3:2 For I saw the desolation of Sion, and the wealth of them that dwelt at Babylon. 3:3 And my spirit was sore moved, so that I began to speak words full of fear to the most High, and said, 3:4 O Lord, who bearest rule, thou spakest at the beginning, when thou didst plant the earth, and that thyself alone, and commandedst the people, 3:5 And gavest a body unto Adam without soul, which was the workmanship of thine hands, and didst breathe into him the breath of life, and he was made living before thee. 3:6 And thou leadest him into paradise, which thy right hand had planted, before ever the earth came forward. 3:7 And unto him thou gavest commandment to love thy way: which he transgressed, and immediately thou appointedst death in him and in his generations, of whom came nations, tribes, people, and kindreds, out of number. 3:8 And every people walked after their own will, and did wonderful things before thee, and despised thy commandments. 3:9 And again in process of time thou broughtest the flood upon those that dwelt in the world, and destroyedst them. 3:10 And it came to pass in every of them, that as death was to Adam, so was the flood to these. 3:11 Nevertheless one of them thou leftest, namely, Noah with his household, of whom came all righteous men. 3:12 And it happened, that when they that dwelt upon the earth began to multiply, and had gotten them many children, and were a great people, they began again to be more ungodly than the first. 3:13 Now when they lived so wickedly before thee, thou didst choose thee a man from among them, whose name was Abraham. 3:14 Him thou lovedst, and unto him only thou shewedst thy will: 3:15 And madest an everlasting covenant with him, promising him that thou wouldest never forsake his seed. 3:16 And unto him thou gavest Isaac, and unto Isaac also thou gavest Jacob and Esau. As for Jacob, thou didst choose him to thee, and put by Esau: and so Jacob became a great multitude. 3:17 And it came to pass, that when thou leadest his seed out of Egypt, thou broughtest them up to the mount Sinai. 3:18 And bowing the heavens, thou didst set fast the earth, movedst the whole world, and madest the depths to tremble, and troubledst the men of that age. 3:19 And thy glory went through four gates, of fire, and of earthquake, and of wind, and of cold; that thou mightest give the law unto the seed of Jacob, and diligence unto the generation of Israel. 3:20 And yet tookest thou not away from them a wicked heart, that thy law might bring forth fruit in them. 3:21 For the first Adam bearing a wicked heart transgressed, and was overcome; and so be all they that are born of him. 3:22 Thus infirmity was made permanent; and the law (also) in the heart of the people with the malignity of the root; so that the good departed away, and the evil abode still. 3:23 So the times passed away, and the years were brought to an end: then didst thou raise thee up a servant, called David: