2 Esdras 7:133-140

133 He is called compassionate because he shows compassion to those who repent and obey his Law.
134 He is thought of as patient because he is patient with his own creatures who have sinned.
135 He is known as generous because he prefers to give rather than to demand.
136 And he is known as very forgiving because he continues to forgive sinners of the past, present, and future.
137 If he did not continue to forgive, there would be no life for this world or the people in it.
138 He is spoken of as pardoning because, if it were not for his goodness in pardoning sinners, not one person in ten thousand would gain life.
139 He is called judge because he pardons and blots out the many sins of those who were created by his word.
140 If he did not, only a handful of the whole human race would be left."

Footnotes 1

  • [a]. [Verses 106-140 are the equivalent of verses 36-70 in the King James Version.]
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.