Then
both of them knew that they were naked: wherefore, being ashamed, they took fig
leaves and made a clothing for their secret parts. When midday was passed,
behold God appeared to them, and called Adam, saying: "Adam, where art thou?"
'He answered: "Lord, I did hide myself from thy presence because I and my wife
are naked, and so we are ashamed to present ourselves before thee."
Then
said God: "And who hath robbed you of your innocence, unless ye have eaten
the fruit by reason of which ye are unclean, and will not be able to abide
longer in paradise?"
'Adam
answered: "O Lord, the wife whom thou hast given me besought me to eat, and
so I have eaten thereof."
'Then said
God to the woman: "Wherefore gavest thou such food to thy husband?" 'Eve
answered:
"Satan deceived me, and so I did eat."
"'And
how did that reprobate enter in hither?" said God.
'Eve answered:
"A serpent that standeth at the northern gate brought him near to me."
'Then said
God to Adam: "Because thou hast hearkened to the voice of thy wife and hast
eaten the fruit, cursed be the earth in thy works; it shall bring forth for thee
brambles and thorns, and in the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread. And
remember that thou art earth, and to earth thou return."
And he spoke to Eve,
saying: "And thou who didst hearken to Satan, and gavest the food to thy
husband, shalt abide under the dominion of man, who shall keep thee as a slave,
and thou shalt bear children with travail."
'And having called the
serpent, God called the angel Michael, him who holdeth the sword of God, [and]
said: "First drive forth from paradise this wicked serpent, and when
outside cut off his legs: for if he shall wish to walk, he must trail his body
upon the earth." Afterwards God called Satan, who came laughing, and he
said to him: "Because thou, reprobate, hast deceived these and hast made
them to become unclean, I will that every uncleanness of them and of all their
children, whereof they shall be truly penitent and shall serve me, in going
forth from their body shall enter through thy mouth, and so shalt thou be
satiated with uncleanness."'Satan then gave a
horrible roar, and said: "Since thou willest to make me ever worse, I yet
will make me that which I shall be able!"
Then said God: "Depart,
cursed one, from my presence!"
Then Satan departed;
whereupon God said to Adam [and] Eve, who were both weeping: "Go ye forth
from paradise, and do penance, and let not your hope fail, for I will send your
son in such wise that your seed shall lift the dominion of Satan from off the
human race: for he who shall come, my messenger, to him will I give all things."
'God hid himself,
and the angel Michael drove them forth from paradise. Whereupon Adam, turning
him round, saw written above the gate, "There is only one God, and Mohammed
is messenger of God." Whereupon, weeping, he said: "May it be pleasing
to God, O my son, that thou come quickly and draw us out of misery."
'And thus,' said Jesus, 'sinned
Satan and Adam through pride, the one by despising man, the other by wishing to
make himself equal with God.' [23] Then
the disciples wept after this discourse, and Jesus was weeping, when they saw
many who came to find him, for the chiefs of the priests took counsel among
themselves to catch him in his talk. Wherefore they sent the Levites and some of
the scribes to question him, saying: 'Who art thou?'Jesus
confessed, and said the truth: 'I am not the Messiah.'They said: 'Art
thou Elijah or Jeremiah, or any of the ancient prophets?' Jesus answered: 'No.' Then said they: 'Who art thou?
Say, in order that we may give testimony to those who sent us.'Then said Jesus: 'I am a voice
that crieth through all Judaea, and crieth: "Prepare ye the way for
the messenger of the Lord," even as it is written in Esaias.'They said: 'If thou be not the
Messiah nor Elijah, or any prophet, wherefore dost thou preach new doctrine, and
make thyself of more account than the Messiah?'
Jesus answered: 'The miracles which God worketh by my hands show that I speak
that which God willeth; nor indeed do I make myself to be accounted as him of
whom ye speak. For I am not worthy to unloose the ties of the hosen or the ratchets
of the shoes of the messenger of God whom ye call 'Messiah," who was made
before me, and shall come after me, and shall bring the words of truth, so that
his faith shall have no end.'
The Levites and scribes departed in
confusion, and recounted all to the chiefs of the priests, who said: 'He hath
the devil on his back who recounteth all to him.'
Then said Jesus to his disciples: 'Verily
I say unto you, that the chiefs and the elders of our people seek occasion
against me.'
Then said Peter: 'Therefore go not
thou any more into Jerusalem.'
Therefore said Jesus unto him: 'Thou
art foolish, and knowest not what thou sayest, for it is necessary that I should
suffer many persecutions, because so have suffered all the prophets and holy
ones of God. But fear not, for there be that are with us and there be that are
against us.'
And having said this, Jesus departed
and went to the mount Tabor, and there ascended with him Peter and James and
John his brother, with him who writeth this. Whereupon there shone a great light
above him, and his garments became white like snow and his face glistened as the
sun, and lo! there came Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus concerning all that
needs must come upon our race and upon the holy city.Peter spoke, saying: 'Lord, it is
good to be here. Therefore, if thou wilt, we will make here three tabernacles,
one for thee and one for Moses and the other for Elijah.' And while he spoke
they were covered with a white cloud, and they heard a voice saying:'Behold my
servant, in whom I am well pleased; hear ye him."The disciples were filled with fear,
and fell with their face upon the earth as dead. Jesus went down and raised up
his disciples, saying: 'Fear not, for God loveth you, and hath done this in
order that ye may believe on my words.' [24] Jesus went down to the eight disciples who were awaiting him below. And
the four narrated to the eight all that they had seen: and so there departed
that day from their heart all doubt of Jesus, save [from] Judas Iscariot, who
believed naught. Jesus seated himself at the foot of the mountain, and they ate
of the wild fruits, because they had not bread.
Then said
Andrew: 'Thou hast told us many things of the Messiah, therefore of thy kindness
tell us clearly all.' And in like manner the other disciples besought him.
Accordingly
Jesus said: 'Everyone that worketh worketh for an end in which he findeth
satisfaction. Wherefore I say unto you that God, verily because he is perfect,
hath not need of satisfaction, seeing that he hath satisfaction himself. And so,
willing to work, he created before all things the soul of his messenger, for
whom he determined to create the whole, in order that the creatures should find
joy and blessedness in God, whence his messenger should take delight in all his
creatures, which he hath appointed to be his slaves. And wherefore is this, so
save because thus he hath willed?
'Verily
I say unto you, that every prophet when he is come hath borne to one nation only
the mark of the mercy of God. And so their words were not extended save to that
people to which they were sent. But the messenger of God, when he shall come,
God shall give to him as it were the seal of his hand, insomuch that he shall
carry salvation and mercy to all the nations of the world that shall receive his
doctrine. He shall come with power upon the ungodly, and shall destroy idolatry,
insomuch that he shall make Satan confounded; for so promised God to Abraham,
saying: "Behold, in thy seed I will bless all the tribes of the earth; and
as thou hast broken in pieces the idols, O Abraham, even so shall thy seed
do."'
James
answered: 'O master, tell us in whom this promise as made; for the Jews say
"in Isaac," and the Ishmaelites say 'in Ishmael." 'Jesus
answered: 'David, whose son was he, and of what lineage?' James answered: 'Of
Isaac; for Isaac was father of Jacob, and Jacob was father of Judah, of whose
lineage is David.'
Then said Jesus:
'And the messenger of God when he shall come, of what lineage will he be?'
The disciples
answered: 'Of David.'
Whereupon Jesus
said: 'Ye deceive yourselves; for David in spirit calleth him lord, saying thus:
"God said to my lord, sit thou on my right hand until I make thine enemies
thy footstool. God shall send forth thy rod which shall have lordship in the
midst of thine enemies." If the messenger of God whom ye call Messiah
were son of David, how should David call him lord? Believe me, for verily I say
to you, that the promise was made in Ishmael, not in Isaac.'
[25] Thereupon said the disciples: 'O master, it is thus written in the book of
Moses, that in Isaac was the promise made.'
Jesus answered, with a groan: 'It is so written, but Moses wrote it not, nor
Joshua, but rather our rabbins, who fear not God. Verily I say unto you, that if
ye consider the words of the angel Gabriel, ye shall discover the malice
of our scribes and doctors. For the angel said: "Abraham, all the world
shall know how God loveth thee; but how shall the world know the love that
thou bearest to God? Assuredly it is necessary that thou do something for love
of God." Abraham answered: "Behold the servant of God, ready to do all
that which God shall will."
'Then spoke God, saying to Abraham: "Take thy son, thy firstborn Ishmael,
and come up the mountain to sacrifice him."
How is Isaac firstborn, if when Isaac was born Ishmael was seven years old?Then
said the disciples: 'Clear is the deception of our doctors: therefore tell us
thou the truth, because we know that thou art sent from God.'
Then answered
Jesus: 'Verily I say unto you, that Satan ever seeketh to annual the laws of
God; and therefore he with his followers, hypocrites and evil-doers, the former
with false doctrine, the latter with lewd living, to-day have contaminated
almost all things, so that scarcely is the truth found. Woe to the
hypocrites! for the praises of this world shall turn for them into insults and
torments in hell.'I therefore say unto you
that the messenger of God is a splendour that shall give gladness to nearly all
that God hath made, for he is adorned with the spirit of understanding and of
counsel, the spirit of wisdom and might, the spirit of fear and love, the spirit
of prudence and temperance, he is adorned with the spirit of charity and
mercy, the spirit of justice and piety, the spirit of gentleness and patience,
which he hath received from God three times more than he hath given to all his
creatures.
O blessed time, when he shall come to the world! Believe me that I
have seen him and have done him reverence, even as every prophet hath seen him:
seeing that of his spirit God giveth to them prophecy. And when I saw him my
soul was filled with consolation, saying: "O Mohammed, God be with thee,
and may he make me worthy to untie thy shoelatchet, for obtaining this I shall
be a great prophet and holy one of God." 'And having said this, Jesus
rendered his thanks to God. [26] Then came the angel Gabriel to Jesus, and spoke to him in such wise that
we also heard his voice, which said: 'Arise, and go unto Jerusalem!'
Accordingly
Jesus departed and went up to Jerusalem. And on the sabbath day he entered into
the temple, and began to teach the people. Whereupon the people ran together to
the temple with the high priest and priests, who drew nigh to Jesus, saying: 'O
master, it hath been said to us that thou sayest evil of us; therefore beware
lest some evil befall thee.'
Jesus answered: 'Verily I say unto you, that I speak evil of the hypocrites; therefore
if ye be hypocrites I speak against you.' They answered: 'Who is a
hypocrite? Tell us plainly.'
Said Jesus: 'Verily I say
to you, that he who doeth a good thing in order that men may see him, even he is
a hypocrite, forasmuch as his work penetrateth not the heart which men cannot
see, and so leaveth therein every unclean thought and every filthy lust. Know ye
who is hypocrite? He who with his tongue serveth God, but with his heart serveth
men. O wretched man! for dying he loseth all his reward. For on this matter
saith the prophet David: 'Put not your confidence in princes, [nor] in the
children of men, in whom is no salvation; for at death their thoughts
perish": nay, before death they find themselves deprived of reward, for
"man is," as said Job the prophet of God "unstable, so that he
never continueth in one say." So that if to-day he praiseth thee, to-morrow
he will abuse thee, and if to-day he willeth to reward thee, to-morrow he will
be fain to despoil thee. Woe, then, to the hypocrites, because their reward is
vain. As God liveth, in whose presence I stand, the hypocrite is a robber and
committeth sacrilege, inasmuch as he maketh use of the law to appear good, and
thieveth the honour of God, to whom alone pertaineth praise and honour for ever.
'Furthermore I say
to you, that the hypocrite hath not faith forasmuch as if he believed that God
seeth all and with terrible judgment would punish wickedness, he would purify
his heart which, because he hath not faith, he keepeth full of iniquity. Verily
I say unto you, that the hypocrite is as a sepulchre, that without is white, but
within is full of corruption and worms. So then if ye, O priests, do the service
of God because God hath created you and asketh it of you, I speak not against
you for ye are servants of God; but if ye do all for gain, and so buy and sell
in the temple as in a market-place, not regarding that the temple of God
is a house of prayer and not of merchandise, which ye convert into a cave
of robbers: if ye do all to please men, and have put God out of your mind; then
cry I against you that ye are sons of the devil, and not sons of Abraham who
left his father's house for love of God, and was willing to slay his own son.
Woe unto you, priests and doctors, if ye be such, for God will take away from
you the priesthood!' Again
spoke Jesus, saying: 'I set before you an example. There was a householder who
planted a vineyard, and made a hedge for it in order that it should not be
trampled down of beasts. And in the midst of it he built a press for the wine,
and thereupon let it out to husbandmen. Whereupon, when the time was come to
collect the wine he sent his servants; whom when the husbandmen saw, they stoned
some and burned some, and others they ripped open with a knife. And this they
did many times. Tell me, what will the lord of the vineyard do to the
husbandmen?'Every
one answered: 'In evil wise will he make them to perish, and his vineyard will
he give to other husbandmen.'
Therefore
said Jesus: 'Know ye not that the vineyard is the house of Israel, and the
husbandmen are the people of Judah and Jerusalem? Woe to you; for God is wrath
with you, having ripped open so many prophets of God; so that at the time of
Ahab there was not found one to bury the holy ones of God!'
And
when he had said this the chief priests wished to seize him, but they feared the
common people, which magnified him.
Then
Jesus, seeing a woman who from her birth had remained with her head bent toward
the ground, said: 'Raise thy head, O woman, in the name of our God, in order
that these may know that I speak truth, and that he willeth that I announce it.'Then
the woman raised herself up whole, magnifying God.
The
chief of the priests cried out, saying: 'This man is not sent of God, seeing he
keepeth not the sabbath; for today he hath healed an infirm person.'
Jesus
answered: 'Now tell me, is it not lawful to speak on the sabbath day, and to
make prayer for the salvation of others? And who is there among you who, if on
the sabbath his ass or his ox fell into the ditch, would not pull him out on the
sabbath? Assuredly none. And shall I then have broken the sabbath day by having
given health to a daughter of Israel? Of a surety, here is known thy hypocrisy!
Oh, how many are there to-day that fear the smiting of a straw in another's eye.
while a beam is ready to cut off their own head' Oh how many there are that fear
an ant, but reck not of an elephant!’
And
having said this, he went forth from the temple. But the priests chafed with
rage among themselves, because they were not able to seize him and to work their
will upon him, even as their fathers have done against the holy ones of God.
Jesus went down, in
the second year of his prophetic ministry, from Jerusalem, and went to Nain.
Whereupon, he drew nigh to the gate of the city, the citizens were bearing to the sepulchre the only son of his mother, a widow, over whom every one was
weeping. Whereupon, when Jesus had arrived, the men understood how that Jesus, a
prophet of Galilee, was come: and so they set themselves to beseech him for the
dead man, that he being a prophet should raise him up; which also his disciples
did. Then Jesus feared greatly, and turning himself to God, said: 'Take me from
the world, O Lord, for the world is mad, and they wellnigh call me God!". And having
said this, he wept.
Then came the angel Gabriel, and said: 'O Jesus, fear not, for God hath given
thee power over every infirmity, insomuch that all that thou shalt grant in the
name of God shall be entirely accomplished.' Hereupon Jesus gave a sigh, saying: 'Thy will
be
done, Lord God almighty and merciful.' And having said this, he drew near
to the mother of the dead, and with pity said to her: 'Woman, weep not.' And
having taken the hand of the dead, he said: 'I say unto thee, young man, in the
name of God arise up healed!'
Then the boy revived, whereupon all were filled with fear, saying: 'God hath
raised up a great prophet amongst us, and he hath visited his people.'
At that time the army
of the Romans was in Judaea, our country being subject to them for the sins of
our forefathers. Now it was the custom of the Romans to call god and to worship
him that did any new thing of benefit to the common people. And so [some] of
these soldiers finding themselves in Nain, they rebuked now one, now another,
saying: 'One of your gods hath visited you, and ye make no account of it.
Assuredly if our gods should visit us we should give them all that we have. And
ye see how much we fear our gods, since to their images we give the best of all
we have. ' Satan did so instigate this manner of speaking that he aroused no
small sedition among the people of Nain. But Jesus tarried not at all in Nain,
but turned to go into Capernaum.
The discord of Nain was such that some said:
'He is our God who hath visited us'; others said: 'God is invisible, so that
none hath seen him, not even Moses, his servant; therefore it is not God, but
rather his son.'
Others said: 'He is not God, nor son of God, for God hath
not a body to beget withal; but he is a great prophet of God.'
And so did Satan instigate that, in the third year of the
prophetic ministry of Jesus, great ruin to our people was like to arise
therefrom.
Jesus went into Capernaum: whereupon the citizens, when they
knew him, assembled together all the sick folk they had, and placed them in
front of the porch of the house where Jesus was lodging with his disciples. And
having called Jesus forth, they besought him for the health of them. Then Jesus
laid his hands upon each of them, saying: 'God of Israel, by thy holy name, give
health to this sick person.' Whereupon each one was healed.
On the sabbath Jesus entered into the synagogue, and thither ran together all
the people to hear him speak.
The scribe that day read the psalm of David, where saith David: 'When I
shall find a time, I will judge uprightly. Then after the reading of the
prophets, arose Jesus, and made sign of silence with his hands, and opening his
mouth he spoke thus:
'Brethren, ye have heard the words spoken by David the prophet, our father, that
when he should have found a time he would judge uprightly.
I tell you in truth
that many judge, in which judgment they fall for no other reason than because
they judge that which is not meet for them, and that which is meet for them they
judge before the time.
Wherefore the God of our fathers crieth to us by his
prophet David, saying: 'Justly judge, O sons of men'.
Miserable therefore are
those who set themselves at street corners, and do nothing but judge all those
who pass by, saying: "That one is fair, this one is ugly, that one is good,
this one is bad." Woe unto them, because they lift the sceptre of his
judgment from the hand of God, who saith: "I am witness and judge, and my
honour I will give to none." Verily I tell you that these testify of that
which they have not seen nor really heard, and judge without having been constituted
judges. Therefore are they abominable on the earth before the eyes of God, who
will pass tremendous judgment upon them in the last day.
Woe to you, woe to you
who speak good of the evil, and call the evil good, for ye condemn as a malefactor God,
who is the author of good, and justify as good Satan, who is the origin of all
evil. Consider what punishment ye shall have, and that it is horrible to fall
into the judgment of God, which shall be then upon those who justify the wicked
for money, and judge not the cause of the orphans and widows.
Verily I say unto
you, that the devils shall tremble at the judgment of such, so terrible shall it
be.
Thou man who art set as a judge, regard no other thing; neither kinsfolk nor
friends, neither honour nor gain, but look solely with fear of God to the truth,
which thou shalt seek with greatest diligence, because it will secure thee in
the judgment of God. But I warn thee that without mercy shall he be judged who
judgeth without mercy'.
'Tell me, O man, thou that judgest another man, dost thou not know that all
men had their origin in the same clay? Dost thou not know that none is good save
God alone? wherefore every man is a liar and a sinner.
Believe me, man, that if
thou judge others of a fault thine own heart hath whereof to be judged. Oh, how
dangerous it is to judge! oh, how many have perished by their false judgment!
Satan judged man to be more vile than himself; therefore he rebelled against
God, his creator: whereof he is impenitent, as I have knowledge by speaking with
him. Our first parents judged the speech of Satan to be good, therefore they were cast out of paradise, and condemned all
their progeny.
Verily I say unto you, as God liveth in whose presence I stand,
false judgment is the father of all sins. Forasmuch as none sinneth without
will, and none willeth that which he doth not know. Woe, therefore, to the
sinner who with the judgment judgeth sin worthy and goodness unworthy, who on
that account rejecteth goodness and chooseth sin. Assuredly he shall bear an
intolerable punishment when God shall come to judge the world.
Oh, how many have
perished through false judgment, and how many have been nigh to perishing!
Pharaoh judged Moses and the people of Israel to be impious, Saul judged David to be worthy of death, Ahab judged
Elijah, Nebuchadnezzar the three children who would not worship their lying
gods. The two elders judged Susanna, and all the idolatrous princes judged the
prophets.
Oh, tremendous judgment of God! the judge perisheth, the judged is saved.
And wherefore this, O man, if not because [in] rashness they falsely judge the
innocent? How nearly then the good approached to ruin by judging falsely, is
shown by the brethren of Joseph, who sold him to the Egyptians by Aaron and
Miriam, sister of Moses, who judged their brother. Three friends of Job judged
the innocent friend of God, Job.
David judged Mephibosheth and Uriah. Cyrus judged Daniel to be meat for the
lions; and many others, the which were nigh to their ruin for this. Therefore I
say to you, Judge not and ye shall not be judged.' And then, Jesus having
finished his speech, many forthwith were converted to repentance, bewailing
their sins; and they would fain have forsaken all to go with him. But Jesus
said: 'Remain in your homes, and forsake sin and serve God with fear, and thus shall ye be saved; because I am not come to
receive service, but rather to serve.'
And having said thus, he went out of the synagogue and the
city, and retired into the desert to pray, because he loved solitude greatly.
When he had prayed to
the Lord, his disciples came to him and said: 'O master, two things we would
know; one is, how thou talkedst with Satan, who nevertheless thou sayest
impenitent; the other is, how God shall come to judge in the day of judgment.'
Jesus replied: 'Verily I say unto you I had compassion on Satan, knowing his
fall; and I had compassion on mankind whom he tempteth to sin. Therefore I
prayed and fasted to our God, who spoke to me by his angel Gabriel: "What
seekest thou, O Jesus, and what is thy request?" I answered: "Lord,
thou knowest of what evil Satan is the cause, and that through his temptations many perish; he is thy creature, Lord, whom
thou didst create; therefore, Lord, have mercy upon him."
God answered: "Jesus, behold I will pardon him. Only
cause him to say, 'Lord, my God, I have sinned, have mercy upon me,' and I will
pardon him and restore him to his first state. "I rejoiced greatly. said Jesus, 'when I heard this,
believing that I had made this peace. Therefore I called Satan, who came
saying: What must I do for thee, O Jesus?"
I answered: "Thou shalt do it for thyself, O Satan, for
I love not thy services, but for thy good have I called thee."
'Satan replied: "If thou desires" not my services,
neither desire I thine; for I am nobler than thou, therefore thou art worthy to
serve me-thou who art clay, while I am spirit."
'Let us leave this,' I said, 'and tell me if it were
not well thou shouldst return to thy first beauty and thy first state. Thou must
know that the angel Michael must needs on the day of judgment strike thee with
the sword of God one hundred thousand times, and each blow will give thee the
pain of ten hells.'
Satan replied: "We shall see in that day who can do
most; certainly I shall have on my side many angels and most potent idolaters
who will trouble God, and he shall know how great mistake he made to banish me
for the sake of a vile [piece of] clay."
Then I said: "O Satan, thou art infirm in mind, and
knowest not what thou sayest."
Then Satan, in a derisive manner, wagged his head, saying:
come now, let us make up this peace between me and God; and what must be done
say thou, O Jesus, since thou art sound in mind "
I answered: "Two words only need be spoken."Satan replied: "What words?"
I answered "These: I have sinned: have mercy on
me."
'Said Satan then: Now willingly will I make this peace
if God will say these words to me."
' "Now depart from me," I said, "O
cursed one for thou art the wicked author of all injustice and sin, but
God is just and without any sin.'
'Satan departed shrieking, and said: "It is not so, O
Jesus, but thou tellest a lie to please God.'
'Now consider,' said Jesus to his disciples, 'how he will
find mercy.'
They answered: 'Never, Lord, because he is impenitent. Speak to us now of the
judgment of God.' 'The judgment
day of God will be so dreadful that, verily I say unto you, the reprobates would
sooner choose ten hells than go to hear God speak in wrath against them. Against
whom all things created will witness. Verily I say unto you, that not alone
shall the reprobates fear, but the saints and the elect of God, so that Abraham,
shall not trust in his righteousness, and Job shall have no confidence in his
innocency. And what say I? Even the messenger of God shall fear, for that God,
to make known his majesty, shall deprive his messenger of memory, so that he
shall have no remembrance how that God hath given him all things.
Verily I say unto you that, speaking from the
heart, I tremble because by the world I shall be called God, and for this I
shall have to render an account.
As God liveth, in whose presence my soul
standeth. I am a mortal man as other men are, for although God has placed me as
prophet over the house of Israel for the health of the feeble and the correction
of sinners, I am the servant of God, and of this ye are witness, how I speak
against those wicked men who after my departure from the world shall annual the
truth of my gospel by the operation of Satan.
But I shall return towards the
end, and with me shall come Enoch and Elijah, and we will testify against the
wicked, whose end shall be accursed.' And having thus spoken, Jesus shed tears,
whereat his disciples wept aloud, and lifted their voices, saying: 'Pardon, O
Lord God, and have mercy on thy innocent servant.' Jesus answered: 'Amen, Amen.'
'Before that day shall
come,' said Jesus, 'great destruction shall come upon the world, for there shall
be war so cruel and pitiless that the father shall slay the son, and the son
shall slay father by reason of the factions of peoples. Wherefore the cities
shall be annihilated, and the country shall become desert. Such pestilences
shall come that none shall be found to bear the dead to burial, so that they
shall be left as food for beasts.
To those who remain upon the earth God shall
send such scarcity that bread shall be valued above gold, and they shall eat a11
manner of unclean things.
O miserable age, in which scarce any one shall be
heard to say: "I have sinned, have mercy on me, O God"; but with
horrible voices they shall blaspheme him who is glorious and blessed for ever.
After this, as that day draweth nigh, for fifteen days, shall come every day a
horrible sign over the inhabitants of the earth.
The first day the sun shall run
its course in heaven without light, but black as the dye of cloth; and it shall
give groans, as a father who groaneth for a son nigh to death. The second day
the moon shall be turned into blood, and blood shall come upon the earth like
dew.
The third day the stars shall be seen to fight among themselves like an
army of enemies.
The fourth day the stones and rocks shall dash against each
other as cruel enemies.
The fifth day every plant and herb shall weep blood.
The
sixth day the sea shall rise without leaving its place to the height of one
hundred and fifty cubits, and shall stand all day like a wall.
The seventh day
it shall on the contrary sink so low as scarcely to be seen.
The eighth day the
birds and the animals of the earth and of the water shall gather themselves
close together, and shall give forth roars and cries.
The ninth day there shall
be a hailstorm so horrible that it shall kill in such wise that scarcely the
tenth part of the living shall escape.
The tenth day shall come such horrible
lightning and thunder that the third part of the mountains shall be split and
scorched.
The eleventh day every river shall run backwards, and shall run blood and not water.
The twelfth day every created thing shall groan and
cry.
The thirteenth day the heaven shall be rolled up like a book, and it shall
rain fire, so that every living thing shall die.
The fourteenth day there shall
be an earth quake so horrible that the tops of the mountains shall fly through
the air like birds, and all the earth shall become a plain. The fifteenth day
the holy angels shall die, and God alone shall
remain alive; to whom be honour and glory.'
And having said this, Jesus smote his face with both his hands, and then smote
the ground with his head. And having raised his head, he said: 'Cursed be every
one who shall insert into my sayings that I am the son of God.' At these words
the disciples fell down as dead, whereupon Jesus lifted them up, saying: 'Let us
fear God now, if we would not be affrighted in that day.'
[27] 'When
these signs be passed, there shall be darkness over the world forty years. God
alone being alive, to whom be honour and glory for ever.
When the forty years be
passed, God shall give life to his messenger, who shall rise again like the sun,
but resplendent as a thousand suns.
He shall sit, and shall not speak, for he
shall be as it were beside himself. God shall raise again the four angels
favoured of God, who shall seek the messenger of God, and, having found him, shall station themselves on
the four sides of the place to keep watch upon him.
Next shall God give life to
all the angels, who shall come like bees circling round the messenger of God.
Next shall God give life to all his prophets, who, following Adam, shall go
every one to kiss the hand of the messenger of God, committing themeselves to
his protection. Next shall God give life to all the elect, who shall cry out:
"O Mohammed, be mindful of us!" At whose cries pity shall awake in the
messenger of God, and he shall consider what he ought to do, fearing for their
salvation. Next shall God give life to every created thing, and they shall
return their former existence, but every one shall besides possess the power of
speech. Next shall God give life to all the reprobates, at whose resurrection,
by reason of their hideousness, all the creatures of God shall be afraid, and
shall cry: "Let not thy mercy forsake us, O Lord our God." After this
shall God cause Satan to be raised up, at whose aspect every creature shall be
as dead, for fear of the horrid form of his appearance. May it please God,' said
Jesus, 'that I behold not that monster on that day . The messenger of God alone shall not be affrighted by such shapes, because he shall fear God
only.
'Then the angel, at the sound of whose trumpet all shall be raised, shall sound
his trumpet again, saying: "Come to the judgment, O creatures, for your
Creator willeth to judge you." Then shall appear in the midst of heaven
over the valley of Jehoshaphat a glittering throne, over which shall come a
white cloud, whereupon the angels shall cry out: "Blessed be thou our God,
who hast created us, and saved us from the fall of Satan."
Then the messenger of God shall fear, for that he shall perceive that none hath
loved God as he should. For he who would get in change a piece of gold must have
sixty mites; wherefore, if he have but one mite he cannot change it. But if the
messenger of God shall fear, what shall the ungodly do who are full of
wickedness?'
'The messenger
of God shall go to collect all the prophets, to whom he shall speak,
praying them to go with him to pray God for the faithful. And every one shall
excuse himself for fear; nor, as God liveth, would I go there, knowing what I
know. Then God, seeing this, shall remind his messenger how he created all
things for love of him, and so his fear shall leave him, and he shall go nigh
unto the throne with love and reverence, while the angels sing: "Blessed be
thy holy name O God, our God."
'And when he hath drawn nigh unto the throne, God shall open [his mind] unto his
messenger, even as a friend unto a friend when for a long while they have not
met. The first to speak shall be the messenger of God, who shall say: "I
adore and love thee, O my God, and with all my heart and soul I give thee thanks
for that thou didst vouchsafe to create me to be thy servant, and madest all for
love of me, so that I might love thee for all things and in all things and above
all things; therefore let all thy creatures praise thee, O my God." Then
all things created by God shall say: "We give thee thanks, O Lord, and
bless thy holy name." Verily I say unto you, the demons and reprobates with
Satan shall then weep so that more water shall flow from the eyes of one of them
than is in the river of Jordan. Yet shall they not see God.
'And God shall speak unto his messenger, saying: "Thou art welcome, O my
faithful servant; therefore ask what thou wilt, for thou shalt obtain all."
The messenger of God shall answer. "O Lord, I remember that when thou didst
create me, thou saidst that thou hadst willed to make for love of me the world
and paradise, and angels and men, that they might glorify thee by me thy
servant. Therefore, Lord God, merciful and just. I pray thee that thou recollect
thy promise made unto thy servant."
'And God shall make answer even as a friend who jesteth with a friend, and shall
say: "Hast thou witnesses of this, my friend Mohammed?" And with
reverence he shall say: "Yes, Lord." Then God shall answer: "Go,
call them, O Gabriel." The angel Gabriel shall come to the messenger of
God, and shall say: "Lord, who are thy witnesses?" The messenger of
God shall answer: "They are Adam, Abraham, Ishmael, Moses, David, and Jesus
son of Mary."
'Then shall the angel depart, and he shall call the aforesaid witnesses, who
with fear shall go thither. And when they are present God shall say unto them:
"Remember ye that which my messenger affirmeth?" They shall reply:
"What thing, O Lord?" God shall say: "That I have made all things
for love of him, so that all things might praise me by him." Then every one
of them shall answer: "There are with us three witnesses better than we
are, O Lord." And God shall reply: "Who are these three
witnesses?" Then Moses shall say: "The book that thou gavest to me is
the first"; and David shall say: "The book that thou gavest to me is
the second"; and he who speaketh to you shall say: "Lord, the whole
world, deceived by Satan, said that I was thy son and thy fellow, but the book
that thou gavest me said truly that I am thy servant; and that book confesseth
that which thy messenger affirmeth." Then shall the messenger of God speak,
and shall say: "Thus saith the book that thou gavest me, O Lord." And
when the messenger of God hath said this, God shall speak, saying: "All that I have now done, I have done in
order that every one should know how much I love thee."
And when he hath
thus spoken, God shall give unto his messenger a book, in which are written all
the names of the elect of God. Wherefore every creature shall do reverence to
God, saying "To thee alone, O God, be glory and honour, because thou hast
given us to thy messenger."
God shall open the book in the hand of his messenger, and his messenger
reading therein shall call all the angels and prophets and all the elect, and on
the forehead of each one shall be written the mark of the messenger of God. And
in the book shall be written the glory of paradise.
'Then shall each pass to the right hand of God: next to whom shall sit the
messenger of God, and the prophets shall sit near him, and the saints shall sit
near the prophets, and the blessed near the saints. and the angel shall then sound the trumpet, and
shall call Satan to judgment.
'Then that miserable one shall come, and with greatest contumely shall be
accused of every creature.
Wherefore God shall call the angel Michael, who shall
strike him one hundred thousand times with the sword of God. He shall strike
Satan and every stroke is heavy as ten hells, and he shall be the first to be
cast into the abyss.
The angel shall call his followers, and they shall in like
manner be abused and accused.
Wherefore the angel Michael, by commission from God, shall strike some a hundred times,
some fifty, some twenty, some ten, some five. And then shall they descend into
the abyss, because God shall say to them: "Hell is your dwelling-place, O
cursed ones."
'After that shall be called to judgment all the unbelievers and
reprobates, against whom shall first arise all creatures inferior to man,
testifying before God how they have served these men, and how the same have
outraged God and his creatures. And the prophets every one shall arise,
testifying against them; wherefore they shall be condemned by God to infernal
flames. Verily I say unto you, that no idle or thought shall pass
unpunished in that termendous day. Verily I say unto you, that the hair-shirt
shall shine like the sun, and every louse a man shall have borne for love of God
shall be turned into pearl. O. thrice and four times blessed are the poor, who
in true poverty shall have served God from the heart, for in this world are they
destitute of worldly cares, and shall therefore be freed from many sins, and in
that day they shall not have to render an account of how they have spent the
riches of the world, but they shall be rewarded for their patience and their
poverty. Verily I say unto you, that if the world knew this it would choose the
hair-shirt sooner than purple, lice sooner than gold, fasts sooner than feasts. 'When
all have been examined, God shall say unto his messenger: "Behold, O my
friend, their wickedness, how great it has been, for I their creator did employ
all created things in their service, and in all things have they dishonoured me.
It is most just, therefore, that I have no mercy on them."
The messenger of
God shall answer: "It is true, Lord, our glorious God, not one of thy
friends and servants could ask thee to have mercy on them: nay, I thy servant
before all ask justice against them."
'And he
having said these words, all the angels and prophets, with all the elect of God
- nay, why say I the elect? - verily I say unto you, that spiders and flees,
stones and sand shall cry out against the impious, and shall demand justice.
'Then shall God cause to return to earth every living soul inferior to man, and
he shall send the impious to hell. Who, in going, shall see again that earth, to
which dogs and horses and other vile animals shall be reduced. Wherefore shall
they say: "O Lord God, cause us also to return to that earth." But
that which they ask shall not be granted to them.'
While Jesus
was speaking the disciples wept bitterly. And Jesus wept many tears.
Then after he had wept, John spoke: 'O master, two things we desire to know. The
one is, how it is possible that the messenger of God, who is full of mercy and
pity, should have no pity on reprobates that day, seeing that they are of
the same clay as himself? The other is, how is it to be understood that the
sword of Michael is heavy as ten hells; then is there more than one hell?' Jesus
replied: 'Have ye not heard what David the prophet saith, how that the just
shall laugh at the destruction of sinners, and shall deride him with these
words, saying: "I saw the man who put his hope in his strength and his
riches, and forgot God." Verily, therefore, I say unto you, that Abraham
shall deride his father, and Adam all reprobate men: and this shall be because
the elect shall rise again so perfect and united to God that they shall not
conceive in their minds the smallest thought against his justice; therefore
shall each of them demand justice, and above all the messenger of God. As God
liveth, in whose presence I stand, though now I weep for pity of mankind, on that day I shall demand justice without mercy against those
who despise my words, and most of all against those who defile my gospel. 'Hell
is one, O my disciples, and in it the damned shall suffer punishment eternally.
Yet hath it seven rooms or regions, one deeper than the other, and he who goeth
to the deepest shall suffer greater punishment. Yet are my words true concerning
the sword of the angel Michael, for he that committeth but one sin meriteth
hell, and he that committeth two sins meriteth two hells. Therefore in one hell
shall the reprobates feel punishment as though they were in ten, or in a hundred
or in a thousand; and the omnipotent God, through his power and by reason of his
justice, shall cause Satan to suffer as though he were in ten hundred thousand
hells, and the rest each one according to his wickedness.'
Then answered Peter: 'O master, truly the justice of God is great,
and today this discourse hath made thee sad; therefore, we pray thee, rest, and
to-morrow tell us what hell is like.'
Jesus answered: 'O Peter, thou tellest me to rest; O Peter,
knowest not what thou sayest, else thou hadst not spoken thus. Verily I say unto
you, that rest in this present life is the poison of piety and the fire which
consumeth every good work. Have ye then forgotten how Solomon, God's prophet,
with all the prophets, hath reproved sloth? True it is that he saith: "The
idle will not work the soil for fear of the cold, therefore in summer shall he
beg!" Wherefore he said: "All that thy hand can do, do it without
rest." And what saith Job, the most innocent friend of God: "As the
bird is born to fly, man is born to work." Verily I say unto you, I hate
rest above all things.'
'Hell is one, and is contrary to paradise, as winter is contrary to summer,
and cold to heat. He therefore who would describe the misery of hell must needs
have seen the paradise of God's delights. 'O
place accursed by God's justice for the malediction of the faithless and
reprobate, of which said Job, the friend of God: "There is no order there,
but everlasting fear!" And Isaiah the prophet, against the reprobate,
saith: "Their flame shall not be quenched nor their worm die." And
David our father, weeping, said: "Then shall rain upon them lightning and
bolts and brimstone and great tempest."
O miserable sinners, how loathsome
then shall seem to them delicate meats, costly raiment, soft couches, and
concord of sweet song! how sick shall make them raging hunger, burning flames,
scorching cinders, and cruel torments with bitter weeping!'
And
then Jesus uttered a lamentable groan, saying: 'Truly it were better never to
have been formed than to suffer such cruel torments. For imagine a man suffering
torments in every part of his body, who hath no one to show him compassion, but
is mocked of all; tell me. would not this be great pain?'
The
disciples answered: 'The greatest.'
Then
said Jesus: Now this is a delight [in comparison] of hell. For I tell you in
truth, that if God should place in one balance all the pain which all men have
suffered in this world and shall suffer till the day of judgment, and in the
other one single hour of the pain of hell, the reprobates would without doubt
choose the worldly tribulations, for the worldly come from the hand of man, but
the others from the hand of devils, who are utterly without compassion. O what
cruel fire they shall give to miserable sinners! O what bitter cold, which yet
shall not temper their flames! What gnashing of teeth and sobbing and weeping!
For the Jordan has less water than the tears which every moment shall flow from
their eyes. And here their tongues shall curse all things created, with their
father and mother, and their Creator, who is blessed for ever.'
IKTHYS
