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 them to perfection.
23. “And now, Ezra, you must wait seven more days, but do not fast this time.
24. Go to a field of wild flowers where no one has ever lived and eat nothing but the flowers — do not eat any meat or drink any wine.
25. Pray the whole time to God Most High. Then I will come and talk with you again.”
26. I obeyed the angel's command and went to a field called Ardat. I sat there among the flowers and ate the wild plants, and that was enough food for me.
27. After seven days I was lying on the grass, and once again my thoughts began to trouble me.
28. Then I began to speak and said to God Most High,
29. “O Lord, you revealed yourself to your ancestors when they were travelling through the trackless, barren desert after they had left Egypt. You said to them,
30. ‘Listen to me, people of Israel.
31. I am giving you my Law. It will be like a seed sown among you that produces fruit, and it will be your crowning glory for ever.’
32. Our ancestors received the Law, but they disobeyed its commands. Yet the fruit of the Law was not destroyed — it could not be destroyed because it was yours.
33. Those who had received the Law were destroyed because they did not guard the good seed that was sown in them.
34-35. The usual thing is that the container remains after its contents have been destroyed, for example, seed in the ground, a ship on the sea, or food in a bowl. But this is not the case with us sinners.
36. The Law was placed in our hearts, and we are the ones who will be destroyed because we have sinned.
37. The Law will not be destroyed; it will remain in all its glory.”
38. While I was saying these things to myself, I looked round and saw a woman on my right. She was weeping and wailing, terribly upset; her clothes were torn, and there were ashes on her head.
39. I immediately put my own troubles out of my mind, turned to the woman,