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You have nurtured it in your righteousness, and instructed it in your law, and reproved it in your wisdom.
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You put it to death as your creation, and make it live as your work.
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If then you will suddenly and quickly destroy what with so great labor was fashioned by your command, to what purpose was it made?
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And now I will speak out: About all humankind you know best; but I will speak about your people, for whom I am grieved,
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and about your inheritance, for whom I lament, and about Israel, for whom I am sad, and about the seed of Jacob, for whom I am troubled.
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Therefore I will pray before you for myself and for them, for I see the failings of us who inhabit the earth;
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and now also I have heard of the swiftness of the judgment that is to come.
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Therefore hear my voice and understand my words, and I will speak before you." The beginning of the words of Ezra's prayer, before he was taken up. He said:
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"O Lord, you who inhabit eternity, whose eyes are exalted and whose upper chambers are in the air,
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whose throne is beyond measure and whose glory is beyond comprehension, before whom the hosts of angels stand trembling
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and at whose command they are changed to wind and fire, whose word is sure and whose utterances are certain, whose command is strong and whose ordinance is terrible,