The Third Ethiopian Book of Maccabees

Chapter 1 Let Egypt rejoice in joy at the end of days because of the good and gentle one who is to come upon them, who will be avenged for what was done by the one who oppressed and corrupted [the people], namely, Sebelianos, who opposed the path of his Creator. And he will be avenged and will bring his honor into the earth and into the dust, for he became arrogant in his mind. And he said, “Who is exalted above me? For I have made rivers flow into the heart [of the land] and have brought [water] up into the heights, and I have dried up lakes and their reeds like the feathers of a bird for the children of Adam. And there is no one who can restrain me from my hands, for I am more powerful than those who dwell upon the earth, even if they do the will of the Lord God, for I contend with them on their behalf, as I have turned them away from the straight path of the Lord God and have brought them into my own crooked path, so that they walk with me into the abyss. And because of this, those who have rejected him and disobeyed his command pray to me, and moreover, their error from their Lord comes to me, and they love me and keep my covenant and do my command as I have commanded them, for I have darkened their hearts and perverted their minds so that they do not turn to the Lord God, their Creator. And when I showed them the treasures of the world, I corrupted their hearts from the straight path, and when I showed them the beauty of women and maidens, by these also I turned them away from the straight path.

And when he showed them the stones of Indian crystal that sparkle, and stones of gold and crystal, and by this he turned them from the straight path, so that they might be led astray into my own deeds. And when he showed them fine garments, and linens, and silks, and brocades, and robes, and by this also I turned them from the straight path and brought them into my own thoughts. And when he showed them crafts, and like the forms of animals, and by this I turned them into my own deeds. And when he showed them sins of pride, and concerning women, and of vanity and shame, and by all this I turned them into my own path. And when he showed them signs and I placed deceit in their heart, and I instilled in their heart the words of their own signs, and they showed me the sign of their word, I increased them. And to those whom I had appointed as my dwelling, I showed them wonders, whether by the course of the stars, or by the root of the clouds, or by the sound of fire, or by the song of birds and beasts, and by all this I sowed for them a sign in their hearts, for my dwelling is they. And they speak and give a sign to their children and their firstborn, and I will be a sign according to what they, my lords, have told me.

And he gave them a sign of their word, as he deceived those who had questioned him, and he gave them a thought, and they changed their mind, as they said, "There are no teachers, as I am, and as I am, those who will deny them, as they spoke, and they interpret prophecy, and they distinguish good and evil, and everything, as they read, they will deny them, and as their word is done for them. And when they say this, I rejoice, as many are those who are deceived, and many are those who are led astray by me, as they are deceived with me, the children of Adam, for because of their father Adam, the Lord cast me down from my throne by my pride, because I would not bow to the creature of the light. And I also will make them dwell in the midst of deception, all the children who walk in my command, and in me is a snare from my Creator, as those whom I have led astray will love me, and they will be with me in the fire. And I also learned from my Lord when he was angry with me, and he commanded that they bind me and cast me into Gehenna and into the depths of Sheol. And when my Creator commanded thus, I also learned before him, saying, 'My Lord, for you have tested me and struck me with your whip, and you have punished me with your anger. Allow me to read one other thing before you.' And he said to me, 'My Lord, read, and I will hear you.' And then I began and pleaded with him, saying, 'As I was expelled from my throne, let those whom I have led astray be with me in what I have prepared.'

And those who refused me and were not deceived by me and did not keep my commandment, as they perform your commandment, and may they fulfill your will and keep your word. And when they refused me, I taught them as I am, and they were not deceived by me; as I deceived them, they were not deceived by me; as I deceived them, they themselves shall be for your kingdom, and they shall take a crown of thorns. And you gave me when you loved me. And to all the authorities who were arrayed with me and who were named Satans, give them a crown of theirs, and set them at your right hand within the throne of mine, you being a distance from me and from my angels. And they shall worship you as you desire, and they shall be as I am and as my angels, and they shall worship you as you desire, for my authority was diminished and their authority was exalted, because you hated me and loved those who were created from earth and clay. And my Lord answered me and said to me, "As you desire, while they do not permit me to speak, they shall be for you according to your word, for while they see and hear, you deceived them." And I also did not seize their anger when they come to you, having abandoned my commandment and the word of my books. And if you deceived them, they shall be judged with you in judgment, and I have given them no escape until eternity. And those who are deceived by you shall be in judgment, judgment, and they shall not laugh in fire until eternity.

Chapter 2 And those who implored you, like Job my servant, I will make them inherit your throne in glory. For those who you caused to desire the kingdom of heaven, I have made them rejoice, says the Lord of all who rules. And I have preserved them in everything for the children of Adam, and I will not abandon them; let them stand in good works. If you are able to make them desire, because I preserve them in everything for the children of Adam, and I make them taste in the desire of the world. And if in the desire of gluttony and in the desire of drink and in the love of lust, and if in the love of speech and gift and in pride, and if in the love of sight and in the love of hearing and in the love of walking and reclining and sleeping, and if in the abundance of speech in arrogance and in the love of sleep and dream, and if in the abundance of drink and drunkenness, and if in the sight of the beauties of the women of this world and the scent of perfume that makes them desire, and if in the heat of their anger in shadow, and if in the sight of the beauties of the women of this world and the scent of perfume that makes them desire—in all this I will contend with them, as they cannot be saved, and I will turn them away from the path of the Lord, so that they may be with me in the valley, because on account of them I was exiled from my throne. And the prophet said: You, valley and ravine, how long will you be a stumbling block upon the wisdom of the Lord God? When you have despised the commandment of the Lord in your arrogance and in the hardness of your heart and in the enmity of your Creator and in the lack of praise for your God.

And when you, your Creator, cast you down because of your evil deeds, and why do you have mercy on the poor whom his God created? Earth, and Hamed, and Gabr, according to his will, and he placed him for his praise. And when you, the spiritual one, became proud, saying, "God who created you from the flame of fire and wind." And when you boast, the Lord looked upon your evil deeds and created a singer instead of you, so that he might praise his name without ceasing, because you and your demons transgressed the commandment of the Lord. And Adam also, with his children, so that they might praise the name of the Lord instead of your praise, with your hosts who rejected the Lord because of your pride, for you exalted yourself above all the angels, above those like you, the host of angels. And because of this, the Lord took you from among all the leaders of the angels who are like you, and your hosts who were created with you in counsel, you were removed from the praise of the Lord because of the hardness of your hearts and the pride of your minds, which has no limit, and your boasting over your Creator, and not over another. And because of this, so that he might praise among the humble, he created Adam from the dust of the earth and gave him law and commandment, that he should not eat from the fruit of the tree, and he set him over all that he created, and he commanded him, saying, "Eat from every tree in the garden, but from one tree, the tree of death, do not eat from it, lest it bring death upon your head.

And when you heard this voice, you stood up, trembling from your mouth over Eve, the bone of Adam’s side, and you changed yourself into a pure lamb in the evil snare, as you were appointed like you, an enemy of the commandment. And when you deceived Eve, who was created as a gentle dove, who did not know your deception, you deceived her with your twisted word and your crooked speech. And after your deception of that first nature, and that serpent deceived the nature of the first man, the first man created from earth, by the Lord God. And by your pride you cast him into a place that was not a dwelling, and you appointed him to despise the word of his Creator. And by your pride you cast him out for the poor, and by your wickedness you removed him from the love of his God, and by your pretext you expelled him from the garden of joy, and by your cunning you deprived him of the food of the garden, and by your falsehood you made him fast from the drink of the garden, for you cut him off from the gentle nature, so that you might bring him into your death, Sheol, and so that you might remove him from the love of his God, who brought him from where he was not into where he is, in truth. And while he was earthly, he appointed him spiritual, and a speaker who praises and hymns his God with his soul, his body, and his mind. And he created for him

Chapter 3 And to you, and to Adam, your thoughts are given, and they are multiplied within you, like the waves of the sea and like the whirlwind that raises dust from the earth, and like the waves of the sea that the wind tosses, and like the drops of rain that cannot be counted. Likewise, the thought of Adam from the multitude of thoughts within his heart cannot be counted. And to you, one thought, and there is no other, because you are of flesh. And you deceived the one who And when she came, she caused the first of his creation to stumble, the commandment of the Lord, by eating the tree, and she brought death upon herself and upon her children because she transgressed the command of her Creator. And by the righteous judgment of the Lord, they went out from the garden, and he did not allow them to return to the garden, but he exiled them to the land to which he banished them, with their children and with the fruit of their wombs and with the fruit of their land. And when you expelled them in wrath from the garden, the Lord gave them from the trees of the garden thorns and thistles, so that they might plant and be nourished by the fruit of the garden and by the fruit of the land that the Lord gave them, so that they might be nourished and renew their hearts, each one, by seeing their children and by seeing the garden and by the fruit of the land that the earth produced from the dust. And when they eat it, they are nourished, each one, from the sorrow that you expelled them from the garden. And they are nourished in their hearts because of children and the fruit of the land, for the Lord knows the exile of his creation. And he renews their hearts with food and water, for they were exiles in this land of thorns and thistles.

Chapter 4 And there is the Lord for Adam, as He will test you also, to make you ashamed and to snatch the lamb from the hand of the wolf. And only those who have envied you have arisen, and they will be filled with you in the field. And as for those who keep the law of the Lord, their God, they rejoice with their Creator. Those whom the Lord has hidden from your evil deed, as He will give them His reward, and as they will praise Him with His holy angels, those who have transgressed like you against the law of their God. But you, in your pride, have taken the throne of the Most High Lord, which He gave you from among all those like you, so that you might praise Him with His angels. But you have refused and have been named; they have been named demons. And those who love the Lord become His people, like the holy angels, and without ceasing they spread their wings, the Cherubim and Seraphim, who praise Him. And those who love the Lord become His people, like the holy angels, and without ceasing they spread their wings, the Cherubim and Seraphim, who praise Him. But you, in your cunning and your pride, have despised your praise, which He commanded you to praise Him at all times with your kind and all your company, who were created with you in your fellowship.

And when you despised the praise of Him whom you created, thinking that there is none who can do as you do, as if you could not utter the praise of the Lord who created you—the tenth generation—when you separated yourself from the company of your brothers, as if you could not utter the praise of the Lord whom you created. But you, in the pride of your heart, boasted in the praise of Him who created you; but He Himself mocked and laughed at you, and cast you into the abyss of Gehenna with your demons. And He took a handful of dust from the earth in His holy hands, and mixed water, fire, and wind, and created Adam in His own image and likeness, and placed him in all the work of His hands, so that he might fill the void of your praise. And He joined the praise of the earthly with the praise of the heavenly, and it became a deficiency in their praise. But you, in your pride and the stiffness of your neck, were expelled and hid your face from the praise of the Lord whom you created. Know that the praise of Him who made what is worthy of praise by the counsel of His will cannot be diminished, for the praise of the Lord is not diminished, because He knows all before it comes to be, and He established from before He created you, as you transgressed His command. And when He raised up Adam, He made him in His image and likeness, for from before the world, a hidden counsel was with Him, as Solomon said: “Before the mountains, He begot me, and before the world was formed, He created me, and before the foundations of the earth were laid.

And before the foundation of the mountains and the hills was established, and before the paths of the world were made firm, and before the light of the sun and the moon shone, and before the course of the stars and the seasons existed, and before night and day were separated, and before the ebb and flow of the sea existed, and before all that exists came to be, and before what now appears appeared, and before every name that is now named was named—You, and there is none like You, existing in the mind of the Lord, and Adam, His servant. When you exalted yourself so that His holy name might be praised, and when you became proud, you, who created Adam, His servant, so that the work of the earth which He created might be praised in humility. For the Lord hears the prayer of the poor from afar, and the Lord brings near the praise of the humble. And the Lord abhors the word of the proud, for He does not desire the strength of a horse, nor does He seek the pride of a man; the Lord seeks those who fear Him and weep and wail on account of the sins they have committed. But you, in your pride, have become hardened in repentance. Yet the earth has entered into repentance, weeping and lamenting over its sin before the Lord, its Creator. But you, in the pride of your heart and the stiffness of your neck, have not known the path of peace, nor have you repented, and you have become hardened in arrogance before the Lord, your Creator, in repentance, weeping, and lamentation.

And he is earth, and dust, and a wanderer, who weeps and groans in repentance and in the path of prayer and humility. And you, you have bowed your head and humbled your heart for what you have created. And he has bowed the head of the garden in what is good and not proud. And for him, it is not an error; he is the one who created those from your presence, for you created and established them for elevation, and you filled him with yourself in the bosom of your eye in your pride. He himself knows how it happened in the pride of your heart, for before he created both of you, he knew you and knew your ways. And he who has no pride, he has made him repent with weeping and groaning. And you, in the pride of your heart, have made the garden dry in repentance, for what dries and withers, his pride is worse than his former sin. And he who dries and withers and weeps before the Lord his Creator, and he who truly repents and finds the path of his salvation, so that his heart may be merciful, and he humbles himself before his Lord, and his Lord will remove from him the former affliction, so that he may rejoice over his servant, for he humbled himself before him with much repentance and prostration, and he will forgive him his former transgression. And if he returns to his former sin, then this is the completion of his repentance if he does this. And Adam, he sought the mercy of his God and humbled himself in repentance to his Creator.

And you, be merciful to him, and forgive him whom you created, and do not count his sin against him, nor the works of his hands, for the Lord knows the weakness of those whom he created, for they are of flesh and blood. And their souls, as they came forth from their bodies, become dust until the day you, O Lord, will it. Chapter 5 Remember him whom you created, and do not forget him who strengthened you and saved you, O holy Israel, for while you were earth, he formed you in his image and likeness, and placed you in the garden, that you might be fruitful and work the land. And when you disobeyed his command, he expelled you from there into this land, a land of thorns and thistles, and you were cursed because of it. For you are earth, and she is earth, and you are dust, and she is dust, and you are soil, and she is soil, and you are taken from her and return to her, and you become dust until the time he wills to raise you and absolve you of all the sin and transgression you have committed. That is the time when you will know what you have done and remember what evil and good you have done, and the judgment and counsel. If evil is more abundant, woe to you, for you will be punished by the works of your hands and by your evil will, and by how you have persecuted your brother, and by how you have not feared God, you will be punished according to your deeds.

And as you are merciful to your neighbor and forgive him falsely, in the name of the Lord you will be judged according to your deeds. For you will accept falsehood for your word, that it may be true in the reasoning of your neighbor. But you know that you speak falsehood. And those who are with you will stand as if your word is righteous, while you make them believe and multiply words to one who is not true. Your word is righteous, and you will be judged according to your deeds. And as you say, "I will give to one who is not, for my neighbor," and "You are merciful to another." And when you say with a pure heart, "I will give," demons will surround you like dogs and will strip you of all the possessions you have taken and desired, so that you may give. They will make you desire the wealth of the world, so that you may be angry with one who does not repay you and with one who does not consume, for it is said, "They are angry and do not know with whom they are angry." And again it is said, "Deceivers, children of the son of the mother of life, will measure measures, and they themselves are from vanity into vanity." Like a man who does not abandon iniquity in the measure of his measure and in the measure of his standard and in the cutting of another's property, and who returns to your property in iniquity and in the seizure of your neighbor's property, and all that you have gathered for yourselves and not for your neighbor. And if this is your deed, you will be judged according to your deeds. A man does not trust in fraud, but in what is fitting by the works of your hands you will be saved. And you will not desire the harm of another, as you will eat in fraud and deceit without justice and fitness. And what does not satisfy you when you eat, and what does not profit you when you are angry, but you will leave it to another when you die.

And as for your wealth, if it is abundant, your heart will be small, a little in righteousness, more than abundant wealth of sinners, because the wealth of sinners is like smoke that goes out from the mouth of an oven and is carried away by the wind. Chapter 6 And remember the day of your death, and await it, for it will come to you when your soul departs from your body, and when you leave behind your alien wealth and travel the path to the place you do not know. And those who mock you are deceivers, and they are foolish in their sight, and fearful in their majesty, and they do not hear your voice, and you are not heard by their voice. And when you have spoken to them, they do not give you in return for what you have done the will of the Lord your God, and because of this they fear you exceedingly. And those who have done the will of the Lord have no fear, because they themselves fear, and for sinful souls, demons mock them. And for the souls of the righteous, they rejoice in the joy of angels, because they make them rejoice exceedingly for what they have renounced in this world. And for sinful souls, the angels of deception mock them. And for the souls of the righteous and the merciful, the angels of mercy mock them, because from the Lord they are sent to guide the souls of the righteous, and for sinful souls, from the devil the angels of deception are sent to mock the souls of sinners. Woe to you, sinners, woe upon your heads before the day of your death arrives, because after your death, your past days will not be repeated.

But without your days passing, repent with what you have, that you may be without disease and illness when you appear before the Lord in joy. And let there not be upon you an evil curse, and envy, and love of pleasure, and gluttony, so that you may not be cast into vain desire which distances from the Lord. For a soul that is poor, without restraint, does not remember the name of the Lord, and the spirit of life does not dwell upon her, but rather the spirit of the devil dwells upon her. As Moses said: “He devoured Jacob’s portion, and he was poor, and he praised, and he plundered, and he stole, and he abandoned him, the Lord his Creator.” And you have distanced yourself from the Lord, his life, for the fullness of the belly without restraint is like the neighing of a horse and like wild asses of the desert, eating and drinking without restraint and fornication. And he who does not fill his belly with the foundation of the Lord, firm, and like the rest of the horizon, and like a firm pillar, whose boundary is there, for the wicked says, “I will groan,” while there is none who will give. And righteousness is like a powerful lion. And those who do not love the word of the Lord, their hearts are not upright. And the Lord gives them stones and sorrow while they are upon the earth, as if they do not tremble in fear and in thunder and in the loss of their wealth, and in many afflictions without number, and in chains in their hands from the hands of their masters, and in pains that are theirs, which terrify them, so that they may not be arrogant and not dwell in peace.

Chapter 7 And those who trust in the Lord have no trembling nor fear, as David said: "I trusted in the Lord, and I do not fear; what can the sons of men do to me?" And again he said: "I asked the Lord for one thing, and I sought it; and he who trusts in him lives forever and does not fear any evil thing." Who is it that trusted in the Lord and was ashamed? And who is it that called upon him and was rejected? And who is it that sought his help and was ashamed? For he said: "To him who loved me, I will love; to him who honored me, I will honor; and to him who fled to me, I will take refuge." Save the soul of the passerby, and open for them, as the Lord will save you from everything that may befall you in evil. And for those whom you see after you, save them, for the generations of the righteous will be blessed and will not be diminished; they will increase and give. Chapter 8 Job trusted in the Lord, and he saved him from all his sufferings which the devil, the enemy of the sons of men, brought upon him. For there is no deceit; the Lord blessed his God, and his heart was not grieved by the suffering that befell him. Those who said "Lord" and "Lord," the Lord took and made them as the Lord willed. And in everything, let the blessing of the name of the Lord be in heaven and on earth. And when the Lord saw that Job's heart was pure, the Lord received him with great honor.

And He gave him more than before, and healed him from his wound because of his patience in everything that had befallen him, for he was exceedingly patient. And likewise you also, if you are patient with me, when enemies attack you, you will be blessed. Be patient and do not let your heart be troubled by the affliction that has come upon you. May the Lord of the land be your shield against those who oppose you, and over your children and your children's children after you. Trust in Him, and He will be your shield; call upon Him, and He will be your heaven; spread out before Him, and He will be your mercy; ask Him, and He will be your father. Remember Esther and Mordecai, Judith and Gideon, Barak, Deborah, Samson, and Jephthah. And also others like them who trusted in the Lord and did not fear their enemies. For those who wish to do evil to them, evil will compel them, because the justice of the Lord of the land does not favor the face of anyone. For those who fear Him and do righteousness, He preserves their souls and gives them honor and glory, and makes them flourish in their time and in their age, in their death and in their life, in their wealth and in their resurrection. For He is the one who gives life and kills, and He is the one who punishes and pardons, and He is the one who impoverishes and enriches, and He is the one who humbles and honors.

Chapter 9 Whether in heaven or on earth, whether of spirit or of flesh, everything has its place, and everything stands by His ordinance. And there is none that transgresses the boundary and the command of the Creator of all. Ten eagles in the sky—it is He who directs their flight wherever He wills. And the path of the beasts of the earth in the forest—it is He who directs wherever He wills. And the path of the ship upon the sea—there is none who knows its way except the Lord alone. And who knows the course of the soul from the time it departs from its body except the Lord alone? Whether it be a righteous soul or a sinful soul. And where it is hidden—whether in the wilderness or in the mountains, whether like a bird or like dew, like the armoniem that descends into the clefts of the mountain, or like the wind of the storm, or like lightning that flashes its paths, or like the stars that appear in the sky, or like the foam of the waves of the sea that is swallowed in the sky, or like the diamond stone sunk in the depths of the sea, or like a tree that is planted where water flows and gives good fruit, or like the tree of the forest that is withered by the heat of the sun and uprooted by the wind and cast to another place where it withers and its ten are not found, and like the shadow of a cloud its ten are not found—who knows the way of the Lord? And who are His counselors, and with whom did He take counsel?

And who can count his ten? For the understanding of God is hidden from the children of men, and there is none who can grasp his wisdom and counsel, for it is he who established the earth upon the water and suspended it without supports. And by the power of his wisdom he fixed the sky in the wind and made it stand like a tent for the male water. And he commanded the clouds to bring down rain upon the earth and to cause grass and fruit to sprout, food without number for the harvest of the children of men, so that we may rejoice together in God. And all the blessings, gifts, and tribulations that God sends to the children of men, so that they may be troubled and thank God who gave them from the fruit of the earth and clothed them with good covering. And all the blessings, pleasures, and gifts that are desired, which are given to those who do the will of God. And in the heavens also he gives them honor, glory, and joy in the abode prepared by the Father for those who keep the commandment of God and walk in his judgment and justice, and do not transgress the commandment of him who created them, formed them, made them live, and exalted them, so that they may keep the law and observe the ordinance. And I have seen upon the earth how God acts for those who love him, by destroying their enemies and preserving their souls. And all that they asked of him, he gives them and does their will, if they do not transgress the commandment of God and do the will of God.

And they are not hidden from his wisdom and his command, as it is not hidden from you, and as he has not destroyed you by the flood, nor struck you with his wrath, so that you might be saved from that which you have inherited from the beginning, the heritage of your fathers, and so that your dwelling place might not be in the fire of Gehenna, where there is for you no end, forever. And without your soul departing from your body, keep the will of God, the Lord of all of you, so that he may make your deeds pleasant when you stand before God. For the kingdom of heaven and earth belongs to him alone, and power and kingship belong to him, and the sun and the moon belong to him alone. For he is the one who enriches and impoverishes, who humbles and honors. And David also prophesied concerning him, saying, "Man, what is he like? And his days pass like a shadow. And you, O Lord, live forever, and your remembrance is for generations of generations." And again he said, "Your kingdom is a kingdom for all the world, and your possessions are for generations of generations. You took the kingdom from Saul and gave it to David. And for you, there is none who can name you, and there is none who can see you, and you see all. And your kingdom is not diminished for generations of generations and for eternity. And there is none who can judge him; he judges all and sees all.

And he tests the heart and the kidneys, because what he has done for man through his works, which are in his likeness, is so that it may be for his glory, and so that they may know his worship without dissension in a righteous heart, and that they may not be worshippers of foreign gods, but only of the Lord who created them, formed them, gave them life, and increased them. But they denied the worship of him who created them, and they bow down to wood and stone, to gold and to brass, the work of human hands, and they offer sacrifices to them until the smoke of their offerings rises to the sky, as if it were set before the Lord. And he will condemn them for all their sins which they committed in the worship of their idols, and they did not keep the commandment of the Lord. They were not taught, but rather they learned to worship idols, and all the evil deeds which are not pleasing, and divination by stars and omens and idols and sorcery, and all that the Lord does not desire. These things they do in sinful wickedness, because the Lord desired and wished that they might save their souls from iniquity and sin by prostrating themselves before the Lord and his angels. And I stand as a guardian of their souls, and when they all rise together in the dust where they have lain and their bones have been shattered, and their souls dwell in houses of light for the righteous, but for the sinners in darkness, and when they rise in the flesh, and the souls are joined to the flesh from where they previously departed.

And they stand, their nakedness before God, as they were born, and their deeds are revealed from their youth until that time when they acted. And they turn their sins upon their own necks, and they are judged according to the deeds they have done, whether small or great. Chapter 10 Hear, if you do not believe in the resurrection of the dead: how will the souls rise without being born in the rainy season? For the Spirit of God will descend upon them as it breathed before. And He will command them beforehand with His word, as they are to die and rise according to His will, while their flesh is consumed and renewed again. And likewise, when rain falls and waters the earth, they live and move as they were created before. For He said, and all that has a living soul that moves upon the earth, and every living soul that drinks water—for the Spirit of God hovers over the water, and by His Spirit and His word, the spirit of life is given to them. See, O blind heart, that you say the dead do not rise, for by His Spirit and His word they come to be without mother or father. If you have understanding and wisdom, why do you say the dead do not rise? By the word of God, their Creator. And you, repent and return to your faith, for by the word of God the dead live, those who have become dust and ashes in the earth.

And they are raised by the dew of his mercy, which is from the Lord, according as his word was spoken from the beginning; and it is the word that revives all and raises the dead, as he willed. Know that you will rise and stand before him, and it will not be as your mind imagines, that which remains in the tomb. Not thus will you rise and be judged. According to what you have done upon earth, whether good or evil, for the day of judgment is that day. At the resurrection you will be judged for all the sins you have committed, and the book of your deeds, which was written from your youth until that time, will be unrolled. And you will have no excuse, as in the works of this world, where you might deny your sins, so that you might hide in your sins and set up falsehood as truth before you, and forget that falsehood which you spoke as truth. And there is no judgment there, for the Spirit of the Lord will speak over you, for it knows all the evil deeds you have done and will reveal them to the Lord, your Creator. And there you will be ashamed because of the sins you have committed. And before you arrive, hasten to perform repentance here, so that you may not be ashamed before the angels and men on the day of judgment, but rather that you may be blessed with those who are blessed by the beauty of their deeds. And they will raise their heads before their Creator without shame, with the angels who praise the Lord and rejoice. And if you have done good in your life while you were in your body, you will have a reward with the righteous.

and you will have repentance before your Creator, because you have sinned against me while you had understanding, while you had wealth and possessions, and while you had abundance, yet you did not feed the hungry; and while you had clothing, you did not clothe the naked; and while you had authority, you did not strengthen the weak; and while you had understanding, you did not teach the sinner, so that he might repent and be forgiven, and the Lord might forgive his sin. You sinned first without understanding, and while you had strength, you did not fight against those who oppress you, so that you might be able to resist; and while you were strong, you did not fast and pray, so that you might weaken the power of your fleshly desires, and so that you might subdue yourself for righteousness, and not for the pleasure of the flesh in the world, and not for the delights of the world, for sweet foods and good drinks, and not for fine garments, and for gold and silver ornaments, and for precious stones and pearls, and for silk, and not for that which is fitting for a man's adornment, but for the adornment of a man's purity, wisdom, understanding, and love in purity without deceit and bitterness, without discord and enmity, and while you love your neighbor as your own soul, and while you do not return evil for evil to him who has done evil to you, so that you may enter into the dwelling place that was given to the righteous, and so that you may be counted among those who inherited the holy land through faith, understanding, and heart, and through the spreading of the kingdom of heaven at the time of resurrection.

and they do not say, “We will raise the dead,” because those who say and think that they will fulfill the hope of the devil, as they will not be saved at the resurrection, and they will be embittered when it reaches them, and they will grieve and be tormented in their minds because of the evil they have done, as they will be counted among the wicked at the resurrection, for they did not believe that they would rise on that day. And because of this, they will be punished according to the evil of their deeds which they did upon the earth, and they will see the denial of the resurrection in the flesh together. And having said this, they will weep because they did not prepare their path. And when they weep upon the earth from their life, when they are denied that they will not be in the land of the living here. And if we do not weep of our own will here, they will weep for us here without our will. And when we do not repent here, we will repent in weeping and lamentation here, where it will not avail us. And they prepared good works so that you might pass from death into life, and from this transitory earth which consumes the heavenly, and from this which is on earth to that which is in the heavens, light and glory for the abode which is on earth without end, as here joy which has no end is manifested in the kingdom of heaven with those who believe in the resurrection of the dead, from now and forever and ever. Amen.