CHAP. XVI.

The first sunrise. Adam and Eve think it is
a fire coming to burn them .


AFTER this Adam and Eve ceased not to
stand in the cave, praying and weeping,
until the morning dawned upon them.
2 And when they saw the light returned to
them, they restrained from fear, and
strengthened their hearts.
3 Then Adam began to come out of the
cave. And when he came to the mouth of
it, and stood and turned his face towards
the east, and saw the sun rise in glowing
rays, and felt the heat thereof on his body,
he was afraid of it, and thought in his heart
that this flame came forth to plague him.
4 He wept then, and smote upon his
breast, and fell upon the earth on his face,
and made his request, saying:--
5 "O Lord, plague me not, neither consume
me, nor yet take away my life from the
earth."
6 For he thought the sun was God.
7 Inasmuch as while he was in the garden
and heard the voice of God and the sound
He made in the garden, and feared Him,
Adam never saw the brilliant light of the
sun, neither did the flaming heat thereof
touch his body.
8 Therefore was he afraid of the sun when
flaming rays of it reached him. He thought
God meant to plague him therewith all the
days He had decreed for him.
9 For Adam also said in his thoughts, as
God did not plague us with darkness,
behold, He has caused this sun to rise and
to plague us with burning heat.
10 But while he was thus thinking in his
heart, the Word of God came unto him and
said:--
11 "O Adam, arise and stand up. This sun
is not God; but it has been created to give
light by day, of which I spake unto thee in
the cave saying, 'that the dawn would
break forth, and there would be light by
day.'
12 "But I am God who comforted thee in
the night."
13 And God ceased to commune with
Adam.


Next: Chapter XVII

CHAP. XVII.

The Chapter of the Serpent.


THEN Adam and Eve came out at the
mouth of the cave, and went towards the
garden.
p. 14
2 But as they drew near to it, before the
western gate, from which Satan came
when he deceived Adam and Eve, they
found the. serpent that became Satan
coming at the gate, and sorrowfully licking
the dust, and wriggling on its breast on the
ground, by reason of the curse that fell
upon it from God.
3 And whereas aforetime the serpent was
the most exalted of all beasts, now it was
changed and become slippery, and the
meanest of them all, and it crept on its
breast and went on its belly.
4 And whereas it was the fairest of all
beasts, it had been changed, and was
become the ugliest of them all. Instead of
feeding on the best food, now it turned to
eat the dust. Instead of dwelling, as before,
in the best places, now it lived in the dust.
5 And, whereas it had been the most
beautiful of all beasts, all of which stood
dumb at its beauty, it was now abhorred of
them.
6 And, again, whereas it dwelt in one
beautiful abode, to which all other animals
came from elsewhere; and where it drank,
they drank also of the same; now, after it
had become venomous, by reason of
God's curse, all beasts fled from its abode,
and would not drink of the water it drank;
but fled from it.


Next: Chapter XVIII

CHAP. XVIII.

The mortal combat with the serpent.


WHEN the accursed serpent saw Adam and
Eve, it swelled its head, stood on its tail,
and with eyes blood-red, did as if it would
kill them.
2 It made straight for Eve, and ran after
her; while Adam standing by, wept
because he had no stick in his hand
wherewith to smite the serpent, and knew
not how to put it to death.
3 But with a heart burning for Eve, Adam
approached the serpent, and held it by the
tail; when it turned towards him and said
unto him:--
4 "O Adam, because of thee and of Eve, I
am slippery, and go upon my belly." Then
by reason of its great strength, it threw
down Adam and Eve and pressed upon
them, as if it would kill them.
5 But God sent an angel who threw the
serpent away from them, and raised them
up.
6 Then the Word of God came to the
serpent, and said unto it, "In the first
instance I made thee glib, and made thee
to go upon thy belly; but I did not deprive
thee of speech.
7 "Now, however, be thou dumb; and
speak no more, thou and thy race;
because in the first place, has the ruin of
my creatures happened through thee, and
now thou wishest to kill them."
8 Then the serpent was struck dumb, and
spake no more.
9 And a wind came to blow from heaven
by command of God that carried away the
serpent from Adam and Eve, threw it on the
sea shore, and it landed in India.


Next: Chapter XIX

CHAP. XIX.

Beasts made subject to Adam .


BUT Adam and Eve wept before God. And
Adam said unto Him:--
2 "O Lord, when I was in the cave, I said
this to Thee, my Lord, that the beasts of
the field would rise and devour me, and cut
off my life from the earth."
3 Then Adam, by reason of what had
befallen him, smote upon his breast, and
fell upon the earth like a corpse; then
came to him the Word of God,
p. 15
who raised him, and said unto him,
4 "O Adam, not one of these beasts will be
able to hurt thee; because when I made
the beasts and other moving things come
to thee in the cave, I did not let the
serpent come with them, lest it should rise
against you, make you tremble; and the
fear of it should fall into your hearts.
5 "For I knew that that accursed one is
wicked; therefore would I not let it come
near you with the other beasts.
6 "But now strengthen thy heart and fear
not. I am with thee unto the end of the
days I have determined on thee."


Next: Chapter XX

CHAP. XX.

Adam wishes to protect Eve .


THEN Adam wept and said, "O God,
remove us to some other place, that the
serpent may not come again near us, and
rise against us. Lest it find Thy handmaid
Eve alone and kill her; for its eyes are
hideous and evil."
2 But God said to Adam and Eve,
"Henceforth fear not, I will not let it come
near you; I have driven it away from you,
from this mountain; neither will I leave in it
aught to hurt you."
3 Then Adam and Eve worshipped before
God 'and gave Him thanks, and praised
Him for having delivered them from death.

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