 22–24. The author tries to thoroughly illuminate the question of what the crime of sinners is. They not only do not obey the law, but also resist it, despise it, make their own arbitrariness a law, deny the existence of God (Ps. XIII:1; LII:2), and do not fulfill the commandments. It is hardly fair to apply this passage to all sinners in general, but only to parties known for their freethinking among Judaism itself, such as the Sadducees (Gutschmid), or to attribute it to Christians (Noack) or pagans (Kabish). 3Ezra 7:25 And therefore, Ezra, the empty is empty, but the full is full. 25. Wed. Jer II:5. Those who are poor in good deeds on earth will have a scarcity of blessings in the next century, and those who are abundant in them will have the same abundance of blessings in the Hereafter. In its form, the author’s saying comes close to the Gospel prediction about the future fate of people: “Whoever has, to him will be given and he will have abundance; but whoever does not have, even what he has will be taken away from him” (Matthew XIII:12). 3Ezra 7:26 Behold, the time will come when the signs that I foretold you will come, and the bride will appear and appear, now hidden by the earth. 26. The author depicts a future judgment of the world. The Vulgate text speaks of the appearance of the bride, now hidden by the earth (et apparebit sponsa, et apparescens ostendetur quae nunc subduuitur terra). The image of the bride is attached in the Apocalypse to the New Testament church (XXI:9). Since it is not natural in the mouth of an author alien to Christianity, preference should be given to eastern translations - Armenian, Arabic and Ethiopian, where instead it is predicted that with the advent of the next century “a city will be revealed that is now invisible.” We are talking about the heavenly Jerusalem. He is spoken of below in the same vision (VIII:52) and in the next one (Ch. IX-X). According to the beliefs of the rabbis, the land of Israel in the last days will be so small in volume that not a single inhabitant will fit on it. With the coming of the Messiah, she will take over the whole world (Corrodi, 200). The mention of the bride was due to an incorrect reading of the Greek text, where the expression was probably used: καί φανησεται ή νύν μή φαινομένη πόλις. Instead of νύν μή, νύμφη was mistakenly read and was understood in relation to the Apocalypse. 3Ezra 7:27 And everyone who is delivered from the evils previously numbered will see My wonders for himself. 3Ezra 7:28 For my Son Jesus will be revealed to those who are with Him, and those who remain will enjoy four hundred years. 28. The Latin text needs to be corrected. The naming of the Son of God Jesus represents a Christian correction, refuted by all Eastern translations, where the name of the Messiah, common in the Old Testament, is used (Ps. II: 2; Dan IX: 25–26). She appeared earlier than the 4th century: Ambrose of Milan cites this passage as proof that the name of Jesus was given to the Savior long before his birth by the Father Himself. “Our Lord Jesus received a name before His birth, and it was not called by an Angel, but by the Father. For, He says, My Son Jesus will be revealed, along with those who will be blessed with Him, who will remain for 400 years. At the end of these years, My Son Christ will die, and the age will pass. You see that the angels proclaim what they heard, and did not steal it without permission” (Comment. in Luc. I, 60). Along with the Messiah will appear the Old Testament righteous who have not tasted death. According to the views of the Talmud, He dwells in paradise with Enoch, Elijah and Moses. Everyone lives in a special house. The teaching about the coming of Christ with all the saints is found in Apostle. Paul (1 Sol III:13: cf. 2 Sol I:7). The idea of ​​the four-hundred-year Kingdom of the Messiah on earth has its basis in the story of the Genesis writer about the Egyptian captivity. In God's conversation with Abraham (Genesis XV:13), its duration is determined to be 400 years. Based on Psalm 89 (v. 15), the rabbis drew a complete parallel between the time when God struck Israel with various disasters and the time of the future triumph of the people of God (Gfrorer II, 252-253). In the Apocalypse, the Kingdom of the Messiah spans 1,000 years (XX:2, 7). Chiliasm was the fruit of the desire to reconcile the former purely sensual idea of ​​the kingdom of the Messiah with a new, more spiritual view, in which the transcendental side predominated. The teaching of the prophetic book of Ezra about the Messiah is distinguished by duality: He appears to be either a heavenly or an earthly being. In view of this, attempts to present the Messiah as a simple man, only gifted with extraordinary power (Wieseler, Smirnov, Glubokovsky), and the desire to consider Him an exceptional supernatural being, for which the passages that speak of His human origin are sacrificed, are equally unfair. The Messiah is given various names in this book. Most often He bears the name of the Son of God, but since Ezra’s interlocutor, identified with God Himself, speaks about Him, it occurs in the form “My Son” (VII: 28–29; XIII:32; XIV:9). Hamburger (II, 753) puts this name in connection with the mystical doctrine of the pre-existence of the Messiah, seeing in it an indication of the supernatural character of His personality. But it is hardly possible to give it a New Testament meaning. The very fact that the Messiah is called the Son of God not by the author himself, but by the Almighty, makes one doubt that a special meaning is connected with him (Smirnov. 309-312. Posnov. Judaism, 205). Usually in Old Testament writing it indicates only external adoption: thus, Jehovah calls the entire Jewish people His son (Exodus IV:22). In the same sense, it is applied in non-canonical (Wis II: 3, 18) and apocryphal literature to the Old Testament righteous. In the Ethiopian text, instead, the Messiah is called the Servant of God (puer meus, V:30, corresponding to Lat. VII:29). The word puer represents a translation of the Greek παις. Stapfer (Les idees religieuses en Palestine, 129), Langen (458) and Smirnov (310) argue that the Messiah is called in all places of the book the Son of God in precisely this sense. But there is no basis for such an assumption. The Child of God about whom Isaiah prophesied was not at all the Messiah that Pseudo-Ezra expected. There is no mention anywhere in his book about the suffering of the Messiah. The Son of God dies according to the law of all things carnal. His violent death would have been completely incomprehensible after His destruction of all enemies (XIII:2–4, 9–11, 32–38). The name of the Messiah is assimilated to the future Deliverer in the Psalter (II:2) and from the prophet Daniel (IX:25–26), as the ideal king of the people of God, endowed with the highest grace-filled gifts and powers. Based on the book of the prophet Daniel (VII:13), the Messiah is depicted as a man coming with clouds (XIII:2-3; cf. Rev. I:7, 13; XIV:14), whom the Most High preserves for many times for the deliverance of His people (XIII:26). He dwells in heaven along with the Old Testament righteous who did not taste death (VII:26). Along with this, the Messiah is given names that do not leave the slightest doubt about His earthly origin. He is called the lion (XI:37; XII:1, 31–32), about which the dying Jacob prophesied in his blessing to Judah (Gen. XLIX:9; cf. Rev. V:5). By stating that the beginning of the next age will be Jacob (VI:9), the author undoubtedly hinted at the Messiah as a descendant of Jacob. In all Eastern translations, the Messiah, or Anointed One (Unctus), is attributed to descent from the seed of David (XII:32). The authenticity of this passage cannot be rejected, as Hilgenfeld does, since the name of the Messiah as a descendant of David is a common occurrence in apocalyptic and Talmudic writing (Smirnov, 300–302. Hamburger, 739). Verne's opinion (Vernes. Histoire des idees mesianiques depuis Alexandre jusqu a l'empereur Adrien. P. 134–137) and Smirnov (300–306), as if the expression “Son of David” did not include the thought of the Messiah’s origin from the descendants of David, since the very line of David was cut off at that time, contradicts the gospel history. The Gospels testify that the Pharisees were expecting precisely the Son of David (Matt XXI:41–42; John VII:41–42, 52; Acts II:22–30; Rom I:3; 2 Tim II:8; Rev XXII:16; cf. Matt I:1–17; Lk III:23–38). Speaking about the coming of the Messiah, the author uses the expression: “My Son Messiah will be revealed” (VII:28). According to De Faye (De Faye. Les apocalypses juives. 126–127), discovery (revelatio) means not only the appearance of the Messiah to the people, or His appearance in public service, but a transition from one sphere of existence to another. To open up to the Messiah means to leave the invisible world in order to move into the visible. The pre-existence of the Messiah is assumed in those places in the prophetic book of Ezra, where it is said that the Most High will preserve Him for many times (XIII:26) or will preserve Him to the end (XII:32). Some researchers, including Smirnov, see here an echo of the Talmudic teaching about the so-called hidden state of the Messiah. This doctrine attempted to reconcile the sudden appearance of the Messiah from heaven with his carnal origin. The Jews believed that the Messiah would remain completely unknown at birth until He entered into the service of the people. According to the Talmud, the Messiah was carried away by a storm while still an infant. St. Justin Martyr in his “Conversation with Tryphon” reproduces the views of contemporary Judaism. “Christ, even if he was born and resides somewhere, continues to remain unknown and even Himself is not aware of His true purpose, having no power until Elijah comes, who will anoint Him and make Him visible to everyone.” Regarding the origin of Jesus Christ from Nazareth, the Jews expressed bewilderment: “concerning this we know where He comes from, but when Christ comes, no one will know where He comes from” (John VII:27). But to see in the prophetic book of Ezra only the teaching of the Talmud about the hidden state of the Messiah is unfair. The Messiah is depicted here with such features that clearly show in Him not an earthly, but a heavenly being. The doctrine of the Messiah, as a supernatural being with a pre-eternal existence, is expressed in it with sufficient certainty, although it is not placed in organic connection with the idea of ​​Him as a descendant of David. This duality runs like a red thread through the entire dogmatic teaching of post-exilic Judaism. The contradiction was eliminated only by the Christian dogma of the incarnation, which was alien to the author of 3 Ezra. 3Ezra 7:29 And after these years my Son Christ and all people who have breath will die. 29. The Messiah, as a man, is subject to the law of death. His death has nothing to do with the teaching of Christianity about His atoning sacrifice (cf. 1 Cor. XV:28). The prophetic book of Ezra is alien to the idea of ​​​​the humiliation and suffering of the Messiah. 3Ezra 7:30 And the age will return to the ancient silence for seven days, just as it was before, so that there will be no one left. 30. Wed. VI:39. The silence at the beginning of the world lasted until the creation of man. Here again a parallel is drawn between the first and last days of world life. 3Ezra 7:31 After seven days the sleepy age will arise, and the damaged age will die. 31. Wed. 1 Cor (XV:26) “about these abodes the Lord speaks” (John XIV:2). 3Ezra 7:32 And the earth will give up those who sleep in it, and the dust of those who silently dwell in it, and the storehouses will give up the souls entrusted to them. 32. According to Ambrose (De bono mortis, X) “the Lord speaks of these abodes (John XIV:2), that His Father has many abodes, which He will prepare for His disciples, ascending to the Father.” 3Ezra 7:33 Then the Most High will appear on the throne of judgment, and troubles will pass away, and long-suffering will end. 33. The book of the prophet Daniel (VII:9) and the Apocalypse (XX:11) mention the throne on which the Judge of the world will sit. At the final judgment there will be no place for pity and long-suffering. “And compassion will pass away (et pertransibunt misericordiae), and long-suffering will depart.” 3Ezra 7:34 There will be one judgment, the truth will be established, faith will be strengthened. 3Ezra 7:35 Then work will follow, reward will be revealed, righteousness will arise, unrighteousness will cease to reign. 35. The deeds that everyone has done will follow him to judgment (Rev XIV:13) and will be rewarded in a worthy manner (cf. Isa XL:10). The last thought in the manuscripts is conveyed in this form: “and iniquities will not rest.” Just as the actions of the righteous will not remain in obscurity, so the untruths and atrocities of sinners committed under the veil of secrecy will appear before the eyes of everyone 2 . 36 I said, Abraham first prayed for the Sodomites; Moses - for the fathers who sinned in the desert; 36 (106). Gen XVIII:32. Exodus XXXII:32. Abraham asked God to save Sodom, where his relative Lot lived. Moses prayed to God for forgiveness of the people of Israel after the Jews poured out the golden calf, otherwise he expressed a desire to be blotted out from the book where he was written. 3Ezra 7:37 Joshua after him was for Israel in the days of Achan; 37 (107). In the printed text of the Vulgate, the name of Joshua is not mentioned due to the fact that further the time of his activity is attributed to Ahaz and Samuel. The speech was generally attributed to figures who lived after Moses. Achan's crime was that he took from the accursed. Following the prayer of Joshua about the reasons for the military failures, God identified the culprit and ordered him to be stoned (Joshua VII: 1, 6–26). In the manuscripts of the Latin text and the Eastern translations the culprit is named Acharus, according to LXX. The origin of the error in the printed text is explained by the similarity in style of the Greek words A χάρ and A χαζ. 3Ezra 7:38 Samuel and David are for those who are being destroyed, Solomon is for those who come for sanctification; 38 (108). In the eastern translations - Syriac, Ethiopian and Arabic, the time of Samuel's activity is indicated: “Samuel in the days of Saul.” Samuel, in his own words, throughout his life did not cease to offer prayers for his people, both in times of peace and in times of war (1 Samuel VII:9; XII:19, 23). David prayed for an end to the pestilence that carried away 70,000 people (2 Samuel XXIV:15–25). During the consecration of the temple, Solomon interceded with God for everyone who would come to the sanctuary to pour out their feelings before God about certain events in public and private life (1 Kings VIII:22–61). 3Ezra 7:39 Elijah - for those who received the rain, and for the dead man, that he might live; 39 (109). Under Ahab, for the sins of the people, the kingdom of Israel became a victim of severe famine due to drought. Through the prayer of the prophet Elijah, rain was sent, and the famine stopped (1 Kings XVIII: 1–2, 18–45). The intercession of Elijah before God in the resurrection of the son of the Sarepta widow had an even greater impact (1 Kings XVII:17-23). 1Ezra 7:40 Hezekiah for the people in the days of Sennacherib, and many for many. 40 (110). When the troops of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, approached Jerusalem, Hezekiah prayed for the punishment of the king of Assyria for defaming the name of God (2 Kings XIX: 15–19). 3Ezra 7:41 So, if then, when corruption increased and unrighteousness increased, the righteous prayed for the unrighteous, then why should not this be the case now? 41 (111). Having presented numerous examples in the history of the chosen people of the righteous interceding for sinners, mitigating the punishment being prepared by the latter, the author asks whether this will not be the case at the trial: “why not be so then” (et tunc). 3Ezra 7:42 He answered me and said, This present age is not the end; there is often no glory in it, so they prayed for the weak. 42 (112). The Latin text expresses the idea that glory is too frequent a phenomenon in the present age (gloria in eo frequens manet). Obviously, the translator had in mind the partiality of any assessment of a person during his life, due to which many people are unfairly surrounded by glory, as opposed to the day of judgment, when glory will be the property of a few. Eastern translations talk about the impermanence of earthly glory. Due to the fact that the present age is full of imperfections and has a non-independent, but only preparatory significance for the future age, it allows for the intercession of “those who can” (qui potuerunt) for the weak. In the printed text of the Vulgate, the opposition between the powerful prayers of the righteous, on the one hand, and sinners, on the other, is eliminated, since prayer for others is the natural duty of every Christian. 3Ezra 7:43 But the day of judgment will be the end of this time and the beginning of the time of future immortality, when corruption has passed, 3Ezra 7:44 Intemperance will cease, unbelief will be stopped, and righteousness will increase, truth will shine. 3Ezra 7:45 Then no one will be able to save the lost, nor destroy the victorious. 45 (115). “Then no one will be able to show compassion (misereri) to the one who is defeated at the trial, nor to drown the one who wins.” 3Ezra 7:46 I answered and said: this is my first and last word: it was better not to give the land to Adam, or, when it had already been given, to withhold it, so that he would not sin. 46 (116). The author had already expressed the idea earlier (VII:63; cf. IV:12) that it would be better for Adam not to be born than to live in sins. Now he repeats it: “It would have been better if the earth had not given birth to Adam, or, since it had produced him, it would have been better to keep him from sin.” In the Slavic and Russian translation, contrary to the context, it is said that Adam did not need to be given land as his possession, while the author means the creation of man from the earth. 3Ezra 7:47 What good is it for people to live in sorrow in this present age, and after death expect punishment? 3Ezra 7:48 Oh, what have you done, Adam? When you sinned, it was not only you who fell, but also us, who come from you. 48 (118). Wed. III:7, 21–22; IV:30. Rosenthal (Vier apokryphischer Bucher aus der Zeit und Schule Rabbi Akibas, S. 45, 60) recognizes the teaching of the prophetic book of Ezra on sin as borrowed from the Judeo-Christians. This is contradicted by the fact that in the book of Ezra it is not the transfer of sin from ancestors to descendants or its heredity that comes to the fore, but only the beginning of sin in Adam. The latter idea is found in non-canonical books belonging to post-exilic Judaism. The book of Jesus, son of Sirach (XXV:37) says: “from woman is the beginning of sin, and through her we all die.” The doctrine of an evil heart, passed on by heredity from parents to children, has the same meaning in the book of Ezra as in the Talmud. An evil heart is a primordial property of the physical side of man. Because of this, everyone commits sins with the same inevitability as Adam. In this respect there is no difference between Adam and his offspring. From here it is too far from the Christian teaching about the heredity of original sin and imputation for it. 3Ezra 7:49 What good is it to us if we are promised immortal time, but we have done mortal things? 49 (119). Wed. Hebrews VI:1 (νεκρά έργα). 3Ezra 7:50 Eternal hope was prophesied to us, but we, who are worthless, have become vain. 50 (120). Wed. 1 Peter I:3 ( έλπίς ζώσα ). 3Ezra 7:51 Homes of health and peace are prepared for us, but we lived poorly; 3Ezra 7:52 The glory of the Most High is prepared to cover those who lived meekly, but we walked in evil ways. 52 (122). Wed. Isa IV:4–6. 3Ezra 7:53 Paradise will be shown, the fruit of which remains incorruptible and in which there is peace and healing; 53 (123). “The fruit of paradise remains incorruptible, in which is saturation (saturitas) and healing.” All these details found a place already in the prophet Ezekiel (XLVII:12), and from there they were taken into the Apocalypse (XXII:2). 3Ezra 7:54 But we will not enter it, because we have turned to barren places. 3Ezra 7:55 The faces of those who had self-control will shine brighter than the stars, but our faces will be blacker than darkness. 55 (125). Hell appears either as a place of eternal darkness and night, or as a place of unquenchable fire. The author notes with bitter feeling the unattainability of heavenly blessings. Let a person be promised immortality, but he does dead things; He may have a living hope in the future, but he has given himself up to the last degree to vain thoughts that are so fickle. Paradise was not created for those living among sins. The cover of the Almighty falls only on those who live chastely (caste). The tree of paradise nourishes and heals not those who move among the wicked, in barren places where the soul cannot receive proper education. The glorification of the righteous only suggests the darkness in which the wicked will remain. 3Ezra 7:56 In life, when we committed iniquity, we did not imagine that we would suffer after death. 3Ezra 7:57 He answered and said: This is a thought about the struggle that a born man must wage on earth, 3Ezra 7:58 so that if he is defeated, he will endure what you said, and if he wins, he will receive what I say. 57–58 (127–128). “The meaning of the struggle waged by a person who has appeared on earth is as follows: if he is defeated, he will suffer what you spoke about, and if he wins, he will receive what I am talking about.” Above, Ezra constantly talks about the sad fate of sinners, among whom he includes himself; The angel, on the contrary, in order to console his interlocutor, draws a bright future for the righteous. 1Ezra 7:59 This is the life that Moses spoke about when he lived to the people, saying, “Choose for yourself life to live.” 59 (129). While Moses, in his farewell conversation with the people, had in mind exclusively earthly existence (Deut. XXX: 15, 19), the author of our book puts a higher meaning into his words, extending them to the next century. 3Ezra 7:60 But they did not believe him, nor the prophets after him, nor Me who spoke to them, 3Ezra 7:61 that there will be no sorrow for their destruction, but rather joy for those for whom salvation is prepared. 3Ezra 7:62 I answered and said, “I know, Lord, that the Most High is called merciful, because He will have mercy on those who have not yet come into the world, 3Ezra 7:63 and has mercy on those who live in His law. 63 (133). In the manuscripts of the Latin text God is called "merciful" (miserator) or "compassionate, since He shows compassion to those who live in His law." 3Ezra 7:64 He is long-suffering, for He shows longsuffering to those who have sinned, as to His creation. 3Ezra 7:65 He is generous, for he is ready to give according to need, 3Ezra 7:66 and abounding in mercy, for he multiplies his mercies to those who live now, and to those who have lived, and to those who will live. 3Ezra 7:67 For if He had not multiplied His mercies, He could not have continued to live forever with those who dwell in Him. 3Ezra 7:68 He gives gifts; for if He had not granted, in His goodness, that those who had committed wickedness would be relieved from their iniquities, then the ten thousandth part of the people could not have remained alive. 3Ezra 7:69 He is the judge, and if He had not forgiven those who were created by His word, and had not taken away the multitude of transgressions, 69 (139). Since the mercy of God is comprehensively illuminated above, the name of God the Judge has little connection with the context. Volkmar tries to explain its occurrence by an error in reading the Greek text: instead of χρηστός (favorable) it was supposedly read κριτής (judge). Gunkel looks for clues in the Hebrew text, where, in his opinion, the word schometh (forgiving, forgiving) was mistaken for schopheth (judge). God is called forgiving because if He had not forgiven those who were created by His word and did not blot out their crimes, then very few people would have remained on earth long ago. The author gives seven epithets that exhaust the fullness of Divine mercy. 3Ezra 7:70 perhaps, out of the countless multitude, only a very few would remain. After verse 35 there is a large omission in the printed text of the Vulgate, due to the fact that an entire page was torn out of the manuscript codex underlying the manuscripts used by the first publishers of the book (Codex Sangermanensis). The authenticity of this passage is beyond doubt, since Ambrose quotes excerpts from it (De bono mortis, X–XII). He was also referred to in the 4th century. Vigilantius, who rejected prayers for the dead, against whom Blessed Jerome led the fight (Contra Vigilantium). Until 1875, this gap was filled on the basis of Eastern translations. This year, Bensley discovered the Amiens Codex (Codex Ambianensis), which filled this gap, and after it, 4 more Latin codexes were found that contained the entire text of the book. Bensley's edition contains 4 codes. The omission, according to Luecke, Volkmar and Renan, was made under pressure from the Church. Luke dates its appearance to the time of Pope Gregory the Great, when the doctrine of purgatory developed in its final form in the Catholic Church. The teaching of Gregory the Great about purgatory, where the souls of all the dead are sent, and the associated idea about the legality of prayer for the dead found an irreconcilable enemy in the author of the prophetic book of Ezra (Volkmar. S. 92-93; Renan. Evangiles. P. 138-139). Back in the 4th century. the book served as a support for Vigilantius to defend his heretical opinions. However, the omission of places that contradicted church teaching was done purely mechanically, so that much disappeared that did not represent the slightest temptation from the point of view of Christianity, and at the same time, places that expressed this idea in a more moderate form or in general terms survived. The proposed translation is based on Bensley's edition, maintaining its division into verses. 36. And the lake of torment will open, and opposite it will be a place of rest; The furnace of Gehenna will be visible, and opposite it will be a paradise of sweetness. Wed. Luke XVI:23; Matthew XXV:41. 37. And then the Almighty will say to the awakened nations: “Look and understand Whom you rejected, Whom you did not serve and Whose commandments you despised. 38. Look straight ahead and opposite: there is sweetness and peace, and here is fire and torment.” This is what you will say to them on the day of judgment. 39. This day is such that it has neither sun, nor moon, nor stars, 40. no clouds, no thunder, no lightning, no wind, no rain, no fog, no darkness, no evening, no morning, 41. neither summer, nor spring, nor heat, nor winter, nor frost, nor cold, nor hail, nor rain, nor dew, 42. no midday, no night, no pre-dawn twilight, no shine, no clarity, no light, except for the one radiance of the lordship of the Most High, as a result of which everyone can see what is in front of them. 39–42. The basis of this picture is the idea that all creation disappears before the face of the Creator in the consciousness of its insignificance. Wed. Am V:18; Isa IX:19–20; Rev XXI:23; XXII:5. 43. Its duration will be the same as seven years. The judgment takes as much time as the creation of the world. In this detail, the author continues the parallel between the beginning and the end of the world. 44. This is My judgment and its order. I revealed this to you alone. 45. And I answered: “I have already said, and now I will say: blessed are those who live and do what You commanded. 46. ​​But I prayed this: will there be anyone living who will not sin, or will anyone be born who will not break Your covenant? 47. And now I see that the next age will bring sweetness to the few and torment to many. 48. For an evil heart grew within us, which removed us from Him and led us to corruption and the paths of death, showed us the paths of destruction and removed us from life, not just a small number, but almost all who were created.” 49. And He answered me and said: Hear Me, and I will instruct you and admonish you regarding what is to come. 50. In view of this, God created not one century, but two. According to the beliefs of the Talmudists, the future age was created before the creation of the visible world. 51. As for your words that the righteous are not many, but few, while the wicked are many, then listen to this: 52. “If you have very few precious stones, then you will begin to store them up according to their number, but there will be plenty of lead and clay.” There is obviously an omission in the Latin text, which is why the meaning of the comparison is rather obscure. In its full form, the author’s thought is expressed in the form of a question: “If you have very few precious stones, will you begin to add lead and clay to their number; There’s a lot of lead and clay.” A person who owns precious stones will not, in order to have more of them, add to them ingots of lead or stones made of baked clay. 53. And I said: “How is this possible?” 54. And He said to me: “Not only this, but ask the earth, and it will tell you; approach it with flattery, and it will tell you. 55. You will tell her: You produce gold, silver and copper, as well as iron, lead and clay. 56. There is more silver than gold, more copper than silver, more iron than copper, more lead than iron and more clay than lead. 57. Judge now for yourself, what is precious and attractive? Either what is plentiful or what is rare.” 58. And I said: “Sovereign Lord! What is found in abundance is worse, and what is found less often is more precious.” 59. And He answered me and said: “Consider for yourself what you thought: he who owns what is obtained with difficulty is more happy than he who possesses what is found in abundance. 54–59. The author borrows another comparison from the mineral kingdom. The more noble the metal, the less common it is and the more difficult it is to process. On the contrary, clay, which ranks last in its value, should be placed ahead of all metals in its abundance. 60. This is how things stand with the creation I promised. I will be glad to see the few who have been saved, because they have now established the dominion of My glory and they are now called by My name. The Latin text must be corrected in relation to the Oriental translations, Syriac and Arabic. There, instead of the creature, we are talking about judgment. Obviously, the Latin translator mistakenly read in the Greek text instead of κρίσις - κτήσις, seeing in the last word an allusion to the “new creation” that will be revealed after the judgment. 61. I will not be grieved by the multitude of those who perished: after all, these are the same ones who are now likened to steam and equated to fire and smoke. So they flared up, flared and went out.” Wed. Isa XLIII:17. The wicked already in this life resemble a blazing fire, causing devastation around them, but at the same time dealing a mortal blow to their own existence. Sooner or later it must go out. It turns into smoke, dissipating without a trace in the air. It is quite natural that in the next century the lawless will become the property of the element that their actions so closely resembled. 62. And I answered and said: “Oh, earth! What did you give birth to, if the mind came from dust, like the rest of creation? 63. It would be better for the dust itself not to appear, so that intelligence does not arise from it. 64. And now, the mind grows with us, and because of this we suffer, since we are consciously heading towards destruction. 62–64. The mind (sensus), like the heart, belongs to the carnal side of the human being. The ability of experimental knowledge through the senses and an evil heart irresistibly attract a person to crime. Therefore, every person is sinful just like Adam, who passed on to his offspring a body with all the abilities that he himself possessed. 65. Let the human race mourn, and the beasts of the field rejoice; let all who are born weep, and let all four-footed animals and beasts rejoice. 66. For they are much better off than us, since they do not await judgment, they know neither the torment nor the bliss promised to them after death. 67. What good will it do us if we live again, but suffer cruelly? 68. After all, everyone who was born is saturated with iniquities, full of sins and aggravated by crimes. 69. And perhaps it would be better for us if we did not have to go to judgment. 65–69. The author's despair reaches amazing strength. Despite the fact that in the canonical books (Gen. I: 26-28; Ps. VIII: 6-9) the high position occupied by man in relation to creation is compared with the lot of angels, the author finds that reality shows just the opposite. A person should envy animals who do not suffer in this life due to lack of intelligence, and will not be punished in the future life. It is characteristic that the author considers himself a sinner along with other people (67, 69). 70. And He answered me and said: “Before the Most High created the age with Adam and all who came from him, He prepared the judgment and what was prepared for the judgment. According to the teachings of post-exilic Judaism, heaven, the place of bliss of the righteous, and hell, the place of torment of sinners, were created before the creation of the world. 71. Now understand on the basis of your own words; after all, you said that reason grows with us. 72. Therefore, those who live on earth suffer torment here, because, having reason, they committed iniquities and, receiving commandments, did not fulfill them, and, being followers of the law, rejected the law they received. 73. What do they have to say at the trial, or what answer will they give in the near future? 74. Indeed, how long has the Almighty shown long-suffering towards those who inhabit the ages, and not for their own sake, but for the sake of fulfilling the period prescribed by Him? 75. And I answered and said: “If I have found grace before You, Lord, then show Your servant the following. Will we, after death, that is, when each of us gives up his soul, remain in peace until the time comes when You begin to renew creation, or will we immediately endure torment?” 76. And He answered me and said: “I will show you this too. But do not confuse yourself with those who despised, and do not count yourself among those who suffer torment, 77. For you have a treasure of works reserved by the Most High, but it will not be shown to you until the time of the end. The Gospels speak of laying up treasures in heaven (Matthew VI:20; Luke XII:33: cf. 1 Tim VI:17–19). 78. Now we will talk about death, when the verdict comes from the Most High regarding the time for a person to die, and when the spirit leaves the body to return again to the One who gave it, to worship first of all the glory of the Most High. Ecclesiastes. XII:7. Having detached itself from the sensory shell of the body, the human soul feels its dependence on God with much greater force. Even the souls of sinners first of all go to worship the glory of the Most High, which they forgot about on earth. Gunkel sees in this teaching a further step forward compared to the views of Ecclesiastes. According to Ecclesiastes, the spirit returns to God and dissolves in Him, ceasing its individual existence. Ezra holds a different view, according to which the soul continues its independent existence after death. He puts into the words of Ecclesiastes the idea that the soul, at its appointed time, leaves the body and appears before the face of God. 79. And if these are the souls of those who despised and did not preserve the ways of the Most High, despised His law and hated those who fear God, 80. then such souls will not enter the monastery, but will immediately begin to wander in torment, in constant grief and sadness along the seven paths. 79–80. Here there is an echo of the popular belief that the souls of villains wander the earth after their death, mourning their crime. The torment of sinners is divided into seven types. This division is based on the Jewish idea, common with the Babylonian one, of the existence of 7 heavens and 7 hells. Here the dead experience the bliss or torment they deserve. The teaching of the prophetic book of Ezra about the afterlife torment of sinners is purely spiritual in nature. 81. The first way is that they despised the law of the Most High. 82. Second way: they can no longer bring good repentance in order to live. 83. The third way: they will see the reward reserved for those who are faithful to the covenants of the Most High. 84. The fourth way: they will see the torment reserved for them for the very last time. 85. Fifth way: they see the homes of others, guarded in the deepest silence by angels. 86. Sixth way: they see that immediately from here they will move on to torment. 84–86. The difference between the sixth and fourth torment is that the fourth torment is caused by the consciousness of punishments awaiting sinners in the future, perhaps quite distant, while the sixth is inspired by the thought of the proximity of punishment. Bissel and Zeckler explain the sixth way in the sense that sinners have a stunning effect on the spectacle of some of them going to a place of torment. 87. The seventh path, which surpasses all the paths mentioned above, is that they melt with confusion, they are consumed by shame, they are exhausted with fear, at the sight of the glory of the Most High, before which they sinned during life and before which they will face judgment in the last times. 81–87. The torment of sinners consists of: 1) the awareness of their crimes, 2) the impossibility of repentance, 3) the contemplation of the bliss awaiting the righteous, and 4) the torment that will be the lot of sinners, 5) the contemplation of the place where the righteous will live, 6) the awareness of the proximity of their torment, and, finally, 7) the feeling of fear at the thought of appearing before the face of the Judge. 88. As for those who preserved the ways of the Most High, their lot after separation from the corruptible vessel will be as follows: The body is recognized here as the prison of the soul. 89. During their stay in it, they served the Almighty with difficulty and were exposed to dangers every hour, just to completely preserve the law of the Lawgiver. 90. Therefore the verdict about them will be: 91. First of all, they will see with great joy the glory of Him who receives them to Himself; and they will enjoy seven kinds of rest: 92. The first type is that they fought with great difficulty in order to overcome the evil thought created with them, so that it could not distract them from life to death. 93. Second type: they contemplate the confusion in which the souls of the wicked wander, and the punishment awaiting them. 94. Third type: they contemplate the testimony given to them by their Creator that during their lifetime they preserved the law entrusted to them. 95. Fourth kind: they are conscious of their peace, which they now enjoy, gathered in their storehouses and guarded in deep silence by the angels, and the glorification that awaits them in the last times. 96. Fifth view: they rejoice over the fact that they have left the present perishable and will receive a future inheritance; they also see the tightness, full of burdens, from which they have freed themselves and begin to feel spaciousness, blessed and immortal. 97. Sixth type: they will be shown how their face will shine like the sun and they will become like the stars in their brilliance, immediately becoming incorruptible. 97. Wed. Dan XII:3; Matthew XIII:43; 1 Cor XV:41. 98. The seventh kind, surpassing all those previously named: they will rejoice with confidence, hope without shame and rejoice without fear, as they hasten to see the face of Him Whom they served in life, and from Whom they are to receive the reward of glorification. 99. This is the destiny of the souls of the righteous, announced to them immediately. Previously, the paths of the torment that sinners immediately endure were named. 91–99. The bliss of the righteous, like the torment of sinners, has seven types or degrees. It consists: 1) in the consciousness of victory over an evil thought, 2) in the contemplation of the torment awaiting sinners, 3) in the consciousness of one’s righteousness, based on the law, 4) in the contemplation of future bliss, 5) in the joy of liberation from the mortal shackles of the body, 6) in the anticipation of imminent glorification and 7) in the contemplation of God. 100. And I answered and said: “So, after their separation from the body, souls will be given time to see what You told me about?” 101. And He said to me: “Their freedom will last seven days, so that in seven days they will see what was discussed above, and after that they will gather in their homes. It is characteristic that Plato expresses a similar thought. According to popular belief, the soul remains free for 40 days. Volkmar, without sufficient grounds, assumes that the monasteries where the righteous reside refer to tombs. In contrast to the sinners who wander the earth in restlessness, the righteous rest peacefully in their graves. Therefore, to observe the bliss awaiting them and the torment awaiting sinners, they were given 7 days, in accordance with 7 types of bliss, after which serene peace sets in. Undoubtedly, by monasteries the author means the place where the souls of the righteous reside after separation from the body. It closely resembles those repositories where the souls of all people reside before their birth. An extensive section depicting the bliss of the righteous and the torment of sinners reflects popular ideas contemporary to the author. They are brought in by the author in order to illuminate his main question: is it possible for the righteous to intercede for sinners? They could have meaning only if, before the judgment, both the righteous and the sinners were in a state of complete peace, receiving neither rewards nor punishments. But since this is not the case, and the dead immediately after the separation of the soul from the body begin, although not completely, to experience the fate awaiting them in the next century, then the prayers of the righteous are no longer powerless to change their fate. 102. And I answered and said: if I have found mercy in Your sight, then show me, Your servant, moreover, whether on the day of judgment the righteous can achieve the justification of the wicked or pray for them to the Most High, 103. fathers for their sons, sons for their parents, brothers for their brothers, relatives for their loved ones, or friends for those dear to them.” 104. He answered me and said: Because you have found mercy in my sight, I will show you this too. The day of judgment is decisive, and reveals to everyone the seal of truth. Just as now a father does not send his son, or the son of a father, or the master of a slave, or the friend of the person most dear to him, so that he thinks for him, or sleeps, or eats, or is treated, 105. So no one will ever intercede for anyone, but everyone will then bring their own truths or lies. 106. . And I answered and said: “How do we find that Abraham was the first to pray for the Sodomites?” After verse 35 in the printed text of the Vulgate there is an extensive omission, resulting from the fact that an entire sheet of paper (Codex sangermanensis) was torn out in the manuscript codex underlying the manuscripts used by the first publishers of the book. The authenticity of this passage is beyond doubt, since Ambrose quotes excerpts from it (De bono mortis, X-XII). He was also referred to in the 4th century by Vigilantius, who rejected prayers for the dead, against whom the blessed one fought. Jerome (Contra Vigilantium). Until 1875, this gap was filled on the basis of Eastern translations. This year, Bensley discovered the Amiens Codex (Codex Ambianensis), which filled this gap, and after it, 4 more Latin codexes were found that contained the entire text of the book. Bensley's edition contains 4 codes. The omission, according to Lieke, Volkmar and Renan, was made under pressure from the church. Lieke dates its appearance to the time of Pope Gregory the Great, when the doctrine of purgatory developed in its final form in the Catholic Church. The teaching of Gregory the Great about purgatory, where the souls of all the dead are sent, and the associated idea about the legality of prayer for the dead, found an irreconcilable enemy in the author of the prophetic book of Ezra (Volkmar, 92–93. Renan. Evangiles, 133–139). As early as the 4th century, the book served as a support for Vigilantius to defend his heretical opinions. However, the omission of places that contradicted church teaching was done purely mechanically, so that much disappeared that did not represent the slightest temptation from the point of view of Christianity, and at the same time, places that expressed this idea in a more moderate form or in general terms survived. The proposed translation is based on Bensley's edition, maintaining its division into verses.