2 Esdras 16:1-7

1 Woe to you, Babylon and Asia! Woe to you, Egypt and Syria!

2 Bind on sackcloth and cloth of goats' hair, and wail for your children, and lament for them; for your destruction is at hand.

3 The sword has been sent upon you, and who is there to turn it back?

4 A fire has been sent upon you, and who is there to quench it?

5 Calamities have been sent upon you, and who is there to drive them away?

6 Can one drive off a hungry lion in the forest, or quench a fire in the stubble once it has started to burn?

7 Can one turn back an arrow shot by a strong archer?

Footnotes

• [a]. Other ancient authorities lack [cloth of goats' hair]
• [b]. Other ancient authorities read [fire when dry straw has been set on fire]