The crystal sea, God
commands Adam, expelled from Eden, to live in the Cave of Treasures.
1 On the third day, God
planted the garden in the east of the earth, on the border of the
world eastward, beyond which, towards the sun-rising, one finds
nothing but water, that encompasses the whole world, and reaches to
the borders of heaven.
2 And to the north of
the garden there is a sea of water, clear and pure to the taste,
unlike anything else; so that, through the clearness thereof, one
may look into the depths of the earth.
3 And when a man washes
himself in it, he becomes clean of the cleanness thereof, and white
of its whiteness -- even if he were dark.
4 And God created that
sea of his own good pleasure, for He knew what would come of the man
He would make; so that after he had left the garden, on account of
his transgression, men should be born in the earth. Among them are
righteous ones who will die, whose souls God would raise at the last
day; when all of them will return to their flesh, bathe in the water
of that sea, and repent of their sins.
5 But when God made Adam
go out of the garden, He did not place him on the border of it
northward. This was so that he and Eve would not be able to go near
to the sea of water where they could wash themselves in it, be
cleansed from their sins, erase the transgression they had
committed, and be no longer reminded of it in the thought of their
punishment.
6 As to the southern
side of the garden, God did not want Adam to live there either;
because, when the wind blew from the north, it would bring him, on
that southern side, the delicious smell of the trees of the garden.
7 Wherefore God did not
put Adam there. This was so that he would not be able to smell the
sweet smell of those trees, forget his transgression, and find
consolation for what he had done by taking delight in the smell of
the trees and yet not be cleansed from his transgression.
8 Again, also, because
God is merciful and of great pity, and governs all things in a way
that He alone knows -- He made our father Adam live in the western
border of the garden, because on that side the earth is very broad.
9 And God commanded him
to live there in a cave in a rock -- the Cave of Treasures below the
garden.
Chapter 2
Adam and Eve faint when they leave the Garden. God sends His Word to
encourage them.
1 But when our father Adam, and Eve, went out of the garden, they
walked the ground on their feet, not knowing they were walking.
2 And when they came to
the opening of the gate of the garden, and saw the broad earth
spread before them, covered with stones large and small, and with
sand, they feared and trembled, and fell on their faces, from the
fear that came over them; and they were as dead.
3 Because -- whereas
until this time they had been in the garden land, beautifully
planted with all manner of trees -- they now saw themselves, in a
strange land, which they knew not, and had never seen.
4 And because, when they
were in the garden they were filled with the grace of a bright
nature, and they had not hearts turned toward earthly things.
5 Therefore God had pity
on them; and when He saw them fallen before the gate of the garden,
He sent His Word to our father, Adam and Eve, and raised them from
their fallen state.
Chapter 3
Concerning the promise of the great five and a half days.
1 God said to Adam, "I have ordained on this earth days and years,
and you and your descendants shall live and walk in them, until the
days and years are fulfilled; when I shall send the Word that
created you, and against which you have transgressed, the Word that
made you come out of the garden, and that raised you when you were
fallen.
2 Yes, the Word that
will again save you when the five and a half days are fulfilled."
3 But when Adam heard
these words from God, and of the great five and a half days, he did
not understand the meaning of them.
4 For Adam was thinking
there would be only five and a half days for him until the end of
the world.
5 And Adam cried, and
prayed to God to explain it to him.
6 Then God in his mercy
for Adam who was made after His own image and likeness, explained to
him, that these were 5,000 and 500 years; and how One would then
come and save him and his descendants.
7 But before that, God
had made this covenant with our father, Adam, in the same terms,
before he came out of the garden, when he was by the tree where Eve
took of the fruit and gave it to him to eat.
8 Because, when our
father Adam came out of the garden, he passed by that tree, and saw
how God had changed the appearance of it into another form, and how
it shriveled.
9 And as Adam went to it
he feared, trembled and fell down; but God in His mercy lifted him
up, and then made this covenant with him.
10 And again, when Adam
was by the gate of the garden, and saw the cherub with a sword of
flashing fire in his hand, and the cherub grew angry and frowned at
him, both Adam and Eve became afraid of him, and thought he meant to
put them to death. So they fell on their faces, trembled with fear.
11 But he had pity on
them, and showed them mercy; and turning from them went up to
heaven, and prayed to the Lord, and said; --
12 "Lord, You sent me to
watch at the gate of the garden, with a sword of fire.
13 But when Your
servants, Adam and Eve, saw me, they fell on their faces, and were
as dead. O my Lord, what shall we do to Your servants?"
14 Then God had pity on
them, and showed them mercy, and sent His Angel to keep the garden.
15 And the Word of the
Lord came to Adam and Eve, and raised them up.
16 And the Lord said to
Adam, "I told you that at the end of the five and a half days, I
will send my Word and save you.
17 Strengthen your
heart, therefore, and stay in the Cave of Treasures, of which I have
before spoken to you."
18 And when Adam heard
this Word from God, he was comforted with that which God had told
him. For He had told him how He would save him.
Chapter 4
Adam mourns over the changed conditions. Adam and Eve enter the Cave
of Treasures.
1 But Adam and Eve cried for having come out of the garden, their
first home.
2 And indeed, when Adam
looked at his flesh, that was altered, he cried bitterly, he and
Eve, over what they had done. And they walked and went gently down
into the Cave of Treasures.
3 And as they came to
it, Adam cried over himself and said to Eve, "Look at this cave that
is to be our prison in this world, and a place of punishment!
4 What is it compared
with the garden? What is its narrowness compared with the space of
the other?
5 What is this rock, by
the side of those groves? What is the gloom of this cavern, compared
with the light of the garden?
6 What is this
overhanging ledge of rock to shelter us, compared with the mercy of
the Lord that overshadowed us?
7 What is the soil of
this cave compared with the garden land? This earth, strewed with
stones; and that, planted with delicious fruit trees?"
8 And Adam said to Eve,
"Look at your eyes, and at mine, which before beheld angels praising
in heaven; and they too, without ceasing.
9 But now we do not see
as we did; our eyes have become of flesh; they cannot see like they
used to see before."
10 Adam said again to
Eve, "What is our body today, compared to what it was in former
days, when we lived in the garden?"
11 After this, Adam did
not want to enter the cave, under the overhanging rock; nor would he
ever want to enter it.
12 But he bowed to God's
orders; and said to himself, "Unless I enter the cave, I shall again
be a transgressor."
Chapter 5
Eve makes a noble and emotional intercession, taking the blame on
herself.
1 Then Adam and Eve entered the cave, and stood praying, in their
own tongue, unknown to us, but which they knew well.
2 And as they prayed,
Adam raised his eyes and saw the rock and the roof of the cave that
covered him overhead. This prevented him from seeing either heaven
or God's creatures. So he cried and beat his chest hard, until he
dropped, and was as dead.
3 And Eve sat crying;
for she believed he was dead.
4 Then she got up,
spread her hands toward God, appealing to Him for mercy and pity,
and said, "O God, forgive me my sin, the sin which I committed, and
don't remember it against me.
5 For I alone caused
Your servant to fall from the garden into this condemned land; from
light into this darkness; and from the house of joy into this
prison.
6 O God, look at this
Your servant fallen in this manner, and bring him back to life, that
he may cry and repent of his transgression which he committed
through me.
7 Don't take away his
soul right now; but let him live that he may stand after the measure
of his repentance, and do Your will, as before his death.
8 But if You do not
bring him back to life, then, O God, take away my own soul, that I
be like him, and leave me not in this dungeon, one and alone; for I
could not stand alone in this world, but with him only.
9 For You, O God, caused
him to fall asleep, and took a bone from his side, and restored the
flesh in the place of it, by Your divine power.
10 And You took me, the
bone, and make me a woman, bright like him, with heart, reason, and
speech; and in flesh, like to his own; and You made me after the
likeness of his looks, by Your mercy and power.
11 O Lord, I and he are
one, and You, O God, are our Creator, You are He who made us both in
one day.
12 Therefore, O God,
give him life, that he may be with me in this strange land, while we
live in it on account of our transgression.
13 But if You will not
give him life, then take me, even me, like him; that we both may die
the same day."
14 And Eve cried
bitterly, and fell on our father Adam; from her great sorrow.
Chapter 6
God's reprimand to Adam and Eve in which he points out how and why
they sinned.
1 But God looked at them; for they had killed themselves through
great grief.
2 But He decided to
raise them and comfort them.
3 He, therefore, sent
His Word to them; that they should stand and be raised immediately.
4 And the Lord said to
Adam and Eve, "You transgressed of your own free will, until you
came out of the garden in which I had placed you.
5 Of your own free will
have you transgressed through your desire for divinity, greatness,
and an exalted state, such as I have; so that I deprived you of the
bright nature in which you then were, and I made you come out of the
garden to this land, rough and full of trouble.
6 If only you had not
transgressed My commandment and had kept My law, and had not eaten
of the fruit of the tree which I told you not to come near! And
there were fruit trees in the garden better than that one.
7 But the wicked Satan
did not keep his faith and had no good intent towards Me, that
although I had created him, he considered Me to be useless, and
sought the Godhead for himself; for this I hurled him down from
heaven so that he could not remain in his first estate -- it was he
who made the tree appear pleasant in your eyes, until you ate of it,
by believing his words.
8 Thus have you
transgressed My commandment, and therefore I have brought on you all
these sorrows.
9 For I am God the
Creator, who, when I created My creatures, did not intend to destroy
them. But after they had sorely roused My anger, I punished them
with grievous plagues, until they repent.
10 But, if on the
contrary, they still continue hardened in their transgression, they
shall be under a curse forever."
Chapter 7
The beasts are appeased.
1 When Adam and Eve heard these words from God, they cried and
sobbed yet more; but they strengthened their hearts in God, because
they now felt that the Lord was to them like a father and a mother;
and for this very reason, they cried before Him, and sought mercy
from Him.
2 Then God had pity on
them, and said: "O Adam, I have made My covenant with you, and I
will not turn from it; neither will I let you return to the garden,
until My covenant of the great five and a half days is fulfilled."
3 Then Adam said to God,
"O Lord, You created us, and made us fit to be in the garden; and
before I transgressed, You made all beasts come to me, that I should
name them.
4 Your grace was then on
me; and I named every one according to Your mind; and you made them
all subject to me.
5 But now, O Lord God,
that I have transgressed Your commandment, all beasts will rise
against me and will devour me, and Eve Your handmaid; and will cut
off our life from the face of the earth.
6 I therefore beg you, O
God, that since You have made us come out of the garden, and have
made us be in a strange land, You will not let the beasts hurt us."
7 When the Lord heard
these words from Adam, He had pity on him, and felt that he had
truly said that the beasts of the field would rise and devour him
and Eve, because He, the Lord, was angry with the two of them on
account of their transgressions.
8 Then God commanded the
beasts, and the birds, and all that moves on the earth, to come to
Adam and to be familiar with him, and not to trouble him and Eve;
nor yet any of the good and righteous among their offspring.
9 Then all the beasts
paid homage to Adam, according to the commandment of God; except the
serpent, against which God was angry. It did not come to Adam, with
the beasts.
Chapter 8
The "Bright Nature" of man is taken away.
1 Then Adam cried and said, "O God, when we lived in the garden, and
our hearts were lifted up, we saw the angels that sang praises in
heaven, but now we can't see like we used to; no, when we entered
the cave, all creation became hidden from us."
2 Then God the Lord said
to Adam, "When you were under subjection to Me, you had a bright
nature within you, and for that reason could you see things far
away. But after your transgression your bright nature was withdrawn
from you; and it was not left to you to see things far away, but
only near at hand; after the ability of the flesh; for it is
brutish."
3 When Adam and Eve had
heard these words from God, they went their way; praising and
worshipping Him with a sorrowful heart.
4 And God ceased to
commune with them.
Chapter 9
Water from the Tree of Life, Adam and Eve near drowning.
1 Then Adam and Eve came out of the Cave of Treasures, and went near
to the garden gate, and there they stood to look at it, and cried
for having come away from it.
2 And Adam and Eve went
from before the gate of the garden to the southern side of it, and
found there the water that watered the garden, from the root of the
Tree of Life, and that split itself from there into four rivers over
the earth.
3 Then they came and
went near to that water, and looked at it; and saw that it was the
water that came forth from under the root of the Tree of Life in the
garden.
4 And Adam cried and
wailed, and beat his chest, for being severed from the garden; and
said to Eve: --
5 "Why have you brought
on me, on yourself, and on our descendants, so many of these plagues
and punishments?"
6 And Eve said to him,
"What is it you have seen that has caused you to cry and to speak to
me in this manner?"
7 And he said to Eve,
"Do you not see this water that was with us in the garden, that
watered the trees of the garden, and flowed out from there?
8 And we, when we were
in the garden, did not care about it; but since we came to this
strange land, we love it, and turn it to use for our body."
9 But when Eve heard
these words from him, she cried; and from the soreness of their
crying, they fell into that water; and would have put an end to
themselves in it, so as never again to return and behold the
creation; for when they looked at the work of creation, they felt
they must put an end to themselves.
Chapter 10
Their bodies need water after they leave the garden.
1 Then God, merciful and gracious, looked at them thus lying in the
water, and close to death, and sent an angel, who brought them out
of the water, and laid them on the seashore as dead.
2 Then the angel went up
to God, was welcome, and said, "O God, Your creatures have breathed
their last."
3 Then God sent His Word
to Adam and Eve, who raised them from their death.
4 And Adam said, after
he was raised, "O God, while we were in the garden we did not
require, or care for this water; but since we came to this land we
cannot do without it."
5 Then God said to Adam,
"While you were under My command and were a bright angel, you knew
not this water.
6 But now that you have
transgressed My commandment, you can not do without water, wherein
to wash your body and make it grow; for it is now like that of
beasts, and is in want of water."
7 When Adam and Eve
heard these words from God, they cried a bitter cry; and Adam
entreated God to let him return into the garden, and look at it a
second time.
8 But God said to Adam,
"I have made you a promise; when that promise is fulfilled, I will
bring you back into the garden, you and your righteous descendants."
9 And God ceased to
commune with Adam.
Chapter 11
A recollection of the glorious days in the Garden.
1 Then Adam and Eve felt themselves burning with thirst, and heat,
and sorrow.
2 And Adam said to Eve,
"We shall not drink of this water, even if we were to die. O Eve,
when this water comes into our inner parts, it will increase our
punishments and that of our descendants."
3 Both Adam and Eve then
went away from the water, and drank none of it at all; but came and
entered the Cave of Treasures.
4 But when in it Adam
could not see Eve; he only heard the noise she made. Neither could
she see Adam, but heard the noise he made.
5 Then Adam cried, in
deep affliction, and beat his chest; and he got up and said to Eve,
"Where are you?"
6 And she said to him,
"Look, I am standing in this darkness."
7 He then said to her,
"Remember the bright nature in which we lived, when we lived in the
garden!
8 O Eve! Remember the
glory that rested on us in the garden. O Eve! Remember the trees
that overshadowed us in the garden while we moved among them.
9 O Eve! Remember that
while we were in the garden, we knew neither night nor day. Think of
the Tree of Life, from below which flowed the water, and that shed
lustre over us! Remember, O Eve, the garden land, and the brightness
thereof!
10 Think, oh think of
that garden in which was no darkness, while we lived in it.
11 Whereas no sooner did
we come into this Cave of Treasures than darkness surrounded us all
around; until we can no longer see each other; and all the pleasure
of this life has come to an end."
Chapter 12
How darkness came between Adam and Eve.
1 Then Adam beat his chest, he and Eve, and they mourned the whole
night until the crack of dawn, and they sighed over the length of
the night in Miyazia.
2 And Adam beat himself,
and threw himself on the ground in the cave, from bitter grief, and
because of the darkness, and lay there as dead.
3 But Eve heard the
noise he made in falling on the ground. And she felt about for him
with her hands, and found him like a corpse.
4 Then she was afraid,
speechless, and remained by him.
5 But the merciful Lord
looked on the death of Adam, and on Eve's silence from fear of the
darkness.
6 And the Word of God
came to Adam and raised him from his death, and opened Eve's mouth
that she might speak.
7 Then Adam stood up in
the cave and said, "O God, why has light departed from us, and
darkness covered us? Why did you leave us in this long darkness? Why
do you plague us like this?
8 And this darkness, O
Lord, where was it before it covered us? It is because of this that
we cannot see each other.
9 For so long as we were
in the garden, we neither saw nor even knew what darkness is. I was
not hidden from Eve, neither was she hidden from me, until now that
she cannot see me; and no darkness came over us to separate us from
each other.
10 But she and I were
both in one bright light. I saw her and she saw me. Yet now since we
came into this cave, darkness has covered us, and separated us from
each other, so that I do not see her, and she does not see me.
11 O Lord, will You then
plague us with this darkness?"
Chapter 13
The fall of Adam. Why night and day were created.
1 Then when God, who is merciful and full of pity, heard Adam's
voice, He said to him: --
2 "O Adam, so long as
the good angel was obedient to Me, a bright light rested on him and
on his hosts.
3 But when he
transgressed My commandment, I deprived him of that bright nature,
and he became dark.
4 And when he was in the
heavens, in the realms of light, he knew nothing of darkness.
5 But he transgressed,
and I made him fall from the heaven onto the earth; and it was this
darkness that came over him.
6 And on you, O Adam,
while in My garden and obedient to Me, did that bright light rest
also.
7 But when I heard of
your transgression, I deprived you of that bright light. Yet, of My
mercy, I did not turn you into darkness, but I made you your body of
flesh, over which I spread this skin, in order that it may bear cold
and heat.
8 If I had let My wrath
fall heavily on you, I should have destroyed you; and had I turned
you into darkness, it would have been as if I had killed you.
9 But in My mercy, I
have made you as you are; when you transgressed My commandment, O
Adam, I drove you from the garden, and made you come forth into this
land; and commanded you to live in this cave; and darkness covered
you, as it did over him who transgressed My commandment.
10 Thus, O Adam, has
this night deceived you. It is not to last forever; but is only of
twelve hours; when it is over, daylight will return.
11 Sigh not, therefore,
neither be moved; and say not in your heart that this darkness is
long and drags on wearily; and say not in your heart that I plague
you with it.
12 Strengthen your
heart, and be not afraid. This darkness is not a punishment. But, O
Adam, I have made the day, and have placed the sun in it to give
light; in order that you and your children should do your work.
13 For I knew you would
sin and transgress, and come out into this land. Yet I wouldn't
force you, nor be heard over you, nor shut up; nor doom you through
your fall; nor through your coming out from light into darkness; nor
yet through your coming from the garden into this land.
14 For I made you of the
light; and I willed to bring out children of light from you and like
to you.
15 But you did not keep
My commandment one day; until I had finished the creation and
blessed everything in it.
16 Then, concerning the
tree, I commanded you not to eat of it. Yet I knew that Satan, who
deceived himself, would also deceive you.
17 So I made known to
you by means of the tree, not to come near him. And I told you not
to eat of the fruit thereof, nor to taste of it, nor yet to sit
under it, nor to yield to it.
18 Had I not been and
spoken to you, O Adam, concerning the tree, and had I left you
without a commandment, and you had sinned -- it would have been an
offence on My part, for not having given you any order; you would
turn around and blame Me for it.
19 But I commanded you,
and warned you, and you fell. So that My creatures cannot blame Me;
but the blame rests on them alone.
20 And, O Adam, I have
made the day so that you and your descendants can work and toil in
it. And I have made the night for them to rest in it from their
work; and for the beasts of the field to go forth by night and look
for their food.
21 But little of
darkness now remains, O Adam, and daylight will soon appear."
Chapter 14
The earliest prophesy of the coming of Christ ?.
1 Then Adam said to God: "O Lord, take You my soul, and let me not
see this gloom any more; or remove me to some place where there is
no darkness."
2 But God the Lord said
to Adam, "Indeed I say to you, this darkness will pass from you,
every day I have determined for you, until the fulfillment of My
covenant; when I will save you and bring you back again into the
garden, into the house of light you long for, in which there is no
darkness*. I will bring you to it -- in the kingdom of heaven."
3 Again said God to
Adam, "All this misery that you have been made to take on yourself
because of your transgression, will not free you from the hand of
Satan, and will not save you.
4 But I will. When I
shall come down from heaven, and shall become flesh of your
descendants, and take on Myself the infirmity from which you suffer,
then the darkness that covered you in this cave shall cover Me in
the grave, when I am in the flesh of your descendants.
5 And I, who am without
years, shall be subject to the reckoning of years, of times, of
months, and of days, and I shall be reckoned as one of the sons of
men, in order to save you."
6 And God ceased to
commune with Adam.
Chapter 15
Adam and Eve grieve over the suffering of God to save them from
their sins.
1 Then Adam and Eve cried and sorrowed by reason of God's word to
them, that they should not return to the garden until the
fulfillment of the days decreed on them; but mostly because God had
told them that He should suffer for their salvation.
Chapter 16
The first sunrise, Adam and Eve think it is a fire coming to burn
them.
1 After this, Adam and Eve continued to stand in the cave, praying
and crying, until the morning dawned on them.
2 And when they saw the
light returned to them, they retrained from fear, and strengthened
their hearts.
3 Then Adam began to
come out of the cave. And when he came to the mouth of it, and stood
and turned his face towards the east, and saw the sunrise in glowing
rays, and felt the heat thereof on his body, he was afraid of it,
and thought in his heart that this flame came forth to plague him.
4 He then cried and beat
his chest, then he fell on the ground on his face and made his
request, saying: --
5 "O Lord, plague me
not, neither consume me, nor yet take away my life from the earth."
6 For he thought the sun
was God.
7 Because while he was
in the garden and heard the voice of God and the sound He made in
the garden, and feared Him, Adam never saw the brilliant light of
the sun, neither did its flaming heat touch his body.
8 Therefore he was
afraid of the sun when flaming rays of it reached him. He thought
God meant to plague him therewith all the days He had decreed for
him.
9 For Adam also said in
his thoughts, as God did not plague us with darkness, behold, He has
caused this sun to rise and to plague us with burning heat.
10 But while he was
thinking like this in his heart, the Word of God came to him and
said: --
11 "O Adam, get up on
your feet. This sun is not God; but it has been created to give
light by day, of which I spoke to you in the cave saying, 'that the
dawn would come, and there would be light by day.'
12 But I am God who
comforted you in the night."
13 And God ceased to
commune with Adam.
Chapter 17
The Chapter of the Serpent.
1 The Adam and Eve came out at the mouth of the cave, and went
towards the garden.
2 But as they went near
it, before the western gate, from which Satan came when he deceived
Adam and Eve, they found the serpent that became Satan coming at the
gate, and sorrowfully licking the dust, and wiggling on its breast
on the ground, by reason of the curse that fell on it from God.
3 And whereas before the
serpent was the most exalted of all beasts, now it was changed and
become slippery, and the meanest of them all, and it crept on its
breast and went on its belly.
4 And whereas it was the
fairest of all beasts, it had been changed, and was become the
ugliest of them all. Instead of feeding on the best food, now it
turned to eat the dust. Instead of living, as before, in the best
places, now it lived in the dust.
5 And, whereas it had
been the most beautiful of all beasts, all of which stood dumb at
its beauty, it was now abhorred of them.
6 And, again, whereas it
lived in one beautiful home, to which all other animals came from
elsewhere; and where it drank, they drank also of the same; now,
after it had become venomous, by reason of God's curse, all beasts
fled from its home, and would not drink of the water it drank; but
fled from it.
Chapter 18
The mortal combat with the serpent.
1 When the accursed serpent saw Adam and Eve, it swelled its head,
stood on its tail, and with eyes blood- red, acted like it would
kill them.
2 It made straight for
Eve, and ran after her; while Adam standing by, cried because he had
no stick in his hand with which to hit the serpent, and did not know
how to put it to death.
3 But with a heart
burning for Eve, Adam approached the serpent, and held it by the
tail; when it turned towards him and said to him: --
4 "O Adam, because of
you and of Eve, I am slippery, and go on my belly." Then with its
great strength, it threw down Adam and Eve and squeezed them, and
tried to kill them.
5 But God sent an angel
who threw the serpent away from them, and raised them up.
6 Then the Word of God
came to the serpent, and said to it, "The first time I made you
slick, and made you to go on your belly; but I did not deprive you
of speech.
7 This time, however,
you will be mute, and you and your race will speak no more; because,
the first time My creatures were ruined because of you, and this
time you tried to kill them."
8 Then the serpent was
struck mute, and was no longer able to speak.
9 And a wind blew down
from heaven by the command of God and carried away the serpent from
Adam and Eve, and threw it on the seashore where it landed in India.
Chapter 19
Beasts made subject to Adam.
1 But Adam and Eve cried before God. And Adam said to Him: --
2 "O Lord, when I was in
the cave, I said this to you, my Lord, the beasts of the field would
rise and devour me, and cut off my life from the earth."
3 Then Adam, because of
what had happened to him, beat his chest and fell on the ground like
a corpse. Then the Word of God came to him, who raised him, and said
to him,
4 "O Adam, not one of
these beasts will be able to hurt you; because I have made the
beasts and other moving things come to you in the cave. I did not
let the serpent come with them because it might have risen against
you and made you tremble; and the fear of it should fall into your
hearts.
5 For I knew that the
accursed one is wicked; therefore I would not let it come near you
with the other beasts.
6 But now strengthen
your heart and fear not. I am with you to the end of the days I have
determined on you."
Chapter 20
Adam wishes to protect Eve.
1 Then Adam cried and said, "O God, take us away to some other
place, where the serpent can not come near us again, and rise
against us. For fear that it might find Your handmaid Eve alone and
kill her; for its eyes are hideous and evil."
2 But God said to Adam
and Eve, "From now on, don't be afraid, I will not let it come near
you; I have driven it away from you, from this mountain; neither
will I leave in it the ability to hurt you."
3 Then Adam and Eve
worshipped before God and gave Him thanks, and praised Him for
having delivered them from death.
Chapter 21
Adam and Eve attempt suicide.
1 Then Adam and Eve went in search of the garden.
2 And the heat beat like
a flame on their faces; and they sweated from the heat, and cried
before the Lord.
3 But the place where
they cried was close to a high mountain, facing the western gate of
the garden.
4 Then Adam threw
himself down from the top of that mountain; his face was torn and
his flesh was ripped; he lost a lot of blood and was close to death.
5 Meanwhile Eve remained
standing on the mountain crying over him, thus lying.
6 And she said, "I don't
wish to live after him; for all that he did to himself was through
me."
7 Then she threw herself
after him; and was torn and ripped by stones; and remained lying as
dead.
8 But the merciful God,
who looks over His creatures, looked at Adam and Eve as they lay
dead, and He sent His Word to them, and raised them.
9 And said to Adam, "O
Adam, all this misery which you have brought on yourself, will have
no affect against My rule, neither will it alter the covenant of the
5, 500 years."
Chapter 22
Adam in a gracious mood.
1 Then Adam said to God, "I dry up in the heat, I am faint from
walking, and I don't want to be in this world. And I don't know when
You will take me out of it to rest."
2 Then the Lord God said
to him, "O Adam, it cannot be now, not until you have ended your
days. Then shall I bring you out of this miserable land."
3 And Adam said to God,
"While I was in the garden I knew neither heat, nor languor, neither
moving about, nor trembling, nor fear; but now since I came to this
land, all this affliction has come over me.
4 Then God said to Adam,
"So long as you were keeping My commandment, My light and My grace
rested on you. But when you transgressed My commandment, sorrow and
misery came to you in this land."
5 And Adam cried and
said, "O Lord, do not cut me off for this, neither punish me with
heavy plagues, nor yet repay me according to my sin; for we, of our
own will, transgressed Your commandment, and ignored Your law, and
tried to become gods like you, when Satan the enemy deceived us."
6 Then God said again to
Adam, "Because you have endured fear and trembling in this land,
languor and suffering, treading and walking about, going on this
mountain, and dying from it, I will take all this on Myself in order
to save you."
Chapter 23
Adam and Eve strengthen themselves and make the first altar ever
built.
1 Then Adam cried more and said, "O God, have mercy on me, so far as
to take on yourself, that which I will do."
2 But God withdrew His
Word from Adam and Eve.
3 Then Adam and Eve
stood on their feet; and Adam said to Eve, "Strengthen yourself, and
I also will strengthen myself." And she strengthened herself, as
Adam told her.
4 Then Adam and Eve took
stones and placed them in the shape of an altar; and they took
leaves from the trees outside the garden, with which they wiped,
from the face of the rock, the blood they had spilled.
5 But that which had
dropped on the sand, they took together with the dust with which it
was mingled and offered it on the altar as an offering to God.
6 Then Adam and Eve
stood under the Altar and cried, thus praying to God, "Forgive us
our trespass* and our sin, and look at us with Thine eye of mercy.
For when we were in the garden our praises and our hymns went up
before you without ceasing.
7 But when we came into
this strange land, pure praise was not longer ours, nor righteous
prayer, nor understanding hearts, nor sweet thoughts, nor just
counsels, nor long discernment, nor upright feelings, neither is our
bright nature left us. But our body is changed from the likeness in
which it was at first, when we were created.
8 Yet now look at our
blood which is offered on these stones, and accept it at our hands,
like the praise we used to sing to you at first, when in the
garden."
9 And Adam began to make
more requests of God.
Chapter 24
A vivid prophecy of the life and death of Christ.
1 Then the merciful God, good and lover of men, looked at Adam and
Eve, and at their blood, which they had held up as an offering to
Him; without an order from Him for so doing. But He wondered at
them; and accepted their offerings.
2 And God sent from His
presence a bright fire, that consumed their offering.
3 He smelled the sweet
savor of their offering, and showed them mercy.
4 Then came the Word of
God to Adam, and said to him, "O Adam, as you have shed your blood,
so will I shed My own blood when I become flesh of your descendants;
and as you died, O Adam, so also will I die. And as you built an
altar, so also will I make for you an altar of the earth; and as you
offered your blood on it, so also will I offer My blood on an altar
on the earth.
5 And as you sued for
forgiveness through that blood, so also will I make My blood
forgiveness of sins, and erase transgressions in it.
6 And now, behold, I
have accepted your offering, O Adam, but the days of the covenant in
which I have bound you are not fulfilled. When they are fulfilled,
then will I bring you back into the garden.
7 Now, therefore,
strengthen your heart; and when sorrow comes over you, make Me an
offering, and I will be favorable to you."
Chapter 25
God represented as merciful and loving, The establishing of worship.
1 But God knew that Adam believed he should frequently kill himself
and make an offering to Him of his blood.
2 Therefore He said to
him, "O Adam, don't ever kill yourself like this again, by throwing
yourself down from that mountain."
3 But Adam said to God,
"I was thinking to put an end to myself at once, for having
transgressed Your commandments, and for my having come out of the
beautiful garden; and for the bright light of which You have
deprived me; and for the praises which poured forth from my mouth
without ceasing, and for the light that covered me.
4 Yet of Your goodness,
O God, do not get rid of me altogether; but be favorable to me every
time I die, and bring me to life.
5 And thereby it will be
made known that You are a merciful God, who does not want anyone to
perish; who loves not that one should fall; and who does not condemn
any one cruelly, badly, and by whole destruction."
6 Then Adam remained
silent.
7 And the Word of God
came to him, and blessed him, and comforted him, and covenanted with
him, that He would save him at the end of the days determined for
him.
8 This, then, was the
first offering Adam made to God; and so it became his custom to do.
Chapter 26
A beautiful prophecy of eternal life and joy, The fall of night.
1 Then Adam took Eve, and they began to return to the Cave of
Treasures where they lived. But when they got closer to it and saw
it from a distance, heavy sorrow fell on Adam and Eve when they
looked at it.
2 Then Adam said to Eve,
"When we were on the mountain we were comforted by the Word of God
that conversed with us; and the light that came from the east shown
over us.
3 But now the Word of
God is hidden from us; and the light that shown over us is so
changed as to disappear, and let darkness and sorrow come over us.
4 And we are forced to
enter this cave which is like a prison, in which darkness covers us,
so that we are separated from each other; and you can not see me,
neither can I see you."
5 When Adam had said
these words, they cried and spread their hands before God; for they
were full of sorrow.
6 And they prayed to God
to bring the sun to them, to shine on them, so that darkness would
not return to them, and that they wouldn't have to go under this
covering of rock. And they wished to die rather than see the
darkness.
7 Then God looked at
Adam and Eve and at their great sorrow, and at all they had done
with a fervent heart, on account of all the trouble they were in,
instead of their former well-being, and on account of all the misery
that came over them in a strange land.
8 Therefore God was not
angry with them; nor impatient with them; but he was patient and
forbearing towards them, as towards the children He had created.
9 Then came the Word of
God to Adam, and said to him, "Adam, as for the sun, if I were to
take it and bring it to you, days, hours, years and months would all
stop, and the covenant I have made with you, would never be
fulfilled.
10 But then you would be
deserted and stuck in a perpetual plague, and you would never be
saved.
11 Yes, rather, bear
long and calm your soul while you live night and day; until the
fulfillment of the days, and the time of My covenant is come.
12 Then shall I come and
save you, O Adam, for I do not wish that you be afflicted.
13 And when I look at
all the good things in which you lived, and why you came out of
them, then would I willingly show you mercy.
14 But I cannot alter
the covenant that has gone out of My mouth; otherwise I would have
brought you back into the garden.
15 When, however, the
covenant is fulfilled, then shall I show you and your descendants
mercy, and bring you into a land of gladness, where there is neither
sorrow nor suffering; but abiding joy and gladness, and light that
never fails, and praises that never cease; and a beautiful garden
that shall never pass away."
16 And God said again to
Adam, "Be patient and enter the cave, for the darkness, of which you
were afraid, shall only be twelve hours long; and when ended, light
shall come up."
17 Then when Adam heard
these words from God, he and Eve worshipped before Him, and their
hearts were comforted. They returned into the cave after their
custom, while tears flowed from their eyes, sorrow and wailing came
from their hearts, and they wished their soul would leave their
body.
18 And Adam and Eve
stood praying until the darkness of night came over them, and Adam
was hid from Eve, and she from him.
19 And they remained
standing in prayer.
Chapter 27
The second tempting of Adam and Eve, The devil takes on the form of
a beguiling light.
1 When Satan, the hater of all good, saw how they continued in
prayer, and how God communed with them, and comforted them, and how
He had accepted their offering -- Satan made an apparition.
2 He began with
transforming his hosts; in his hands was a flashing fire, and they
were in a great light.
3 He then placed his
throne near the mouth of the cave because he could not enter into it
by reason of their prayers. And he shed light into the cave, until
the cave glistened over Adam and Eve; while his hosts began to sing
praises.
4 And Satan did this, in
order that when Adam saw the light, he should think within himself
that it was a heavenly light, and that Satan's hosts were angels;
and that God had sent them to watch at the cave, and to give him
light in the darkness.
5 So that when Adam came
out of the cave and saw them, and Adam and Eve bowed to Satan, then
he would overcome Adam thereby, and a second time humble him before
God.
6 When, therefore, Adam
and Eve saw the light, fancying it was real, they strengthened their
hearts; yet, as they were trembling, Adam said to Eve: --
7 "Look at that great
light, and at those many songs of praise, and at that host standing
outside who won't come into our cave. Why don't they tell us what
they want, where they are from, what the meaning of this light is,
what those praises are, why they have been sent to this place, and
why they won't come in?
8 If they were from God,
they would come into the cave with us, and would tell us why they
were sent."
9 Then Adam stood up and
prayed to God with a burning heart, and said: --
10 "O Lord, is there in
the world another god besides You, who created angels and filled
them with light, and sent them to keep us, who would come with them?
11 But, look, we see
these hosts that stand at the mouth of the cave; they are in a great
light; they sing loud praises. If they are of some other god than
You, tell me; and if they are sent by you, inform me of the reason
for which You have sent them."
12 No sooner had Adam
said this, than an angel from God appeared to him in the cave, who
said to him, "O Adam, fear not. This is Satan and his hosts; he
wishes to deceive you as he deceived you at first. For the first
time, he was hidden in the serpent; but this time he is come to you
in the likeness of an angel of light; in order that, when you
worshipped him, he might enslave you, in the very presence of God."
13 Then the angel went
from Adam and seized Satan at the opening of the cave, and stripped
him of the pretense he had assumed, and brought him in his own
hideous form to Adam and Eve; who were afraid of him when they saw
him.
14 And the angel said to
Adam, "This hideous form has been his ever since God made him fall
from heaven. He could not have come near you in it; he therefore
transformed himself into an angel of light."
15 Then the angel drove
away Satan and his hosts from Adam and Eve, and said to them, "Fear
not; God who created you, will strengthen you."
16 And the angel left
them.
17 But Adam and Eve
remained standing in the cave; no consolation came to them; they
divided in their thoughts.
18 And when it was
morning they prayed; and then went out to seek the garden. For their
hearts were towards it, and they could get no consolation for having
left it.
Chapter 28
The Devil pretends to lead Adam and Eve to the water to bathe.
1 But when the crafty Satan saw them, that they were going to the
garden, he gathered together his host, and came in appearance on a
cloud, intent on deceiving them.
2 But when Adam and Eve
saw him thus in a vision, they thought they were angels of God come
to comfort them about having left the garden, or to bring them back
again into it.
3 And Adam spread his
hands before God, beseeching Him to make him understand what they
were.
4 Then Satan, the hater
of all good, said to Adam, "O Adam, I am an angel of the great God;
and, behold the hosts that surround me.
5 God has sent us to
take you and bring you to the border of the garden northwards; to
the shore of the clear sea, and bathe you and Eve in it, and raise
you to your former gladness, that you return again to the garden."
6 These words sank into
the heart of Adam and Eve.
7 Yet God withheld His
Word from Adam, and did not make him understand at once, but waited
to see his strength; whether he would be overcome as Eve was when in
the garden, or whether he would prevail.
8 Then Satan called to
Adam and Eve, and said, "Behold, we go to the sea of water," and
they began to go.
9 And Adam and Eve
followed them at some little distance.
10 But when they came to
the mountain to the north of the garden, a very high mountain,
without any steps to the top of it, the Devil drew near to Adam and
Eve, and made them go up to the top in reality, and not in a vision;
wishing, as he did, to throw them down and kill them, and to wipe
off their name from the earth; so that this earth should remain to
him and his hosts alone.
Chapter 29
God tells Adam of the Devil's purpose.
1 But when the merciful God saw that Satan wished to kill Adam with
his many tricks, and saw that Adam was meek and without guile, God
spoke to Satan in a loud voice, and cursed him.
2 Then he and his hosts
fled, and Adam and Eve remained standing on the top of the mountain,
from there they saw below them the wide world, high above which they
were. But they saw none of the host which time after time were by
them.
3 They cried, both Adam
and Eve, before God, and begged for forgiveness of Him.
4 Then came the Word
from God to Adam, and said to him, "Know you and understand
concerning this Satan, that he seeks to deceive you and your
descendants after you."
5 And Adam cried before
the Lord God, and begged and prayed to Him to give him something
from the garden, as a token to him, wherein to be comforted.
6 And God considered
Adam's thought, and sent the angel Michael as far as the sea that
reaches India, to take from there golden rods and bring them to
Adam.
7 This did God in His
wisdom in order that these golden rods, being with Adam in the cave,
should shine forth with light in the night around him, and put an
end to his fear of the darkness.
8 Then the angel Michael
went down by God's order, took golden rods, as God had commanded
him, and brought them to God.
Chapter 30
Adam receives the first worldly goods.
1 After these things, God commanded the angel Gabriel to go down to
the garden, and say to the cherub who kept it, "Behold, God has
commanded me to come into the garden, and to take from it sweet
smelling incense, and give it to Adam."
2 Then the angel Gabriel
went down by God's order to the garden, and told the cherub as God
had commanded him.
3 The cherub then said,
"Well." And Gabriel went in and took the incense.
4 Then God commanded his
angel Raphael to go down to the garden, and speak to the cherub
about some myrrh, to give to Adam.
5 And the angel Raphael
went down and told the cherub as God had commanded him, and the
cherub said, "Well." Then Raphael went in and took the myrrh.
6 The golden rods were
from the Indian sea, where there are precious stones. The incense
was from the eastern border of the garden; and the myrrh from the
western border, from where bitterness came over Adam.
7 And the angels brought
these things to God, by the Tree of Life, in the garden.
8 Then God said to the
angels, "Dip them in the spring of water; then take them and
sprinkle their water over Adam and Eve, that they be a little
comforted in their sorrow, and give them to Adam and Eve.
9 And the angels did as
God had commanded them, and they gave all those things to Adam and
Eve on the top of the mountain on which Satan had placed them, when
he sought to make an end of them.
10 And when Adam saw the
golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he was rejoiced and cried
because he thought that the gold was a token of the kingdom from
where he had come, that the incense was a token of the bright light
which had been taken from him, and that the myrrh was a token of the
sorrow in which he was.
Chapter 31
They make themselves more comfortable in the Cave of Treasures on
the third day.
1 After these things God said to Adam, "You asked Me for something
from the garden, to be comforted therewith, and I have given you
these three tokens as a consolation to you; that you trust in Me and
in My covenant with you.
2 For I will come and
save you; and kings shall bring me when in the flesh, gold, incense
and myrrh; gold as a token of My kingdom; incense as a token of My
divinity; and myrrh as a token of My suffering and of My death.
3 But, O Adam, put these
by you in the cave; the gold that it may shed light over you by
night; the incense, that you smell its sweet savor; and the myrrh,
to comfort you in your sorrow."
4 When Adam heard these
words from God, he worshipped before Him. He and Eve worshipped Him
and gave Him thanks, because He had dealt mercifully with them.
5 Then God commanded the
three angels, Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, each to bring what he
had brought, and give it to Adam. And they did so, one by one.
6 And God commanded
Suriyel and Salathiel to bear up Adam and Eve, and bring them down
from the top of the high mountain, and to take them to the Cave of
Treasures.
7 There they laid the
gold on the south side of the cave, the incense on the eastern side,
and the myrrh on the western side. For the mouth of the cave was on
the north side.
8 The angels then
comforted Adam and Eve, and departed.
9 The gold was seventy
rods*; the incense, twelve pounds; and the myrrh, three pounds.
10 These remained by
Adam in the Cave of Treasures**.
11 God gave these three
things to Adam on the third day after he had come out of the garden,
in token of the three days the Lord should remain in the heart of
the earth.
12 And these three
things, as they continued with Adam in the cave, gave him light by
night; and by day they gave him a little relief from his sorrow.
Chapter 32
Adam and Eve go into the water to pray.
1 And Adam and Eve remained in the Cave of Treasures until the
seventh day; they neither ate of the fruit the earth, nor drank
water.
2 And when it dawned on
the eighth day, Adam said to Eve, "O Eve, we prayed God to give us
something from the garden, and He sent his angels who brought us
what we had desired.
3 But now, get up, let
us go to the sea of water we saw at first, and let us stand in it,
praying that God will again be favorable to us and take us back to
the garden; or give us something; or that He will give us comfort in
some other land than this in which we are."
4 Then Adam and Eve came
out of the cave, went and stood on the border of the sea in which
they had before thrown themselves, and Adam said to Eve:--
5 Come, go down into
this place, and come not out of it until the end of thirty days,
when I shall come to you. And pray to God with burning heart and a
sweet voice, to forgive us.
6 And I will go to
another place, and go down into it, and do like you."
7 Then Eve went down
into the water, as Adam had commanded her. Adam also went down into
the water; and they stood praying; and besought the Lord to forgive
them their offense, and to restore them to their former state.
8 And they stood like
that praying, until the end of the thirty-five days.
Chapter 33
Satan falsely promises the "bright light."
1 But Satan, the hater of all good, sought them in the cave, but
found them not, although he searched diligently for them.
2 But he found them
standing in the water praying and thought within himself, "Adam and
Eve are standing like that in that water praying to God to forgive
them their transgression, and to restore them to their former state,
and to take them from under my hand.
3 But I will deceive
them so that they shall come out of the water, and not fulfil their
vow."
4 Then the hater of all
good, went not to Adam, but he went to Eve, and took the form of an
angel of God, praising and rejoicing, and said to her:--
5 "Peace be to you! Be
glad and rejoice! God is favorable to you, and He sent me to Adam. I
have brought him the glad tidings of salvation, and of his being
filled with bright light as he was at first.
6 And Adam, in his joy
for his restoration, has sent me to you, that you come to me, in
order that I crown you with light like him.
7 And he said to me,
'Speak to Eve; if she does not come with you, tell her of the sign
when we were on the top of the mountain; how God sent his angels who
took us and brought us to the Cave of Treasures; and laid the gold
on the southern side; incense, on the eastern side; and myrrh on the
western side.' Now come to him."
8 When Eve hear these
words from him, she rejoiced greatly. And thinking Satan's
appearance was real, she came out of the sea.
9 He went before, and
she followed him until they came to Adam. Then Satan hid himself
from her, and she saw him no more.
10 She then came and
stood before Adam, who was standing by the water and rejoicing in
God's forgiveness.
11 And as she called to
him, he turned around, found her there and cried when he saw her,
and beat his chest; and from the bitterness of his grief, he sank
into the water.
12 But God looked at him
and at his misery, and at his being about to breathe his last. And
the Word of God came from heaven, raised him out of the water, and
said to him, "Go up the high bank to Eve." And when he came up to
Eve he said to her, "Who told you to come here?"
13 Then she told him the
discourse of the angel who had appeared to her and had given her a
sign.
14 But Adam grieved, and
gave her to know it was Satan. He then took her and they both
returned to the cave.
15 These things happened
to them the second time they went down to the water, seven days
after their coming out of the garden.
16 They fasted in the
water thirty-five days; altogether forty-two days since they had
left the garden.
Chapter 34
Adam recalls the creation of Eve, He eloquently appeals for food and
drink.
1 And on the morning of the forty-third day, they came out of the
cave, sorrowful and crying. Their bodies were lean, and they were
parched from hunger and thirst, from fasting and praying, and from
their heavy sorrow on account of their transgression.
2 And when they had come
out of the cave they went up the mountain to the west of the garden.
3 There they stood and
prayed and besought God to grant them forgiveness of their sins.
4 And after their
prayers Adam began to beg God, saying, "O my Lord, my God, and my
Creator, You commanded the four elements* to be gathered together,
and they were gathered together by Thine order.
5 Then You spread Your
hand and created me out of one element, that of dust of the earth;
and You brought me into the garden at the third hour, on a Friday,
and informed me of it in the cave.
6 Then, at first, I knew
neither night nor day, for I had a bright nature; neither did the
light in which I lived ever leave me to know night or day.
7 Then, again, O Lord,
in that third hour in which You created me, You brought to me all
beasts, and lions, and ostriches, and fowls of the air, and all
things that move in the earth, which You had created at the first
hour before me of the Friday.
8 And Your will was that
I should name them all, one by one, with a suitable name. But You
gave me understanding and knowledge, and a pure heart and a right
mind from you, that I should name them after Thine own mind
regarding the naming of them.
9 O God, You made them
obedient to me, and ordered that not one of them break from my sway,
according to Your commandment, and to the dominion which You had
given me over them. But now they are all estranged from me.
10 Then it was in that
third hour of Friday, in which You created me, and commanded me
concerning the tree, to which I was neither to go near, nor to eat
thereof; for You said to me in the garden, 'When you eat of it, of
death you shall die.'
11 And if You had
punished me as You said, with death, I should have died that very
moment.
12 Moreover, when You
commanded me regarding the tree, I was neither to approach nor to
eat thereof, Eve was not with me; You had not yet created her,
neither had You yet taken her out of my side; nor had she yet heard
this order from you.
13 Then, at the end of
the third hour of that Friday, O Lord, You caused a slumber and a
sleep to come over me, and I slept, and was overwhelmed in sleep.
14 Then You drew a rib
out of my side, and created it after my own likeness and image. Then
I awoke; and when I saw her and knew who she was, I said, 'This is
bone of my bones, and flesh of my flesh; from now on she shall be
called woman.'
15 It was of Your good
will, O God, that You brought a slumber in a sleep over me, and that
You immediately brought Eve out of my side, until she was out, so
that I did not see how she was made; neither could I witness, O my
Lord, how awful and great are Your goodness and glory.
16 And of Your goodwill,
O Lord, You made us both with bodies of a bright nature, and You
made us two, one; and You gave us Your grace, and filled us with
praises of the Holy Spirit; that we should be neither hungry nor
thirsty, nor know what sorrow is, nor yet faintness of heart;
neither suffering, fasting nor weariness.
17 But now, O God, since
we transgressed Your commandment and broke Your law, You have
brought us out into a strange land, and have caused suffering, and
faintness, hunger and thirst to come over us.
18 Now, therefore, O
God, we pray you, give us something to eat from the garden, to
satisfy our hunger with it; and something wherewith to quench our
thirst.
19 For, behold, many
days, O God, we have tasted nothing and drunk nothing, and our flesh
is dried up, and our strength is wasted, and sleep is gone from our
eyes from faintness and crying.
20 Then, O God, we dare
not gather anything from the fruit of trees, from fear of you. For
when we transgress at first You spared us and did not make us die.
21 But now, we thought
in our hearts, if we eat of the fruit of the trees, without God's
order, He will destroy us this time, and will wipe us off from the
face of the earth.
22 And if we drink of
this water, without God's order, He will make an end of us and root
us up at once.
23 Now, therefore, O
God, that I am come to this place with Eve, we beg You to give us
some fruit from the garden, that we may be satisfied with it.
24 For we desire the
fruit that is on the earth, and all else that we lack in it."
Chapter 35
God's reply.
1 Then God looked again at Adam and his crying and groaning, and the
Word of God came to him, and said to him: --
2 "O Adam, when you were
in My garden, you knew neither eating nor drinking; neither
faintness nor suffering; neither leanness of flesh, nor change;
neither did sleep depart from thine eyes. But since you
transgressed, and came into this strange land, all these trials are
come over you."
Chapter 36
Figs.
1 Then God commanded the cherub, who kept the gate of the garden
with a sword of fire in his hand, to take some of the fruit of the
fig-tree, and to give it to Adam.
2 The cherub obeyed the
command of the Lord God, and went into the garden and brought two
figs on two twigs, each fig hanging to its leaf; they were from two
of the trees among which Adam and Eve hid themselves when God went
to walk in the garden, and the Word of God came to Adam and Eve and
said to them, "Adam, Adam, where are you?"
3 And Adam answered, "O
God, here I am. When I heard the sound of You and Your voice, I hid
myself, because I am naked."
4 Then the cherub took
two figs and brought them to Adam and Eve. But he threw them to them
from a distance; for they might not come near the cherub by reason
of their flesh, that could not come near the fire.
5 At first, angels
trembled at the presence of Adam and were afraid of him. But now
Adam trembled before the angels and was afraid of them.
6 Then Adam came closer
and took one fig, and Eve also came in turn and took the other.
7 And as they took them
up in their hands, they looked at them, and knew they were from the
trees among which they had hidden themselves.
Chapter 37
Forty-three days of penance do not redeem one hour of sin.
1 Then Adam said to Eve, "Do you not see these figs and their
leaves, with which we covered ourselves when we were stripped of our
bright nature? But now, we do not know what misery and suffering may
come over us from eating them.
2 Now, therefore, O Eve,
let us restrain ourselves and not eat of them, you and I; and let us
ask God to give us of the fruit of the Tree of Life."
3 Thus did Adam and Eve
restrain themselves, and did not eat of these figs.
4 But Adam began to pray
to God and to beseech Him to give him of the fruit of the Tree of
Life, saying thus: "O God, when we transgressed Your commandment at
the sixth hour of Friday, we were stripped of the bright nature we
had, and did not continue in the garden after our transgression,
more than three hours.
5 But in the evening You
made us come out of it. O God, we transgressed against You one hour,
and all these trials and sorrows have come over us until this day.
6 And those days
together with this the forty-third day, do not redeem that one hour
in which we transgressed!
7 O God, look at us with
an eye of pity, and do not avenge us according to our transgression
of Your commandment, in Your presence.
8 O God, give us of the
fruit of the Tree of Life, that we may eat of it, and live, and turn
not to see sufferings and other trouble, in this earth; for You are
God.
9 When we transgressed
Your commandment, You made us come out of the garden, and sent a
cherub to keep the Tree of Life, lest we should eat thereof, and
live; and know nothing of faintness after we transgressed.
10 But now, O Lord,
behold, we have endured all these days, and have borne sufferings.
Make these forty-three days an equivalent for the one hour in which
we transgressed."
Chapter 38
"When 5500 years are fulfilled. . . ."
1 After these things the Word of God came to Adam, and said to him:
--
2 "O Adam, as to the
fruit on the Tree of Life that you have asked for, I will not give
it to you now, but only when the 5500 years are fulfilled. At that
time I will give you fruit from the Tree of Life, and you will eat,
and live forever, you, and Eve, and your righteous descendants.
3 But these forty-three
days cannot make amends for the hour in which you transgressed My
commandment.
4 O Adam, I gave you the
fruit of the fig-tree to eat in which you hid yourself. Go and eat
of it, you and Eve.
5 I will not deny your
request, neither will I disappoint your hope; therefore, endure
until the fulfillment of the covenant I made with you."
6 And God withdrew His
Word from Adam.
Chapter 39
Adam is cautious -- but too late.
1 Then Adam returned to Eve, and said to her, "Get up, and take a
fig for yourself, and I will take another; and let us go to our
cave."
2 Then Adam and Eve took
each a fig and went towards the cave; the time was about the setting
of the sun; and their thoughts made them long to eat of the fruit.
3 But Adam said to Eve,
"I am afraid to eat of this fig. I know not what may come over me
from it."
4 So Adam cried, and
stood praying before God, saying, "Satisfy my hunger, without my
having to eat this fig; for after I have eaten it, what will it
profit me? And what shall I desire and ask of you, O God, when it is
gone?"
5 And he said again, "I
am afraid to eat of it; for I know not what will befall me through
it."
Chapter 40
The first Human hunger.
1 Then the Word of God came to Adam, and said to him, "O Adam, why
didn't you have this dread, or this fasting, or this care before
now? And why didn't you have this fear before you transgressed?
2 But when you came to
live in this strange land, your animal body could not survive on
earth without earthly food, to strengthen it and to restore its
powers."
3 And God withdrew His
Word for Adam.
Chapter 41
The first Human thirst.
1 Then Adam took the fig, and laid it on the golden rods. Eve also
took her fig, and put it on the incense.
2 And the weight of each
fig was that of a water-melon; for the fruit of the garden was much
larger than the fruit of this land*.
3 But Adam and Eve
remained standing and fasting the whole of that night, until the
morning dawned.
4 When the sun rose they
were still praying, but after they had finished praying, Adam said
to Eve: --
5 "O Eve, come, let us
go to the border of the garden looking south; to the place from
where the river flows, and is parted into four heads. There we will
pray to God, and ask Him to give us some of the Water of Life to
drink .
6 For God has not fed us
with the Tree of Life, in order that we may not live. Therefore, we
will ask him to give us some of the Water of Life, and to quench our
thirst with it, rather than with a drink of water of this land."
7 When Eve heard these
words from Adam, she agreed; and they both got up and came to the
southern border of the garden, at the edge of the river of water a
short distance from the garden.
8 And they stood and
prayed before the Lord, and asked Him to look at them this once, to
forgive them, and to grant them their request.
9 After this prayer from
both of them, Adam began to pray with his voice before God, and
said; --
10 "O Lord, when I was
in the garden and saw the water that flowed from under the Tree of
Life, my heart did not desire, neither did my body require to drink
of it; neither did I know thirst, for I was living; and above that
which I am now.
11 So that in order to
live I did not require any Food of Life, neither did I drink of the
Water of Life.
12 But now, O God, I am
dead; my flesh is parched with thirst. Give me of the Water of Life
that I may drink of it and live.
13 Of Your mercy, O God,
save me from these plagues and trials, and bring me into another
land different from this, if You will not let me live in Your
garden."
* This is substantiated
by Genesis 3:7 whereby the leaves of the fig tree were large enough
that Adam and Eve could fashion garments from them.
Chapter 42
A promise of the Water of Life, The third prophecy of the coming of
Christ.
1 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him:--
2 "O Adam, as to what
you said, 'Bring me into a land where there is rest,' it is not
another land than this, but it is the kingdom of heaven where alone
there is rest.
3 But you can not make
your entrance into it at present; but only after your judgment is
past and fulfilled.
4 Then will I make you
go up into the kingdom of heaven, you and your righteous
descendants; and I will give you and them the rest you ask for at
present.
5 And if you said, 'Give
me of the Water of Life that I may drink and live' -- it cannot be
this day, but on the day that I shall descend into hell, and break
the gates of brass, and bruise in pieces the kingdoms of iron.
6 Then will I in mercy
save your soul and the souls of the righteous, to give them rest in
My garden. And that shall be when the end of the world is come.
7 And, again, in regards
to the Water of Life you seek, it will not be granted you this day;
but on the day that I shall shed My blood on your head* in the land
of Golgotha**.
8 For My blood shall be
the Water of Life to you at that time, and not to just you alone,
but to all your descendants who shall believe in Me***; that it be
to them for rest forever."
9 The Lord said
again to Adam, "O Adam, when you were in the garden, these trials
did not come to you.
10 But since you
transgressed My commandment, all these sufferings have come over
you.
11 Now, also, does your
flesh require food and drink; drink then of that water that flows by
you on the face of the earth.
12 Then God withdrew His
Word from Adam.
13 And Adam and Eve
worshipped the Lord, and returned from the river of water to the
cave. It was noon-day; and when they drew near to the cave, they saw
a large fire by it.
Chapter 43
The Devil attempts arson.
1 Then Adam and Eve were afraid, and stood still. And Adam said to
Eve, "What is that fire by our cave? We have done nothing in it to
cause this fire.
2 We neither have bread
to bake therein, nor broth to cook there. As to this fire, we have
never known anything like it, neither do we know what to call it.
3 But ever since God
sent the cherub with a sword of fire that flashed and lightened in
his hand, from fear of which we fell down and were like corpses,
have we not seen the like.
4 But now, O Eve,
behold, this is the same fire that was in the cherub's hand, which
God has sent to keep the cave in which we live.
5 O Eve, it is because
God is angry with us, and will drive us from it.
6 O Eve, we have
again transgressed His commandment in that cave, so that He had sent
this fire to burn around it, and to prevent us from going into it.
7 If this be really so,
O Eve, where shall we live? And where shall we flee from before the
face of the Lord? Since, in regards to the garden, He will not let
us live in it, and He has deprived us of the good things thereof;
but He has placed us in this cave, in which we have borne darkness,
trials and hardships, until at last we have found comfort therein.
8 But now that He has
brought us out into another land, who knows what may happen in it?
And who knows but that the darkness of that land may be far greater
than the darkness of this land?
9 Who knows what may
happen in that land by day or by night? And who knows whether it
will be far or near, O Eve? Where it will please God to put us, may
be far from the garden, O Eve? Or where God will prevent us from
beholding Him, because we have transgressed His commandment, and
because we have made requests of Him at all times?
10 O Eve, if God will
bring us into a strange land other than this, in which we find
consolation, it must be to put our souls to death, and blot out our
name from the face of the earth.
11 O Eve, if we are
further alienated from the garden and from God, where shall we find
Him again, and ask Him to give us gold, incense, myrrh, and some
fruit of the fig-tree?
12 Where shall we find
Him, to comfort us a second time? Where shall we find Him, that He
may think of us, as regards the covenant He has made on our behalf?"
13 Then Adam said no
more. And they kept looking, He and Eve, towards the cave, and at
the fire that flared up around it.
14 But that fire was
from Satan. For he had gathered trees and dry grasses, and had
carried and brought them to the cave, and had set fire to them, in
order to consume the cave and what was in it.
15 So that Adam and Eve
should be left in sorrow, and he should cut off their trust in God,
and make them deny Him.
16 But by the mercy of
God he could not burn the cave, for God sent His angel around the
cave to guard it from such a fire, until it went out.
17 And this fire lasted
from noon-day until the break of day. That was the forty-fifth day.
Chapter 44
The power of fire over man.
1 Yet Adam and Eve were standing and looking at the fire, and unable
to come near the cave from their dread of the fire.
2 And Satan kept on
bringing trees and throwing them into the fire, until the flames of
the fire rose up on high, and covered the whole cave, thinking, as
he did in his own mind, to consume the cave with much fire. But the
angel of the Lord was guarding it.
3 And yet he could not
curse Satan, nor injure him by word, because he had no authority
over him, neither did he take to doing so with words from his mouth.
4 Therefore the angel
tolerated him, without saying one bad word, until the Word of God
came who said to Satan, "Go away from here; once before you deceived
My servants, and this time you seek to destroy them.
5 Were it not for My
mercy I would have destroyed you and your hosts from off the earth.
But I have had patience with you, until the end of the world."
6 Then Satan fled from
before the Lord. But the fire went on burning around the cave like a
coal-fire the whole day; which was the forty-sixth day Adam and Eve
had spent since they came out of the garden.
7 And when Adam and Eve
saw that the heat of the fire had somewhat cooled down, they began
to walk towards the cave to get into it as they usually did; but
they could not, by reason of the heat of the fire.
8 Then they both
began crying because of the fire that separated them from the cave,
and that came towards them, burning. And they were afraid.
9 Then Adam said to Eve,
"See this fire of which we have a portion in us: which formerly
yielded to us, but no longer does so, now that we have transgressed
the limit of creation, and changed our condition, and our nature is
altered. But the fire is not changed in its nature, nor altered from
its creation. Therefore it now has power over us; and when we come
near it, it scorches our flesh."
Chapter 45
Why Satan didn't fulfil his promises, Description of hell.
1 Then Adam rose and prayed to God, saying, "See, this fire has
separated us from the cave in which You have commanded us to live;
but now, behold, we cannot go into it."
2 Then God heard Adam,
and sent him His Word, that said: --
3 "O Adam, see this
fire! How different the flame and heat thereof are from the garden
of delights and the good things in it!
4 When you were under My
control, all creatures yielded to you; but after you have
transgressed My commandment, they all rise over you."
5 God said again to him,
"See, O Adam, how Satan has exalted you! He has deprived you of the
Godhead, and of an exalted state like Me, and has not kept his word
to you; but has, after all, become your enemy. He is the one who
made this fire in which he meant to burn you and Eve.
6 Why, O Adam, has he
not kept his agreement with you, not even one day; but has deprived
you of the glory that was on you -- when you yielded to his command?
7 Do you think, Adam,
that he loved you when he made this agreement with you? Or that he
loved you and wished to raise you on high?
8 But no, Adam, he did
not do all that out of love to you; but he wished to make you come
out of light into darkness; and from an exalted state to
degradation; from glory to abasement; from joy to sorrow; and from
rest to fasting and fainting."
9 God also said to Adam,
"See this fire kindled by Satan around your cave; see this wonder
that surrounds you; and know that it will encompass about both you
and your descendants, when you obey his command; that he will plague
you with fire; and that you will go down into hell after you are
dead.
10 Then you will see the
burning of his fire, that will be burning around you and likewise
your descendants. You will not be delivered from it until My coming;
just like you cannot go into your cave right now because of the
great fire around it; not until My Word comes and makes a way for
you on the day My covenant is fulfilled.
11 There is no way for
you at present to come from this life to rest, not until My Word
comes, who is My Word. Then He will make a way for you, and you
shall have rest." Then God called with His Word to the fire that
burned around the cave, that it split itself in half, until Adam had
gone through it. Then the fire parted itself by God's order, and a
way was made for Adam*.
12 And God withdrew His
Word from Adam.
Chapter 46
"How many times have I delivered you out of his hand . . ."
1 Then Adam and Eve began again to come into the cave. And when they
came to the way between the fire, Satan blew into the fire like a
whirlwind, and caused the burning coal-fire to cover Adam and Eve;
so that their bodies were singed; and the coal-fire scorched them*.
2 And from the burning
of the fire Adam and Eve screamed, and said, "O Lord, save us! Leave
us not to be consumed and plagued by this burning fire; neither
require us for having transgressed Your commandment."
3 Then God looked at
their bodies, on which Satan had caused fire to burn, and God sent
His angel that stayed the burning fire. But the wounds remained on
their bodies.
4 And God said to Adam,
"See Satan's love for you, who pretended to give you the Godhead and
greatness; and, behold, he burns you with fire, and seeks to destroy
you from off the earth.
5 Then look at Me, O
Adam; I created you, and how many times have I delivered you out of
his hand? If not, wouldn't he have destroyed you?"
6 God said again to Eve,
"What is that he promised you in the garden, saying, 'As soon as you
eat from the tree, your eyes will be opened, and you shall become
like gods, knowing good and evil.' But look! He has burnt your
bodies with fire, and has made you taste the taste of fire, for the
taste of the garden; and has made you see the burning of fire, and
the evil of it, and the power it has over you.
7 Your eyes have seen
the good he has taken from you, and in truth he has opened your
eyes; and you have seen the garden in which you were with Me, and
you have also seen the evil that has come over you from Satan. But
as to the Godhead he cannot give it to you, neither fulfill his
speech to you. No, he was bitter against you and your descendants,
that will come after you."
8 And God withdrew His
Word form them.
Chapter 47
The Devil's own Scheming.
1 Then Adam and Eve came into the cave, yet trembling at the fire
that had scorched their bodies. So Adam said to Eve:--
2 "Look, the fire has
burnt our flesh in this world; but how will it be when we are dead,
and Satan shall punish our souls? Is not our deliverance long and
far off, unless God come, and in mercy to us fulfil His promise?"
3 Then Adam and Eve
passed into the cave, blessing themselves for coming into it once
more. For it was in their thoughts, that they never should enter it,
when they saw the fire around it.
4 But as the sun was
setting the fire was still burning and nearing Adam and Eve in the
cave, so that they could not sleep in it. After the sun had set,
they went out of it. This was the forty-seventh day after they came
out of the garden.
5 Adam and Eve then came
under the top of hill by the garden to sleep, as they were
accustomed.
6 And they stood and
prayed God to forgive them their sins, and then fell asleep under
the summit of the mountain.
7 But Satan, the hater
of all good, thought within himself: "Whereas God has promised
salvation to Adam by covenant, and that He would deliver him out of
all the hardships that have befallen him -- but has not promised me
by covenant, and will not deliver me out of my hardships; no, since
He has promised him that He should make him and his descendants live
in the kingdom in which I once was -- I will kill Adam.
8 The earth shall be rid
of him; and shall be left to me alone; so that when he is dead he
may not have any descendants left to inherit the kingdom that shall
remain my own realm; God will then be wanting me, and He will
restore it to me and my hosts."
Chapter 48
Fifth apparition of Satan to Adam and Eve.
1 After this Satan called to his hosts, all of which came to him,
and said to him: --
2 "O, our lord, what
will you do?"
3 He then said to them,
"You know that this Adam, whom God created out of the dust, is the
one who has taken our kingdom, come, let us gather together and kill
him; or hurl a rock at him and at Eve, and crush them under it."
4 When Satan's hosts
heard these words, they came to the part of the mountain where Adam
and Eve were asleep.
5 Then Satan and his
host took a huge rock, broad and even, and without blemish, thinking
within himself, "If there should be a hole in the rock, when it fell
on them, the hole in the rock might come over them, and so they
would escape and not die."
6 He then said to his
hosts, "Take up this stone, and throw it flat on them, so that it
doesn't roll off them to somewhere else. And when you have hurled
it, get away from there quickly."
7 And they did as he
told them. But as the rock fell down from the mountain toward Adam
and Eve, God commanded the rock to become a dome over them*, that
did them no harm. And so it was by God's order.
8 But when the rock
fell, the whole earth quaked with it**, and was shaken from the size
of the rock.
9 And as it quaked and
shook, Adam and Eve awoke from sleep, and found themselves under a
dome of rock. But they didn't know what had happened; because when
the fell asleep they were under the sky, and not under a dome; and
when they saw it, they were afraid.
10 Then Adam said to
Eve, "Wherefore has the mountain bent itself, and the earth quaked
and shaken on our account? And why has this rock spread itself over
us like a tent?
11 Does God intend to
plague us and to shut us up in this prison? Or will He close the
earth over us?
12 He is angry with us
for our having come out of the cave, without His order; and for our
having done so of our own accord, without consulting Him, when we
left the cave and came to this place."
13 Then Eve said, "If,
indeed, the earth quaked for our sake, and this rock forms a tent
over us because of our transgression, then we will be sorry, O Adam,
because our punishment will be long.
14 But get up and pray
to God to let us know concerning this, and what this rock is that is
spread over us like a tent."
15 Then Adam stood up
and prayed before the Lord, to let him know what had brought about
this difficult time. And Adam stood praying like that until the
morning.
Chapter 49
The first prophecy of the Resurrection.
1 Then the Word of God came and said: --
2 "O Adam, who counseled
you, when you came out of the cave, to come to this place?"
3 And Adam said to God,
"O Lord, we came to this place because of the heat of the fire, that
came over us inside the cave."
4 Then the Lord God said
to Adam, "O Adam, you dread the heat of fire for one night, but how
will it be when you live in hell?
5 Yet, O Adam, don't be
afraid, and don't believe that I have placed this dome of rock over
you to plague you with it.
6 It came from Satan,
who had promised you the Godhead and majesty. It is he who threw
down this rock to kill you under it, and Eve with you, and thus to
prevent you from living on the earth.
7 But, in mercy for you,
just as that rock was falling down on you, I commanded it to form an
dome over you; and the rock under you to lower itself.
8 And this sign, O Adam,
will happen to Me at My coming on earth: Satan will raise the people
of the Jews to put Me to death; and they will lay Me in a rock, and
seal a large stone over Me, and I shall remain within that rock
three days and three nights.
9 But on the third day I
shall rise again, and it shall be salvation to you, O Adam, and to
your descendants, to believe in Me. But, O Adam, I will not bring
you from under this rock until three days and three nights have
passed."
10 And God withdrew His
Word from Adam.
11 But Adam and Eve
lived under the rock three days and three nights, as God had told
them.
12 And God did so to
them because they had left their cave and had come to this same
place without God's order.
13 But, after three days
and three nights, God created an opening in the dome of rock and
allowed them to get out from under it. Their flesh was dried up, and
their eyes and hearts were troubled from crying and sorrow.
Chapter 50
Adam and Eve seek to cover their nakedness.
1 Then Adam and Eve went forth and came into the Cave of Treasures,
and they stood praying in it the whole of that day, until the
evening.
2 And this took place at
the end of the fifty days after they had left the garden.
3 But Adam and Eve rose
again and prayed to God in the cave the whole of that night, and
begged for mercy from Him.
4 And when the day
dawned, Adam said to Eve, "Come! Let us go and do some work for our
bodies."
5 So they went out of
the cave, and came to the northern border of the garden, and they
looked for something to cover their bodies with*. But they found
nothing, and knew not how to do the work. Yet their bodies were
stained, and they were speechless from cold and heat.
6 Then Adam stood and
asked God to show him something with which to cover their bodies.
7 Then came the Word of
God and said to him, "O Adam, take Eve and come to the seashore
where you fasted before. There you will find skins of sheep that
were left after lions ate the carcasses. Take them and make garments
for yourselves, and clothe yourselves with them.
Chapter 51
"What is his beauty that you should have followed him?"
1 When Adam heard these words from God, he took Eve and went from
the northern end of the garden to the south of it, by the river of
water where they once fasted.
2 But as they were going
on their way, and before they got there, Satan, the wicked one, had
heard the Word of God communing with Adam respecting his covering.
3 It grieved him, and he
hastened to the place where the sheep-skins were, with the intention
of taking them and throwing them into the sea, or of burning them
with fire, so that Adam and Eve would not find them.
4 But as he was about to
take them, the Word of God came from heaven, and bound him by the
side of those skins until Adam and Eve came near him. But as they
got closer to him they were afraid of him, and of his hideous look.
5 Then came the Word of
God to Adam and Eve, and said to them, "This is he who was hidden in
the serpent, and who deceived you, and stripped you of the garment
of light and glory in which you were.
6 This is he who
promised you majesty and divinity. Where, then, is the beauty that
was on him? Where is his divinity? Where is his light? Where is the
glory that rested on him?
7 Now his figure is
hideous; he is become abominable among angels; and he has come to be
called Satan.
8 O Adam, he
wished to take from you this earthly garment of sheep-skins, and to
destroy it, and not let you be covered with it.
9 What, then, is his
beauty that you should have followed him? And what have you gained
by obeying him? See his evil works and then look at Me; at Me, your
Creator, and at the good deeds I do you.
10 See, I bound him
until you came and saw him and beheld his weakness, that no power is
left with him."
11 And God released him
from his bonds.
Chapter 52
Adam and Eve sew the first shirt.
1 After this Adam and Eve said no more, but cried before God on
account of their creation, and of their bodies that required an
earthly covering.
2 Then Adam said to Eve,
"O Eve, this is the skin of beasts with which we shall be covered,
but when we put it on, behold, we shall be wearing a token of death
on our bodies. Just as the owners of these skins have died and have
wasted away, so also shall we die and pass away."
3 Then Adam and Eve took
the skins, and went back to the Cave of Treasures; and when in it,
they stood and prayed as they were accustomed.
4 And they thought how
they could make garments of those skins; for they had no skill for
it.
5 Then God sent to them
His angel to show them how to work it out. And the angel said to
Adam, "Go forth, and bring some palm-thorns." Then Adam went out,
and brought some, as the angel had commanded him.
6 Then the angel began
before them to work out the skins, after the manner of one who
prepares a shirt. And he took the thorns and stuck them into the
skins, before their eyes.
7 Then the angel again
stood up and prayed God that the thorns in those skins should be
hidden, so as to be, as it were, sewn with one thread.
8 And so it was, by
God's order; they became garments for Adam and Eve, and He clothed
them therewith.
9 From that time the
nakedness of their bodies was covered from the sight of each other's
eyes.
10 And this happened at
the end of the fifty-first day.
11 Then when Adam's and
Eve's bodies were covered, they stood and prayed, and sought mercy
of the Lord, and forgiveness, and gave Him thanks for that He had
had mercy on them, and had covered their nakedness. And they ceased
not from prayer the whole of that night.
12 Then when the morning
dawned at the rising of the sun, they said their prayers after their
custom; and then went out of the cave.
13 And Adam said to Eve,
"Since we don't know what there is to the west of this cave, let us
go out and see it today." Then they came forth and went toward the
western border.
Chapter 53
The prophecy of the Western Lands and of the great flood.
1 They were not very far from the cave, when Satan came towards
them, and hid himself between them and the cave, under the form of
two ravenous lions three days without food, that came towards Adam
and Eve, as if to break them in pieces and devour them.
2 Then Adam and Eve
cried, and prayed God to deliver them from their paws.
3 Then the Word of God
came to them, and drove away the lions from them.
4 And God said to Adam,
"O Adam, what do you seek on the western border? And why have you
left of thine own accord the eastern border, in which was your
living place?
5 Now then, turn back to
your cave, and remain in it, so that Satan won't deceive you or work
his purpose over you.
6 For in this western
border, O Adam, there will go from you a descendant, that shall
replenish it; and that will defile themselves with their sins, and
with their yielding to the commands of Satan, and by following his
works.
7 Therefore will I bring
over them the waters of a flood, and overwhelm them all. But I will
deliver what is left of the righteous among them; and I will bring
them to a distant land, and the land in which you live now shall
remain desolate and without one inhabitant in it.
8 After God had thus
spoken to them, they went back to the Cave of Treasures. But their
flesh was dried up, and they were weak from fasting and praying, and
from the sorrow they felt at having trespassed against God.
Chapter 54
Adam and Eve go exploring.
1 Then Adam and Eve stood up in the cave and prayed the whole of
that night until the morning dawned. And when the sun was risen they
both went out of the cave; their heads were wandering from heaviness
of sorrow and they didn't know where they were going.
2 And they walked in
that condition to the southern border of the garden. And they began
to go up that border until they came to the eastern border beyond
which there was no more land.
3 And the cherub who
guarded the garden was standing at the western gate, and guarding it
against Adam and Eve, lest they should suddenly come into the
garden. And the cherub turned around, as if to put them to death;
according to the commandment God had given him.
4 When Adam and Eve came
to the eastern border of the garden -- thinking in their hearts that
the cherub was not watching -- as they were standing by the gate as
if wishing to go in, suddenly came the cherub with a flashing sword
of fire in his hand; and when he saw them, he went forth to kill
them. For he was afraid that God would destroy him if they went into
the garden without His order.
5 And the sword of the
cherub seemed to shoot flames a distance away from it. But when he
raised it over Adam and Eve, the flame of the sword did not flash
forth.
6 Therefore the cherub
thought that God was favorable to them, and was bringing them back
into the garden. And the cherub stood wondering.
7 He could not go up to
Heaven to determine God's order regarding their getting into the
garden; he therefore continued to stand by them, unable as he was to
part from them; for he was afraid that if they should enter the
garden without permission, God would destroy him.
8 When Adam and Eve saw
the cherub coming towards them with a flaming sword of fire in his
hand, they fell on their faces from fear, and were as dead.
9 At that time the
heavens and the earth shook; and another cherubim came down from
heaven to the cherub who guarded the garden, and saw him amazed and
silent.
10 Then, again, other
angels came down close to the place where Adam and Eve were. They
were divided between joy and sorrow.
11 They were glad,
because they thought that God was favorable to Adam, and wished him
to return to the garden; and wished to restore him to the gladness
he once enjoyed.
12 But they sorrowed
over Adam, because he was fallen like a dead man, he and Eve; and
they said in their thoughts, "Adam has not died in this place; but
God has put him to death, for his having come to this place, and
wishing to get into the garden without His permission."
Chapter 55
The Conflict between God and Satan.
1 Then came the Word of God to Adam and Eve, and raised them from
their dead state, saying to them, "Why did you come up here? Do you
intend to go into the garden, from which I brought you out? It
cannot be today; but only when the covenant I have made with you is
fulfilled."
2 Then Adam, when he
heard the Word of God, and the fluttering of the angels whom he did
not see, but only heard the sound of them with his ears, he and Eve
cried, and said to the angels: --
3 "O Spirits, who wait
on God, look at me, and at my being unable to see you! For when I
was in my former bright nature, then I could see you. I sang praises
as you do; and my heart was far above you.
4 But now, that I have
transgressed, that bright nature is gone from me, and I am come to
this miserable state. And now I have come to this, that I cannot see
you, and you do not serve me like you used to do. For I have become
animal flesh.
5 Yet now, O angels of
God, ask God with me, to restore me to that wherein I was formerly;
to rescue me from this misery, and to remove from me the sentence of
death He passed on me, for having trespassed against Him."
6 Then, when the angels
heard these words, they all grieved over him; and cursed Satan who
had misled Adam, until he came from the garden to misery; from life
to death; from peace to trouble; and from gladness to a strange
land.
7 Then the angels said
to Adam, "You obeyed Satan, and ignored the Word of God who created
you; and you believed that Satan would fulfil all he had promised
you.
8 But now, O Adam, we
will make known to you, what came over us though him, before his
fall from heaven.
9 He gathered together
his hosts, and deceived them, promising to give them a great
kingdom, a divine nature; and other promises he made them.
10 His hosts believed
that his word was true, so they yielded to him, and renounced the
glory of God.
11 He then sent for us
-- according to the orders in which we were -- to come under his
command, and to accept his vein promise. But we would not, and we
did not take his advice.
12 Then after he had
fought with God, and had dealt forwardly with Him, he gathered
together his hosts, and made war with us. And if it had not been for
God's strength that was with us, we could not have prevailed against
him to hurl him from heaven.
13 But when he fell from
among us, there was great joy in heaven, because of his going down
from us. For if he had remained in heaven, nothing, not even one
angel would have remained in it.
14 But God in His mercy,
drove him from among us to this dark earth; for he had become
darkness itself and a worker of unrighteousness.
15 And he has continued,
O Adam, to make war against you, until he tricked you and made you
come out of the garden, to this strange land, where all these trials
have come to you. And death, which God brought to him, he has also
brought to you, O Adam, because you obeyed him, and trespassed
against God."
16 Then all the angels
rejoiced and praised God, and asked Him not to destroy Adam this
time, for his having sought to enter the garden; but to bear with
him until the fulfillment of the promise; and to help him in this
world until he was free from Satan's hand.
Chapter 56
A chapter of divine comfort.
1 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him: --
2 "O Adam, look at that
garden of joy and at this earth of toil, and behold the garden is
full of angels, but look at yourself alone on this earth with Satan
whom you obeyed.
3 Yet, if you had
submitted, and been obedient to Me, and had kept My Word, you would
be with My angels in My garden.
4 But when you
transgressed and obeyed Satan, you became his guests among his
angels, that are full of wickedness; and you came to this earth,
that brings forth to you thorns and thistles.
5 O Adam, ask him who
deceived you, to give you the divine nature he promised you, or to
make you a garden as I had made for you; or to fill you with that
same bright nature with which I had filled you.
6 Ask him to make you a
body like the one I made you, or to give you a day of rest as I gave
you; or to create within you a reasonable soul, as I created for
you; or to take you from here to some other earth than this one
which I gave you. But, O Adam, he will not fulfil even one of the
things he told you.
7 Acknowledge, then, My
favor towards you, and My mercy on you, My creature; that I have not
avenged you for your transgression against Me, but in My pity for
you I have promised you that at the end of the great five and a half
days I will come and save you."
8 Then God said again to
Adam and Eve, "Get up, go down from here, before the cherub with a
sword of fire in his hand destroys you."
9 But Adam's heart was
comforted by God's words to him, and he worshipped before Him.
10 And God commanded His
angels to escort Adam and Eve to the cave with joy, instead of the
fear that had come over them.
11 Then the angels took
up Adam and Eve, and brought them down from the mountain by the
garden, with songs and psalms, until they arrived at the cave. There
the angels began to comfort and to strengthen them, and then
departed from them towards heaven, to their Creator, who had sent
them.
12 But after the angels
had departed from Adam and Eve, Satan came with shamefacedness, and
stood at the entrance of the cave in which were Adam and Eve. He
then called to Adam, and said, "O Adam, come, let me speak to you."
13 Then Adam came out of
the cave, thinking he was one of God's angels that was come to give
him some good counsel.
Chapter 57
"Therefore I fell. . . . "
1 But when Adam came out and saw his hideous figure, he was afraid
of him, and said to him, "Who are you?"
2 Then Satan answered
and said to him, "It is I, who hid myself within the serpent, and
who spoke to Eve, and who enticed her until she obeyed my command. I
am he who sent her, using my deceitful speech, to deceive you, until
you both ate of the fruit of the tree and abandoned the command of
God."
3 But when Adam heard
these words from him, he said to him, "Can you make me a garden as
God made for me? Or can you clothe me in the same bright nature in
which God had clothed me?
4 Where is the divine
nature you promised to give me? Where is that slick speech of yours
that you had with us at first, when we were in the garden?"
5 Then Satan said to
Adam, "Do you think that when I have promised one something that I
would actually deliver it to him or fulfill my word? Of course not.
For I myself have never even thought of obtaining what I promised.
6 Therefore I fell, and
I made you fall by that for which I myself fell; and with you also,
whosoever accepts my counsel, falls thereby.
7 But now, O Adam,
because you fell you are under my rule, and I am king over you;
because you have obeyed me and have transgressed against your God.
Neither will there be any deliverance from my hands until the day
promised you by your God."
8 Again he said,
"Because we do not know the day agreed on with you by your God, nor
the hour in which you shall be delivered, for that reason we will
multiply war and murder on you and your descendants after you.
9 This is our will and
our good pleasure, that we may not leave one of the sons of men to
inherit our orders in heaven.
10 For as to our home, O
Adam, it is in burning fire; and we will not stop our evil doing,
no, not one day nor one hour. And I, O Adam, shall set you on fire
when you come into the cave to live there."
11 When Adam heard these
words he cried and mourned, and said to Eve, "Hear what he said;
that he won't fulfil any of what he told you in the garden. Did he
really then become king over us?
12 But we will ask God,
who created us, to deliver us out of his hands."
Chapter 58
"About sunset on the 53rd day. . ."
1 Then Adam and Eve spread their hands before God, praying and
begging Him to drive Satan away from them so that he can't harm them
or force them to deny God.
2 Then God sent to them
at once, His angel, who drove away Satan from them. This happened
about sunset, on the fifty-third day after they had come out of the
garden.
3 Then Adam and Eve went
into the cave, and stood up and turned their faces to the ground, to
pray to God.
4 But before they prayed
Adam said to Eve, "Look, you have seen what temptations have
befallen us in this land. Come, let us get up, and ask God to
forgive us the sins we have committed; and we will not come out
until the end of the day next to the fortieth. And if we die in
here, He will save us."
5 Then Adam and Eve got
up, and joined together in entreating God.
6 They continued praying
like this in the cave; neither did they come out of it, by night or
by day, until their prayers went up out of their mouths, like a
flame of fire.
Chapter 59
Eighth apparition of Satan of Satan to Adam and Eve.
1 But Satan, the hater of all good, did not allow them to finish
their prayers. For he called to his hosts, and they came, all of
them. Then he said to them, "Since Adam and Eve, whom we deceived,
have agreed together to pray to God night and day, and to beg Him to
deliver them, and since they will not come out of the cave until the
end of the fortieth day.
2 And since they will
continue their prayers as they have both agreed to do, that He will
deliver them out of our hands, and restore them to their former
state, see what we shall do to them." And his hosts said to him,
"Power is thine, O our lord, to do what you list."
3 Then Satan, great in
wickedness, took his hosts and came into the cave, in the thirtieth
night of the forty days and one; and he beat Adam and Eve, until he
left them dead.
4 Then came the Word of
God to Adam and Eve, who raised them from their suffering, and God
said to Adam, "Be strong, and be not afraid of him who has just come
to you."
5 But Adam cried and
said, "Where were you, O my God, that they should punish me with
such blows, and that this suffering should come over us; over me and
over Eve, Your handmaiden?"
6 Then God said to him,
"O Adam, see, he is lord and master of all you have, he who said, he
would give you divinity. Where is this love for you? And where is
the gift he promised?
7 Did it please him just
once, O Adam, to come to you, comfort you, strengthen you, rejoice
with you, or send his hosts to protect you; because you have obeyed
him, and have yielded to his counsel; and have followed his
commandment and transgressed Mine?"
8 Then Adam cried before
the Lord, and said, "O Lord because I transgressed a little, You
have severely punished me in return for it, I ask You to deliver me
out of his hands; or else have pity on me, and take my soul out of
my body now in this strange land."
9 Then God said to Adam,
"If only there had been this sighing and praying before, before you
transgressed! Then would you have rest from the trouble in which you
are now."
10 But God had patience
with Adam, and let him and Eve remain in the cave until they had
fulfilled the forty days.
11 But as to Adam and
Eve, their strength and flesh withered from fasting and praying,
from hunger and thirst; for they had not tasted either food or drink
since they left the garden; nor were the functions of their bodies
yet settled; and they had no strength left to continue in prayer
from hunger, until the end of the next day to the fortieth. They
were fallen down in the cave; yet what speech escaped from their
mouths, was only in praises.
Chapter 60
The Devil appears like an old man, He offers "a place of rest."
1 Then on the eighty-ninth day, Satan came to the cave, clad in a
garment of light, and girt about with a bright girdle.
2 In his hands was a
staff of light, and he looked most awful; but his face was pleasant
and his speech was sweet.
3 He thus transformed
himself in order to deceive Adam and Eve, and to make them come out
of the cave, before they had fulfilled the forty days.
4 For he said within
himself, "Now that when they had fulfilled the forty days' fasting
and praying, God would restore them to their former state; but if He
did not do so, He would still be favorable to them; and even if He
had not mercy on them, would He yet give them something from the
garden to comfort them; as already twice before."
5 Then Satan drew near
the cave in this fair appearance, and said: --
6 "O Adam, get up, stand
up, you and Eve, and come along with me, to a good land; and don't
be afraid. I am flesh and bones like you; and at first I was a
creature that God created.
7 And it was so, that
when He had created me, He placed me in a garden in the north, on
the border of the world.
8 And He said to me,
'Stay here!' And I remained there according to His Word, neither did
I transgress His commandment.
9 Then He made a slumber
to come over me, and He brought you, O Adam, out of my side, but did
not make you stay with me.
10 But God took you in
His divine hand, and placed you in a garden to the eastward.
11 Then I worried about
you, for that while God had taken you out of my side, He had not let
you stay with me.
12 But God said to me:
'Do not worry about Adam, whom I brought out of your side; no harm
will come to him.
13 For now I have
brought out of his side a help-meet* for him; and I have given him
joy by so doing.' "
14 Then Satan said
again, "I did not know how it is you are in this cave, nor anything
about this trial that has come over you -- until God said to me,
'Behold, Adam has transgressed, he whom I had taken out of your
side, and Eve also, whom I took out of his side; and I have driven
them out of the garden; I have made them live in a land of sorrow
and misery, because they transgressed against Me, and have obeyed
Satan. And look, they are in suffering until this day, the
eightieth.'
15 Then God said to me,
'Get up, go to them, and make them come to your place, and suffer
not that Satan come near them, and afflict them. For they are now in
great misery; and lie helpless from hunger.'
16 He further said to
me, 'When you have taken them to yourself, give them to eat of the
fruit of the Tree of Life, and give them to drink of the water of
peace; and clothe them in a garment of light, and restore them to
their former state of grace, and leave them not in misery, for they
came from you. But grieve not over them, nor repent of that which
has come over them.
17 But when I heard
this, I was sorry; and my heart could not patiently bear it for your
sake, O my child.
18 But, O Adam, when I
heard the name of Satan, I was afraid, and I said within myself, I
will not come out because he might trap me as he did my children,
Adam and Eve.
19 And I said, 'O God,
when I go to my children, Satan will meet me in the way, and war
against me, as he did against them.'
20 Then God said to me,
'Fear not; when you find him, hit him with the staff that is in
thine hand, and don't be afraid of him, for you are of old standing,
and he shall not prevail against you.'
21 Then I said, 'O my
Lord, I am old, and cannot go. Send Your angels to bring them.'
22 But God said to me,
'Angels, verily, are not like them; and they will not consent to
come with them. But I have chosen you, because they are your
offspring and are like you, and they will listen to what you say.'
23 God said further to
me, 'If you don't have enough strength to walk, I will send a cloud
to carry you and set you down at the entrance of their cave; then
the cloud will return and leave you there.
24 And if they will come
with you, I will send a cloud to carry you and them.'
25 Then He commanded a
cloud, and it bear me up and brought me to you; and then went back.
26 And now, O my
children, Adam and Eve, look at my old gray hair and at my feeble
state, and at my coming from that distant place. Come, come with me,
to a place of rest."
27 Then he began to cry
and to sob before Adam and Eve, and his tears poured on the ground
like water.
28 And when Adam and Eve
raised their eyes and saw his beard, and heard his sweet talk, their
hearts softened towards him; they obeyed him, for they believed he
was true.
29 And it seemed to them
that they were really his offspring, when they saw that his face was
like their own; and they trusted him.
Chapter 61
They begin to follow Satan.
1 Then he took Adam and Eve by the hand, and began to bring them out
of the cave.
2 But when they had come
a little ways out of it, God knew that Satan had overcome them, and
had brought them out before the forty days were ended, to take them
to some distant place, and to destroy them.
3 Then the Word of the
Lord God again came and cursed Satan, and drove him away from them.
4 And God began to speak
to Adam and Eve, saying to them, "What made you come out of the
cave, to this place?"
5 Then Adam said to God,
"Did you create a man before us? For when we were in the cave there
suddenly came to us a friendly old man who said to us, 'I am a
messenger from God to you, to bring you back to some place of rest.'
6 And we believed, O
God, that he was a messenger from you; and we came out with him; and
knew not where we should go with him."
7 Then God said to Adam,
"See, that is the father of evil arts, who brought you and Eve out
of the Garden of Delights. And now, indeed, when he saw that you and
Eve both joined together in fasting and praying, and that you came
not out of the cave before the end of the forty days, he wished to
make your purpose vein, to break your mutual bond; to cut off all
hope from you, and to drive you to some place where he might destroy
you.
8 Because he couldn't do
anything to you unless he showed himself in the likeness of you.
9 Therefore he came to
you with a face like your own, and began to give you tokens as if
they were all true.
10 But because I am
merciful and am favorable to you, I did not allow him to destroy
you; instead I drove him away from you.
11 Now, therefore, O
Adam, take Eve, and return to your cave, and remain in it until the
morning after the fortieth day. And when you come out, go towards
the eastern gate of the garden."
12 Then Adam and Eve
worshipped God, and praised and blessed Him for the deliverance that
had come to them from Him. And they returned towards the cave. This
happened in the evening of the thirty-ninth day.
13 Then Adam and Eve
stood up and with a fiery passion, prayed to God, to give them
strength; for they had become weak because of hunger and thirst and
prayer. But they watched the whole of that night praying, until
morning.
14 Then Adam said to
Eve, "Get up, let us go towards the eastern gate of the garden as
God told us."
15 And they said their
prayers as they were accustomed to do every day; and they left the
cave to go near to the eastern gate of the garden.
16 Then Adam and Eve
stood up and prayed, and appealed to God to strengthen them, and to
send them something to satisfy their hunger.
17 But after they
finished their prayers, they were too weak to move.
18 Then came the Word of
God again, and said to them, "O Adam, get up, go and bring the two
figs here."
19 Then Adam and Eve got
up, and went until they came near to the cave.
Chapter 62
Two fruit trees.
1 But Satan the wicked was envious, because of the consolation God
had given them.
2 So he prevented them,
and went into the cave and took the two figs, and buried them
outside the cave, so that Adam and Eve should not find them. He also
had in his thoughts to destroy them.
3 But by God's mercy, as
soon as those two figs were in the ground, God defeated Satan's
counsel regarding them; and made them into two fruit trees, that
overshadowed the cave. For Satan had buried them on the eastern side
of it.
4 Then when the two
trees were grown, and were covered with fruit, Satan grieved and
mourned, and said, "It would have been better to have left those
figs where they were; for now, behold, they have become two fruit
trees, whereof Adam will eat all the days of his life. Whereas I had
in mind, when I buried them, to destroy them entirely, and to hide
them forever.
5 But God has overturned
my counsel; and would not that this sacred fruit should perish; and
He has made plain my intention, and has defeated the counsel I had
formed against His servants."
6 Then Satan went away
ashamed because he hadn't thought his plans all the way through.
Chapter 63
The first joy of trees.
1 But Adam and Eve, as they got closer to the cave, saw two fig
trees, covered with fruit, and overshadowing the cave.
2 Then Adam said to Eve,
"It seems to me that we have gone the wrong way. When did these two
trees grow here? It seems to me that the enemy wishes to lead us the
wrong way. Do you suppose that there is another cave besides this
one in the earth?
3 Yet, O Eve, let us go
into the cave, and find in it the two figs; for this is our cave, in
which we were. But if we should not find the two figs in it, then it
cannot be our cave."
4 They went then into
the cave, and looked into the four corners of it, but found not the
two figs.
5 And Adam cried and
said to Eve, "Did we go to the wrong cave, then, O Eve? It seems to
me these two fig trees are the two figs that were in the cave." And
Eve said, "I, for my part, do not know."
6 Then Adam stood up and
prayed and said, "O God, You commanded us to come back to the cave,
to take the two figs, and then to return to you.
7 But now, we have not
found them. O God, have you taken them, and sown these two trees, or
have we gone astray in the earth; or has the enemy deceived us? If
it be real, then, O God, reveal to us the secret of these two trees
and of the two figs."
8 Then came the Word of
God to Adam, and said to him, "O Adam, when I sent you to fetch the
figs, Satan went before you to the cave, took the figs, and buried
them outside, eastward of the cave, thinking to destroy them; and
not sowing them with good intent.
9 Not for his mere sake,
then, have these trees grown up at once; but I had mercy on you and
I commanded them to grow. And they grew to be two large trees, that
you be overshadowed by their branches, and find rest; and that I
made you see My power and My marvelous works.
10 And, also, to show
you Satan's meanness, and his evil works, for ever since you came
out of the garden, he has not ceased, no, not one day, from doing
you some harm. But I have not given him power over you."
11 And God said, "From
now on, O Adam, rejoice on account of the trees, you and Eve; and
rest under them when you feel weary. But do not eat any of their
fruit or come near them."
12 Then Adam cried, and
said, "O God, will You again kill us, or will You drive us away from
before Your face, and cut our life from off the face of the earth?
13 O God, I beg you, if
You know that there be in these trees either death or some other
evil, as at the first time, root them up from near our cave, and
with them; and leave us to die of the heat, of hunger and of thirst.
14 For we know Your
marvelous works, O God, that they are great, and that by Your power
You can bring one thing out of another, without one's wish. For Your
power can make rocks to become trees, and trees to become rocks."
Chapter 64
Adam and Eve partake of the first earthly food.
1 Then God looked at Adam and at his strength of mind, at his
endurance of hunger and thirst, and of the heat. And He changed the
two fig trees into two figs, as they were at first, and then said to
Adam and to Eve, "Each of you may take one fig." And they took them,
as the Lord commanded them.
2 And He said to them,
"You must now go into the cave and eat the figs, and satisfy your
hunger, or else you will die."
3 So, as God commanded
them, they went into the cave about sunset. And Adam and Eve stood
up and prayed during the setting sun.
4 Then they sat down to
eat the figs; but they knew not how to eat them; for they were not
accustomed to eat earthly food. They were afraid that if they ate,
their stomach would be burdened and their flesh thickened, and their
hearts would take to liking earthly food.
5 But while they were
thus seated, God, out of pity for them, sent them His angel, so they
wouldn't perish of hunger and thirst.
6 And the angel said to
Adam and Eve, "God says to you that you do not have the strength
that would be required to fast until death; eat, therefore, and
strengthen your bodies; for you are now animal flesh and cannot
subsist without food and drink."
7 Then Adam and Eve took
the figs and began to eat of them. But God had put into them a
mixture as of savory bread and blood.
8 Then the angel went
from Adam and Eve, who ate of the figs until they had satisfied
their hunger. Then they put aside what was left; but by the power of
God, the figs became whole again, because God blessed them.
9 After this Adam and
Eve got up, and prayed with a joyful heart and renewed strength, and
praised and rejoiced abundantly the whole of that night. And this
was the end of the eighty-third day.
Chapter 65
Adam and Eve acquire digestive organism Final hope of returning to
the Garden is lost.
1 And when it was day, they got up and prayed, after their custom,
and then went out of the cave.
2 But they became sick
from the food they had eaten because they were not used to it, so
they went about in the cave saying to each other: --
3 "What has our eating
caused to happen to us, that we should be in such pain? We are in
misery, we shall die! It would have been better for us to have died
keeping our bodies pure than to have eaten and defiled them with
food."
4 Then Adam said to Eve,
"This pain did not come to us in the garden, neither did we eat such
bad food there. Do you think, O Eve, that God will plague us through
the food that is in us, or that our innards will come out; or that
God means to kill us with this pain before He has fulfilled His
promise to us?"
5 Then Adam besought the
Lord and said, "O Lord, let us not perish through the food we have
eaten. O Lord, don't punish us; but deal with us according to Your
great mercy, and forsake us not until the day of the promise You
have made us."
6 Then God looked at
them, and then fitted them for eating food at once; as to this day;
so that they should not perish.
7 Then Adam and Eve came
back into the cave sorrowful and crying because of the alteration of
their bodies. And they both knew from that hour that they were
altered beings, that all hope of returning to the garden was now
lost; and that they could not enter it.
8 For that now their
bodies had strange functions; and all flesh that requires food and
drink for its existence, cannot be in the garden.
9 Then Adam said to Eve,
"Behold, our hope is now lost; and so is our trust to enter the
garden. We no longer belong to the inhabitants of the garden; but
from now on we are earthy and of the dust, and of the inhabitants of
the earth. We shall not return to the garden, until the day in which
God has promised to save us, and to bring us again into the garden,
as He promised us."
10 Then they prayed to
God that He would have mercy on them; after which, their mind was
quieted, their hearts were broken, and their longing was cooled
down; and they were like strangers on earth. That night Adam and Eve
spent in the cave, where they slept heavily by reason of the food
they had eaten.
Chapter 66
Adam does his first day's work.
1 When it was morning, the day after they had eaten food, Adam and
Eve prayed in the cave, and Adam said to Eve, "Look, we asked for
food of God, and He gave it. But now let us also ask Him to give us
a drink of water."
2 Then they got up, and
went to the bank of the stream of water, that was on the south
border of the garden, in which they had before thrown themselves.
And they stood on the bank, and prayed to God that He would command
them to drink of the water.
3 Then the Word of God
came to Adam, and said to him, "O Adam, your body has become
brutish, and requires water to drink. Take some and drink it, you
and Eve, then give thanks and praise."
4 Adam and Eve then went
down to the stream and drank from it, until their bodies felt
refreshed. After having drunk, they praised God, and then returned
to their cave, after their former custom. This happened at the end
of eighty-three days.
5 Then on the
eighty-fourth day, they took the two figs and hung them in the cave,
together with the leaves thereof, to be to them a sign and a
blessing from God. And they placed them there so that if their
descendants came there, they would see the wonderful things God had
done for them.
6 Then Adam and Eve
again stood outside the cave, and asked God to show them some food
with which they could nourish their bodies.
7 Then the Word of God
came and said to him, "O Adam, go down to the westward of the cave
until you come to a land of dark soil, and there you shall find
food."
8 And Adam obeyed
the Word of God, took Eve, and went down to a land of dark soil, and
found there wheat* growing in the ear and ripe, and figs to eat; and
Adam rejoiced over it.
9 Then the Word of God
came again to Adam, and said to him, "Take some of this wheat and
make yourselves some bread with it, to nourish your body therewith."
And God gave Adam's heart wisdom, to work out the corn until it
became bread.
10 Adam accomplished all
that, until he grew very faint and weary. He then returned to the
cave; rejoicing at what he had learned of what is done with wheat,
until it is made into bread for one's use.
Chapter 67
"Then Satan began to lead astray Adam and Eve. . . ."
1 When Adam and Eve went down to the land of black mud and came near
to the wheat God had showed them and saw that it was ripe and ready
for reaping, they did not have a sickle to reap it with. So they
readied themselves, and began to pull up the wheat by hand, until it
was all done.
2 Then they heaped it
into a pile; and, faint from heat and from thirst, they went under a
shady tree, where the breeze fanned them to sleep.
3 But Satan saw what
Adam and Eve had done. And he called his hosts, and said to them,
"Since God has shown to Adam and Eve all about this wheat, wherewith
to strengthen their bodies -- and, look, they have come and made a
big pile of it, and faint from the toil are now asleep -- come, let
us set fire to this heap of corn, and burn it, and let us take that
bottle of water that is by them, and empty it out, so that they may
find nothing to drink, and we kill them with hunger and thirst.
4 Then, when they wake
up from their sleep, and seek to return to the cave, we will come to
them in the way, and will lead them astray; so that they die of
hunger and thirst; when they may, perhaps, deny God, and He destroy
them. So shall we be rid of them."
5 Then Satan and his
hosts set the wheat on fire and burned it up.
6 But from the heat of
the flame Adam and Eve awoke from their sleep, and saw the wheat
burning, and the bucket of water by them, poured out.
7 Then they cried and
went back to the cave.
8 But as they were going
up from below the mountain where they were, Satan and his hosts met
them in the form of angels, praising God.
9 Then Satan said to
Adam, "O Adam, why are you so pained with hunger and thirst? It
seems to me that Satan has burnt up the wheat." And Adam said to
him, "Yes."
10 Again Satan said to
Adam, "Come back with us; we are angels of God. God sent us to you,
to show you another field of corn, better than that; and beyond it
is a fountain of good water, and many trees, where you shall live
near it, and work the corn field to better purpose than that which
Satan has consumed."
11 Adam thought that he
was true, and that they were angels who talked with him; and he went
back with them.
12 Then Satan began to
lead astray Adam and Eve eight days, until they both fell down as if
dead, from hunger, thirst, and faintness. Then he fled with his
hosts, and left them.
Chapter 68
How destruction and trouble is of Satan when he is the master, Adam
and Eve establish the custom of worship.
1 Then God looked at Adam and Eve, and at what had come over them
from Satan, and how he had made them perish.
2 God, therefore, sent
His Word, and raised up Adam and Eve from their state of death.
3 Then, Adam, when he
was raised, said, "O God, You have burnt and taken from us the corn
You have given us, and You have emptied out the bucket of water. And
You have sent Your angels, who have caused us to lose our way from
the corn field. Will You make us perish? If this be from you, O God,
then take away our souls; but punish us not."
4 Then God said to Adam,
"I did not burn down the wheat, and I did not pour the water out of
the bucket, and I did not send My angels to lead you astray.
5 But it is Satan, your
master who did it; he to whom you have subjected yourself; my
commandment being meanwhile set aside. He it is, who burnt down the
corn, and poured out the water, and who has led you astray; and all
the promises he has made you were just a trick, a deception, and a
lie.
6 But now, O Adam, you
shall acknowledge My good deeds done to you."
7 And God told His
angels to take Adam and Eve, and to bear them up to the field of
wheat, which they found as before, with the bucket full of water.
8 There they saw a tree,
and found on it solid manna; and wondered at God's power. And the
angels commanded them to eat of the manna when they were hungry.
9 And God admonished
Satan with a curse, not to come again, and destroy the field of
corn.
10 Then Adam and Eve
took of the corn, and made of it an offering, and took it and
offered it up on the mountain, the place where they had offered up
their first offering of blood.
11 And they offered this
offering again on the altar they had built at first. And they stood
up and prayed, and besought the Lord saying, "Thus, O God, when we
were in the garden, our praises went up to you, like this offering;
and our innocence went up to you like incense. But now, O God,
accept this offering from us, and don't turn us away, deprived of
Your mercy."
12 Then God said to Adam
and Eve, "Since you have made this offering and have offered it to
Me, I shall make it My flesh, when I come down on earth to save you;
and I shall cause it to be offered continually on an altar, for
forgiveness and for mercy, for those who partake of it duly."
13 And God sent a bright
fire over the offering of Adam and Eve, and filled it with
brightness, grace, and light; and the Holy Ghost came down on that
offering.
14 Then God commanded an
angel to take fire tongs, like a spoon, and with it to take an
offering and bring it to Adam and Eve. And the angel did so, as God
had commanded him, and offered it to them.
15 And the souls of Adam
and Eve were brightened, and their hearts were filled with joy and
gladness and with the praises of God.
16 And God said to Adam,
"This shall be to you a custom, to do so, when affliction and sorrow
come over you. But your deliverance and your entrance in to the
garden, shall not be until the days are fulfilled as agreed between
you and Me; were it not so, I would, of My mercy and pity for you,
bring you back to My garden and to My favor for the sake of the
offering you have just made to My name."
17 Adam rejoiced at
these words which he heard from God; and he and Eve worshipped
before the altar, to which they bowed, and then went back to the
Cave of Treasures.
18 And this took place
at the end of the twelfth day after the eightieth day, from the time
Adam and Eve came out of the garden.
19 And they stood up the
whole night praying until morning; and then went out of the cave.
20 Then Adam said to
Eve, with joy of heart, because of the offering they had made to
God, and that had been accepted of Him, "Let us do this three times
every week, on the fourth day Wednesday, on the preparation day
Friday, and on the Sabbath Sunday, all the days of our life."
21 And as they agreed to
these words between themselves, God was pleased with their thoughts,
and with the resolution they had each taken with the other.
22 After this, came the
Word of God to Adam, and said, "O Adam, you have determined
beforehand the days in which sufferings shall come over Me, when I
am made flesh; for they are the fourth Wednesday, and the
preparation day Friday.
23 But as to the first
day, I created in it all things, and I raised the heavens. And,
again, through My rising again on this day, will I create joy, and
raise them on high, who believe in Me; O Adam, offer this offering,
all the days of your life."
24 Then God withdrew His
Word from Adam.
25 But Adam continued to
offer this offering thus, every week three times, until the end of
seven weeks. And on the first day, which is the fiftieth, Adam made
an offering as he was accustomed, and he and Eve took it and came to
the altar before God, as He had taught them.
Chapter 69
Twelfth apparition of Satan to Adam and Eve, while Adam was praying
over the offering on the altar; when Satan beat him.
1 Then Satan, the hater of all good, envious of Adam and of his
offering through which he found favor with God, hastened and took a
sharp stone from among the sharp iron stones; appeared in the form
of a man, and went and stood by Adam and Eve.
2 Adam was then offering
on the altar, and had begun to pray, with his hands spread before
God.
3 Then Satan hastened
with the sharp iron stone he had with him, and with it pierced Adam
on the right side, from which flowed blood and water, then Adam fell
on the altar like a corpse. And Satan fled.
4 Then Eve came, and
took Adam and placed him below the altar. And there she stayed,
crying over him; while a stream of blood flowed from Adam's side
over his offering.
5 But God looked at the
death of Adam. He then sent His Word, and raised him up and said to
him, "Fulfill your offering, for indeed, Adam, it is worth much, and
there is no shortcoming in it."
6 God said further to
Adam, "Thus will it also happen to Me, on the earth, when I shall be
pierced and blood and water shall flow from My side and run over My
body, which is the true offering; and which shall be offered on the
altar as a perfect offering."
7 Then God commanded
Adam to finish his offering, and when he had ended it he worshipped
before God, and praised Him for the signs He had showed him.
8 And God healed Adam in
one day, which is the end of the seven weeks; and that is the
fiftieth day.
9 Then Adam and Eve
returned from the mountain, and went into the Cave of Treasures, as
they were used to do. This completed for Adam and Eve, one hundred
and forty days since their coming out of the garden.
10 Then they both stood
up that night and prayed to God. And when it was morning, they went
out, and went down westward of the cave, to the place where their
corn was, and there rested under the shadow of a tree, as they were
accustomed.
11 But when there a
multitude of beasts came all around them. It was Satan's doing, in
his wickedness; in order to wage war against Adam through marriage.
Chapter 70
Thirteenth apparition of Satan, to trick Adam into marrying Eve.
1 After this Satan, the hater of all good, took the form of an
angel, and with him two others, so that they looked like the three
angels who had brought to Adam gold, incense, and myrrh.
2 They passed before
Adam and Eve while they were under the tree, and greeted Adam and
Eve with fair words that were full of deceit.
3 But when Adam and Eve
saw their pleasant expression, and heard their sweet speech, Adam
rose, welcomed them, and brought them to Eve, and they remained all
together; Adam's heart the while, being glad because he thought
concerning them, that they were the same angels, who had brought him
gold, incense, and myrrh.
4 Because, when they
came to Adam the first time, there came over him from them, peace
and joy, through their bringing him good tokens; so Adam thought
that they had come a second time to give him other tokens for him to
rejoice therewith. For he did not know it was Satan; therefore he
received them with joy and consorted with them.
5 Then Satan, the
tallest of them, said, "Rejoice, O Adam, and be glad. Look, God has
sent us to you to tell you something."
6 And Adam said, "What
is it?" Then Satan answered, "It is a simple thing, yet it is the
Word of God, will you accept it from us and do it? But if you will
not accept it, we will return to God, and tell Him that you would
not receive His Word."
7 And Satan said again
to Adam, "Don't be afraid and don't tremble; don't you know us?"
8 But Adam said, "I do
not know you."
9 Then Satan said to
him, "I am the angel that brought you gold, and took it to the cave;
this other angel is the one that brought you incense; and that third
angel, is the one who brought you myrrh when you were on top of the
mountain, and who carried you to the cave.
10 But as to the other
angels our fellows, who bare you to the cave, God has not sent them
with us this time; for He said to us, 'You will be enough'. "
11 So when Adam heard
these words he believed them, and said to these angels, "Speak the
Word of God, that I may receive it."
12 And Satan said to
him, "Swear, and promise me that you will receive it."
13 Then Adam said, "I do
not know how to swear and promise."
14 And Satan said to
him, "Hold out your hand, and put it inside my hand."
15 Then Adam held out
his hand, and put it into Satan's hand; when Satan said to him,
"Say, now -- So true as God is living, rational, and speaking, who
raised the stars in heaven, and established the dry ground on the
waters, and has created me out of the four elements*, and out of the
dust of the earth -- I will not break my promise, nor renounce my
word."
16 And Adam swore thus.
17 Then Satan said to
him, "Look, it is now some time since you came out of the garden,
and you know neither wickedness nor evil. But now God says to you,
to take Eve who came out of your side, and to marry her so that she
will bear you children, to comfort you, and to drive from you
trouble and sorrow; now this thing is not difficult, neither is
there any scandal in it to you.
Chapter 71
Adam is troubled by the thought of marrying Eve.
1 But when Adam heard these words from Satan, he sorrowed much,
because of his oath and of his promise, and said, "Shall I commit
adultery with my flesh and my bones, and shall I sin against myself,
for God to destroy me, and to blot me out from off the face of the
earth?
2 Since, when at first,
I ate of the tree, He drove me out of the garden into this strange
land, and deprived me of my bright nature, and brought death over
me. If, then, I should do this, He will cut off my life from the
earth, and He will cast me into hell, and will plague me there a
long time.
3 But God never spoke
the words that you have said; and you are not God's angels, and you
weren't sent from Him. But you are devils that have come to me under
the false appearance of angels. Away from me; you cursed of God!"
4 Then those devils fled
from before Adam. And he and Eve got up, and returned to the Cave of
Treasures, and went into it.
5 Then Adam said
to Eve, "If you saw what I did, don't tell anyone; for I sinned
against God in swearing by His great name, and I have placed my hand
another time into that of Satan." Eve, then, held her peace, as Adam
told her.
6 Then Adam got
up, and spread his hands before God, beseeching and entreating Him
with tears, to forgive him what he had done. And Adam remained thus
standing and praying forty days and forty nights. He neither ate nor
drank until he dropped down on the ground from hunger and thirst.
7 Then God sent His Word
to Adam, who raised him up from where he lay, and said to him, "O
Adam, why have you sworn by My name, and why have you made agreement
with Satan another time?"
8 But Adam cried, and
said, "O God, forgive me, for I did this unwittingly; believing they
were God's angels."
9 And God forgave Adam,
saying to him, "Beware of Satan."
10 And He withdrew His
Word from Adam.
11 Then Adam's heart was
comforted; and he took Eve, and they went out of the cave, to
prepare some food for their bodies.
12 But from that day
Adam struggled in his mind about his marrying Eve; afraid that if he
was to do it, God would be angry with him.
13 Then Adam and Eve
went to the river of water, and sat on the bank, as people do when
they enjoy themselves.
14 But Satan was jealous
of them; and planned to destroy them.
Chapter 72
Adam's heart is set on fire, Satan appears as beautiful maidens.
1 Then Satan, and ten from his hosts, transformed themselves into
maidens, unlike any others in the whole world for grace.
2 They came up out of
the river in presence of Adam and Eve, and they said among
themselves, "Come, we will look at the faces of Adam and Eve, who
are of the men on earth. How beautiful they are, and how different
is their look from our own faces." Then they came to Adam and Eve,
and greeted them; and stood wondering at them.
3 Adam and Eve looked at
them also, and wondered at their beauty, and said, "Is there, then,
under us, another world, with such beautiful creatures as these in
it?"
4 And those maidens said
to Adam and Eve, "Yes, indeed, we are an abundant creation."
5 Then Adam said to
them, "But how do you multiply?"
6 And they answered him,
"We have husbands who have married us, and we bear them children,
who grow up, and who in their turn marry and are married, and also
bear children; and thus we increase. And if so be, O Adam, you will
not believe us, we will show you our husbands and our children."
7 Then they shouted over
the river as if to call their husbands and their children, who came
up from the river, men and children; and every man came to his wife,
his children being with him.
8 But when Adam and Eve
saw them, they stood dumb, and wondered at them.
9 Then they said to Adam
and Eve, "See all our husbands and our children? You should marry
Eve, as we have married our husbands, so that you will have children
as we have." This was a device of Satan to deceive Adam.
10 Satan also thought
within himself, "God at first commanded Adam concerning the fruit of
the tree, saying to him, 'Eat not of it; else of death you shall
die.' But Adam ate of it, and yet God did not kill him; He only
decreed on him death, and plagues and trials, until the day he shall
come out of his body.
11 Now, then, if I
deceive him to do this thing, and to marry Eve without God's
permission, God will kill him then."
12 Therefore Satan
worked this apparition before Adam and Eve; because he sought to
kill him, and to make him disappear from off the face of the earth.
13 Meanwhile the fire of
sin came over Adam, and he thought of committing sin. But he
restrained himself, fearing that if he followed this advice of
Satan, God would put him to death.
14 Then Adam and Eve got
up, and prayed to God, while Satan and his hosts went down into the
river, in presence of Adam and Eve; to let them see that they were
going back to their own world.
15 Then Adam and Eve
went back to the Cave of Treasures, as they usually did; about
evening time.
16 And they both got up
and prayed to God that night. Adam remained standing in prayer, yet
not knowing how to pray, by reason of the thoughts in his heart
regarding his marrying Eve; and he continued so until morning.
17 And when light came
up, Adam said to Eve, "Get up, let us go below the mountain, where
they brought us gold, and let us ask the Lord concerning this
matter."
18 Then Eve said, "What
is that matter, O Adam?"
19 And he answered her,
"That I may request the Lord to inform me about marrying you; for I
will not do it without His permission or else He will make us
perish, you and me. For those devils have set my heart on fire, with
thoughts of what they showed us, in their sinful apparitions.
20 Then Eve said to
Adam, "Why need we go below the mountain? Let us rather stand up and
pray in our cave to God, to let us know whether this counsel is good
or not."
21 Then Adam rose up in
prayer and said, "O God, you know that we transgressed against you,
and from the moment we transgressed, we were stripped of our bright
nature; and our body became brutish, requiring food and drink; and
with animal desires.
22 Command us, O God,
not to give way to them without Your permission, for fear that You
will turn us into nothing. Because if you do not give us permission,
we shall be overpowered, and follow that advice of Satan; and You
will again make us perish.
23 If not, then take our
souls from us; let us be rid of this animal lust. And if You give us
no order respecting this thing, then sever Eve from me, and me from
her; and place us each far away from the other.
24 Then again, O God, if
You separate us from each other, the devils will deceive us with
their apparitions that resemble us, and destroy our hearts, and
defile our thoughts towards each other. Yet if it is not each of us
towards the other, it will, at all events, be through their
appearance when the devils come to us in our likeness." Here Adam
ended his prayer.
Chapter 73
The marriage of Adam and Eve.
1 Then God considered the words of Adam that they were true, and
that he could long await His order, respecting the counsel of Satan.
2 And God approved Adam
in what he had thought concerning this, and in the prayer he had
offered in His presence; and the Word of God came to Adam and said
to him, "O Adam, if only you had had this caution at first, before
you came out of the garden into this land!"
3 After that, God sent
His angel who had brought gold, and the angel who had brought
incense, and the angel who had brought myrrh to Adam, that they
should inform him respecting his marriage to Eve.
4 Then those angels said
to Adam, "Take the gold and give it to Eve as a wedding gift, and
promise to marry her; then give her some incense and myrrh as a
present; and be you, you and she, one flesh."
5 Adam obeyed the
angels, and took the gold and put it into Eve's bosom in her
garment; and promised to marry her with his hand.
6 Then the angels
commanded Adam and Eve to get up and pray forty days and forty
nights; when that was done, then Adam was to have sexual intercourse
with his wife; for then this would be an act pure and undefiled; so
that he would have children who would multiply, and replenish the
face of the earth.
7 Then both Adam and Eve
received the words of the angels; and the angels departed from them.
8 Then Adam and
Eve began to fast and pray, until the end of the forty days; and
then they had sexual intercourse, as the angels had told them. And
from the time Adam left the garden until he wedded Eve, were two
hundred and twenty-three days, that is seven months and thirteen
days.
9 Thus was Satan's war
with Adam defeated.
Chapter 74
The birth of Cain and Luluwa, Why they received those names.
1 And they lived on the earth working in order to keep their bodies
in good health; and they continued so until the nine months of Eve's
pregnancy were over, and the time drew near when she must give
birth.
2 Then she said to Adam,
"The signs placed in this cave since we left the garden indicate
that this is a pure place and we will be praying in it again some
time. It is not appropriate then, that I should give birth in it.
Let us instead go to the sheltering rock cave that was formed by the
command of God when Satan threw a big rock down on us in an attempt
to kill us with it.
3 Adam then took Eve to
that cave. When the time came for her to give birth, she strained a
lot. Adam felt sorry, and he was very worried about her because she
was close to death and the words of God to her were being fulfilled:
"In suffering shall you bear a child, and in sorrow shall you bring
forth a child."
4 But when Adam saw the
distress in which Eve was, he got up and prayed to God, and said, "O
Lord, look at me with the eye of Your mercy, and bring her out of
her distress."
5 And God looked at His
maid-servant Eve, and delivered her, and she gave birth to her
first-born son, and with him a daughter.
6 The Adam rejoiced at
Eve's deliverance, and also over the children she had borne him. And
Adam ministered to Eve in the cave, until the end of eight days;
when they named the son Cain, and the daughter Luluwa.
7 The meaning of Cain is
"hater," because he hated his sister in their mother's womb; before
they came out of it. Therefore Adam named him Cain.
8 But Luluwa means
"beautiful," because she was more beautiful than her mother.
9 Then Adam and Eve
waited until Cain and his sister were forty days old, when Adam said
to Eve, "We will make an offering and offer it up in behalf of the
children."
10 And Eve said, "We
will make one offering for the first-born son and then later we
shall make one for the daughter."
Chapter 75
The family revisits the Cave of Treasures, Birth of Abel and Aklia.
1 Then Adam prepared an offering, and he and Eve offered it up for
their children, and brought it to the altar they had built at first.
2 And Adam offered up
the offering, and asked God to accept his offering.
3 Then God accepted
Adam's offering, and sent a light from heaven that shown on the
offering. Adam and his son drew near to the offering, but Eve and
the daughter did not approach it.
4 Adam and his son were
joyful as they came down from on the altar. Adam and Eve waited
until the daughter was eighty days old, then Adam prepared an
offering and took it to Eve and to the children. They went to the
altar, where Adam offered it up, as he was accustomed, asking the
Lord to accept his offering.
5 And the Lord accepted
the offering of Adam and Eve. Then Adam, Eve, and the children, drew
near together, and came down from the mountain, rejoicing.
6 But they returned not
to the cave in which they were born; but came to the Cave of
Treasures, in order that the children should go around in it, and be
blessed with the tokens brought from the garden.
7 But after they had
been blessed with these tokens, they went back to the cave in which
they were born.
8 However, before Eve
had offered up the offering, Adam had taken her, and had gone with
her to the river of water, in which they threw themselves at first;
and there they washed themselves. Adam washed his body and Eve hers
also clean, after the suffering and distress that had come over
them.
9 But Adam and Eve,
after washing themselves in the river of water, returned every night
to the Cave of Treasures, where they prayed and were blessed; and
then went back to their cave, where their children were born.
10 Adam and Eve did this
until the children had been weaned. After they were weaned, Adam
made an offering for the souls of his children in addition to the
three times every week he made an offering for them.
11 When the children
were weaned, Eve again conceived, and when her pregnancy came to
term, she gave birth to another son and daughter. They named the son
Abel and the daughter Aklia.
12 Then at the end of
forty days, Adam made an offering for the son, and at the end of
eighty days he made another offering for the daughter, and treated
them, as he had previously treated Cain and his sister Luluwa.
13 He brought them to
the Cave of Treasures, where they received a blessing, and then
returned to the cave where they were born. After these children were
born, Eve stopped having children.
Chapter 76
Cain becomes jealous of Abel because of his sisters.
1 And the children began to grow stronger and taller; but Cain was
hard-hearted, and ruled over his younger brother.
2 Often when his father
made an offering, Cain would remain behind and not go with them, to
offer up.
3 But, as to Abel, he
had a meek heart, and was obedient to his father and mother. He
frequently moved them to make an offering, because he loved it. He
prayed and fasted a lot.
4 Then came this sign to
Abel. As he was coming into the Cave of Treasures, and saw the
golden rods, the incense and the myrrh, he asked his parents, Adam
and Eve, to tell him about them and asked, "Where did you get these
from?"
5 Then Adam told him all
that had befallen them. And Abel felt deeply about what his father
told him.
6 Furthermore his
father, Adam, told him of the works of God, and of the garden. After
hearing that, Abel remained behind after his father left and stayed
the whole of that night in the Cave of Treasures.
7 And that night, while
he was praying, Satan appeared to him under the figure of a man, who
said to him, "You have frequently moved your father into making
offerings, fasting and praying, therefore I will kill you, and make
you perish from this world."
8 But as for Abel, he
prayed to God, and drove away Satan from him; and did not believe
the words of the devil. Then when it was day, an angel of God
appeared to him, who said to him, "Do not cut short either fasting,
prayer, or offering up an offering to your God. For, look, the Lord
had accepted your prayer. Be not afraid of the figure which appeared
to you in the night, and who cursed you to death." And the angel
departed from him.
9 Then when it was day,
Abel came to Adam and Eve, and told them of the vision he had seen.
When they heard it, they grieved much over it, but said nothing to
him about it; they only comforted him.
10 But as to the
hard-hearted Cain, Satan came to him by night, showed himself and
said to him, "Since Adam and Eve love your brother Abel so much more
than they love you, they wish to join him in marriage to your
beautiful sister because they love him. However, they wish to join
you in marriage to his ugly sister, because they hate you.
11 Now before they do
that, I am telling you that you should kill your brother. That way
your sister will be left for you, and his sister will be cast away."
12 And Satan departed
from him. But the devil remained behind in Cain's heart, and
frequently aspired to kill his brother.
Chapter 77
Cain, 15 years old, and Abel 12 years old, grow apart.
1 But when Adam saw that the older brother hated the younger, he
endeavored to soften their hearts, and said to Cain, "O my son, take
of the fruits of your sowing and make an offering to God, so that He
might forgive you for your wickedness and sin."
2 He said also to Abel,
"Take some of your sowing and make an offering and bring it to God,
so that He might forgive you for your wickedness and sin."
3 Then Abel obeyed his
father's voice, took some of his sowing, and made a good offering,
and said to his father, Adam, "Come with me and show me how to offer
it up."
4 And they went, Adam
and Eve with him, and they showed him how to offer up his gift on
the altar. Then after that, they stood up and prayed that God would
accept Abel's offering.
5 Then God looked at
Abel and accepted his offering. And God was more pleased with Abel
than with his offering, because of his good heart and pure body.
There was no trace of guile in him.
6 Then they came down
from the altar, and went to the cave in which they lived. But Abel,
by reason of his joy at having made his offering, repeated it three
times a week, after the example of his father Adam.
7 But as to Cain, he did
not want to make an offering, but after his father became very
angry, he offered up a gift once. He took the smallest of his sheep
for an offering and when he offered it up, his eyes were on the
lamb.
8 Therefore God did not
accept his offering, because his heart was full of murderous
thoughts.
9 And they all thus
lived together in the cave in which Eve had brought forth, until
Cain was fifteen years old, and Abel twelve years old.
Chapter 78
Jealousy overcomes Cain, He makes trouble in the family, How the
first murder was planned.
1 Then Adam said to Eve, "Behold the children are grown up; we must
think of finding wives for them."
2 Then Eve answered,
"How can we do it?"
3 Then Adam said to her,
"We will join Abel's sister in marriage to Cain, and Cain's sister
to Abel.
4 The said Eve to Adam,
"I do not like Cain because he is hard-hearted; but let them stay
with us until we offer up to the Lord in their behalf."
5 And Adam said no more.
6 Meanwhile Satan came
to Cain in the figure of a man of the field, and said to him,
"Behold Adam and Eve have taken counsel together about the marriage
of you two; and they have agreed to marry Abel's sister to you, and
your sister to him.
7 But if it was not that
I love you, I would not have told you this thing. Yet if you will
take my advice, and obey me, I will bring to you on your wedding day
beautiful robes, gold and silver in plenty, and my relations will
attend you."
8 Then Cain said with
joy, "Where are your relations?"
9 And Satan answered,
"My relations are in a garden in the north, where I once meant to
bring your father Adam; but he would not accept my offer.
10 But you, if you will
receive my words and if you will come to me after your wedding, you
shall rest from the misery in which you are; and you shall rest and
be better off than your father Adam."
11 At these words of
Satan Cain opened his ears, and leaned towards his speech.
12 And he did not remain
in the field, but he went to Eve, his mother, and beat her, and
cursed her, and said to her, "Why are you planning to take my sister
to wed her to my brother? Am I dead?"
13 His mother, however,
quieted him, and sent him to the field where he had been.
14 Then when Adam came,
she told him of what Cain had done.
15 But Adam grieved and
held his peace, and said not a word.
16 Then on the next
morning Adam said to Cain his son, "Take of your sheep, young and
good, and offer them up to your God; and I will speak to your
brother, to make to his God an offering of corn."
17 They both obeyed
their father Adam, and they took their offerings, and offered them
up on the mountain by the altar.
18 But Cain behaved
haughtily towards his brother, and shoved him from the altar, and
would not let him offer up his gift on the altar; but he offered his
own on it, with a proud heart, full of guile, and fraud.
19 But as for Abel, he
set up stones that were near at hand, and on that, he offered up his
gift with a heart humble and free from guile.
20 Cain was then
standing by the altar on which he had offered up his gift; and he
cried to God to accept his offering; but God did not accept it from
him; neither did a divine fire come down to consume his offering.
21 But he remained
standing over against the altar, out of humor and meanness, looking
towards his brother Abel, to see if God would accept his offering or
not.
22 And Abel prayed to
God to accept his offering. Then a divine fire came down and
consumed his offering. And God smelled the sweet savor of his
offering; because Abel loved Him and rejoice in Him.
23 And because God was
well pleased with him, He sent him an angel of light in the figure
of a man who had partaken of his offering, because He had smelled
the sweet savor of his offering, and they comforted Abel and
strengthened his heart.
24 But Cain was looking
on all that took place at his brother's offering, and was angry
because of it.
25 Then he opened his
mouth and blasphemed God, because He had not accepted his offering.
26 But God said to
Cain, "Why do you look sad? Be righteous, that I may accept your
offering. Not against Me have you murmured, but against yourself.
27 And God said this to
Cain in rebuke, and because He abhorred him and his offering.
28 And Cain came down
from the altar, his color changed and with a sad face, and came to
his father and mother and told them all that had befallen him. And
Adam grieved much because God had not accepted Cain's offering.
29 But Abel came down
rejoicing, and with a gladsome heart, and told his father and mother
how God had accepted his offering. And they rejoiced at it and
kissed his face.
30 And Abel said to his
father, "Because Cain shoved me from the altar, and would not allow
me to offer my gift on it, I made an altar for myself and offered my
gift on it."
31 But when Adam heard
this he was very sorry, because it was the altar he had built at
first, and on which he had offered his own gifts.
32 As to Cain, he was so
resentful and so angry that he went into the field, where Satan came
to him and said to him, "Since your brother Abel has taken refuge
with your father Adam, because you shoved him from the altar, they
have kissed his face, and they rejoice over him, far more than over
you."
33 When Cain heard these
words of Satan, he was filled with rage; and he let no one know. But
he was laying wait to kill his brother, until he brought him into
the cave, and then said to him: --
34 "O brother, the
country is so beautiful, and there are such beautiful and
pleasurable trees in it, and charming to look at! But brother, you
have never been one day in the field to take your pleasure in that
place.
35 Today, O, my brother,
I very much wish you would come with me into the field, to enjoy
yourself and to bless our fields and our flocks, for you are
righteous, and I love you much, O my brother! But you have alienated
yourself from me."
36 Then Abel consented
to go with his brother Cain into the field.
37 But before going out,
Cain said to Abel, "Wait for me, until I fetch a staff, because of
wild beasts."
38 Then Abel stood
waiting in his innocence. But Cain, the forward, fetched a staff and
went out.
39 And they began, Cain
and his brother Abel, to walk in the way; Cain talking to him, and
comforting him, to make him forget everything.
Chapter 79
A wicked plan is carried to a tragic conclusion, Cain is frightened.
"Am I my brother's keeper?", The seven punishments, Peace is
shattered.
1 And so they went on, until they came to a lonely place, where
there were no sheep; then Abel said to Cain, "Behold, my brother, we
are tired from walking; for we see none of the trees, nor of the
fruits, nor of the flourishing green plants, nor of the sheep, nor
any one of the things of which you told me. Where are those sheep of
thine you told me to bless?"
2 Then Cain said to him,
"Come on, and you shall see many beautiful things very soon, but go
before me, until I catch up to you."
3 Then went Abel
forward, but Cain remained behind him.
4 And Abel was walking
in his innocence, without guile; not believing his brother would
kill him.
5 Then Cain, when he
came up to him, comforted him with his talk, walking a little behind
him; then he ran up to him and beat him with the staff, blow after
blow, until he was stunned.
6 But when Abel fell
down on the ground, seeing that his brother meant to kill him, he
said to Cain, "O, my brother, have pity on me. By the breasts we
have sucked, don't hit me! By the womb that bore us and that brought
us into the world, don't beat me to death with that staff! If you
will kill me, take one of these large stones and kill me outright."
7 Then Cain, the
hard-hearted, and cruel murderer, took a large stone, and beat his
brother's head with it, until his brains oozed out, and he wallowed
in his blood, before him.
8 And Cain repented not
of what he had done.
9 But the earth, when
the blood of righteous Abel fell on it, trembled, as it drank his
blood, and would have destroyed Cain because of it.
10 And the blood of Abel
cried mysteriously to God, to avenge him of his murderer.
11 Then Cain began at
once to dig the ground wherein to lay his brother; for he was
trembling from the fear that came over him, when he saw the earth
tremble on his account.
12 He then cast his
brother into the pit he made, and covered him with dust. But the
ground would not receive him; but it threw him up at once.
13 Again Cain dug the
ground and hid his brother in it; but again the ground threw him up
on itself; until three times the ground thus threw up on itself the
body of Abel.
14 The muddy ground
threw him up the first time, because he was not the first creation;
and it threw him up the second time and would not receive him,
because he was righteous and good, and was killed without a cause;
and the ground threw him up the third time and would not receive
him, that there might remain before his brother a witness against
him.
15 And so the earth
mocked Cain, until the Word of God, came to him concerning his
brother.
16 Then was God angry,
and much displeased at Abel's death; and He thundered from heaven,
and lightning's went before Him, and the Word of the Lord God came
from heaven to Cain, and said to him, "Where is Abel your brother?"
17 Then Cain answered
with a proud heart and a gruff voice, "How, O God? Am I my brother's
keeper?"
18 Then God said to
Cain, "Cursed be the earth that has drunk the blood of Abel your
brother; and as for you, you will always be trembling and shaking;
and this will be a mark on you so that whoever finds you, will kill
you."
19 But Cain cried
because God had said those words to him; and Cain said to Him, "O
God, whosoever finds me shall kill me, and I shall be blotted out
from the face of the earth."
20 Then God said to
Cain, "Whoever finds you will not kill you;" because before this,
God had been saying to Cain, "I shall put seven punishments on
anyone that kills Cain." For as to the word of God to Cain, "Where
is your brother?" God said it in mercy for him, to try and make him
repent.
21 For if Cain had
repented at that time, and had said, "O God, forgive me my sin, and
the murder of my brother," God would then have forgiven him his sin.
22 And as to God saying
to Cain, "Cursed be the ground that has drunk the blood of your
brother" That also, was God's mercy on Cain. For God did not curse
him, but He cursed the ground; although it was not the ground that
had killed Abel, and committed a wicked sin.
23 For it was fitting
that the curse should fall on the murderer; yet in mercy did God so
manage His thoughts as that no one should know it, and turn away
from Cain.
24 And He said to him,
"Where is your brother?" To which he answered and said, "I know
not." Then the Creator said to him, "Be trembling and quaking."
25 Then Cain trembled
and became terrified; and through this sign did God make him an
example before all the creation, as the murderer of his brother.
Also did God bring trembling and terror over him, that he might see
the peace in which he was at first, and see also the trembling and
terror he endured at the last; so that he might humble himself
before God, and repent of his sin, and seek the peace that he
enjoyed at first.
26 And in the word of
God that said, "I will put seven punishments on anyone who kills
Cain," God was not seeking to kill Cain with the sword, but He
sought to make him die of fasting, and praying and crying by hard
rule, until the time that he was delivered from his sin.
27 And the seven
punishments are the seven generations during which God awaited Cain
for the murder of his brother.
28 But as to Cain, ever
since he had killed his brother, he could find no rest in any place;
but went back to Adam and Eve, trembling, terrified, and defiled
with blood.