7:[36] And the Pit of Torment shall appear, and over against it shall be the Place of Rest: and the Furnace of Hell shall be showed, and over against it the Paradise of Delight.
7:[37] And then shall The Most High say to the nations that are raised from the dead, See ye and understand Whom ye have denied, or Whom ye have not served, or Whose Commandments ye have despised.
7:[38] Look on this side and on that: here is Delight and Rest, and there Fire and Torments. Thus shall He speak to them in the Day of Judgement:
7:[39] This is a day that hath neither sun, nor moon, nor stars,
7:[40] neither cloud, nor thunder, nor lightning, neither wind, nor water, nor air, neither darkness, nor evening,
7:[41] nor morning, neither Summer, nor Spring, nor heat, nor Winter, neither frost, nor cold,
7:[42] nor hail, nor rain, nor dew, neither noon, nor night, nor dawn, neither shining, nor brightness, nor light, save only the splendour of the glory of The Most High, whereby all shall see the things that are set before them:
7:[43] for it shall endure as it were a week of years.
7:[44] This is My Judgement and the Ordinance thereof: but to thee only have I showed these things.
7:[45] And I answered, I said even then, O Lord, and I say now: Blessed are they that be now alive and keep the Statutes ordained by Thee.
7:[46] But as touching them for whom my prayer was made, what shall I say? for who is there of them that be alive that hath not sinned, and who of the sons of men that hath not transgressed Thy Covenant?
7:[47] And now I see, that the world to come shall bring delight to few, but torments unto many.
7:[48] For an evil heart hath grown up in us, which hath led us away from these Statutes, and hath brought us into corruption and into the ways of death; hath showed us the paths of perdition (destruction) and removed us far from Life; and that, not a few only, but well nigh all that have been created.
7:[49] And He answered me, and said, Hearken unto Me, and I will instruct thee; and I will admonish thee yet again:
7:[50] for this cause The Most High hath not made one world, but two.
7:[51] For whereas thou hast said that the just are not many, but few, and the unGodly abound, hear the answer there-unto.
7:[52] If thou have choice stones exceeding few, wilt thou set for thee over against them according to their number things of lead and clay?
7:[53] And I said, Lord, how shall this be?
7:[54] And He said unto me, Not only this, but ask the Earth, and she shall tell thee: intreat her, and she shall declare unto thee.
7:[55] For thou shalt say unto her, Thou bringest forth gold and silver and brass, and iron also and lead and clay:
7:[56] but silver is more abundant than gold, and brass than silver, and iron than brass, lead than iron, and clay than lead.
7:[57] Judge thou therefore which things are precious and to be desired, whatso is abundant or that which is rare.
7:[58] And I said, O Lord That bearest rule, that which is plentiful is of less worth, for that which is more rare is more precious.
7:[59] And He answered me, and said, Weigh within thyself the things that thou hast thought, for he that hath what is hard to get rejoiceth over him that hath what is plentiful.
7:[60] So also is The Judgement which I have promised: for I will rejoice over the few that shall be saved, inasmuch as these are they that have made My glory now to prevail, and by whom My name is now named.
7:[61] And I will not grieve over the multitude of them that perish; for these are they that are now like unto vapour, and are become as flame and smoke; they are set on fire and burn hotly, and are quenched.
7:[62] And I answered and said, O thou earth, wherefore hast thou brought forth, if the mind is made out of dust, like as all other created things?
7:[63] For it were better that the dust itself had been unborn, so that the mind might not have been made therefrom.
7:[64] But now the mind groweth with us, and by reason of this we are tormented, because we perish and know it.
7:[65] Let the race of men lament and the beasts of the field be glad; let all that are born lament, but let the four-footed beasts and the cattle rejoice.
7:[66] For it is better with them than with us; for they look not for Judgement, neither do they know of torments or of salvation promised unto them after death.
7:[67] For what doth it profit us, that we shall be preserved alive, but yet be afflicted with torment?
7:[68] For all that are born are defiled with iniquities, and are full of sins and laden with offences:
7:[69] and if after death we were not to come into Judgement, perhaps it had been better for us.
7:[70] And he answered me, and said, When The Most High made the world, and Adam and all them that came of him, He first prepared The Judgement and the things that pertain unto The Judgement.
7:[71] And now understand from thine own words, for thou hast said that the mind groweth with us.
7:[72] They therefore that dwell upon Earth shall be tormented for this reason, that having understanding they have wrought iniquity and receiving Commandments have not kept them, and having obtained a Law they have dealt unfaithfully with that which they received.
7:[73] What then will they have to say in The Judgement, or how will they answer in the Last Times?
7:[74] For how great a time hath The Most High been long-suffering with them that inhabit the world, and not for their sakes, but because of the times which He hath fore-ordained!
7:[75] And I answered and said, If I have found grace in Thy sight, O Lord, show this also unto Thy servant, whether after death, even now when every one of us giveth up his soul, we shall be kept in rest until those times come, in which thou shalt renew The Creation, or whether we shall be tormented forthwith.
7:[76] And he answered me, and said, I will show thee this also; but join not thyself with them that are scorners, nor number thyself with them that are tormented.
7:[77] For thou hast a treasure of good works laid up with The Most High, but it shall not be showed thee until the Last Times.
7:[78] For concerning death the teaching is: When the determinate sentence hath gone forth from The Most High that a man should die, as the spirit leaveth the body to return again to Him Who gave it, it adoreth the glory of The Most High first of all.
7:[79] And if it be one of those that have been scorners and have not kept The Way of The Most High, and that have despised His Law, and that hate them that fear God,
7:[80] these spirits shall not enter into habitations, but shall wander and be in torments forthwith, ever grieving and sad, in seven ways.
7:[81] The first way, because they have despised The Law of The Most High.
7:[82] The second way, because they cannot now make a good returning that they may live.
7:[83] The third way, they shall see the reward laid up for them that have believed The Covenants of The Most High.
7:[84] The fourth way, they shall consider The Torment laid up for themselves in the Last Days.
7:[85] The fifth way, they shall see the dwelling places of the others guarded by angels, with great quietness.
7:[86] The sixth way, they shall see how forthwith some of them shall pass into torment.
7:[87] The seventh way, which is more grievous than all the aforesaid ways, because they shall pine away in confusion and be consumed with shame, and shall be withered up by fears, seeing the glory of The Most High before Whom they have sinned whilst living, and before Whom they shall be judged in the Last Times.
7:[88] Now this is the order of those who have kept The Ways of The Most High, when they shall be separated from the corruptible vessel (human-body).
7:[89] In the time that they dwelt therein they painfully served The Most High, and were in jeopardy every hour, that they might keep The Law of The Law-giver perfectly.
7:[90] Wherefore this is the teaching concerning them:
7:[91] First of all they shall see with great joy the glory of Him Who taketh them up, for they shall have rest in seven orders.
7:[92] The first order, because they have striven with great labour to overcome the evil thought which was fashioned together with them, that it might not lead them astray from Life into Death.
7:[93] The second order, because they see the perplexity in which the souls (Beings) of the unGodly wander, and the punishment that awaiteth them.
7:[94] The third order, they see the witness which He that fashioned them beareth concerning them, that while they lived they kept The Law which was given them in trust.
7:[95] The fourth order, they understand the rest which, being gathered in their chambers, they now enjoy with great quietness, guarded by angels, and the glory that awaiteth them in the Last Days.
7:[96] The fifth order, they rejoice, seeing how they have now escaped from that which is corruptible, and how they shall inherit that which is to come, while they see moreover the straitness and the painfulness from which they have been delivered, and the large room which they shall receive with joy and immortality.
7:[97] The sixth order, when it is showed unto them how their face shall shine as the sun, and how they shall be made like unto the light of the stars, being henceforth incorruptible.
7:[98] The seventh order, which is greater than all the aforesaid orders, because they shall rejoice with confidence, and because they shall be bold without confusion, and be glad without fear, for they hasten to behold the face of Him Whom in their lifetime they served, and from Whom they shall receive their reward in glory.
7:[99] This is the order of the souls of the just, as from henceforth is announced unto them, and aforesaid are the ways of torture which they that would not give heed shall suffer from henceforth.
7:[100] And I answered and said, Shall time therefore be given unto the souls after they are separated from the bodies, that they may see that whereof thou hast spoken unto me?
7:[101] And he said, Their freedom shall be for seven days, that for seven days they may see the things whereof thou hast been told, and afterwards they shall be gathered together in their habitations.
7:[102] And I answered and said, If I have found favour in Thy sight, show further unto me Thy servant, whether in The Day of Judgement the just will be able to intercede for the unGodly or to intreat The Most High for them,
7:[103] whether fathers for children, or children for parents, or brethren for brethren, or kinsfolk for their next of kin, or friends for them that are most dear.
7:[104] And He answered me, and said, Since though hast found favour in My sight, I will show thee this also: The Day of Judgement is a day of decision, and displayeth unto all the Seal of Truth; even as now a father sendeth not his son, or a son his father, or a master his slave, or a friend him that is most dear, that in his stead he may be sick, or sleep, or eat, or be healed:
7:[105] so never shall any one pray for another in that day, neither shall one lay a burden on another, for then shall all bear every one his own righteousness or unrighteousness. King of kings' Bible - 2 Esdras
