21
When I saw this, I found it very difficult to spare them, but I saved a few for myself, one grape out of a bunch and one tree out of a great forest.
19
When I had created the world, I supplied it with an abundance of food and a Law of profound wisdom, but the people I created lived corrupt lives.
20
I looked at my world and saw that it was ruined. I saw that my earth was in danger of being destroyed by the wicked plans of the people who had come into it.
21
When I saw this, I found it very difficult to spare them, but I saved a few for myself, one grape out of a bunch and one tree out of a great forest.
22
So let them perish - all those people who were born only to be lost. But let my chosen people be kept safe - those for whom I worked so hard to bring to perfection.
23
"And now, Ezra, you must wait seven more days, but do not fast this time.
Footnotes 1
[a].
[Some ancient translations] a great forest; [Latin] great tribes.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.