Book 2: The End and the Judgment

1 Now while I begged hard, God held back
2 my wise song, also in my breast again
3 he put the charming voice of divine words.
4 In my whole body terror-stricken these
5 I follow; for I do not know what I say, but God impels me to proclaim each thing.

Disasters in the Last Generation

6 But when shocks come on earth, fierce thunderbolts,
7 thunders and lightnings, storms, and evil blight,
8 and rage of jackals and of wolves, manslaughter,
9 destruction of men and of lowing cattle,
10 four-footed cattle and hard-working mules,
11 and goats and sheep, then the ample field will
12 be barren from neglect, and fruits will fail,
13 and there will be a selling of their freedom
14 among most men, and robbery of temples.
15 And then, after these, will appear of men
16 the tenth race, when the earth-shaking Lightener
17 will break the zeal for idols and will shake
18 the people of seven-hilled Rome, and great riches
19 will perish, burned by Vulcan’s fiery flame.
20 And then bloody signs will descend from heaven—
21 but yet the whole world of countless men
22 enraged will kill each other, and in tumult
23 God will send famines, plagues, and thunderbolts
24 on men who, without justice, judge cases.
25 And there will be a lack of men in all the world, so that if anyone saw a trace
26 of man on earth, he would be amazed.
27 And then the great God who lives in heaven will
28 prove Savior of pious men in all things.
29 And then there will be peace and deep wisdom,
30 and the fruit-bearing land will yield again abundant fruits, not divided in parts
31 nor enslaved. And every harbor then,
32 and every haven, will be free to men
33 as before, and shamelessness will perish.
34 And then God will show mortals a great sign:
35 for like a lustrous crown a star will shine, bright, dazzling, from the radiant heaven
36 for many days; and then he will display
37 from heaven a crown for contest to men
38 who wrestle. And then there will be again

The Contest for Heavenly Life

39 a mighty contest of triumphal march
40 into the heavenly sky, and it will be for all men in the world, and have the fame
41 of immortality. And every people
42 will then strive in the immortal contests
43 for splendid victory. For no one there
44 can shamelessly buy a crown with silver.
45 For to them the pure Christ will award what is due, and crown the ones approved,
46 and give his martyrs an immortal prize
47 who carry on the contest to death.
48 And to chaste men who run their race well
49 will he the incorruptible reward
50 of the prize give, and to all men allot what is due, and also to foreign nations
51 that live a holy life and know one God.
52 And those who respect marriage and keep themselves far from adulteries,
53 he’ll give them rich gifts, eternal hope.
54 For every human soul is God’s free gift,

Instructions for an Honest Life

55 and it is not right for men to stain it with vile deeds. Do not be rich dishonestly, but lead
56 an honest life. Be satisfied
57 with what you have and keep yourself from what belongs to another. Do not speak what is false,
58 but care for all things that are true.
59 Do not revere idols vainly; but the God
60 imperishable honor always first, and next your parents. Give everything its due,
61 and do not come into unjust judgment.
62 Do not cast out the poor unjustly, nor judge by appearances; if wickedly
63 you judge, God will judge you later.
64 Avoid false testimony; tell the truth.
65 Maintain your virgin purity, and guard love among all. Use just measures;
66 for full measure is beautiful to all.
67 Do not tip the scales to one side, but draw them equal.
68 Do not swear falsely, ignorantly or willingly;
69 God hates the perjured man because he swore.
70 Never accept a gift that comes from unjust deeds do not steal seed;
71 accursed through many generations is he
72 who took it to scattering of life. Do not indulge vile lusts, do not slander, nor kill.
73 Give worn-out workers their wages; do not oppress
74 the poor man. Give help to orphans
75 and to widows and the needy. Talk with sense; keep a secret in your heart. Be unwilling
76 to act unjustly or to tolerate
77 unrighteous men. Give to the poor at once
78 and do not say, “Come tomorrow.” Of your grain
79 give to the needy with sweating hand.
80 He who gives alms knows how to lend to God. Mercy redeems from death when judgment comes.
81 Not sacrifice, but God desires mercy
82 rather than sacrifice. Clothe the naked,
83 share your bread with the hungry, in your house
84 take in the homeless and lead the blind.
85 Pity the shipwrecked; for the voyage is uncertain. To the fallen give a hand;
86 and save the one who stands without defense.
87 Suffering is common to all, life’s a wheel, riches unstable. Having wealth, reach out
88 your hand to the poor. Of what God gave to you
89 give some also to the needy.
90 The whole life of mortal men is common; but it comes out unequal. When you see
91 never mock a poor man with words,
92 nor harshly accost a man who may be blamed.
93 One’s life in death is proven; if one did
94 the unlawful or just, it will be decided
95 when he comes to judgment. Do not disable your mind with wine nor drink excessively.
96 Do not eat blood, and abstain from things
97 offered to idols. Do not put on the sword for slaughter, but defense; and I wish you might
98 use it neither lawlessly nor justly:
99 for if you kill an enemy your hand
100 you defile. Keep from your neighbor’s field, nor trespass on it; every landmark is just,
101 and trespass painful. Useful is possession
102 of lawful wealth, but of unrighteous gains it’s worthless. Do not harm any growing fruit
103 of the field. And let strangers be esteemed
104 in equal honor with the citizens;
105 for all will experience long-suffering hospitality as each other’s guests;
106 but let no one be a stranger
107 among you, since, you mortals, all of you
108 are of one blood, and no land has for men
109 any sure place. Do not wish or pray for wealth;
110 but pray to live on few things and possess nothing at all unjust. The love of gain
111 is mother of all evil. Do not long
112 for gold or silver; in them there will be
113 a double-edged and soul-destroying iron.
114 A snare to men continually are gold
115 and silver. Gold, source of evils, destructive of life, troubling all things, if only you
116 were not to mortals such a longed-for curse!
117 For wars, because of you, and pillaging and murders come, and children hate their fathers,
118 and brothers and sisters those of their own blood.
119 Plot no deceit, and do not arm your heart
120 against a friend. Do not keep concealed within a different thought from what you say;
121 nor, like a rock-clinging octopus, change with place. But be frank with all, and things from the soul
122 speak out. Whoever willfully
123 commits a wrong, he is an evil person; but one who does it under force, the end
124 I do not tell; but let each one’s will be right.
125 Do not pride yourself in wisdom, power, or wealth; God alone is the wise and mighty one
126 and full of riches. Do not trouble your heart
127 with evils that are past; for what is done
128 can never be undone. Do not let your hand
129 be hasty, but curb ferocious passion;
130 for many times one has, by striking, done murder without intent. Let suffering
131 be common, neither great nor too much.
132 Excessive good has not brought to men what is helpful. And much luxury
133 leads to immoderate lusts. Much wealth is prowl,
134 and makes one grow to wanton violence.
135 Passionate feeling, creeping in, causes destructive madness. Anger is a lust,
136 and when it is excessive it is rage. The zeal of good men is a noble thing,
137 but that of the base is base. Of wicked men
138 the boldness is destructive, but renown follows that of the good. To be revered
139 is virtuous love, but that of Cypris brings
140 an increase of shame. A foolish man is called very agreeable among his fellows.
141 Eat, drink, and talk with moderation;
142 of all things moderation is the best; but going past its limit brings grief.
143 Do not be envious, faithless, or abusive,
144 or evil-minded, or a false deceiver.
145 Be prudent and abstain from shameless deeds. Do not imitate what’s evil, but leave
146 vengeance to justice; for persuasion is
147 a useful thing, but strife breeds strife.
148 Do not trust too quickly before you see the end.
149 This is the contest, these are the rewards;
150 these are the prizes; this the gate of life and entrance into immortality,
151 which God in heaven to most righteous men
152 appointed a reward for victory; and through this gate will gloriously pass
153 those who will then receive the victor’s crown.

Signs of the End

154 But when this sign will appear everywhere—
155 children born with gray hair on their temples—
156 and human sufferings, famines, plagues, and wars,
157 and change of times, and many tearful wails,
158 ah! of how many parents in the lands
159 will children mourn and weep pitifully,
160 and with shrouds bury flesh and limbs in earth, mother of peoples, with the blood and dust
161 defiling themselves. Oh you wretched men
162 of the last generation, evildoers, terrible, childish, not seeing this,
163 that when the tribes of women do not bear
164 the harvest time of mortal men has come.
165 The ruin is near when impostors come
166 instead of prophets speaking on the earth.
167 And Beliar will come and many signs
168 perform for men. And then of holy men,
169 elect and faithful, there will be confusion,
170 and pillaging of them and of the Hebrews. And there will be upon them fearful anger
171 when from the east a people of twelve tribes
172 will come in search of fellow Hebrew people whom Assyrian shoot destroyed; and over these
173 nations will perish. But they afterward
174 will rule over men very mighty,
175 elect and faithful Hebrews, and enslave
176 them as before, since their power will never fail.
177 He who is highest of all, the all-seeing,
178 living in heaven, will scatter sleep on men,
179 covering the eyelids over. Blessed servants
180 whom the Master finds awake when he comes! And they all watch at all times and wait
181 with sleepless eyes. For it will be at dawn
182 or evening or midday; but he will surely come,
183 and it will be as I say, it will be,
184 to those who sleep, that from the starry heaven
185 the stars at midday will appear to all with the two lights as the time hurries on.

Elijah and the Last Signs

186 And then the Tishbite, driving from heaven
187 his heavenly chariot, and on earth
188 arriving, will display to all the world
189 three evil signs of life to be destroyed.
190 Alas for all the women in that day who will be found with burden in the womb!
191 Alas for all who nurse tender babies!
192 Alas for all who will live on the waves!
193 Alas for women who will see that day!
194 For a dark mist will hide the boundless world,
195 East, west, and south, and north. And then will flow

The Final Fire

196 a mighty stream of burning fire from heaven
197 and consume every place, earth, vast ocean,
198 and gleaming sea, and lakes and rivers, springs,
199 and cruel Hades and the heavenly sky.
200 And heavenly lights will break up into one
201 and into outward form all-desolate.
202 For stars from heaven will fall into all seas.
203 And all the souls of men will gnash their teeth
204 burned both by sulfur stream and force of fire
205 in ravenous soil, and ashes hide all things. And then of the world all the elements
206 will be lost, air, earth, sea, light, sky, days,
207 nights; and no longer in the air will fly
208 birds without number, nor will living things
209 that swim the sea swim any more at all,
210 nor loaded ship pass over the waves,
211 nor cattle plow straight furrows in the field, nor sound
212 of furious winds; but he will fuse all things
213 together, and will pick out what is pure.

Resurrection and Judgment

214 But when the immortal God’s eternal angels
215 arakiel, Ramiel, Uriel, Samiel, and Azael, who know how many evils
216 anyone did before, will from dark gloom
217 then lead to judgment all the souls of men
218 before the judgment-seat of the great God
219 immortal; for imperishable is
220 one only, himself the almighty, One, who will be judge of mortals; and to them
221 that live beneath the heavenly One will then
222 give souls and spirit and voice, and also bones fitted with joints to all kinds of flesh,
223 and both the flesh and sinews, veins and skin
224 around the body, and hair as before;
225 divinely fashioned and moved by breath
226 the bodies of those on earth will one day be raised.
227 And then Uriel, mighty angel, will break
228 the bolts of stern and lasting adamant
229 which, monstrous, hold the bronze gates of Hades,
230 at once cast them down, and to judgment lead
231 all forms that have endured much suffering,
232 especially the shapes of Titans born long ago,
233 and giants, and all whom the flood overwhelmed,
234 and all who perished in the billowy seas,
235 and all who provided a feast for the beasts⁠a and creeping things and birds, these in a mass
236 he will (Uriel) summon to the judgment-seat; and also those whom flesh-devouring fire
237 destroyed in flame, even these he will collect
238 and place before the judgment-seat of God. And when the Lord of Sabaoth who thunders on high
239 will end fate and raise the dead,
240 sit on his heavenly throne, and firmly fix the mighty pillar, then amid the clouds
241 Christ, who himself is incorruptible,
242 will come to the Incorruptible in glory with pure angels, and will sit
243 at the right hand on the great judgment-seat
244 to judge the life of pious and the way
245 of impious men. And Moses, the great friend of the Most High, will come clothed in flesh
246 also great Abraham himself will come,
247 isaac and Jacob, Joshua, Daniel,
248 elijah, Habakkuk and Jonah, and
249 those whom the Hebrews killed. But he will destroy
250 the Hebrews after Jeremiah, all who are to be judged at the judgment-seat,
251 so that they may receive what they deserve
252 and pay for all each did in mortal life. And then all will pass through the burning stream
253 of flame unquenchable; but all the just
254 will be saved; and the godless furthermore

The Judgment of Human Deeds

255 will to all ages perish, all who did evils before, and committed murders,
256 and all who are accomplices in them,
257 liars and thieves, and home-wreckers, crafty and terrible, and parasites,
258 and marriage-breakers pouring out vile words,
259 terrible, reckless, lawless, and idolaters;
260 and all who left the great immortal God, became blasphemers, did the pious harm,
261 destroying faith and killing righteous men
262 and all who with deceitful shamelessness
263 and double-faced rush in as presbyters
264 and reverend ministers, who knowingly
265 give unjust judgments, yielding to false words
266 more hurtful than the leopards and the wolves
267 and more vile; and all who are grossly proud
268 and usurers, who amass gain on gains⁠b
270 and damage orphans and widows in every way;
271 and all who give to widows and to orphans
272 the fruit of unjust deeds, and all who cast
273 reproach in giving from their own hard toils;
274 and all who left their parents in old age,
275 not paying them at all, nor offering to parents filial duty, and all who
276 were disobedient and against their fathers
277 spoke a harsh word; and all who took pledges and then denied them; and all the servants
278 who were against their masters, and again
279 those who licentiously defiled the flesh;
280 and all who untied a young woman’s belt for secret intercourse, and all who caused
281 abortions, and all who cast their offspring⁠c
282 unlawfully away; and sorcerers
283 and sorceresses with them, and these anger
284 of the heavenly and immortal God will drive
285 against a pillar where will all around
286 in a circle flow a restless stream of fire;
287 and deathless angels of the immortal God,
288 who lives forever, will bind with lasting bonds
289 in chains of flaming fire and from above
290 punish them all with the whip most terribly; and in Gehenna, in the gloom of night,
291 they will be cast beneath many horrid beasts
292 of Tartarus, where darkness is immense.
293 But when there will be many punishments
294 enforced on all who had an evil heart,
295 yet afterward a fiery wheel will
296 from a great river circle them around,
297 because they cared about wicked deeds.
298 And then one here, another there, will fathers,
299 young children, mothers, nursing babies, in tears
300 wail their most pitiful fate. They will never have their fill of tears, nor will a pitiful voice be heard
301 of those who moan, one here, another there,
302 but long worn under dark, dank Tartarus
303 they will cry aloud; and they will repay
304 in cursed places three times as much as all
305 the evil work they did, burned with much fire; and all of them, consumed by raging thirst
306 and hunger, will in anguish gnash their teeth
307 and call death beautiful, and death will flee away from them. For neither death nor night
308 will ever give them rest. And many things in vain
309 they will ask of the God who rules on high,
310 and then he will turn his face openly away from them. For he to erring men
311 gave, in seven ages for repentance, signs
312 by the hands of a virgin undefiled.

The Reward of the Righteous

313 But the others, all to whom right and fair works
314 and piety and thoughts most just were dear,
315 angels will, carrying them through the burning stream,⁠d
316 lead into light and life free from care,
317 where the immortal way of the great God comes
318 and three fountains—of honey, wine, and milk.
319 And equal land for all, not divided
320 by walls or fences, more abundant fruits
321 spontaneous will then bear, and the course
322 of life will be common and wealth undivided. For there will no longer be poor or rich,
323 tyrant nor slave, nor any great nor small,
324 nor kings nor leaders; all alike in common.
325 No more at all will one say, “night has come,” nor “tomorrow comes,” nor “yesterday has been”;
326 nor will there be many days of anxious care,
327 nor spring, nor winter, nor the summer-heat, nor autumn be, nor marriage, nor death,
328 nor sales, nor purchases, nor setting of the sun
329 nor rising; for God will make a long day.
330 And the almighty, imperishable God will grant the pious another thing,
331 when they will ask the imperishable God:⁠e
332 that he will allow men from raging fire
333 and endless gnawing anguish to be saved;
334 and he will do this. For after this he
335 will pluck them from the restless flame, elsewhere remove them, and for his own people’s sake send them to other and eternal life
336 with the immortals, in Elysian field, clearly false; for the penal fire will never cease from those who are condemned.
337 For I too might pray to have it so, branded with greatest scars of trespasses, which need more kindness. But let Origen
338 be ashamed of his presumptuous babble, saying there will be an end to punishments. Where move far-stretching waves of the lake
339 of deep, ever-flowing Acheron. Ah, miserable woman that I am!
340 What will I be in that day? for I sinned— being busy foolishly about all things,
341 caring for neither marriage-bond nor reason;
342 but even in my wealthy husband’s house I shut the needy out; and in the past
343 I knowingly performed unlawful things.
344 But, Savior, though I performed shameless things,
345 rescue me from my tormentors, a shameless woman. And I beg you now
346 let me rest a little from my song,
347 holy Giver of manna, King of the great realm.