1When Adam and Eve were expelled from paradise they made for themselves a tent and spent seven days mourning and lamenting in great sadness. 2 But after seven days they began to be hungry and sought food to eat and did not find any. 3 Eve told Adam: “Adam, my husband, Then Eve said to Adam: “My husband, I am hungry. Go, seek for us something to eat. Perhaps the Lord God will look upon us and have mercy on us and will call us back to the place where we were before.” 4 And Adam arose after seven days and And Adam arose and walked for seven days over all that land but did not find food such as they had in paradise. 5 Eve said to Adam: “My husband, I wish I could die. Perhaps then the Lord God would bring you back into paradise, for it was because of me that the Lord God grew angry with you. Do you wish to kill me, that I might die? Perhaps the Lord God will bring you back into paradise, since on account of my action you were expelled from there.” 6 Adam responded: “Don’t say such things, Eve, or else the Lord God will bring upon us some other curse. How could I raise my hand against my own flesh? Let us arise and seek for ourselves something by which we might live so we don’t die.” 7 Walking about, they searched for many days but did not find anything like they had in paradise. They only found what animals eat. 8 Adam said to Eve: “The Lord gave these things to animals and beasts to eat. But ours was angelic food. 9 But justly and worthily do we lament before the face of God who made us. Let us perform a great penitence. Perhaps the Lord God will yield and have mercy on us and give us something by which we might live.”
2Eve said to Adam: “My husband, tell me what penance is and how long should I perform it, or else we might place on ourselves a burden we can’t endure, and he not hear our prayers,” 2 And the Lord turned his face from us because we did not fulfill what we promise. 3 My husband, how much penitence are you thinking of doing since I brought labor and tribulation upon you.” 4 Adam said to Eve: “You cannot do as much as I, but do as much so that you might be saved. For I will do forty days of fasting. You, however, arise and go to the Tigris River and take a stone and stand upon it in the water up to your neck in the depth of the river. Let not a word go forth from your mouth since we are unworthy to ask of the Lord for our lips are unclean from the illicit and forbidden tree. 5 Stand in the water of the river for thirtyseven days. I however, will do forty days in the water of the Jordan. Perhaps the Lord will have mercy on us.” 6 Eve walked to the Tigris River and did just as Adam told her.ت 7 Likewise, Adam walked to the Jordan River and stood upon a rock up to his neck in the water. 8 Adam said: “I say to you, water of the Jordan, mourn with me and separate from me all swimming creatures which are in you. Let them surround me and mourn with me.[1] 9 Let them not lament for themselves, but for me, for they have not sinned, but I.” 10 Immediately, all living things came and surrounded him and the water of the Jordan stood from that hour not flowing in its course. 11 Eighteen days passed. Then Satan grew angry and transfigured himself into the brilliance of an angel and went off to the Tigris River to Eve. 12 He found her weeping, and then, the Devil himself, as if mourning with her began to weep and said to her: “Come out of the water and rest and weep no longer. Cease now from your sadness and lamenting. Why are you uneasy, you and your husband Adam? 13 The Lord God has heard your lamenting and accepted your penitence. All of us angels have pleaded for you, praying to the Lord, 14 and he sent me to lead you forth from the water and to give you the nourishment which you had in paradise and for which you have grieved. 15 Now, therefore, come out of the water and I will lead you to the place where your food is prepared.” 16 Hearing this, Eve believed him and went out of the water of the river. Her flesh was like grass from the water’s coldness. 17 When she had come out, she fell to the ground, but the Devil stood her up and led her to Adam. 18 When Adam saw her and the Devil with her, he cried out with tears, saying: “Oh Eve, Oh Eve, where is the work of your penitence? How have you again been seduced by our adversary, through whom we were alienated from the dwelling of paradise and spiritual happiness? 19 When Eve heard this, she knew that it was the Devil who had persuaded her to go out from the river and she fell on her face on the ground and her grief was double, as was her wailing and lamentation. 20 She cried out, saying: “Curse you, Devil. For what reason do you fight against us? What concern do you have with us? What have we done to you that you should persecute us so grievously? Why does your malice extend to us? 21 Did we ever take your glory from you or cause you to be without honor? Why do you persecute us, Oh enemy, impiously and jealously to the point of death?”
3Groaning, the Devil said: “Oh Adam, all my enmity, jealousy, and resentment is toward you, since because of you I was expelled and alienated from my glory, which I had in heaven in the midst of the angels. Because of you I was cast out upon the earth.” 2 Adam answered: “What have I done to you? 3 What fault do I have against you? Since you have not been harmed nor injured by us, why do you persecute us?” 4 The Devil answered: “Adam, what are you saying to me? Because of you I was cast out from heaven. 5 When you were formed, I was cast out from the face of God and was sent forth from the company of the angels. When God blew into you the breath of life and your countenance and likeness were made in the image of God, Michael led you and made you worship in the sight of God. The Lord God then said: ‘Look, Adam, I have made you in our image and likeness.’ 6 Having gone forth, Michael called all the angels saying: ‘Worship the image of the Lord God, just as the Lord God has commanded.’ 7 Michael himself worshipped first then he called me and said: ‘Worship the image of God Jehovah.’ 8 I answered: ‘I do not have it in me to worship Adam.’ When Michael compelled me to worship, I said to him: ‘Why do you compel me? I will not worship someone who is lower and came after me. I existed before that creature. He ought to worship me.’ 9 Hearing this, other angels who were under me were unwilling to worship him. 10 Michael said: ‘Worship the image of God. If you do not worship, the Lord God will grow angry with you.’ 11 I said: ‘If he grows angry with me, I will place my seat above the stars of heaven and I will be like the Most High.’ 12 Then the Lord God grew angry with me and sent me forth with my angels from our glory. Because of you we were expelled from our dwelling into this world and cast out upon the earth. 13 Immediately we were in grief, since we had been stripped of so much glory, 14 and we lamented seeing you in such a great happiness of delights. By a trick I cheated your wife and caused you to be expelled through her from the delights of your happiness, just as I had been expelled from my glory.” 15 Hearing this, Adam cried out with a great shout because of the Devil, and said: “Oh Lord my God, my life is in your hands. Drive this adversary of mine far from me, for he seeks to ruin my soul. Give me his glory, which he himself lost.” 16 Immediately the Devil no longer appeared to him. 17 Adam indeed persevered for forty days standing in penitence in the waters of the Jordan.
4Eve said to Adam: “May you live long, my husband—my life is bound to you, since you did not take part in either the first or second collusion. But I conspired and was seduced, because I did not keep the commandment of God. Now separate me from the light of this life. I will go to the west and remain there until I die. 2 She then began to walk toward the western regions and began to wail and weep bitterly with great moaning. 3 She made there a dwelling, being three months pregnant. 4 When the time of her delivery approached, she began to be distressed with pains, and she cried out to the Lord, saying: 5 “Have mercy on me, Oh Lord, help me.” She was not heard, nor was the mercy of God toward her. She said to herself: “Who will tell my husband Adam? I beg you, lights of the heavens, when you turn again to the east, tell my husband Adam. 6 20.1a In that very hour Adam said: “The lament of Eve has come to me. Perhaps the serpent has fought with her again.” 7 Walking, he found her in great distress. Eve said: “How is it that I see you, my husband? My soul has grown cold in these pains. Now pray to the Lord God on my behalf that he might hear you and look upon me and free me from my terrible pains.” 8 Adam then prayed to the Lord for Eve. 9 And behold, twelve angels came and two Virtues, standing to the right and to the left of Eve. 10 Michael was standing to her right and touched his face to her chest and said to Eve: “Blessed are you, Eve, because of Adam, for his prayers and supplications are great. I was sent to you that you might receive our help. Arise now and prepare yourself for birth.” 11 21.3a She brought forth a son who shone brilliantly. At once the infant stood up, ran out, and brought some grass with his own hands and gave it to his mother. His name was called Cain.
5Adam took Eve and the boy and led them to the east. 2 The Lord God sent various seeds by Michael the angel, who gave them to Adam and showed them how to work and tend the ground, in order to have fruit, from which they and all their generations might live. 3 Afterwards, Eve conceived and bore a son, whose name was Abel, and Cain and Abel remained together as one. 4 22.4a Eve said to Adam: 5 22.4b “My husband, while asleep I saw a vision like the blood of our son Abel on the hand of Cain who tasted it with his mouth. On account of this I am pained.” 6 Adam said: “Oh no, let not Cain kill Abel, but let us separate them from each other and make separate houses for them.” 7 They made Cain to be a farmer, and Abel to be a shepherd that they might thus be separated from each other. 8 But even after this, Cain killed Abel. Adam was then years old. Abel was killed when he was years old. 9 After this Adam knew his wife and had a son and called his name Seth. 10 Adam said to Eve: “Look, I have had a son in place of Abel, whom Cain killed.” 11 After Adam had Seth, he lived for years and had 30 sons and 30 daughters 63 altogether and they were multiplied over the earth in its nations.
6Adam said to Seth: “Let me recount for you what I have heard and seen. After I and your mother were cast out of paradise, 2 when we were at prayer, the archangel Michael, the messenger of God, came to me. 3 I saw a chariot like the wind, and its wheels were afire, and I was caught up into the paradise of the just. I saw the Lord seated, his face like fire burning intolerably. Many thousands of angels were at the right and the left of his chariot. 4 Seeing this, I was disturbed and fear seized me and I worshipped before God above the face of the earth. 5 Then God said to me: ‘Look, you shall die because you transgressed the commandment of God, because you listened more to the voice of your wife whom I gave over to your control that you might have her in your will. You listened to her and transgressed my words.’ 6 When I heard these words of God, falling down on the ground I worshipped the Lord and said: ‘My Lord, Almighty and merciful God, holy and faithful, do not let the name of the memory of your majesty be destroyed, but turn my soul around, for I will die and my spirit will go forth from my mouth. 7 Do not cast me out from your sight, you who formed me from the dust of the earth, nor put me out from your grace, you who nourished me. 8 Look, your word has come over me.’ Then the Lord God said to me: ‘Since your days are numbered, you have become attentive to knowledge. my very bad pains.” On account of this no one shall ever be taken from your offspring to minister to me.’ 9 When I heard these words, I prostrated myself on the ground and worshipped the Lord God saying: ‘You are the eternal and most high God. All creatures give you honor and praise. 10 You are above all, the shining light, the true light, the living life, the Virtue of incomprehensible greatness. To you the spiritual virtues give honor and praise. With the human race you show the great deeds of your mercy.’ 11 After I worshipped the Lord God, straightway Michael, the archangel of God, took my hand and threw me out of the paradise of God’s visitation and command. 12 Michael, holding in his hand a rod, touched the waters which surrounded paradise and they froze. 13 Then I crossed over, and Michael crossed over with me and brought me again to the place from which he had taken me. 14 Hear also, my son Seth, the other mysteries and promised things to come which have been revealed to me. By eating of the tree of knowledge I have known and understood the things which are in this age, 15 which God will do to his creature, the human race. 16 The Lord will appear in a flame of fire. From the mouth of his majesty he will give commandment and precepts to all from his mouth will go forth a sword, sharp on both edges and they will sanctify him in the house of the dwelling of his majesty. He will show to them the marvelous place of his majesty. 17 Then they will build a house for the Lord God on my behalf that he might hear you and look down upon me and free me from Lord their God in the land which he will prepare for them, and there they will transgress his precepts. Their sanctuary will be set afire, and their land shall be desolate, and they themselves will be dispersed because they provoked God. 18 But again, on the third / seventh day ? he will save them from their dispersion and they will build once more the house of God, and it will then be higher than it was before. 19 But once again, iniquity will conquer justice. After this, God will dwell, living with men on the earth. Then justice will begin to shine, and the house of the Lord will be honored forever. The opponents will no more be able to kill men who believe in God. God will then receive to himself a faithful people, who will be saved forever and ever. But the impious who did not wish to love his law will be punished by God their King. 20 Heaven and earth, night and day, and all creatures will obey him and will not transgress his commandment, nor will they alter his works. Men who forsake the law of the Lord, however, will be changed. 21 On account of this, the Lord will cast away from himself the impious, but the just will shine like the sun in the sight of God. At that time, men will be purified by water of their sins. 22 Those unwilling to be purified by water will be condemned. Blessed will be the one who amends his soul when the judgments and great deeds of God will be among men. Their deeds will be investigated by God, the just judge.”
7After Adam reached the age of years, knowing that his days were ended, he said to Eve: “Gather about me all my children that I might bless them before I die, and that I might speak with them.” 2 They were gathered before his sight, in front of the oratory where he worshipped the Lord God. They numbered men, not counting women and children. 3 They asked him and when they all had been gathered, they said with one voice: “What is wrong with you, father, that you have gathered us together? Why are you lying on your bed?” 4 Answering, Adam said: “My children, I am in great pain.” All his children said to him: “What does it mean, father, to have great pain?” 5 Then his son, Seth, said: “Father, do you perhaps long for some of the fruit of paradise, which you used to eat, and therefore you lie there saddened? Tell me and I will go up to the gates of paradise and cast dust on my head and throw myself on the ground before the gates of paradise, mourning in great lamentation, begging the Lord. Perhaps he will hear me and send his angel to bring me some of the fruit you desire.” 6 Adam answered and said: “No, my son, I do not desire it, even though I am suffering infirmity and great pain in my body.” 7 Seth answered: “What is pain, my father, for I do not know. Do not send us away, but tell us for inwardly we do not know.”
8Adam answered and said: “Hear me, my children. When God made us, me and your mother, and placed us in paradise and gave us all fruit bearing trees for food, he forbade us, saying: ‘Of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, which is in the midst of paradise, you may not eat.’ 2 God, however, gave part of paradise to me, and part to your mother: to me he gave the tree of the eastern and northern part which is against the north ? and to your mother he gave the southern and western part. 3 The Lord God gave us two angels to watch over us. 4 The hour came for the angels to ascend to the sight of God for worship. At once, the Devil, our adversary, found the place. 5 Then she ate and gave to me to eat. 6 Immediately, the Lord God grew angry with us and said to me: ‘Because you have forsaken my mandate and have not kept my word which I entrusted to you, I will bring upon your body seventy afflictions. You will be racked with pains from the top of your head, eyes, and ears, to the bottom of your feet, and in every single member.’ This he counted as punishment fitting in suffering to the seriousness of our transgression concerning the trees of suffering for the transgression of the fruit of the tree? 7 The Lord sent all these ills upon me and all our generations.”
9Saying this to all his children, Adam was seized with great pains, and crying out with a great voice, he said: “What shall I do, I who am unfortunate, being in so much pain?” 2 When Eve saw him, she began to cry and said: “Oh Lord God, transfer his pain to me, since it was I who sinned.” Eve then said to Adam: “My husband, give me part of your pain, since by me this blame came upon you.” 3 Adam then said to Eve: “Rise, go with my son, Seth, near to the gates of paradise and cast dust on your heads, and prostrate yourself on the ground, lamenting in the sight of God. 4 Perhaps he will take pity and send his angel over to the tree of his mercy from which flows the oil of life, and will give you a little of it with which to anoint me so that I may have rest from these pains with which I am consumed.”
10Seth and his mother went away to the gates of paradise. As they were walking, there suddenly appeared the serpent, the beast, who attacked and bit Seth. 2 When Eve saw this, she said: “Oh no, I’m cursed because I did not keep the commandments of the Lord.” 3 Eve said to the serpent in a great voice: “Oh cursed beast, why are you not afraid to cast yourself at the image of God, but dare to fight against it? Why have your teeth prevailed?” 4 The beast answered in a human voice: “Oh Eve, was our malice ever not against you? Isn’t our anger against you? 5 Tell me, Eve. How could you open your mouth to eat the fruit which the Lord God commanded you not to eat? Now, however, you are not able to bear it if I should begin to reproach you?” 6 Then Seth said to the beast: “May the Lord God reproach you. Be mute, grow silent, close your mouth, cursed enemy of the truth, disorder of destruction. Fall back from the image of God until the day when the Lord God shall order you to be brought in for trial.” 7 The beast said to Seth: “Look, I am going away, just as you have said, from the face of the image of God.” At once the wound from its teeth disappeared from Seth.
11By no means can you receive any until the last days, after years have passed. 2 Then the most loving king of God will come upon the earth to resurrect the body of Adam, and, with him, the bodies of all the dead. The very Son of God, when he comes, will be baptized in the river Jordan, and when he comes forth from the water of the Jordan, he will then anoint all who believe in him with the oil of his mercy. 3 This oil of mercy will be from generation to generation on those who are reborn of water and the Holy Spirit into eternal life. Then, the most loving Son of God will descend into the earth and lead your father, Adam, back into paradise to the tree of mercy. END NIC,
12But you, Seth, go to your father, Adam, for the time of his life is complete. Six days hence, his soul will go forth from his body, and, when it does, you will see great wonders in heaven and on earth, and in the lights of heaven.” 2 Saying this, Michael at once withdrew from Seth. Seth and Eve went home, carrying with them a small branch and spices — nard, crocus, calaminth, and cinnamon. III “Legend of the Holy Rood” 3 When Seth and his mother reached Adam, they said to him III all that had been done on the way, and said that the beast, the serpent, had bitten Seth.
13Adam said to Eve: “What have you done? You have brought on us a great affliction, fault and sin to all our generations. 2 What you have done will be passed on to your children after my death, for those who arise from us will not have all they need from their labors, but will be lacking. They will curse us, saying: 3 “Our parents, who were from the beginning, brought all these evils on us.” Hearing this, Eve began to weep and moan. III “Legend of the wood of the Cross”
14Just as Michael had predicted, after six days the death of Adam came. 2 When Adam knew that the hour of his death had come, he said to all his children: “Now I am years old, and if I die, bury me beside the great garden of God near his dwelling.” 3 And it happened that, when he had finished all his words, he gave up his spirit..
15The sun, moon and stars grew dark for seven days. Seth embraced the body of his father and mourned over it. Eve cast her eyes upon the ground with her hands clasped above her head and her head placed on her knees. All her children wept with very bitter tears. 2 Then Michael the angel appeared, standing at Adam’s head, and said to Seth: “Arise from the body of your father, and come with me and see what the Lord God has arranged for him. He is his creature and he has taken pity on him.”
16Then all the angels, playing trumpets, said: “Blessed are you, Lord, for you have taken pity on your creature.” 2 Then Seth saw the hand of the Lord outstretched, holding Adam. He handed him over to Michael, saying: 3 “Let him be in your care until the day of retribution, in supplication until the last years when I shall change his mourning into joy. Then he will sit on the throne of him who beguiled him.”
17Then the Lord said to the angels Michael and Uriel, “Bring me three linen shrouds and lay them over Adam. Bring more shrouds and cover Abel, his son. Then bury Adam and his son.” 2 All the heavenly hosts passed before Adam, and in this way, the sacred practice of honoring the dead was established. 3 Michael and Uriel buried Adam and Abel in a place in paradise that only Seth and his mother saw. Then Michael and Uriel said, “Just as you see us doing, you should also bury your dead.”
18Six days after Adam’s death, Eve knew her own death was near, so she gathered together all her sons and daughters, who were Seth along with his thirty brothers and thirty sisters. Eve said to them all:[2] 2 ‘Hear me, my children, that I might recount for you how I and your father transgressed the precept of God. Michael the archangel said to us: 3 ‘On account of your conspiracies, our Lord will bring upon your race the wrath of his judgment, first by water, and second by fire. By these two will the Lord judge all the human race.’ 4 But hear me, my children! Make tablets of stone, and other tablets of earth, and write on them my whole life, and that of your father, which you have heard from us and seen. 5 If he judges our race by water, the tablets of earth will dissolve, but the tablets of stone will endure. If, however, he judges our race by fire, the tablets of stone will be destroyed, but the tablets of earth will be fired.’ 6 When she had said all these things to her children, she stretched out her hand toward heaven, knelt upon the earth, worshipped God, and giving thanks, gave up her spirit.
19Afterwards, all her children buried her with great weeping. After they had mourned her for four days, Michael appeared to them and said to Seth: 2 “Man of God, mourn no longer than 6 days, for the 7th day is the sign of the resurrection, the repose of the coming age, and on the 7th day the Lord rested from all his works. III+ from all his work. Indeed, the 8th day is the sign of the future and eternal blessedness, in which all the holy will reign throughout endless ages with the Creator and Savior himself, in both soul and body, never again to die. Amen. III” 3 Then Seth made tablets.
20Then Seth made 2 tablets of stone and two of earth, and he devised the caps of letters? and wrote on them the life of his father, Adam, and his mother, Eve, which he had heard from them and seen with his own eyes. He placed the tablets in the middle of his father’s house in the oratory where he prayed to the Lord. After the flood, these written tablets were seen by many men these written stones? but were legible to no one. Solomon, however, being wise, saw the writing and prayed to the Lord. There appeared to him an angel of the Lord, saying: “I am he who held the hand of Seth, that he might write these stones with his finger with an iron finger/ with an iron stylus?. You will be knowledgeable of these writings, so that you might know and understand Whence they are what all these stone contain, and where the oratory was where Adam and Eve worshipped the Lord God. You must build there the temple of the Lord, which is the house of prayer. Then Solomon completed the temple of the Lord God, and called these letters ‘achiliacae,’ that is, ‘written without the teaching of words’ by the finger of Seth, while the angel of the Lord held his hand. 2 On these stones was found what Enoch, the seventh from Adam, prophesied before the flood about the coming of Christ: “Look, the Lord will come in his sanctuary to render judgment on all and to accuse the impious of all their works by which they have spoken concerning him r sinners, impious murmurers, and the irreligious who have lived according to their feelings of desire, and whose mouths have spoken pridefully. Those whose mouths have spoken pridefully will go to Hades, but the just will surely go rejoicing into the kingdom of heaven. 3 Adam entered paradise after forty days, and Eve after eighty. Adam was in paradise for seven years and near to the day they moved each one of the beasts.
21It must be known that the body of Adam was formed of eight parts. The first part was of the dust of the earth, from which was made his flesh, and thereby he was sluggish. The next part was of the sea, from which was made his blood, and thereby he was aimless and fleeing. The third part was of the stones of the earth, from which his bones were made, and thereby he was hard and covetous. The fourth part was of the clouds, from which were made his thoughts, and thereby he was immoderate. The fifth part was of the wind, from which was made his breath, and thereby he was fickle. The sixth part was of the sun, from which were made his eyes, and thereby he was handsome and beautiful. The seventh part was of the light of the world, from which he was made pleasing, and thereby he had knowledge. The eight part was of the Holy Spirit, from which was made his soul, and thereby are the bishops, priests, and all the saints and elect of God. 2 It must also be known that God made and formed Adam in that place where Jesus was born, that is, in the city of Bethlehem, which is in the center of the earth. There Adam was made from the four corners of the earth, when angels brought some of the dust of the earth from its parts, viz. Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, and Uriel. This earth was white and pure like the sun and it was gathered together from the four rivers, that is, the Geon, Phison, Tigris, and Euphrates. Man was made in the image of God, and he blew into his face the breath of life, which is the soul. For just as he was gathered from the four rivers, thus from the four winds he received his breath. 3 When Adam was made, and there was no name assigned to him yet, the Lord said to the four angels to seek a name for him. Michael went out to the east and saw the eastern star, named Ancolim, and took its first letter from it. Gabriel went out to the south, and saw the southern star, named Disis, and took its first letter from it. Raphael went out to the north, and saw the northern star, named Arthos, and took its first letter from it. Uriel went out to the west, and saw the western star, named Mencembrion, and took its first letter from it. When the letters were brought together, the Lord said to Uriel: “Read these letters.” He read them and said, “Adam.” The Lord said: “Thus shall his name be called.” Here ends the life of our protoplast, Adam, and his wife, Eve.
22I cried to the Lord when I was overwhelmed, to God when sinners attacked. 2 Suddenly I heard cries of the battle right in front of me. He will hear me because I am righteous. 3 I reminded myself that I was indeed righteous: hadn’t I prospered and given birth to many children? 4 Their influence spread over the whole earth and their reputation extended to the far reaches of the earth. 5 They soared as high as the stars: they never expected they would ever fall. 6 Their wealth made them too proud, and they did not acknowledge God. 7 Their sins were in secret; I knew nothing about them. 8 Their crimes were worse than the Gentiles before them; they repeatedly profaned the Lord’s Sanctuary.
23When the sinner contemptuously used his battering-ram to smash down the fortified walls, you did not interfere. 2 Gentiles who worship other gods went up to your altar; they brazenly trampled around with their sandals on. 3 For their part, the people of Jerusalem desecrated the Lord’s sanctuary. Their crimes profaned the offerings to God. 4 Because of all this he said: ‘Get these things far away from me! They are repugnant!’ 5 His beautiful and glorious sanctuary was despised before God, it was completely dishonored. 6 The sons and daughters of Jerusalem were held prisoner in terrible conditions: a seal on their necks, a Gentile mark. 7 He dealt with them according to their sins; he abandoned them to the hands of their oppressors. 8 For he turned away and showed them no mercy – young and old and their children – all alike because they all sinned alike, for they would not listen. 9 The heavens were appalled, and the earth loathed them. Because no one had ever acted as they. 10 The world will know all your judgments; they are just, O God. 11 The Gentiles maligned the men of Jerusalem, because of the prostitutes among her. Everyone who passed by went in to them in broad daylight. 12 Even the Gentiles ridiculed such crimes, compared to how they themselves acted. They made a public display of their evil deeds. 13 And you have judged the women of Jerusalem polluted, for they defiled themselves with sexual promiscuity. 14 Thinking about these things makes me sick to my stomach. 15 I will defend your justice, O God, with integrity, because your judgments are just, O God. 16 because you have repaid sinners according to their deeds and according to their exceedingly wicked sins. 17 You uncovered their sins that your judgment might be evident; you wiped out their memory from the earth. 18 God is an impartial judge, and is not impressed by appearances. 19 The Gentiles humiliated Jerusalem when she was trampled down; He dragged her beauty from her once magnificent throne. 20 She was wrapped in sackcloth instead of beautiful clothes; a rope was around her head instead of a wreath. 21 He snatched the crown of glory that God had put on her. Her beauty lies in disgrace; it was flung down upon the earth. 22 And I saw all this and pleaded in the Lord’s presence: I said: ‘Make it stop, Lord! By bringing in the Gentiles you have laid your hand heavily upon Jerusalem.’ 23 They have humiliated them, and their frenzied passion did not let up, nor did their angry violence. And they will be destroyed unless you, Oh Lord, angrily denounce them, 24 because they did not act out of zeal, but out of an obsession, venting their thieving anger against us. 25 Don’t delay, Oh God, in retaliating against their leaders by disgracing the dragon’s arrogance. 26 I did not have long to wait until God showed me his arrogance. Stabbed on the sand dunes of Egypt, he was more despised than anything in the whole world. 27 His body was violently carried over the waves and there was no one to bury him, because God contemptuously despised him. 28 He did not realize that he was merely mortal, and he didn’t think about the future. 29 He said: ‘I will be lord of the whole world:’ he failed to recognize that it is God who is great, who is mighty in his great strength. 30 He himself is king over the heavens, he who judges kings and rulers. 31 He is the one who raises me up into glory, and who brings down the arrogant to sleep, to their dishonorable destruction forever, because they did not know him. 32 And now, you rulers of the earth, see the judgment of the Lord, because he is a great and righteous king, judging what is under heaven. 33 Praise God, those of you who know enough to fear the Lord, because his mercy will be with those who have good reason to fear him. 34 for he will separate the righteous from the sinner, because he will always retaliate against sinners according to their deeds. 35 He will have mercy on the righteous, keeping them from the humiliation of sinners, and he will retaliate against the sinner for what he has done to the righteous. 36 The Lord is kind to those who persistently appeal to him; he treats his devout in accordance with his mercy, to keep them constantly before him in strength. 37 Praised be the Lord forever in the eyes of his servants.
24Why am I sleeping, and not praising the Lord? Strum a new song to God who is worthy to be praised. 2 Keep on strumming and stay awake for he is awake. For a good psalm to God comes from a good heart. 3 The Lord is on the mind of the righteous through everything by recognizing and proving that the Lord’s judgments are right. 4 The righteous will not be ashamed to be taught by the Lord; their desire is to be always in the Lord’s presence. 5 The righteous stumble and still prove the Lord is right; if they fall, they expect God to help them; they look to the source of their salvation. 6 The confidence of the righteous comes from God their savior. Repeated sin is not found in the home of the righteous. 7 The righteous thoroughly examine their homes to remove their unintentional offenses. 8 They atone for sins of ignorance by fasting and humility and the Lord will cleanse every devout person and their household. 9 The sinners stumble and curse their life, the day of their birth and their mother’s labor pain. 10 They sin repeatedly in their life: They fall, and are seriously hurt, they will never get up again. 11 The destruction of sinners is forever, and they will not be remembered when God looks after the righteous. 12 This is the fate of sinners forever; but those who fear the Lord shall rise up to eternal life, and their life shall be in the Lord’s light and it shall never end.
25Why are you sitting in the Holy Sanhedrin, you foul person? When your heart is far from the Lord, provoking the God of Israel with your rotten behavior? 2 Verbose and flamboyant more than anyone, harshly condemning defendants in court. 3 His hand is among the first to be lifted against the defendant, as if he were motivated by a virtuous zeal, but he himself is guilty of a whole hoard of sins with no self-control. 4 His eyes are on every woman promiscuously, he lies when making contracts under oath. 5 He sins secretly at night, as if no one saw him. With his eyes he propositions every woman for illicit affairs. However, he is quick to enter cheerfully into every house, as if he were innocent. 6 May God snatch away these hypocrites from among his devout; may he live his life in sickness and in poverty. 7 May God unmask the deeds of those hypocrites and expose their actions with ridicule and derision. 8 And may the devout prove their God’s judgment to be right, by the removal of the sinners from the presence of the righteous, even that hypocrite who deceitfully quotes the Torah. 9 And then their eyes are on another person’s peaceful home like a serpent. Their arguments destroy with distorted words. 10 He speaks deceitfully, so that he may carry out his evil desires. He does not give up until he succeeds in scattering them as orphans. 11 He devastates a home with his twisted desire. He deceives with words, for he thinks: ‘There is no one who sees or judges.’ 12 He gorges himself with these kinds of crooked acts at one place, and then his eyes focus on another house, to destroy it with seductive words. 13 With all this, his appetite, like Death, is not satisfied. 14 Oh Lord, may his destiny be disgrace. May he go out groaning and come back cursing. 15 Oh Lord, may his life be lived in agony, poverty, and distress; may he have trouble sleeping and difficulty getting up. 16 May he be unable to sleep at night. May he fail disgracefully in everything he does. 17 May he return to his house empty-handed, may his house lack everything with which he would satisfy himself. 18 May his old age be spent alone and childless, until he passes away. 19 Let wild animals tear apart the flesh of the hypocrites, and may the bones of the criminals disgracefully bleach out in the sun. 20 May crows peck out the eyes of these hypocrites, because they disgracefully seized so many people’s homes, and greedily evicted them. 21 In all these things they have not remembered God, nor have they feared God in all these things; but they have angered and aggravated God. 22 May he banish them from the earth, because they betrayed these poor souls with their lies. 23 Happy are those who are innocent and fear the Lord. The Lord will rescue them from deceitful and sinful people, and will rescue us from every legal trap. 24 May God banish those arrogantly doing every injustice, because our God is a powerful Lord and a great and just judge. 25 Oh Lord, may your mercy be upon all those who love you.
26Oh Lord God, I will joyfully praise your name among those who know your equitable judgments. 2 Because you are kind and merciful, the refuge of the destitute. When I cry out in anguish to you, do not ignore me. 3 For if no one can rob a strong man, who can take anything from all you have made, unless you give it away? 4 Because a person and their destiny are on the scales before you; no one can add anything that goes against your decisions, Oh God. 5 When we are persecuted, we call on you for help and you will not turn away from our prayer, because you are our God. 6 Don’t be too demanding of us, or else we might sin in desperation. 7 And even if you don’t turn us back, we will not keep away, but we will come to you. 8 For if I am hungry, I will cry out to you, Oh God, and you will give me something. 9 You feed the young birds and the fish, when you send rain to the wilderness that the grass may grow; 10 So to provide pasture in the wilderness for every living thing; when they are hungry, they will turn to you. 11 You feed kings and rulers and their subjects, Oh God, and who is the hope of the poor and the needy, if not you, Oh Lord? 12 And you will listen, because who is kind and generous but you, cheering the humble, by reaching out in mercy? 13 Human kindness comes meagerly, and delayed; and if it is repeated without grumbling this is remarkable. 14 But your gift is abundantly kind and generous, and those who hope in you will have everything they need. 15 Oh Lord, your kind mercy extends over all the earth. 16 Happy is the one whom God remembers with only what is necessary. If people are excessively rich, they easily sin. 17 Moderate wealth with righteousness is enough, for this comes with the Lord’s blessing: to be satisfied with righteousness. 18 Those who fear the Lord are content with their possessions. May your kindness be upon Israel as you rule. 19 Praised be the glory of the Lord because he himself is our king.
27Happy is the person whose heart is ready to call upon the name of the Lord for help. When they remember the name of the Lord they will be saved. 2 Their ways are directed by the Lord, and the works of their hands are guarded by the Lord their God. 3 Their spirit will not be troubled by nightmares; they will not be frightened when crossing rivers or rough seas. 4 They rise out of sleep and give praise to the name of the Lord. When their hearts are strong, they sing out to the name of their God. 5 They seek the Lord for everyone in their household, and the Lord hears the prayers of all who fear God. 6 The Lord fulfills every request from all those who hope in him. Praised be the Lord who shows mercy to those who truly love him.
28Don’t leave us, Oh God, so that those who hate us without cause might not attack us. 2 because you have pushed them away, Oh God. May their feet not trample your holy inheritance. 3 Discipline us as you wish, but don’t turn us over to the Gentiles; 4 for if you send Death away, it will be because you, yourself, have told him what to do about us. 5 Because you are kind, and you would not be angry enough to destroy us. 6 While your name lives among us, we will receive mercy; and the Gentiles will not defeat us. 7 Because you are our protector, we will call to you and you will hear us. 8 Because you yourself will have compassion on the family of Israel forever, and will not reject them. 9 But we are forever under your yoke and the whip of your discipline. 10 For your help will direct us at the right time, to show mercy to the house of Jacob for the day when you promised it to them.
29I heard sounds of suffering and battle, the blast of a trumpet sounding slaughter and destruction: 2 the sound of a huge mob, like a violent, raging wind, like a roaring fire storm sweeping down through the wilderness. 3 Then I said to myself: Is this God’s judgment? 4 I heard these sounds in Jerusalem, the holy city, 5 my stomach was sick at what I heard; my knees buckled, my heart was terrified, my bones shook like reeds. 6 I said: ‘Aren’t these people righteous?’ 7 I considered God’s judgments since the creation of Heaven and Earth, I believed God to be right in his judgments, those from the beginning of time. 8 God exposed their sins to the light of the sun; all the earth recognized the righteous judgments of God. 9 But their offenses were in secret hiding-places, provoking him to anger: son with mother, and father with daughter – they were incestuously involved 10 They all were committing adultery with their neighbor’s wives, they made agreements with each other about these things, under oath. 11 They plundered God’s sanctuary as if there were no redeeming heir. 12 They trampled the Lord’s altar coming straight from every kind of impurity, and with menstrual blood on them they defiled the burnt-offerings as if they were ordinary meat. 13 There was no sin that was not worse than the Gentiles. 14 On account of this God confused their minds; he made them drunk as if with undiluted wine. 15 He brought the one from the end of the earth, the mighty warrior, he declared war against Jerusalem, and against her land. 16 The leaders of the country met him with joy. They said to him, ‘Welcome, we have expected you. Come, all of you, enter in peace.’ 17 They graded the rough roads for his coming; they opened the gates to Jerusalem, they lined her walls. 18 He entered peacefully, like a father into his son’s house; he secured a foothold. 19 He pulled down her battlements and the wall of Jerusalem, for God led him in unscathed in their confusion. 20 He killed off their leaders and all the councilmen; he poured out the blood of the people of Jerusalem as if it were so much dirty water. 21 He led off their sons and daughters, those born defiled. They acted according to their defiled ways. 22 just like their ancestors, they defiled Jerusalem and the things consecrated to the name of God. 23 God has been shown to be justified in his decisions among the world’s Gentiles, and God’s devout are like innocent lambs among them. 24 The Lord is worthy to be praised, who judges the whole earth in his righteousness. 25 See now, Oh God, you have shown us your righteousness in your judgments. Our own eyes have seen your judgments, Oh God. 26 We have vindicated your name, forever honored, because you are a God of justice, judging Israel with discipline. 27 Oh God, turn your mercy towards us, and be compassionate to us: 28 gather the scattered of Israel with mercy and kindness, because your faithfulness is with us. 29 For we have stiffened our necks, but you are our teacher. 30 Don’t neglect us, our God, or else the Gentiles swallow us whole as if there were no deliverer. 31 You have been our God from the beginning, and our hope is in you, Oh Lord. 32 We distance ourselves, because your judgments are kind towards us. 33 Be pleased with us and with our children forever, Oh Lord, our Savior; we won’t be upset ever again, but you are our teacher. 34 The Lord is worthy to be praised for his judgments by the voice of his devout people. May Israel be blessed by the Lord forever.
30When Israel was led away into exile in a foreign country, when they abandoned the Lord who had redeemed them, they were expelled from the inheritance that the Lord gave to them. 2 Israel was scattered in every Gentile nation, as God had spoken: that you may be proven right in this matter, Oh God; in your justice and in our lawlessness; because you are a righteous judge over all the peoples of the earth. 3 For none that do evil can be hidden from your knowledge. Lord, you know of the righteous deeds of your devout; where will a person hide from your knowledge, Oh God? 4 We are free to choose and do what we will to do right or wrong in how we live our lives; in your justice you watch mortals closely. 5 Those who do what is right save up life for themselves with the Lord, and those doing what is wrong cause their own lives to be destroyed; for the Lord’s righteous judgments come down on man and household. 6 To whom will you be kind, Oh God, except to those who appeal to the Lord? He will cleanse from sin the person who both confesses and publicly acknowledges it. For all of these things we are ashamed, and we are embarrassed. 7 And whose sins will he forgive, except those who have sinned? You will bless the righteous, and not accuse them for their sin. Because your kindness is upon those that sin, when they repent. 8 Now, then, you are God and we are the people whom you have loved: Look, and be compassionate, Oh God of Israel, because we are yours, and don’t take away your mercy from us, or else they set upon us. 9 Because you have chosen the descendants of Abraham over all other nations; you put your name upon us, Oh Lord, and that will not cease forever. 10 You made a covenant with our ancestors about us, and we will place our hope in you, when we turn ourselves towards you. 11 May the Lord’s mercy be upon the house of Israel forever and ever.
31Happy is the person whom the Lord remembers with punishment, and who has been restrained from going the wrong way with a whip, to be cleansed from sin so that it will not increase. 2 Those who prepare their backs for the whips will be cleansed, for the Lord is kind to those who endure discipline. 3 For he will set straight the ways of the righteous, and will not lead them astray by discipline, and the mercy of the Lord is upon those who truly love him. 4 The Lord will remember his servants with compassion, for the testimony is in the Torah of the eternal covenant, this testimony of the Lord is found in the lives of persons under his watchful care.[3] 5 Our Lord is just and holy in his judgments forever and Israel will joyfully praise the Lord’s name, 6 And the devout will celebrate in the assembly of the people, and God will be merciful to the poor to the joy of Israel. 7 because God always is kind and merciful, and the synagogues of Israel will glorify the Lord’s name. 8 May the Lord’s salvation cover the house of Israel to bring unending joy.
32Sound in Zion the trumpet that summons the holy ones. Announce in Jerusalem the voice of one proclaiming good news: ‘God has been merciful to Israel by his watchful care over them.’ 2 Stand on a high place, Oh Jerusalem, and see your children from east to west finally brought together by the Lord. 3 From the north they come with the joy of their God; from far distant islands God brings them together. 4 He flattened high mountains into level ground for them, the hills fled at their coming. 5 The woods shaded them as they passed by; God made every fragrant tree to spring up for them 6 that Israel might pass by in the watchful care of the glory of their God. 7 Oh Jerusalem, put on your glorious clothes, prepare your holy robes, because God has pronounced blessings on Israel forever and ever. 8 May the Lord do to Israel and Jerusalem the things that he has spoken; may the Lord lift up Israel by his glorious name. 9 May the mercy of the Lord be upon Israel forevermore.
33Oh Lord, save my life from the wicked man who twists the law, from twisting and slandering language that speaks lies and deceits. 2 The discourse of this wicked man takes many twists and turns. It is like a fire burning among a people, scorching their beauty. 3 His visit fills homes with lying speech; as a flickering flame has its own attraction to people; he sets homes at war with his slanderous language. 4 May God keep the lips of these criminals from distressing the innocent. May the bones of the slanderers be scattered far from those who fear the Lord. May the slanderous tongues be destroyed in flaming fire far from the devout. 5 May the Lord protect the quiet person who hates injustice, and may the Lord guide the person who lives quietly at home. 6 May the salvation of the Lord be upon Israel his child forever and ever. May the sinners be destroyed once and for all from before the Lord. May the Lord’s devout inherit the Lord’s promises.
34The right hand of the Lord covered me, the right hand of the Lord spared us: 2 the arm of the Lord saved us from a piercing sword, from famine and death at the hands of sinners. 3 Wild animals attacked them viciously, they ripped at their flesh with their teeth and with their jaws they crushed their bones: 4 And from all of these the Lord delivered us. 5 The ungodly were terrified by their mistakes, or else they be swept along with the sinners: 6 because the destruction of the sinner is terrible but none of all these things will touch the righteous. 7 Because the discipline of the righteous for things done in ignorance is not the same as the destruction of the sinners. 8 The righteous are disciplined quietly, so that the sinner might not rejoice over the righteous. 9 Because God will admonish the righteous as a beloved son and his discipline is as for a first-born. 10 Because the Lord will spare his devout, and he will wipe away their mistakes with discipline. 11 For the life of the righteous goes on forever, but sinners will be taken away to destruction and no memory of them will ever be found again. 12 May the Lord’s mercy be upon the devout, and may his mercy be to those who fear him.
35The Lord is faithful to those who truly love him, to those awaiting his discipline, 2 to those living in the righteousness of his commands, in the Torah that he commanded us for our lives. 3 The Lord’s devout will live by it forever; his devout are the Lord’s Paradise, the trees of life. 4 Their plant is rooted forever; they will not be pulled up as long as heaven shall last. 5 because God has reserved Israel for himself 6 But it is not so with sinners and criminals, who love the time enjoying their sins. 7 Their enjoyment is brief and quickly decays, and they do not remember God. 8 Because he always knows how people live, and he knows the secrets of the heart before they happen. 9 Therefore there is reserved for them the world of the dead, darkness and destruction, and they will not be remembered on the day of mercy for the righteous, 10 but a happy life is reserved for the Lord’s devout.
36When I was oppressed, I called upon the Lord’s name, for I expected help from Jacob’s God, and I was saved: because you, Oh God, are the help and refuge of the poor. 2 For why does anyone have strength, Oh God, except to honestly confess you? And why is a person gifted, except to worship your name? 3 A new psalm sung from a happy heart; the fruit of the lips matched with a well-tuned tongue; the first harvest of the lips from a holy and righteous heart. 4 Those doing these things will never be distressed by evil; the flame of fire and anger against the unrighteous will not touch them,[4] 5 whenever it goes out from the Lord’s presence to destroy every confidence of sinners. 6 Because God’s mark of salvation is on the righteous. 7 Famine, sword, and death shall be far from the righteous, for they will flee from the devout and pestilence from the living. 8 But they will pursue sinners and overtake them, and those acting lawlessly will not escape the Lord’s judgment. 9 they will be seized as if by mercenaries, for the sign of destruction is right between their eyes. 10 For destruction and darkness is reserved for sinners and their lawlessness will pursue them even down into hell. 11 What is reserved for them will not be found in their children. For sin will turn the homes of sinners into deserts. 12 On the day of the Lord’s judgment sinners will perish forever, when God examines the earth at his judgment: 13 but then, those fearing the Lord will find mercy, and they will live on in their God’s mercy, but sinners will perish for all time.
37When I was drowsy, I slowly drifted down, away from the Lord as I fell asleep, far from God. 2 For a moment my life was drained, I was almost dead. I was standing with the sinner, very near to the gates of hell. 3 So I would have been carried away from the Lord God of Israel, if the Lord had not taken hold of me with his eternal care. 4 In his vigilance he jabbed me as with a horse spur. My savior and protector rescued me again. 5 I will confess you, Oh God, because you took hold of me and saved me and I wasn’t included with sinners for destruction. 6 Don’t take your mercy from me, Oh God, nor your memory from my mind until death. 7 Restrain me, Oh God, from intentional sin, and from every wicked woman who traps the foolish. 8 And do not let me be deceived either by a lawless woman’s beauty, nor by anyone under the control of useless sin. 9 Guide my actions before you. Guard carefully my steps through remembering you. 10 May I speak the truth; put fierce rage and anger far from me. 11 Put grumbling and discouragement in trouble far from me, if ever I sin while under your discipline intended to bring me back. 12 Support me with approval and happiness, when you strengthen me. Whatever you will give is good enough for me. 13 Because if ever you fail to give us strength, who can endure discipline when they are poor? 14 When people are tested because of their mortality, you are examining them in their flesh, and in the burden of poverty. 15 The righteous survive all these things, by the Lord’s mercy.
38Oh Lord, you yourself are our king forever and ever: because in you, Oh God, we will take pride 2 How long is a person’s allotted lifetime on earth? As long as he lives, he can hope. 3 But we hope in God our savior because the strength and mercy of our God will last forever, and the kingdom of our God will last forever in judgment over the Gentiles. 4 It was you, Oh Lord, who chose David as king over Israel, and you promised him that his descendants would continue forever, that you would not abandon his royal house. 5 But sinners revolted against us because of our sins: they attacked us and drove us out. Those to whom you promised nothing, they violently stole from us. 6 In their pride they flamboyantly set up their own royal house. Their arrogant substitution desolated David’s throne, and they did not glorify your honorable name. 7 But you, Oh God, will throw them down, and root up their descendants from the earth, for there will rise up against them a man alien to our race. 8 You will repay them according to their sins, Oh God. It will happen to them according to their deeds. 9 God showed them no mercy. He hunted down their descendants and did not let even one of them escape. 10 The Lord is faithful in all his judgments that he does on earth. 11 The lawless one devastated our land, so that it was uninhabitable; he eliminated young and old and their children together. 12 In his magnificent wrath God sent them away to the west, and he did not spare even the officials of the country from ridicule. 13 As the enemy was a foreigner, and his heart was foreign to our God, so he acted arrogantly. 14 So in Jerusalem he engaged in all the practices that Gentiles do for their gods in their great cities. 15 And the people of the covenant living among the many nations adopted these things. No one among them in Jerusalem acted with mercy or truth. 16 Those who loved the synagogues of the devout escaped from them as sparrows fly from their nest. 17 They wandered in the wilderness to save their lives from evil. The life of even one who was saved from them was precious in the eyes of the exiles. 18 They were scattered over the whole earth by the lawless ones. The heavens withheld rain from falling on the earth. 19 Springs were stopped. From the perennial sources far underground to those in the high mountains. For there was no one among them who practiced righteousness or justice. 20 From their leader to the commonest of the people they committed every kind of sin: the king broke the law, the judges disobeyed, the people sinned. 21 Look, Oh Lord, and raise up for them their king, a son of David, to rule over your servant Israel in the time that you know, Oh God. 22 Undergird him with the strength to destroy the unrighteous rulers, to purge Jerusalem from the Gentiles who trample her down to destruction; 23 in wisdom and in righteousness to drive out the sinners from the inheritance, to smash the arrogance of sinners like a potter’s jar, 24 to demolish all their resources with an iron rod; to destroy the lawbreaking Gentiles with the word of his mouth; 25 to scatter the Gentiles from his presence at his threat; to condemn sinners by their own consciences. 26 He will gather a holy people whom he will lead in righteousness; and he will judge the tribes of the people who have been made holy by the Lord his God. 27 He will not tolerate unrighteousness to dwell among them again, and no person who knows evil will live with them. For he will know them, because they are all children of their God. 28 He will distribute them upon the land according to their tribes. The stranger and the foreigner will no longer live with them. 29 He will judge peoples and nations in the wisdom of his justice. 30 He will have Gentile peoples serving him under his yoke, and he will glorify the Lord publicly in the whole world. He will pronounce Jerusalem clean, consecrating it as it was in the beginning. 31 He will have nations come from the ends of the earth to see his glory, giving back her scattered children and to see the glory of the Lord with which God has glorified her. 32 He will be a righteous king over them, taught by God, there will be no unrighteousness among them during his reign, because everyone will be holy, and their king will be the Lord Messiah. 33 For he will not depend on cavalry and archers; Nor will he need to finance a war; He will not place his hope on making war. 34 The Lord himself is his king, the hope of the one who hopes in God. He will be merciful to all the Gentiles that fearfully stand before him. 35 He will strike the earth with the word of his mouth forever; He will bless the Lord’s people with wisdom and happiness. 36 And he himself will be free from sin, in order to rule such a great people. He will expose officials and drive out sinners by the strength of his word. 37 And he will not weaken during his reign, relying upon his God, because God will make him powerful by a holy spirit; and wise in intelligent counsel, with strength and righteousness. 38 And the blessing of the Lord will be with him in strength, and it will not weaken. 39 His hope will be in the Lord. Then who can be stronger than he? 40 He will be mighty in his actions and strong in the fear of God, faithfully and righteously shepherding the Lord’s sheep, he will not let any of them stumble in their pasture. 41 He will lead them all impartially, and there will be no arrogance among them that any of them should be oppressed. 42 This is the magnificence of the king of Israel that God acknowledged, to raise him over the House of Israel to discipline it. 43 His words will be purer than the finest gold. In the assemblies he will judge the tribes of a sanctified people. His words will be as the words of the holy ones, among sanctified peoples. 44 Happy are the people born in those days who will see the good fortune of Israel that God will cause in the gathering of the tribes. 45 May God hasten his mercy to Israel; May he shield us from the contamination of defiled enemies; 46 The Lord himself is our king forevermore.
39Oh Lord, your mercy is upon the works of your hands forever, your kindness to Israel with a lavish gift. 2 Your eyes are watching over them and none of them will be lacking. Your ears listen to the hopeful prayer of the poor. 3 Your compassionate judgments are over the whole world, and your love is for the descendants of Abraham, an Israelite. 4 Your discipline for us is like that for a firstborn son, an only child, to dissuade the perceptive person from unintentional sins. 5 May God cleanse Israel for the blessed day of mercy, the appointed day for the appearance of his Messiah. 6 Happy are those living in those days, to see the good things of the Lord, that he will do for the coming generation. 7 That will be under the rod of discipline of the Lord’s Messiah, in the fear of his God, in the wisdom of the spirit, and in righteousness and strength. 8 to direct people to righteous actions, in the fear of God, to confirm them all in the presence of the Lord. 9 This will be a good generation living in the fear of God, in the days of mercy. 10 Our God is great and glorious living in the highest heavens, who arranged the sun and moon into orbits to mark the times of the hours from day to day. And they have not deviated from the course that he appointed for them. 11 Their course each day is in the fear of God, from the day God created them and until forever. 12 And they have not wandered from the day he created them, from ancient generations. They have not veered off their course except when God directed them by the command of his servants.
40And God said to him: “Adam, what have you done? If you had kept my commandment, there would now be no rejoicing among those who are bringing you down to this place. Yet, I tell you that I will turn their joy to grief 2 and your grief I will turn to joy, and I will transform you to your former glory and set you on the throne of your deceiver. But he will be cast 3 into this place to see you sitting above him. Then he will be condemned, along with those who listened to him, and he will be deeply grieved when he sees you sitting on his honorable throne.” 4 And he stayed there three hours, lying down, and afterward the Father of all, sitting on his holy throne, stretched out his hand, and took Adam and handed him over to the archangel Michael, saying: “Lift him up into Paradise, to the third Heaven, and leave him there until that fearful day of my reckoning, which I will bring about in the world.” Then Michael took Adam and left 6 him where God told him.
41And when Eve had said this in the midst of her sons, while Adam was lying ill and about to die 2 after a single day from the sickness that had seized him, she said to him: “How is it that you will die and I will live? Or how long will I remain after you are dead? Tell me.” 3 And Adam said to her: “Do not worry about this, because you will not stay behind after me; we both are to die together. She shall lie in my place. But when I die, anoint me and let no man touch me until the 4 angel of the Lord speaks something concerning me. For God will not forget me, but will seek out his own creature. Now arise and pray to God until I give up my spirit into his hands, who gave it to me. For we do not know how we are to meet our Maker—whether he will be angry with us, or be merciful and intend to pity and receive us.”