2 Esdras 3:16-26

16 You chose Jacob, and his descendants became a great nation, but you rejected Esau.
17 "You rescued the descendants of Jacob from Egypt and led them to Mount Sinai.
18 There you bent down the skies, shook [a] the earth, moved the world, made the waters beneath the earth tremble, and brought disorder to the universe.
19 The dazzling light of your presence passed through the four gates of fire, earthquake, wind, and frost, in order to give the Law and its commandments to Jacob's descendants, the people of Israel.
20 Yet you did not remove their evil impulse, but let your Law guide their lives. 1
21 The first man, Adam, weighed down with an evil impulse, sinned and was defeated, and the same was true of all of his descendants.
22 So the disease became permanent, and although the Law was in the hearts of the people, so also was the root of evil! That is why what was good passed away, while what was evil continued.
23 "Many years later you sent your servant David
24 and told him to build a city which would bear your name and in which sacrifices would be offered to you.
25 This was done for many years, but then the inhabitants of the city disobeyed you
26 and sinned just like Adam and all his descendants, because they had the same evil impulse.

Cross References 1

  • 1. 3.20Ben Sira 15.14.

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [Some ancient translations] shook; [Latin] steadied.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.