Vous êtes sur la page 1sur 23

THE SECOND BOOK OF

ADAM & EVE


CHAPT ER I The g rief stricken family. Ca in marries Lu lu wa and they mo ve a wa y. 1 When Lu lu wa heard Cain's words, she wept and went to call her father a nd mother, and told them how that Ca in had k illed his brother Abel. 2 T hen they all cried alou d and lifted u p their voices, and slapped their faces, and threw du st u pon their heads, and rent asu nder their ga rments, and went ou t and came to the pla ce where Ab el was k illed. 3 And they fou nd him lying on the ea rth, killed, and beasts arou nd him; while they wept and cried becau se of this ju st one. From his b ody, by rea son of its pu rity, went forth a smell of sweet spices. 4 And Adam carried him, his tears strea ming down his face; and went to the Cave of Treasures, where he la id him, and wou nd him u p with swe et spices and myrrh. 5 And Adam and Eve continu ed by the bu rial of him in great grief a hu ndred and forty days. Abel was fifteen and a half years old, and Ca in seventeen years and a ha lf. 6 As for Cain, when the mou rning for his br other was ended, he took his sister Lu lu wa and married her, withou t leave from his father and mother; for they cou ld not k eep him from her, by reason of their heavy hea rt. 7 He then went down to the bottom of the mou ntain, away from the ga rden, near to the place where he had k illed his brother. 8 And in that place were many fru it trees and forest trees. His sister bare him children, who in their tu rn b egan to mu ltiply by degrees u ntil they filled that place. 9 But as for Adam and Eve, they came not together after Abel's fu neral, for seven years. After this, howev er, Eve conceived; and while she was with child, Adam said to her, "Come, let u s tak e an offering and offer it u p u nto God, and ask Him to give u s a fair child, in whom we may find comfort, and whom we may join in marriage to Abel's si ster." 10 T hen they prepared an offering and brou ght it u p to the altar, and offered it b efore the Lord, and b e gan to entreat Him to accept their offering, and to give them a good offspring. 11 And God heard Adam and a ccepted his o ffering. T hen, they wo rshipped, Adam, Eve, and their dau ghter, and came down to the Cave of Treasu res and placed a lamp in it, to bu rn by night and by day, before the bod y of Abel. 12 T hen Adam and Eve continu ed fasting and praying u ntil Eve's t ime came that she shou ld be delivered, when she said to Adam, "I wish to go to the cave in the rock , to bring forth in it." 13 And he said, "Go, and tak e with thee thy dau ghter to wait on thee; bu t I will remain in this Cave of Treasures before the body of my son Abel." 14 T hen Eve heark ened to Adam, and went, sh e and her dau ghter. Bu t Adam remained by himself in the

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

Ca ve of Treasures. CHAPT ER II. A th ird son is bo rn to Ada m and Eve . 1 And Eve brou ght forth a son pe rfectly b eau tifu l in figu re and in cou ntenance. His beauty was lik e tha t of his father Adam, y et more bea u tifu l. 2 T hen Eve was comforted when she sa w him, and remained eight da ys in the cave; then sh e sent her da u ghter u nto Adam to tell him to come and see th e child and name him. Bu t the dau ghter stayed in his pla ce by the body of her brother, u ntil Ada m r etu rned. So did she. 3 Bu t when Adam came and saw the child's go od look s, his beau ty, and his perfect figu re, he rejoiced over him, a nd was comforted for Abel. T hen he named the child Seth, th at mea ns, "that God has heard my pra yer, and has delivered me ou t of my a ffliction." Bu t it means also "power and strength." 4 T hen after Adam had named the child, he retu rned to the Cave of Trea sures; and his dau ghter went ba ck to her mother. 5 Bu t Eve continu ed in her cave, u ntil forty days were fu lfilled, when she ca me to Adam, and brou ght with her the child and her dau ghter. 6 And they came to a river of wa ter, where Adam and his dau ghter wa shed themselves, becau se of th eir sorrow for Abel; bu t Eve and the ba be washed for pu rification. 7 T hen they retu rned, and took an offering, and went to the mou ntain a nd offered it u p, for the babe; and God a ccepted their offering, and sent His blessing u pon them, and u pon their son Seth; and they came

back to the Cave of Treasu res. 8 As for Adam, he k new not again his wife Eve, all the days of hi s life; neither was any more o ffspring born of them; bu t only those five, Cain, Lu lu wa, Abel, Ak lia, and Seth alone. 9 Bu t Seth waxed in statu re and in strength; and began to fast and pray, fervently. CHAPT ER III. Sa tan appea rs as a b eau tiful wo man temp ting Ada m, telling h im he is still a you th . "Sp end thy you th in mirth and p lea sure." (12 ) The d ifferent fo rms wh ich Sa tan takes (1 5). 1 As for ou r father Adam, at the end of sev en years fro m the day he had been sev ered from hi s wi fe Eve, Satan envied him, when he saw him thu s separated from her; and strove to mak e him live with her again. 2 T hen Adam arose and went u p above the Cave of Treasu res; a nd continu ed to sleep there ni ght by night. Bu t as soon as it was light every day he came down to the cave, to pray there and to receive a bles sing from it. 3 Bu t when it was evening he went u p on the roof of th e cave, wh ere he slept by himself, fearing lest Satan shou ld overcome him. And h e con tinu ed thu s apart thirty -nine days. 4 T hen Satan, the hater of all good, when he saw Adam thu s alone, fas ting and praying, appeared u nto him in the form of a beau tifu l woman, who came and stood before him in the night of the fortieth day, and said u nto him: 5 "O Adam, from the time ye have dwelt in this cave, we have exp e rienced great peace from you , and you r prayers have reached u s, a nd

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

we ha ve been comforted abou t you . 6 "Bu t now, O Adam, that thou hast gone u p over the roof of the cave to sleep, we have had dou bts abou t thee, a nd a great sorrow has co me u pon u s becau se of thy separation from Eve. T hen again, when thou art on the roof o f this cave, thy prayer is pou red out, and thy heart wanders from side to sid e. 7 "Bu t when thou wast in the ca ve thy pra yer was lik e fire gathered t ogether; it came down to u s, and thou didst find rest. 8 "T hen I also grieved over thy children who are severed from thee; a nd my sorrow is great about the mu rder of thy son Abel; for h e was righteou s; and over a righ teou s man every one will grieve. 9 "Bu t I rejoiced over the birth of thy son Seth; yet after a little while I sorrowed greatly over Eve, b eca u se she is my sister. For when God sent a deep sleep ov er thee, and drew her ou t of thy side, He brou ght me ou t also with her. Bu t HE raised her by placing her with thee, while He lowered me. 10 "I rejoiced over my sister for her being with thee. Bu t God had ma de me a promise before, and said, 'Grieve not; when Adam has gone u p on the roof of the Cave of Tre a su res, and is separated from Eve his wife, I will send thee to him, thou sha lt join thyself to him in ma rria ge, and bear him five children, as Eve did bear him five.' 11 "And now, lo! God's promise to me is fu lfilled; for it is He who has sent m e to thee for the wed ding; be ca u se if thou wed me, I shall bear thee fin er and better children than those of Ev e. 12 "T hen again, thou art as yet but

a you th; end not thy you th in this world in sorrow; bu t spend th e da ys of thy you th in mirth and pleasu re. For thy days are few and thy trial is great. Be strong; end thy days in this world in rejoicing. I shall tak e plea su re in thee, and thou shall r ejoice with me in this wise, and withou t fear. 13 "Up, then, and fu lfil the co mmand of thy God," she then drew near to Adam, and emb raced him. 14 But when Adam saw that he shou ld be overcome by h er, he prayed to God with a fervent heart to deliver him from her. 15 T hen God sent His Word u nto Adam, saying, "O Adam, that figu re is the one that promised thee the Godhead, and majesty; he i s not fa vou ra bly disposed towards thee; bu t shows himself to thee at one time in the form of a woman; another m oment, in the lik eness if an angel; on another occasions, in the similitu de of a serpent; and at another time, in the semblance of a god; bu t he does all that only to destroy thy sou l. 16 "Now, therefore, O Adam, u nderstanding thy heart, I have del ivered thee many a time from his hands; in order to sho w th ee that I am a mercifu l God; and that I wish thy good, and that I do not wish thy ru in." CHAPT ER IV. Ada m sees the Devil in h is true co lo rs. 1 T hen God ordered Satan to show himself to Adam plainly, in his own hideou s form. 2 Bu t when Adam saw him, he feared, and trembled at the sight of him. 3 And God said to Adam, 'Look at

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

this devil, and at hi s hideou s look , a nd k now that he it is who made thee fa ll from brightness into dar k ness, from peace and rest to toil and misery. 4 And look , O Adam, at him, who sa id of himself that he is God! Can God be black? Wou ld God tak e the form of a woman? Is there any one stronger than God? And can He be overpowered? 5 "See, then, O Adam, and behold him bou nd in thy presence, in the a ir, u nable to flee away! T herefore, I sa y u nto thee, be not afraid of him; henceforth tak e care, a nd b ewa re of him, in whatever he may do to thee." 6 T hen God drove Satan awa y from before Adam, wh om He stren g thened, and who se h eart He co mforted, sa ying to him, "Go down to the Ca ve of Treasu res, and separate not thyself from Eve; I will qu ell in you all animal lu st." 7 From that hour it l eft Adam and Eve, a nd they enjoyed rest by the comma ndment of God. Bu t God did not the lik e to any one of Adam's seed; bu t only to Adam and Eve. 8 T hen Adam worshipped b efore the Lord, for having delivered him, a nd for having layed his passions. And he came down fro m above the ca ve, and dwelt with Eve as afor etime. 9 T his ended the forty days of his sepa ra tion from Eve. CHAPTER V. The devil pa in ts a b rillian t p icture for S eth to fea st his though ts u pon . 1 As for Seth, when he was seven yea rs old, he k new good and evil, a nd was consistent in fasting and pra ying, and spent all his nights in

entreating God for mercy and fo rgiveness. 2 He also fasted when bringing u p his o ffering every day, more than his father did; for he was o f a fair cou ntenance, lik e u nto an angel of God. He also had a good heart, pr eserved the finest qu alities of his sou l; and for this reason he brou ght u p his offering ev ery day. 3 And God was pleased with his o ffering; bu t He was also pleased with his pu rity. And he continu ed thu s in doing the will of God, and of his fa ther and mother, u ntil he was sev en years old. 4 After that, as he was corning down fro m the altar, having ended his o ffering, Satan appeared u nto him in the form of a beau tifu l angel, brilliant with light; with a staff of light in his hand, himself girt abou t with a girdle of light. 5 He greeted Seth with a beau tiful smile, and began to begu ile him with fair words, saying to him, "O Seth, why abidest thou in this mou ntain? For it is rou gh, fu ll of stones and of sand, and of trees with no good fru it on them; a wilderness withou t habitations and withou t towns; no goo d place to dwell in. Bu t all is heat, weariness, a nd trou ble." 6 He said fu rther, 'But we dwell in beau tifu l places, in another world than this earth. Our world is one o f light and ou r condition is of the best; ou r women are handsomer than any others; and I wish thee, O Seth, to wed one of them; becau se I see that thou art fair to look u pon, and in this land there is not one woman good enou gh for thee. Besides, all those who live in this world, are o nly five sou ls.

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

7 "Bu t in ou r world there are very ma ny men and many maidens, all more beau tifu l one than another. I wish, therefore, to remov e thee hence, that thou mayest see my rela tions a nd be wedded to which ever thou lik est. 8 "T hou shalt then abide by me and be a t peace; thou shalt be filled with splendou r and light, as we are. 9 "T hou shalt remain in our world. a nd rest from this world and the m isery of it; thou shalt never again feel fa int and weary; thou shalt ne ver bring u p an offering, nor su e for mercy; for thou shalt commit no more sin nor be swayed by passions. 10 "And if thou wilt heark en to wha t I say, thou shalt wed one of my da u ghters; for with u s it is no sin so to do; neither is it reck oned animal lu st. 11 "For in our world we have no God; bu t we all are gods; we all are of the light, heavenly, powerfu l, strong and gloriou s." CHAPT ER VI. Se th 's conscience h elp s h im. He returns to Ada m and Eve. 1 When Seth heard these words he wa s a mazed, and inclined h is heart to Sa tan's treacherou s speech, and sa id to him, "Saidst thou there is an other world created than this; and other creatures more beau tifu l than the creatu res that are in this world?" 2 And Satan said "Yes; behold thou ha st heard me; but I will yet praise them a nd their ways, in thy hea ring." 3 Bu t Seth said to him, "T hy spee ch has amazed me; and thy bea u tifu l description of it all." 4 "Yet I cannot go with thee to -day; not u ntil I have gone to my father

Adam and to my mother Eve, and told them all thou hast said to me. T hen if they give me leave to go with thee, I will come." 5 Again Seth said, "I am afraid of doing any thing withou t my father's and mother's leave, lest I perish lik e my brother Cain, and lik e my father Adam, who transgressed the co m mandment of God. Bu t, behold, thou k nowest this place; come, and meet me here to-morrow." 6 When Satan heard this, he said to Seth, "If thou tellest thy father Adam what I have told thee, he will not let thee come with me. 7 Bu t heark en to me; do not t ell thy father and mother what I have said to thee; bu t come with me to -day, to ou r world; where thou shalt see bea u tifu l things and enjoy thyself there, and revel this day among my children, beholding them and tak ing thy fill of mirth; and rejoice ever more. T hen I shall bring thee ba ck to this place to-morrow; but if thou wou ldest rather abide with me, so be it." 8 T hen Seth answered, "T he spirit of my father and of my mother, hangs on me; and if I hide from them on e day, they will die, and God will hold me gu ilty of sinning against them. 9 "And except that they k now I am come to this place to bring u p to it my offering, they wou ld not be s epa rated from me o ne hou r; neither shou ld I go to any other place, u nless they let me. Bu t they treat me most k indly, beca u se I come back to them qu ick ly." 10 T hen Satan said to him, "What will happen to thee if thou hide th y self from them on e night, and retu rn to them at break of day?"

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

11 Bu t Seth, when he saw how he k ept on talk ing, and that he wou ld not leave him-ran, and went u p to the a ltar, and spread his hands u nto God, a nd sou ght deliverance from Him. 12 T hen God sent His Word, and cu rsed Satan, who fled from Him. 13 Bu t as for Seth, he had gone u p to the altar, saying thu s in his heart. "T he a ltar is the place of offe ring, a nd God is there; a divine fire shall consu me it; so shall Satan be u nable to hurt me, and shall not tak e me a wa y thence." 14 T hen Seth came down from the a lta r a nd went to his father and mother, whom h e fou nd in the way, longing to hear his voice; for he had ta rried a while. 15 He then began to tell them what ha d befallen him from Satan, u nder the form of an angel. 16 Bu t when Adam h eard his a ccou nt, he k issed his face, and wa rned him against that angel, telling him it was Satan who thu s a ppea red to him. T hen Adam took Seth, a nd they went to the Cave of Trea sures, and rejoiced therein. 17 But from that day forth Adam a nd Eve never parted from him, to wha tever place he might go, whether for his o ffering or for any thing else. 18 T his sign happened to S eth, when he was nine years old. CHAPT ER VII. Se th marries Aklia . Adam lives to see gran d ch ildren an d great grand ch ildren . 1 WHEN ou r father Adam saw that Seth was of a perfect heart, he wished hi m to marry; lest the enemy shou ld appear to him another time,

and overcome him. 2 So Adam said to his son S eth, "I wish, O my son, that thou wed thy sister Ak lia, Abel's si ster, that she may bear thee children, who shall replenish the earth, according to God's promise to u s. 3 "Be not afraid, O my son; there is no disgrace in it. I wish thee to ma rry, from fear lest the enemy ov e rcome thee.' 4 Seth, however, did not wish to marry; bu t in obedience to his father and mother, he said not a word. 5 So Adam married him to Ak lia. And he was fifteen years old. 6 Bu t when he was twenty years of age, he begat a son, whom he called Enos; and then begat other children than him, 7 T hen Enos grew u p, married, and begat Cainan. 8 Cainan also grew u p, married, and begat Mahalaleel. 9 T hose fathers were born du ring Adam's lifeti me, and d welt by the Cave of Treasures. 10 T hen were the days of Adam nine hu ndred and thirty years, and those of Mahalaleel one hu ndred. Bu t Ma halaleel, when he was grown u p, loved fasting, praying, and with hard labou rs, u ntil the end of ou r father Adam's days drew n ear. CHAPT ER VIII. Ada m's remarkab le last word s. He pred icts th e Flood . He exho rts his o ffspring to goo d. He revea ls certa in mysteries o f life. 1 When our father Adam saw that his end was near, he called his son Seth, who came to hi m in the Ca ve of Treasu res, and he said u nto him: 2 "O Seth, my son bring me thy

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

children and thy children's children, tha t I may shed my blessing on them ere I die." 3 When Seth heard these words from his father Adam, he went from him, shed a flood of tears over his fa ce, and gathered together his children and his children's children, a nd brou ght them to his father Ada m. 4 But when our father Ada m saw them a rou nd him, he wept at having to be separated from them. 5 And when they saw him weepin g, they a ll wept toget her, and fell u pon his fa ce saying, "How shalt thou be severed from u s, O our father? And how shall the earth receive thee and hide thee from ou r eyes?" T hu s did they lament mu ch, and in lik e words. 6 T hen our father Adam blessed them a ll, and said to S eth, a fter he ha d blessed them: 7 "O Seth, my son, thou k nowest this world - that it is fu ll of sorrow, a nd of weariness; and thou k nowest a ll tha t has come u pon u s, from ou r tria ls in it I therefore flo w co mmand thee in these words: to k eep inn ocency, to b e pu re and ju st, and tru sting in God; and lean not to the di scou rses of Satan, nor to the appar itions in which he will show himself to thee. 8 Bu t k eep the commandments that I give thee this day; then give the sa me to thy son En os; and let Enos give it to his son Cainan; and Caina n to his son Mahalaleel; so that this commandment abide firm a mong all you r children. 9 "O Seth, my son, the moment I a m dea d tak e ye my body and wind it u p with myrrh, aloes, and cassia, a nd leave me here in this Cave o f

Trea sures in which are all these t ok ens which God gave u s from the garden. 10 "O my son, hereafter shall a flood come and overwhelm all crea tu res, and leave ou t only eight sou ls. 11 "But, O my son, let tho se whom it will leave ou t from among you r children at that time, tak e my body with them ou t of this cave; and when they have tak en it with them, let the oldest among them command his children to lay my body in a ship u ntil the flood has been assu aged, and they come ou t of the ship. 12 T hen they shall tak e my body and lay it in the middle of the earth, shortly after they have been saved from the waters of the flood. 13 "For the place where my body shall be laid, is the middle of the earth; God shall come from then ce and shall save all our k indred. 14 "Bu t now, O Seth, my son, place thyself at the head of thy people; tend them and watch over them in the fear of God; and lead them in the good way. Command them to fast u nto God; and mak e them u nderstand they ou ght not to heark en to Satan, lest he destroy them. 15 "T hen, again, sever thy children and thy children's children from Cain's children; do not let them ever mix with tho se, nor come near them either in their words or in their deeds." 16 T hen Adam let his blessing d e scend u pon Seth, and u pon his chi ldren, and u pon all his children's children. 17 He then tu rned to his son S eth, and to Eve his wife, and ,said to them, "Preserve this gold, this i n cense, and this myrrh, that God has

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

given u s for a sign; for in da ys that a re coming, a flood will overwh elm the whole creation. Bu t those who sha ll go into the ark shall tak e with them the gold, the incense, and the myrrh, together with my bod y; and will la y the gold, the incen se, and the myrrh, with my body in the midst of the earth. 18 "T hen, after a long time, the city in which the g old, the incen se, a nd the myrrh are fou nd with my body, shall be plu ndered. Bu t when it is spoiled, the gold the incense, a nd the myrrh shall be tak en care of with the sp oil that is k ept; and na u ght of them shall perish, u ntil the Word of God, made man shall come; when k ings shall tak e them, a nd shall offer to Him, gold in tok en of His being King; incense, in tok en of His being God o f heaven and ea rth; and myrrh, in tok en of His pa ssion. 19 "Gold also, as a tok en of His overcoming Satan, and all ou r foes; incense as a tok en that He will rise from the dead, and be exalted above things in heaven and things in the ea rth; and myrrh, in tok en that He will drink bitter gall; and feel the pa ins of hell from Satan. 20 "And now, O Seth, my son, b ehold I have r evealed u nto thee hi dden my steries, which God had r evea led u nto me. Keep my co m ma ndment, for thy self, and for thy people." CHAPT ER IX. The d ea th o f Ada m. 1 When Adam had ended his co mma ndment to Seth, his limbs were loosened, his hands and feet lost all power, his mou th became du mb, and his tongu e ceased altogether to

speak . He closed his eyes and ga ve u p the ghost. 2 Bu t when his children saw that he was dead, they threw themselves over him, men and women, old and you ng, weeping. 3 T he death of Adam took place at the end of nine hu ndred and thirty years that he lived u pon the earth; on the fift eenth day of Barmu deh, after the reck oning of an epact of the su n, at the ninth hou r. 4 It was on a Friday, the very day on which he was created, and on which h e rested; and the hou r at which h e died, was the same as that at which he came ou t of the garden. 5 T hen Seth wou nd him u p well, and embalmed him with plenty o f sweet spices, from sacred trees and from the Holy Mou ntain; and he laid his body on the eastern sid e of the inside of the cave, the side of the incense; and placed in front of him a lamp - stand k ept bu rning. 6 T hen his children stood before him weeping and wailing over him the whole night u ntil break of day. 7 T hen Seth and his son Enos, and Cainan, the son of Enos, went ou t and took good o ffering s to present u nto the Lord, and they came to the altar u pon which Adam o ffered gifts to God, when he did o ffer. 8 Bu t Eve said to them, "Wait u ntil we have first ask ed God to accept ou r offering, and to k eep by Him the sou l of Adam His servant, and to tak e it u p to rest." 9 And they all stood u p and prayed. CHAPT ER X. "Adam was the first. . ." 1 And when they had end ed their prayer, the Word of God came a nd comforted them concerning their f a -

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

ther Adam. 2 After this, they o ffered their gifts for themselves and for their father. 3 And when they had end ed their offering, the Word of God came to Seth, the eldest among them, saying u nto him, "O Seth, Seth, Seth, three times. As I was with thy father, so a lso shall I be with thee, u ntil the fu lfilment of the pro mise I made him - thy father saying, I will send My Word and save thee and thy seed. 4 "Bu t as to thy father Adam, k eep thou the commandment he gave thee; a nd sever thy seed from that of Ca in thy brother." 5 And God withdrew His Word from Seth. 6 T hen Seth, Eve, and their chi ldren, ca me down from the mou ntain to the Cave of Treasures. 7 Bu t Adam was the first whose sou l died in the land of Eden, in the Ca ve of Treasu res; for no one died before him, bu t his son Ab el, who died mu rdered. 8 T hen all the children of Adam rose u p, and wept over their father Ada m, and made o fferings to him, one hu ndred and forty days. CHAPT ER XI. Se th beco mes head o f the mo st hap py an d just trib e o f peo ple who e ver lived . 1 After the death of Adam and of Eve, Seth severed hi s children, and his children's children, from Cain's children. Cain and his seed went down and d welt west ward, below the pla ce where he had k illed his brother Abel. 2 Bu t Seth and his children, dwelt northwards u pon the mou ntain of the Ca ve of Treasures, in order to be

near to their father Adam. 3 And Seth the elder, tall and good, with a fine sou l, and of a strong mind, stood at the head of his people; and tended them in inn o cence, p enitence, and meek ness, and did not allow one of them to go down to Cain's children. 4 Bu t becau se of their own pu rity, they were named "Children of God," and they were with God, instead of the hosts of angels who fell; for they continu ed in praises to God, and in singing psalms u nto Him, in their cave - the Cave of Treasures. 5 T hen Seth stood before th e body of his father Adam, and of his mot her Eve, and prayed night and day, and ask ed for mercy towards hi mself and his children; and that when he had some difficu lt dealing with a child, He wou ld give him cou nsel. 6 Bu t Seth and his children did not lik e earthly work , bu t gave the mselves to heavenly things; for they had no other thou ght than praises, doxologies, and psalms u nto God. 7 T herefore did they at all times hear the voices of angels, praising and glorifying God; from within the garden, or when they were sent by God on an errand, or when they were going u p to heaven. 8 For Seth and his children, by re a son o f their o wn pu rity, heard and saw those angels. T hen, again, the garden was not far above them, bu t only some fifteen spiritu al cu bits. 9 Now one spiritual cu bit answers to three cu bits of man, altogether forty-fiv e cu bits. 10 Seth and his children d welt on the mou ntain below the garden; they sowed not, neither did they reap; they wrou ght no food for the body. not even wheat; bu t only offerings.

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

T hey ate of the fru it and of trees well flavou red that grew on the mou ntain where they dwelt. 11 T hen Seth often fasted every forty days, as did also his eldest children. For the family of Set h smelled the smell o f the trees in the ga rden, when th e win d blew that wa y. 12 T hey were happy, innocent, withou t su dden fear, there was no jea lou sy, no evil action, no hatred a mong them. T here was no animal pa ssion; from no mou th among them went forth ei ther fou l words or cu rse; neither evil cou nsel nor fra u d. For the men of that time ne ver swore, bu t u nder hard circu m sta nces, when men mu st swea r, they swore by the bloo d of Abel the ju st. 13 Bu t they constrained their chi ldren a nd their women every day in the ca ve to fast and pray, and to worship the most High God. T hey blesse d themselves in the body of their father Adam, and anointed themselv es with it. 14 And they did so u ntil the end of Seth drew near. CHAPT ER XII. Se th 's fa mily a ffa irs. His death. The he adsh ip o f En os. Ho w th e o u tca st bran ch o f Ada m's family fared . 1 T hen Seth, the ju st, called his son Enos, and Cainan, son of Enos, and Ma ha laleel, son of Cainan, and said u nto them: 2 "As my end is near, I wish to bu ild a roof over the altar on which gifts a re offered." 3 T hey heark ened to his co mman dment a nd went ou t, all of them, both old a nd you ng, and work ed hard at it, a nd bu ilt a beau tifu l roof over the a lta r.

4 And Seth's thou ght, in so doin g, was that a blessing shou ld come u pon his children on the mou ntain; and that he shou ld present an offe ring for them before his death. 5 T hen when the bu ilding of the roof was complet ed, he commanded them to mak e offerings. T hey work ed diligently at these, and brou ght them to Seth their father who took them a nd offered them u pon the altar; and prayed God to accept their offerings, to have me rcy on the sou ls of his children, and to k eep them from the hand of S a tan. 6 And God accepted his o ffering, and sent His blessing u pon him and u pon his children. And th en G od made a promise to Seth, saying, "At the end of the great five days and a half, concerning which I have made a promise to thee and to thy father, I will send My Word and save thee and thy seed." 7 T hen Seth and his children, and his children's children, met tog ether, and came down from the altar, a nd went to the Cave o f Treasures where they prayed, and blessed themselv es in the bo dy o f ou r father Adam, and anointed themselves with it. 8 Bu t Seth abode in the Cave of Treasures, a few days, and then su ffered - su fferings u nto death. 9 T hen Enos, his first - born so n, came to him, with Cainan, his son, and Mahalaleel, Cainan's son, and Jared, the son of Mahalaleel, and Enoch, Jared's son, with their wives and children to receive a blessing from Seth. 10 T hen Seth prayed over them, and blessed them, and adju red them by the blood of Abel the ju st, sa y-

10

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

ing, "I beg of you my children, not to let one of you go down from this Holy a nd pu re Mou ntain. 11 Mak e no fellowship with the children of Cain the mu rderer and the sinner, who k illed his brother; for ye k now, 0 my children, that we flee fro m him, and from all his sin with a ll ou r might becau se he k illed his brother Abel." 12 After having said this, Seth blesse d Enos, his first - born son, a nd commanded him habitu a lly to minister in pu rity before the b ody o f ou r fa ther Adam, all the days of his life; then, also, to go at times to the a lta r which he Seth had bu ilt. And he commanded him to feed his people in righteou sness, in ju dgment a nd purity all the days of his li fe. 13 T hen the limbs o f Seth were loosened; hi s hands and feet lost all power; his mou th became du mb and u na ble to speak ; and he gave u p the ghost a nd died the day after his nine hu ndred and twelfth year; on the twenty - seventh day of the month Abib; Enoch being then twenty yea rs old. 14 T hen they wou nd u p carefull the body o f Seth, and embalmed him with sweet spices, and laid him in the Ca ve Treasures, on the right side of ou r father Adam's body, and they mou rned for him forty days. T hey offered gifts for him, as they had done for ou r father Adam. 15 After the death of Seth, Enos rose a t the head of his people, who m he fed in righteou sness, and ju d gment, as his father had commanded him. 16 Bu t by the time Enos was eight hu ndred and twenty years old, Cain ha d a large progeny; for they ma rried frequ ently, being given to an i-

mal lu sts; u ntil the land below the mou ntain, was filled with them. CHAPT ER XIII. "Among th e ch ildren o f Cain there wa s much robbery, murder and S in ." 1 In those days lived Lamech the blind, who was of th e son s of Cain. He had a son whose name was Atu n, and they two had mu ch cattle. 2 Bu t Lamech was in the habit of sending them to feed with a you ng sheph erd, who tend ed them; and who, wh en coming h ome in the evening wept b efore his grandfa ther, and before his father Atu n and his mother Hazina, and said to them, "As for me, I cannot feed tho se ca ttle alone, lest one rob me o f so me o f them, or k ill me for the sak e of them." For among the children of Cain, there was mu ch robbery, mu rder and sin. 3 T hen Lamech pitied him, and he said, "Tru ly, he when alone, might be overpowered by the men of this place." 4 So Lamech arose, took a bow he had k ept ever since he was a you th, ere he became blind, and he took large arrows, and smooth stones, and a sling which he had, and went to the field with the you ng sheph erd, and placed himself behind the cattle; while the you ng shepherd watched the cattle. T hu s did Lamech many days. 5 Meanwhile Cain, ever since God had cast him o ff, and had cu rsed him with trembl ing and terror, cou ld neither settle nor find rest in a ny one place; but wandered from place to place. 6 In his wanderings he came to Lamech's wives, and ask ed them abou t him. T hey said to him, "He is

11

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

in the field with the cattle." 7 T hen Cain went to look for him; a nd a s he came into the field, the you ng shepherd heard the noise he ma de, and the cattle herding toget her from before him, 8 T hen said he to Lamech, "O my lord, is that a wild beast or a ro bber? " 9 And Lamech said to him, "Mak e me u nderstand whi ch way he look s, when he comes u p. 10 T hen Lamech bent hi s bo w, pla ced an arrow on it, and fitted a stone in the sling, and when Cain ca me ou t from the open cou ntry, the sheph erd said to Lamech, "Shoot, behold, he is co ming." 11 T hen Lamech shot at Cain wi th his a rrow and hit him in his side. And Lamech stru ck him with a stone from his sling, that fell u pon his fa ce, a nd k nock ed ou t both his eyes; then Cain fell at once and died. 12 T hen Lamech and the you ng sheph erd came u p to him, and fou nd him lying on t h e grou nd. And the you ng shepherd said to him, "It is Ca in our grandfather, whom thou ha st killed, O my lord!" 18 T hen was Lamech sorry for it, a nd from the bitterness o f his regret, he cla pped hi s hands tog ether, and stru ck with his flat palm the head of the you th, who fell as if dead; bu t La mech thou ght it was a feint; so he took u p a stone and smote him, and sma shed his h ead u ntil he died. CHAPT ER XIV. Time , like an ever ro lling strea m, be ars a wa y ano ther gen era tion o f men . 1 When Enos was nine hu ndred yea rs old, all the children of Seth, a nd of Cainan, and his first -born,

with their wives and children, g a thered arou nd him, ask ing for a blessing from him. 2 He then prayed over them a nd blessed them, and adju red them by the blood of Ab el the ju st saying to them, "Let not one o f you r children go down from this Holy Mou ntain, and let them mak e no fellowship with the children of Cain the mu rderer." 3 T hen Enos called his son Cainan and said to him, "See, O my son, and set thy heart on thy people, and establish them in righteou sness, and in innocence; and stand ministering before the bo dy of ou r father Adam, all the days of thy life." 4 After this Enos entered into rest, aged nine hu ndred and eighty - five years; and Cainan wou nd him u p, and laid him in the Ca ve of Trea su res on the left of hi s father Adam; and made offerings for him, after the cu stom of his fathers. CHAPT ER XV. The o ffsprin g o f Ad am co ntinu e to keep th e Cave o f Treasu res as a family shrine. 1 After the death of Enos, Cainan stood at the head of his people in righteou sness and innocence, as his father had commanded him; he also continu ed to minister before the body of Adam, inside the Cave of Treasures. 2 T hen when he had lived nine hu ndred and ten years, su ffering and a ffliction came u pon him. An d wh en he was about to enter into rest, all the fathers with their wives and children came to him, and he blessed them, and adju red them by the blood of Abel, the ju st, saying to them, "Let not one among you go

12

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

down from this Holy Mou ntain; and ma k e no fellowship with the chil dren of Cain the murderer." 3 Ma halaleel, his first - born so n, received this commandment from his fa ther, who blessed him and died. 4 T hen Mahalaleel embalmed him with sweet spices, and laid him in the Ca ve of Treasu res, with his fa thers; and they made offerings for him, a fter the cu stom of their fa thers. CHAPT ER XVI. The good b ranch o f the fa mily is still a fra id o f th e ch ildren o f Ca in . 1 T hen Mahalaleel stood over his people, and fed them in righteou sness a nd inno cence, and wat ched them to see th ey h eld no intercou rse with the children of Cain. 2 He also continu ed in the Cave of Trea sures praying and ministering before the bo dy of ou r father Adam, a sk ing God for mercy on himself a nd on his people; u ntil he was eight hu ndred and seventy y ears old, when he fell sick . 3 T hen all his children gathered u nto him, to see him, and to ask for his blessing on them all, ere he left this world. 4 T hen Mahalaleel arose and sat on his bed, his tears streaming down his fa ce, and he called his e ldest son Jared, who came to him. 5 He then k issed his face, and said to him, "O Jared, my son, I adju re thee by Him who made heaven and ea rth, to watch over thy people, and to fee d them in righteou sness and in innocence; and not to let one o f them go down from this Holy Mou nta in to the children of Cain, lest he perish with them.

6 "Hear, O my son, hereafter there shall come a great destru ction u pon this earth on accou nt of them; God will be angry with the world, and will destroy them with waters. 7 "Bu t I also k now that thy children will not heark en to thee, and that they will go down from this mou ntain and hold intercou rse with the children of Cain, and that they shall perish with them. 8 "O my son! teach them, a nd watch over them, that no guilt a ttach to thee on their accou nt." 9 Mahalaleel said, moreover, to his son Jared, "When I die, embalm my body and lay it in the Cave of Trea su res, by the bodies of my fathers; then stand thou by my body a nd pray to God; and tak e care of them, and fu lfil thy ministry before them, u ntil thou enterest into rest thyself." 10 Mahalaleel then blessed all his children; and then lay down on his bed, and entered into rest lik e his fa thers. 11 But when Jared saw that his fa ther Mahalaleel was dead, he wept, and sorrowed, and embraced and k issed his hands and his feet; and so did all his children. 12 And his children embalmed him carefu lly, and laid him by the bodies of his fathers. T hen they arose, and mou rned for him forty days. CHAPT ER XVII. Ja red turn s martinet. He is lured a way to th e lan d o f Cain where he sees many vo lup tuou s sights.Jared ba rely escapes with a clea n hea rt. 1 T hen Jared k ept his father's commandment, and arose lik e a lion over his people. He fed them in righteou sness and innocence, and commanded them to do nothing

13

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

withou t his cou nsel. For he was a fra id concerning them, lest they shou ld go to the children of Cain. 2 Wherefore did he give them o rders repeatedly; and continu ed to do so u ntil the end of the fou r hu ndred a nd eighty-fifth y ear of his life. 3 At the end of these said years, there came u nto him this sign. As Jared was standing lik e a lion before the bodies of his fathers, praying a nd warning his people, Satan e nvied him, and wrou ght a beau tifu l a ppa rition, becau se Jared wou ld not let his children do au ght withou t his cou nsel. 4 Sa tan then appeared to him with thirty men of his hosts, in the form of ha ndso me men; Satan himsel f b e ing the elder and tallest among them, with a fine beard. 5 T hey stood at the mou th of the ca ve, and called ou t Jared, from within it. 6 He came out to them, and fou nd them look ing lik e fine men, fu ll of light, and of great beau ty. He wo ndered at their beau ty and a t their look s; and thou ght within himself whether they might not be of the children of Cain. 7 He said also in his heart, "As the children of Cain cannot come u p to the height of thi s mou ntain, and none o f them is so handso me as these a ppear to be; and among these men there i s not on e o f my k indred they mu st be strangers." 8 T hen Jared and they excha nged a greeting and he said to the elder a mong them, "0 my father, explain to me the wo nder that is in thee, and tell me who these are, with thee; for they look to me lik e strange men." 9 T hen the elder began to weep, a nd the rest wept with him; and he

said to Jared, "I am Adam whom God made first; and this is Abel my son, who was k illed by his brother Cain, into whose h eart Satan pu t to mu rder him. 10 "T hen this is my son S eth, whom I ask ed of the Lord, who ga ve him to me, to comfort me instead of Abel. 11 "T hen this one is my son Eno s, son o f Seth, and that other one is Cainan, son of Enos, and that other one is Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, thy father." 12 But Jared remained wondering at their appearance, and at the speech of the eld er to him. 13 T hen the elder said to him, "Ma rvel not, O my son; we live in the land north of the garden, which God created before the world. He wou ld not let u s live there, bu t placed u s inside the garden, below which ye are now d welling. 14 "Bu t after that I transgressed, He made me come ou t of it , and I was left to dwell in this cave; great and sore trou bles came u pon me; and when my death drew near, I commanded my son S eth to tend his people well; and this my comman dment is to be handed from one to another, u nto the end of the gener a tions to come. 15 "Bu t, O Jared, my son, we live in beau tiful regions, while you live here in misery, as this thy father Maha laleel informed me; telling me that a great flood will come a nd overwhelm the whole earth. 16 "T herefore, O my son, fearing for you r sak es, I ro se and took my children with me, and came hither for u s to visit thee and thy children; bu t I fou nd thee standing in this cave weeping, and thy children sca t-

14

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

tered abou t this mou ntain, in the hea t a nd in misery. 17 "Bu t, O my son, as we missed ou r wa y, and came as far as this, we fou nd other men below this mou nta in; who inhabit a beau tifu l cou ntry, fu ll of trees and of fru its, and of a ll ma nner of verdu re; it is lik e a ga rden; so that when we fou nd them we thou ght they were you ; u ntil thy fa ther Mahalaleel t old me they were no su ch thing. 18 "Now, therefore, O my son, hea rk en to my cou nsel, and go down to them, thou and thy children. Ye will rest from all this su ffering in which y e are. Bu t if thou wilt not go down to th em, then, arise, tak e thy children, and come with u s to ou r ga rden; ye shall live in ou r beau tifu l la nd, a nd ye shall rest from all this trou ble, which thou and thy children a re now bearing." 19 Bu t Jared when he heard this discou rse from the elder, wo ndered; a nd went hither and thither, bu t at tha t moment he fou nd not on e of his children. 20 T hen he answered and said to the elder, "Why have you hidden you rselves u ntil this day?" 21 And the elder replied, "If thy fa ther ha d not told u s, we shou ld not ha ve k nown it." 22 T hen Jared believed his wo rds were tru e. 23 So that elder said to Jared, "Wherefore didst thou tu rn abou t, so a nd so?" And he said, "I was see k ing one of my children, to tell him a bou t my going with you , and abou t their coming down to those abou t whom thou hast spok en to me." 24 When the elder heard Jared's i ntention, he said to him, "Let alone tha t pu rpose at present, and come

with u s; thou shalt see our cou ntry; if the land in which we dwell plea ses thee, we and thou shall retu rn hither and tak e thy family with u s. Bu t if ou r cou ntry does not please thee, thou shalt come back to thine own place." 25 And the elder u rged Jared, to go before one of his children came to cou nsel him otherwise. 26 Jared, then, came ou t of the cave and went with them, and among them. And they comforted him, u ntil they came to the top of the mou ntain of the sons of Cain. 27 T hen said the elder to one of his companions, "We have forgotten something b y the mou th of the cave, and that is the chosen garment we had brou ght to clothe Jared withal." 28 He then said to one of them, "Go back, thou, some one; and we will wait for thee here, u ntil thou come back . T hen will we clothe Jared and he shall be lik e u s, good, handsome, and fit to come with u s into ou r cou ntry." 29 T hen that one went back. 30 Bu t when he was a short distance off, the elder called to him and said to him, "Tarry thou, u ntil I come u p and speak to thee." 31 T hen he stood still, and the elder went u p to him and said to him, "One thing we forgot at the cave, it is this - to pu t ou t the lamp that bu r ns inside it, above the b odies that are therein. T hen come back to u s, qu ick ." 32 T hat one went, and the elder came back to his fellows and to Jared. And they came down from the mou ntain, and Jared with them; and they stayed by a fou ntain of water, near the hou ses o f the children o f Cain and waited for their companion

15

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

u ntil he brou ght the garment for Jared. 33 He, then, who went back to the ca ve, pu t out the lamp, and came to them a nd brou ght a phantom with him a nd sho wed it them. And wh en Jared saw it he wondered at the bea u ty and grace thereof, and r ejoiced in his heart believing it was a ll tru e. 34 Bu t while they were staying there, three of them went into hou ses of the son s of Cain and said to them, "Bring u s to - day some food by the fou ntain of water, for u s and ou r companions to eat." 35 Bu t when the sons of Cain saw them, they wondered at them and thou ght: "T hese are beau tifu l to look a t, and su ch as we never saw before." So they rose and came with them to the fou ntain of water, to see their companions. 36 T hey fou nd them so very han dsome, that they cried alou d abou t their places for others to gather t ogether and come and look at these bea u tifu l beings. T hen they gathered a rou nd them both men and women. 37 T hen the elder said to them, "We a re strangers in you r land, bring u s some g ood food and drink , you and you r women, to refresh ourselves with you ." 38 When those men heard these words of the elder, every one of Ca in's sons brou ght his wife, and a nother brou ght his dau ghter, and so, many wo men came to them; every one addressing Jared either for himsel f or for his wife; all alik e. 39 Bu t when Jared saw what they did, his very sou l wrenched itself from them; neither wou ld he taste of their food or of their drink . 40 T he elder saw him as he

wrenched himsel f from them, and said to him, "Be not sad; I am the great elder, as thou shalt see me do, do thyself in lik e manner." 41 T hen he spread his hands and took one of the women, and five of his companions did the same before Jared, that he shou ld do as they did . 42 But when Jared saw them wor k ing infamy he wept, and said in his mind, - My fathers nev er did the lik e. 43 He then spread his hands a nd prayed with a fervent heart, and with mu ch weeping, and entreated God to deliver him from their hands. 44 No sooner did Jared begin to pray than the elder fled with his compa nions; for they cou ld not a bide in a place of prayer. 45 T hen Jared turned rou nd but cou ld not see them, bu t fou nd hi mself standing in the midst of the children of Cain. 46 He then wept and said, "O God, destroy me n ot with this race, co ncerning which my fathers have warned me; for now, O my Lord God, I was think ing that those who a ppeared u nto me were my fathers; bu t I have fou nd them ou t to be d evils, who allured me by this beau t ifu l a pparition, u ntil I believed them. 47 "But now I ask T hee, O God, to deliver me from this race, among whom I am now staying, as T hou didst deliver me from those devils. Send T hy angel to draw me ou t of the midst o f them; for I have not mysel f po wer to escape fro m among them." 48 When Jared had ended his prayer, God sent His angel in the midst of them, who took Jared a nd set him u pon the mou ntain, a nd showed him the way, gave him

16

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

cou nsel, and then d eparted from him. CHAPT ER XVIII. Con fusio n in th e Cave o f Treasures. Miracu lou s speech o f th e d ead Ada m. 1 T he children of Jared were in the ha bit of visiting him hou r after hou r, to receive his blessing and to a sk his advice for every thing they did; a nd when he had a work to do, they did it for him. 2 Bu t this time when they went into the ca ve they fou nd not Jared, bu t they fou nd the lamp pu t ou t, and the bodies of the fathers thrown abou t, a nd voices came from them by the power of God, that said, "Satan in a n a pparition has deceived ou r son, wishing to d estroy him, as h e d e stroyed ou r son Cain." 3 T hey said also, "Lord God of hea ven and earth, deliver our son from the hand of Satan, who wrou ght a great and false apparition before hi m." T hey also spak e of other ma tters, by the power of God. 4 But when the children of Jared hea rd these voices they feared, and stood weeping for their father; for they k new not what had befallen him. 5 And they wept for him that day u ntil the setting of the su n. 6 T hen came Jared with a woefu l cou ntenance, wretched in mind and body, and sorrowfu l at having been sepa ra ted from the bodies of hi s f a thers. 7 Bu t as he was drawing near to the ca ve, his children saw him, and ha stened to the cave, and hu ng u pon his neck , crying, and saying to him, " O fa ther, where hast thou been, and why ha st thou left u s, as thou wast

not wont to do?" And again, " O fa ther, when thou didst disappear, the lamp over the bodies of ou r fathers went ou t, the bodies were thrown abou t, and voices came fro m them" 8 When Jared heard this he was sorry, and went into the cave; and there fou nd the bodies thrown abou t, the lamp put ou t, and the f a thers themselves praying for his d eliverance from the hand of Satan. 9 T hen Jared fell u pon the bodies and embraced them, and said, " O my fa thers, throu gh you r intercession, let God deliver me from the hand of Sa tan! And I beg you will ask God to k eep me and to hide me from him u nto the day of my death." 10 T hen all the voices ceased save the voice of ou r father Adam, who spak e to Jared by the power of God, ju st as one wou ld speak to his fe llow, saying, "O Jared, my son, offer gifts to God for having delivered thee from the hand of Satan; and when th ou bringest those o fferings, so be it that thou offerest them on the altar on which I did offer. T hen also, beware of Satan; for he d elu ded me many a time with his a pparitions, wishing to destroy me, bu t God delivered me ou t of his hand. 11 "Command thy people that they be on their guard against him; a nd never cease to offer u p gifts to God." 12 T hen the voice of Adam also b ecame silent; and Jared and his children wondered at this. T hen they laid the bodies as they were at first; and Jared and his children stood praying the whole of that night, u ntil break of day. 13 T hen Jared made an offering and offered it u p on the altar, as Adam

17

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

ha d commanded him. And as he went u p to the altar, he pra yed to God for mercy and for forgiv eness of his sin, con cerning the lamp going ou t. 14 T hen God appeared u nto Jared on the altar and blessed him and his children, and accepted their offe rings; a nd commanded Jared to ta k e of the sacred fire from the altar, and with it to light the lamp that shed light on the body of Adam. CHAPTER XIX. The ch ild ren o f Jared are led a stra y. 1 T hen God revealed to him again the promise He had made to Adam; He explained to him the 55 00 yea rs, a nd revealed u nto him the mystery of His coming u pon the earth. 2 And God said to Jared, "As to tha t fire which thou hast tak en from the a ltar to light the lamp withal, let it a bide with you to give light to the bodies; and let it not come ou t of the ca ve, u ntil the body of Adam come s ou t of it. 3 Bu t, O Jared, tak e care of the fire, that it bu rn bright in the lamp; neither go thou again ou t of the ca ve u ntil thou receivest an order throu gh a vision, and not in an a ppa rition, when seen by thee. 4 "T hen command again thy people not to hold intercou rse with the children of Cain, and not to learn their ways; for I am God who loves not ha tred and work s of iniqu ity." 5 God gave also many other co mma ndments to Jared, and blessed him. And then withdrew His Word from him. 6 T hen Jared drew near with his children, took some fire, and came down to th e cave, and lighted the la mp before the body of Adam; and

he gave his people co mmandments as God had told him to do. 7 T his sign happened to Jared at the end of his fou r hu ndred and fi ftieth year; as did also many other wonders, we do not record. Bu t we record only this one for shortness sak e, and in order not to lengthen ou r narrative. 8 And Jared continu ed to teach his children eighty years; bu t after that they began t o transgress the com mandments he had given them, and to do many things withou t his cou nsel. T hey began to go down fro m the Holy Mou ntain one after another, and to mix with the children of Cain, in fou l fellowships. 9 Now the reason for which the children of Jared went down the H oly Mou ntain, is this, that we will now reveal u nto you. CHAPT ER XX. Ravishing music; stron g drink loo sed a mong th e son s o f Ca in . Th ey don co lo rfu l clo th ing . Th e children o f Seth loo k on with lon g ing eyes. They revolt fro m wise coun sel; th ey descend the mou ntain into the va lley o f iniquity. They can no t ascend the moun ta in aga in . 1 After Cain had gone down to the land of dark soil, and his children had mu ltiplied therein, there was one of them, who se name was G enu n, son of Lamech t he blind who slew Cain. 2 Bu t as to this Genu n, Satan came into him in his childhood; and he made su ndry tru mpets and horns, and string instru ments, cymbals and psalteries, and lyres and harps, a nd flu tes; and he played on them at all times and at every ho ur. 3 And wh en he played on them, S a -

18

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

ta n ca me into them, so that from a mong them were heard beau tifu l a nd sweet sou nds, that ravished the hea rt. 4 T hen he gathered companies u pon compa nies to play on them; and when they played, it pleased well the children of Cain, who inflamed themselv es with sin among themselves, and bu rnt as with fire; while Sa ta n inflamed their hearts, one with a nother, and increased lu st a mong them. 5 Sata n also tau ght Genu n to bring strong drink ou t of corn; and this Genu n u sed to bring together com pa nies u pon companies in drink hou ses; and brou ght into their hands a ll ma nner of fru its and flowers; and they drank together. 6 T hu s did this Genu n mu ltiply sin exceedin gly; he also acted with pride, and tau ght the children of Ca in to commit all manner of the grosse st wick edness, which they k new not; and pu t them u p to man ifold doings which they k new not b efore. 7 T hen Satan, when he saw that they yielded to Genu n and hea rk ened to him in every thing he told them, rejoiced greatly, increased Genu n's u nderstanding u ntil he took iron a nd with it made weapons of wa r. 8 T hen when they were dru nk , h a tred a nd murder increased among them; one man u sed violen ce against a nother to teach him evil tak ing his children and defiling them before him. 9 And when men saw they were overcome, and saw other s that were not overpowered, those who were bea ten came to Genu n, took refu ge with him, and he made them his

confederates. 10 T hen sin increased among them greatly; u ntil a man married his own sister, or dau ghter, or mother, and others; or the dau ghter of his fa ther's sister, so that there was no more distinction of relationship, and they no longer k new what is iniqu ity; bu t did wick edly, and the earth was defiled with sin; and they a ngered God the Ju dge, who had created them. 11 Bu t Genu n gathered together companies u pon co mpanies, that played on horns and on all the other instru ments we have already me ntioned, at the foot of the Holy Mou ntain; and they did so in order that the children of Seth who were on the Holy Mou ntain shou ld hear it. 12 Bu t when the children of Seth heard the noise, they wondered, and came by companies, and stood on the top of the mou ntain to look at those below; and they did thu s a whole year. 13 When, at the end of that year, Genu n saw that they were being won over to him little by little, Satan e ntered into him, and tau ght him to mak e dyeing - stu ffs for garments of divers patterns, and made him u nderstand how to dye crimson and pu rple and what not. 14 And the sons of Cain who wrou ght all t his, and shone in bea u ty and gorgeou s apparel, gathered together at the foot of the mou ntain in splendou r, with horns and go rgeou s dresses, and h orse races, committing all manner of abomin a tions. 15 Meanwhile the children o f S eth, who were o n the Holy Mou n tain, prayed and praised God, in the place

19

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

of the hosts of angels who had fa llen; wherefore God had called them 'a ngels," becau se He rejoiced over them greatly. 16 Bu t after this, they no longer k ept His commandment, nor held by the promise He had made to th eir fa thers; bu t they relaxed from their fa sting and praying, and from the cou nsel of Jared their father. And they k ept on gathering together on the top of the mou ntain, to look u pon the children of Cain, from morning u ntil evening, and u pon wha t they di d, u pon their beau tifu l dresse s and ornaments. 17 T hen the children of Cain look ed u p from below, and saw the children of S eth, standing in troops on the top of the mou ntain; and they ca lled to them to come do wn to them. 18 Bu t the children of Seth said to them from above, "We d on't k now the wa y." T hen Genu n, the son of La mech, heard them say they did not k now the way, and he bethou ght himself ho w he might bring them down. 19 T hen Satan appeared to him by night, saying, "T here is no way for them to come dow n from the mou nta in on which they dwell; bu t when they co me to -morrow, say to them, 'Come ye to the western side of the mou ntain; there you will find the wa y of a stream of water, that comes down to th e foot o f the mou ntain, betwee n two hills; come do wn th at wa y to u s." 20 T hen when it was day, Genu n blew the horns and beat the dru ms below the mou ntain, as he was wont. T he children of Seth heard it, and ca me a s they u sed to do. 21 T hen Genu n said to them from

down b elow, "Go to th e western side of the mou nt ain, there you will find the way to come do wn." 22 Bu t when the children of Seth heard these words from him, they went back into the cave to Jared, to tell him all they had heard. 23 T hen when Jared heard it, he was grieved; for he k new that they wou ld tra nsgress his cou nsel. 24 After this a hu ndred men o f the children of Seth gathered together, and said among themselves, "Co me, let u s go down to th e children o f Cain, and see what they do, and e njoy ou rselves with them." 25 Bu t when Jared heard this of the hu ndred men, his very sou l was moved, and his heart was grieved. He then arose with great fervour, and stood in the midst o f them, and a dju red them by the blood of Abel the ju st, "Let not one of you go down from this holy and pu re mou ntain, in which ou r fa thers have ordered u s to dwell." 26 But when Jared saw that they did not receive hi s word s, he said u nto them, "O my good and innocent and holy children, k now that when once you go down from this holy mou ntain, God will not allow you to return again to it. " 27 He again adju red them, saying, "I adjure by the death of our father Adam, and by the blood of Ab el, of Seth, of Eno s, of Cainan, and of Ma halaleel, to heark en to me, and not to go down from thi s holy mou ntain; for the moment you leave it, you will be reft of life and of mercy; and you shall no longer be called 'children of God, ' bu t 'children of the d evil.' 28 Bu t they wou ld not heark en to his words.

20

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

29 Enoch at that time was already grown u p, and in his zeal for God, he a rose and said, "Hear me, O ye sons o f Seth, small and grea t -when ye tra nsgress the commandment of ou r fa thers, and go down from this holy mou ntain-ye shall not come u p hither again for ever." 30 Bu t they rose u p against Enoch, a nd wou ld not heark en to his words, bu t went down from the Holy Mou nta in. 31 And when th ey look ed at the da u ghters of Cain, at their beau tifu l figu res, and at their hands and feet dyed with colou r, and tattooed in orna ments on their faces, the fire of sin wa s k indled in them. 32 T hen Satan made them look most beau tifu l before the sons o f Seth, a s he also made the son s o f Seth a ppear of the fairest in the eyes of the dau ghters of Cain, so that the da u ghters of Cain lu sted after the sons of S eth lik e ravenou s beasts, a nd the sons of Seth after the da u ghters of Cain, u ntil they committed abomina tion with them. 33 Bu t after they had thu s fallen i nto this defilement, they retu rned by the wa y they had come, and tried to a scend the Holy Mou ntain. But they cou ld not, becau se the stones of that holy mou ntain were of fire fla shing before them, by reason o f which they cou ld not go u p again. 34 And God was angry with them, a nd repented of them becau se they ha d come down from glory, and had thereby lost or forsak en their own pu rity or innocence, and were fallen into the defilement o f sin. 35 T hen God sent His Word to Jared, saying, "T hese thy children, whom thou didst call 'My children,' - behold they have transgressed My

commandment, and have gone do wn to the abode of perdition, and of sin. Send a messenger to those that are left, that they may not go down, and be lost." 36 T hen Jared wept before the Lord, and ask ed of Him mercy and forgiven ess. Bu t he wished that his sou l might depart from his body, r a ther than hear these words from God abou t the going down of his chil dren from the Holy Mou ntain. 37 But he followed God's order, and preached u nto them not to go down from that holy mou ntain, a nd not to hold intercou rse with the children of Cain. 38 Bu t they heeded not his me ssage, and wou ld not obey his cou nsel. CHAPT ER XXI. Ja red dies in so rro w for his sons wh o ha d gone a stra y. A p red iction o f the Flood . 1 After this another company g a thered together, and they went to look after their brethren; bu t they perished as well as they. And so it was, company after company, u ntil only a few of them were left. 2 T hen Jared sick ened from grief, and his sick ness was su ch that the day of his death drew near. 3 T hen he called Enoch his eldest son, and Methu selah Enoch 's son, and Lamech the son of Methu selah, and Noah the son of Lamech. 4 And when they were co me to him he prayed over them and blessed them, and said to them, "Ye are righteou s, innocent sons; go ye not down from this holy mou ntain; for behold, you r children and you r children's children have gone down from this holy mou ntain, and ha ve

21

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

estra nged themselves from this holy mou ntain, throu gh their abominable lu st a nd transgression o f God's comma ndment. 5 "But I k now, throu gh the power of God, that He will not leave you on this holy mou ntain, becau se you r children have transgressed His comma ndment and that of ou r fa thers, which we had received from them. 6 "Bu t, O my sons, God will tak e you to a strange land, and ye never sha ll a gain return to behold with you r eyes this garden and this holy mou ntain. 7 "T herefore, O my sons, set y ou r hea rts on you r own selves, and k eep the commandment of God which is with you . And when you go from this holy mou ntain, into a strange la nd which ye k now not, tak e with you the body of ou r father Adam, a nd with it these three preciou s gi fts a nd offerings, namely, the gold, the incense, and the myrrh; and let them be in the place where the body of ou r father Adam shall lay. 8 "And u nto him of you who shall be left, O my sons, shall the Word of God come, and when he goes ou t of this land he shall tak e with him the body of ou r father Adam, and sha ll lay it in the middle of the ea rth, the place in which salvation sha ll be wrou ght." 9 T hen Noah said u nto him, "Who is he of u s that shall be left?" 10 And Jared answered, "T hou art he tha t shall be left. And thou shalt tak e the body of ou r father Adam from the cave, and place it with thee in the ark when the flood com es. 11 "And thy son Sh em, who shall come ou t of thy loins, he it is who sha ll lay the body of ou r father

Adam in the middle o f the earth, in the place whence salvation shall come." 12 T hen Jared turned to his son Enoch, and said u nto him "T hou , my son, abide in this cave, and minister diligently before the body of ou r fa ther Adam all the days of thy life; and feed thy people in righteou sness and innocence." 13 And Jared said no more. His hands were loosened, his eyes closed, and he entered into rest lik e his fa thers. His death took place in the three hu ndred and sixtieth year of Noah, and in the nine hu ndred and eighty-ninth year of his o wn life; on the twelfth of Tak hsas on a Friday. 14 Bu t as Jared died, tears streamed down his face by reason of his great sorrow, for the children of Seth, who had fallen in his days. 15 T hen Enoch, Methu selah, La mech and Noah, these fou r, wept over him; embalmed him carefu lly, a nd then laid him in the Cave of Treasures. T hen they rose and mou rned for him forty days. 16 And when these days o f mou r ning were en ded, Eno ch, Methu selah, Lamech and Noah remained in so rrow of heart, becau se their father had departed from them, and they saw him no more. CHAPT ER XXII. Only th ree righ teous men left in the wo rld . The evil cond ition s o f men p rior to the Flo od . 1 Bu t Enoch k ept the comman dment of Jared his father, and conti nu ed to minister in the cave. 2 It is this Enoch to whom many wonders happen ed, and who also wrote a celebrated book ; bu t those

22

SECO ND

BO O K O F A DA M

& EVE

wonders may not be told in this pla ce. 3 T hen after this, the children of Seth went astray and fell, they, their children and their wives. And wh en Enoch, Methu selah, Lamech and Noa h saw them, their hearts su ffered by rea son of their fall into dou bt fu ll of u nbelief; and they wept and sou ght of God mercy, to preserve them, and to bring them ou t of that wick ed generation. 4 Enoch continu ed in his ministry before the Lord three hu ndred and eighty-fiv e years, and at the end o f tha t time he became aware throu gh the gra ce of God, that God intended to remove him from th e earth. 5 He then said to his son, "O my son, I k now that God intends to bring the waters of the Flood u pon the ea rth, and to destroy ou r c rea tion. 6 "And ye are the last ru lers over this people on this mou ntain; for I k now that not one will be left you to beget children o n this holy mou nta in; neither shall any one of you ru le over the children of his people; neither shall any great company b e left of you , on this mou ntain." 7 Enoch said also to them, "Watch over you r sou ls, and hold fast by you r fear of God and by your se rvice of Him, and worship Him in u pright faith, and serve Him in rig hteou sness, inn ocen ce and ju dgment, in repentance and also in pu rity." 8 When Enoch had ended his co mma ndments to them, God tran sported him from that mou ntain to the la nd of life, to the mansions of the righteou s and of the chosen, the a bode of Paradise of joy, in light tha t reaches u p to heaven; light that is ou tside the light of this world; for

it is the light of God, that fills the whole world, bu t which no place can contain. 9 T hu s, becau se Enoch was in the light of God, he fou nd himsel f ou t of the reach of death; u ntil God wou ld have him die. 10 Altogether, not one of ou r fa thers or of their children, remained on that holy mou ntain, except those three, Methu selah, Lamech, and Noah. For all the rest went do wn from the mou ntain and fell into sin with the children of Cain. T herefore were they forbidd en that m ou ntain, and none remained on it bu t those three men.

23

Vous aimerez peut-être aussi