The Writings of Abraham 2
The Writings of Abraham
from the papyri found in Egypt 1831
part 2
chapter 80 - 160
CHAPTER 80
TRAVELING slowly and stopping often to camp upon our way, we eventually reached Bethel, where yet stood and altar that I had built there at the first.
2. I restored it to its perfect form and offered sacrifices thereon to the Most High God.
3. And I called there upon the name of the Lord of all worlds and offered praise to the name of God and blessed god and gave thanks before Him for all the possessions bestowed upon us and for the many souls we had won in Egypt and for having brought us back safely from that land.
CHAPTER 81
NOW after our departure from Egypt, a faction arose among our people upon seeing the great wealth which Pharaoh had entrusted to us, for they desired property which they could call their own.
2. Lot also was among them, which thing grieved me greatly, but seeing they would not be reconciled, we gave unto them a portion of the common property and they departed from us under Lot's direction and settled in the Valley of the Jordan River.
3. There they went from place to place as their flocks needed pasture until they reached the city of Sodom where they mingled with the inhabitants and became one with them.
4. Lot also built a house in Sodom and settled there, but of all that company that went out from us, only Lot maintained his integrity and did not violate the covenants of his priesthood nor bow to heathen idol gods.
5. Nevertheless, Lot did not walk perfectly in the way of the Fathers for he dwelt not among the people of God but built his own house and he coveted his own property that he should govern it rather than holding all things common with the saints.
6. Nevertheless, Lot did continue to serve the Lord and the Lord loved him and his family and his property grew very large.
7. But I was grieved in my heart that Lot had parted from me for the had stood at my right hand and had been instructed in a better way.
CHAPTER 82
MEANWHILE, I with my people dwelt in Bethel where we did worship the Lord our God after the Order of the Ancients and did strive diligently to establish the Holy Order of God among us in ever increasing perfection.
2. Wherefore, we did banish from among us all contention, all covetousness, all selfishness, and we were of one heart and of one mind and dedicated in all our service unto the Lord and held all things common, for no man called anything his own.
CHAPTER 83
ONE night God appeared to me in a vision and said, Go up to the top of Hazor and lift up thine eyes and gaze eastward and westward and southward and northward and behold all this land for, behold, unto thee and to thy seed after thee shall I give it for an everlasting inheritance.
2. The next day I ascended Hazor as the Lord had commanded me and I gazed upon all the land from the river of Egypt unto Lebanon and Shenir, from the Great Sea unto Hauran, the whole area of Seir as far as Kadish, the whole of the great wilderness which lieth east of the Hauran and the region of Shenir as far as the Euphrates.
3. And as I beheld the land, the Lord my God spake in mine heart, saying, Blessed Abraham, I have chosen thee to stand at the head of a multitude.
4. Wherefore, unto thee and to thy seed after thee I will give this land, even all that thine eye beholdeth, that ye may possess it forever.
5. And I shall multiply thy seed like the dust of the earth, for even as no man can count the dust of the earth, so shall they seed be without number.
6. Rise up, now, and compass this land.
7. Behold the length of it and the breadth of it, for I will give it unto thee and to thy seed after thee forever.
CHAPTER 84
EVEN so, I, Abraham, descended from the high place and set out to behold all the land.
2. I commenced at the river of Egypt and came to the shore of the lake beside which I traveled until I reached the mountain of the ox.
3. Thence, I turned from the great lake which is by Sodom and walked across the breadth of the land until I reached Euphrates.
4. Thence, I journeyed even unto the Red Sea which I followed unto its head.
5. Thence, I went onward to the river of Egypt again, having compassed the whole land according to the command of the Lord.
6. When I had completed my journey, I bowed down and praised the Lord and returned safely unto my family where I found everyone well.
CHAPTER 85
NOT many days thence, under the direction of the Lord, I departed from Bethel and settled in the plains of Mamre on the northeast of Hebron and there I built an altar and offered an offering unto the Most High God and dedicated that land unto the Lord.
2. And I held a great feast unto the Lord for the time of the Passover had come and together with all the men of mine household, Invited Mamre, Aneram, and Eshcol, my friends who were wanderers in the land as we were and who had joined the believers in the Most High God, into the Solemn Assembly.
3. And after this all my people ate and drank together with me before the Lord.
CHAPTER 86
AT this feast, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me and laying aside my garments, I danced before the Lord and sang unto the Lord a new song, saying, Blessed are Thou, O Lord, who hast given unto man knowledge of Thy ways that he might understand Thy truths and see Thine abundant mercies.
2. Blessed art Thou, O God, who art full of compassion and grace, for the greatness of Thy power, the abundance of Thy truth, the profusion of Thy mercies over all Thy works.
3. Rejoice the soul of Thy servant in Thy truth and through Thy righteousness make me clean before Thee.
4. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, for Thou has placed in the mouth of Thy servant the sacred words of power that I might stand as Thy minister continually that I may confer Thy grace upon Thy children and that I myself may return to Thy presence.
CHAPTER 87
SARAH also rose up, full of the Holy Ghost, and danced and sang before the Lord.
2. And this is the song of Sarah: In Thee, O Lord, will my soul be raised up for Thou hast bestowed upon me Thy grace whereby I am restored to Thy presence for I have entered into thine holy house and received the sacred rites of Thy presence.
3. Surely in my tent at night I will sing songs of joy unto the Lord as I am overshadowed by the priesthood and lifted up in the foreshadowing of eternity.
4. Surely in receiving Thy Spirit through the overshadowing of the priesthood, I have received salvation.
5. Wherefore, in the midst of Thy people, those who reverence Thine holy name, I will praise Thee and glorify Thy name forever.
CHAPTER 88
MY wife Kadar also arose and proceeded to dance and sing before the Lord.
2. And her song was: Bless the Lord, O my soul; exalt His name among the people.
3. I will praise Thee, O Lord, upon my bed when the wellsprings of my joy are opened up.
4. I will praise Thee at all times and seasons.
5. When the sun riseth upon the earth, I will praise Thine holy name.
6. When in its ordered course, day reacheth its turning point at the meridian, I shall not fail to praise Thee.
7. Again in the evening when the daylight departeth, I will marvel at Thy wonders and glorify Thy name.
CHAPTER 89
THEN rose up my wife Judith who danced and sang, saying, Praise the Lord who hath shown me the wonders of His ways.
2. For as I lay upon my bed enwrapped in the ecstasies of the Holy Spirit, when the Spirit rushed into me, I saw the vision of the Almighty and heard that which is unlawful to be spoken.
3. Yea, O Lord, Thou hast visited me and I have heard Thy wondrous secret and I know that it is true. Through Thine Holy Spirit, through the rites of Thine holy priesthood, through the glorious inner vision to which Thou didst open my mind in the moment of passion, Thou has caused a spring of knowledge to well up within me, a fountain of strength and power, of loving kindness and glory in my God.
4. Thou has put an end to the darkness of the world in me and the splendor of Thy glory hath become in me an eternal light.
5. Wherefore, I will praise Thy name forever and give myself unto Thee.
CHAPTER 90
WHEN Judith had finished her song, all the congregation, being filled with the Holy Ghost, arose to their feet and began to dance and sing and praise the Lord and to prophecy in His name.
2. Some saw holy angels in our midst and others saw the heavens opened and beheld God seated upon His throne and all were filled with His Spirit and shouted praises to the Lord in joyousness until dawn.
3. Then we all rose up before the Lord and praised His name for this great outpouring and worshipped Him all that day.
4. And we rejoiced in the grace of the Lord our God.
CHAPTER 91
PREVIOUS to this time, Amraphel, son of Nimrod, king of Shinar, Chederlaomer, king of Elam, Arioch, king of Capadocia, and Tidal, king of Goyim in Mesopotamia, had waged war against Bera, king of Sodom, Birsha, king of Gomorrah, Shinah, king of Admah, Shemeber, king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela.
2. They assembled for combat in the vale of Siddim and the king of Shinar and his royal allies overcame the king of Sodom and his confederates and imposed tribute upon them.
3. For twelve years they paid their tribute to the king of Shinar, but in the thirteenth year they revolted against him.
4. In the fourteenth year the king of Shinar led forth all his allies and they went up along the way of the wilderness, attacking and plundering all who were confederate with the king of Sodom.
5. But the king of Sodom, the king of Gomorrah, the king of Admah, the king of Zeboiim, and the king of Bela came forth to battle and met Amraphel and his allies in the vale of Siddim.
6. However, Amraphel and his allies prevailed against them and Bera, king of Sodom turned and fled and Birsha, king of Gomorrah fell into the slime pits which were in the vale of Siddim and perished there.
7. The remainder of the kings fled unto the mountain which was called Hanabal and tarried there in great fear.
CHAPTER 93
BUT one of Lot's servants who dwelt in his house escaped and came to me in Hebron and told me that Lot, my brother's son, had been taken with all his possessions, but that he yet lived.
2. he showed me, moreover, the route which the kings had taken toward the land of Damascus.
3. When I heard this news, mine heart melted within me for Lot who had stood at my right hand had been as a brother to me in the place of my brother Haran, who had been slain in the Land of Shinar.
4. Oh, that Lot had stayed among the body of saints of the Most High God, I thought, and not go off to possess his own property apart.
5. Then these circumstances would never have befallen him that he should be in the hands of Amraphel, son of Nimrod, king of Shinar and his host.
6. But as I thus mourned over Lot, the word of the Lord came unto me, saying, Up, arouse thee, O Abraham. Take three hundred and eighty of the young men of the strength of thine house and also thy friends Aneram, Eshcol, and Mamre each with one hundred and five of the strength of his house and also Eliezer of Damascus who is with thee in the tent and pursue after Amraphel, son of Nimrod, king of Shinar, for truly I shall deliver his hosts into your hands.
CHAPTER 94
WHEREFORE, we did according to all that the Lord had commanded me, having all seven hundred of men and we pursued after them even unto the valley of Dan where we found them encamped.
2. And falling upon them by night from all four directions, we commenced the work of death and continued wreaking slaughter among them and discomforting them all that night.
3. And with the rising of the sun, they fled from before us until they reached Hobah which is situated to the left of Damascus where we did again overtake them and conquer them.
4. There we did strip them of all that they had taken as plunder and loot and likewise of all their won goods.
5. Lot also and his family we rescued from their hands and restoring to him all his possessions and all that they had taken from him as spoil, we restored him to his home in peace.
CHAPTER 95
WHEN the king of Sodom heard that I had returned from the conquest of Amraphel, son of Nimrod, king of Shinar, he came forth to meet me at the valley of Shaveh which is west of the city of Shalom where Noah and Melchizedek dwelt.
2. And Melchizedek brought forth bread and wine from the city of Shalom unto the valley of Shaveh where we were encamped.
3. And he being the high priest after the Order of the Most High God, brake the bread and blessed it and he blessed the wine also and he distributed them unto me and those who were with me, and we partook and were filled.
4. And Melchizedek lifted up his hands to heaven and blessed me, and said, Blessed Abraham, thou art a man of the Most High God, possessor of heaven and of earth, wherefore, his name and priesthood shall not depart from thee and thy seed after thee while the earth shall stand and even in eternity shall it remain with thee.
5. And blessed is the name of the Most High God and almighty His power, which hath delivered thine enemies into thine hand.
6. And I, Abraham, gave into the hand of Melchizedek, tithes of all I had taken, for he was the presiding high priest after the Order of the Most High God, the first of the fathers unto me, and he reigned under his father Noah.
CHAPTER 96
AND when the king of Sodom had come unto me, he said unto me, My lord Abraham, give me the persons who are not thine but who are with thee whom thou hast rescued from the hand of Amraphel, son of Nimrod, king of Shinar, but let all the property be left with thee.
2. But I said unto him, This day do I, Abraham, lift up mine hand before the Most High God, before His holy angels and before these witnesses who are with us and declare that I will not take even so much as a thread or a shoe's latchet which is not mine, lest thou shouldst say that all Abraham's wealth cometh really from they possession.
3. Only that which the young men who are with me have eaten and that which Aneram, Eshcol, and Mamre, these three stalwarts who went with me, have received as their share shall be excepted of all that I took from Amraphel, son of Nimrod, king of Shinar that was thine.
4. The rest I return freely unto thee.
5. Now go thy way in peace.
6. Thereupon, I returned all the possessions and all the spoil and gave them unto the king of Sodom and I released all the captives and sent them away rejoicing.
CHAPTER 97
AND when I had done this, Melchizedek again lifted up his voice and blessed me saying, Blessed art thou, Abraham, for the Most High God shall visit thee and shall bestow upon thee riches and honor and lands for an everlasting possession because thou hast been true and faithful to the covenants which thou hast entered before Him.
2. Wherefore, thou shalt continue to increase, worlds without end, and the glory of the Lord shall never depart from thee. The blessings of thy Fathers shall rest upon thee and thou shalt stand at the head and in thee and in thy seed after thee, those who shall bear thy priesthood, shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
CHAPTER 98
THEREWITH, I departed from Melchizedek, rejoicing in his blessing, for he was a man of faith who wrought righteousness and when a child he feared God and by his faith he stopped the mouths of lions and quenched the violence of fire when those of the evil combination sought to destroy him from off the face of the earth.
2. Therefore, having been approved of God, he was ordained an high priest after the order of the covenant which God made with Enoch which is after the order of the Firstborn, even our Father Adam.
3. For this holy order came not by man nor the will of man, neither by father nor mother, neither by beginning of days nor end of years, but of God.
4. For it was established in the beginning of the earth by the Ancients of days, wherefore it is called the Order of the Ancients, and it was delivered unto men from the beginning by the calling of God's own voice according to His own will through the voice of His Priesthood, unto as many as believed on His name and were faithful until they had obtained.
CHAPTER 99
BEHOLD, these could transcend the veil, according to the will of God, and commune with the General Assembly and Church of the Firstborn in heaven and many were caught up to be with them.
2. For God had sworn unto Enoch and unto his seed with an oath by Himself the every one being ordained after this order and calling should have power by faith to break mountains, to divide the seas, to dry up waters, to turn them out of their course, to put at defiance the armies of nations, to divide the earth, to break every band, to stand in the presence of God, to do all things according to His will according to His command, subdue principalities and powers, and this by the will of the Son of the Only Begotten of the Father which was from before the foundation of the world.
3. And men having this faith and coming up unto this order of God could be translated and taken up into heaven.
CHAPTER 100
NOW Melchizedek was a priest after this order which is the Holy Order of God; therefore he obtained peace in Shalom and was called the prince of peace.
2. And his people wrought righteousness and obtained heaven for they sought for the city of Enoch which God had before taken, separating it from the earth, having reserved it unto the latter days or the end of the world.
3. For God hath said and sworn with an oath that the heavens and the earth should come together again and the sons of God be tried even by fire.
4. And thus Melchizedek, having established righteousness, was called the king of heaven by his people or, in other words, the king of peace.
5. And they communed with those in the city of Enoch and in the city of Peleg and had access to them and were blessed all their days.
CHAPTER 101
AFTER these things God appeared to me in a vision and he said unto me, Behold Abraham, it is ten full years since thou camest into this land from Haran.
2. Two years didst thou remain then in the land, seven years wast thou in Egypt and one year hath passed since thy return from Egypt.
3. Now, number all that thou hast and see how it hath increased to double that which went out with thee in the day thou camest forth from Haran.
4. Therefore, fear not, for I am with thee and will be thine help and the source of thy strength.
5. I will be thy shield and thine exceeding great reward and thy wealth and thy possessions shall I increase exceedingly.
CHAPTER 102
AND I said unto Him, My Lord God, truly my wealth and my possessions have increased but, behold, Eliezer of Damascus standeth as mine heir, whereas, prior to my departure from the city of Shalom, Father Shem said unto, Eliezer is a good and righteous man and he shall be greatly blessed in time and in eternity, but he shall not be thine heir, for another shall be thine heir who shall come forth from the womb of thy wife whom thou shalt take in the house of thy father for she is ordained to be thy queen of queens and the mother of thine heir.
2. Wherefore then doth Sarah remain barren, having neither son nor daughter?
3. Nay, replied God, fear not, for none shall be thine heir save he that shall come forth from the womb of they wife Sarah for she is ordained to be thy queen of queens and the mother of thine heir.
4. Therefore is her name called Sarah.
CHAPTER 103
AND the Lord took me out of the camp and He said, Look now toward heaven and tell the stars, if thou be able to number them.
2. And He said unto me, So shall thy seed be.
3. And I said unto him, Lord God, how wilt thou give me this land for an everlasting inheritance?
4. And the Lord replied, Though thou wast dead, yet am I not able to give it thee?
5. And if thou shalt die, yet thou shalt possess it, for the day cometh that the Son of Man shall live but how can he live if he be not dead?
6. He must first be quickened.
7. And the Lord touched the eyes of mine understanding that they were opened and I beheld the days of the Son of Man, for I beheld Him ministering unto my seed, teaching them the law of God, healing the sick, casting out devils and doing many wonderful works.
8. I saw also the Son of Man lifted up upon the cross for the sins of men; wherefore I wept for the wickedness of man which could crucify the Son of God.
9. Nevertheless, I saw also that He should rise again from the dead, wherein mine heart did rejoice and my soul found rest in the knowledge that though I should die, yet again in the flesh should I see God and dwell in the land of mine inheritance.
10. For I saw also the days of the coming of the Son of Man upon the earth in the last days when He shall descent with ten thousands of His saints according to the prophecy of Father Enoch and the earth shall be cleansed by fire.
11. Then all shall rise to stand before God, both the just and the unjust, to be judged according to their works.
CHAPTER 104
AND the Lord said unto me, I, the Lord thy God, saved thee from the fire in the land of Shinar and from the hand of the wicked priest and from all the evil intentions of king Nimrod and I brought thee into this land that I might give it to thee as an everlasting inheritance.
2. Now, I knew that the word of the Lord was true. Nevertheless, I desired to know more of this inheritance which the Lord had provided me.
3. Wherefore, I said, Lord, how shall it be that I shall inherit this land wherein I am a stranger?
4. And the Lord said unto me, Take me an heifer of three years old and a she goat of three years old and a ram of three years old and a turtle dove and a young pigeon.
5. Divide each of these in the midst and lay one half on each side of an open place, except the birds thou shalt not divide but lay one on each side.
6. Wherefore, I went and did according to all that the Lord had commanded me and when the fowls came down upon the carcasses, I drove them away.
7. And when the sun was going down, a deep sleep fell upon me and lo, in the sleep was a great horror of darkness.
8. And I cried unto the Lord, saying, O Lord, what meaneth this great horror of darkness?
9. And the Lord said unto me, Know of a surety that thy seed shall be a stranger in a land which shall not be theirs and shall be in bondage to strangers, even to the seed of Ham who shall again overrun the land of Egypt.
10. And thy seed shall be afflicted and serve them four hundred years.
11. But at that time, I shall judge the seed of Ham and thy seed shall come up out of the land of Egypt with great substance.
12. And as for thee, thou shalt die and go to thy fathers in peace; thou shalt be buried in a good old age.
13. But in the fourth generation thy seed shall come higher again for the iniquity of the Canaanites is not yet full.
CHAPTER 105
AND it came to pass that when the sun was down and it was dark, behold, two personages passed between those pieces which I had divided.
2. And their countenance was as fire such that I could hardly look upon them and the one said to me, Behold, of thy seed shall the Messiah come who shall redeem all those who believe on His name and walk in His footsteps.
3. Wherefore, repent and call upon the name of the Son all thy days that in the end thou mayest dwell with me in my mansion.
CHAPTER 106
NOW when Sarah saw that she bare neither son nor daughter, it grieved her heart.
2. And she said unto me, Take therefore Hagar, daughter of Pharaoh, to be thy wife, for she is a woman now.
3. And let her come into my bed and let her womb be unto thee in the place of mine to raise up seed unto thee.
4. Hagar also was willing to enter this covenant and it was according to the voice of the Spirit of God; wherefore, Sarah gave Hagar to be my wife and Sarah and Hagar were as one wife unto that the seed of Hagar might be also the seed of Sarah.
5. For Hagar had been raised by Sarah and been taught by her and had followed Sarah in ways of righteousness.
CHAPTER 107
AND when I came into unto Hagar in Sarah's bed, she conceived.
2. And when Hagar saw that she had conceived, she rejoiced greatly and began to be lifted up in pride and to despise Sarah and she taunted Sarah, saying, Surely I am better than thee for in all the years thy lord hath lain with thee, thou hast not conceived, but lo, in this short time, I have conceived from the seed of my lord.
3. And Sarah was grieved in her heart and she said unto me, Surely Hagar hath wronged me and thou also hast contributed to her wrong, for she hath spoken despitefully to me in thy presence, yet thou hast done nothing to correct her.
4. But I replied to Sarah, Surely Hagar is thy child for thou hast instructed her from her youth.
5. Correct her, therefore, as seemeth thee good.
CHAPTER 108
HOWEVER, when Sarah attempt to correct Hagar, Hagar grew angry and determined to return unto her father's people; wherefore, she departed into the wilderness.
2. But an angel of the Lord met her by a well where she stopped to rest and he said unto her, Hagar, daughter of Sarah, who gave thee unto her husband Abraham and took thee into her own bed that thou mightest raise up seed unto her, why art thou thus fleeing into the wilderness from the camp of Abraham?
3. And Hagar replied, I am returning to the land of my father for it grieveth me to be bound to Sarah.
4. And the angel of the Lord said to her, Return unto Sarah and be subject unto her for she is given to thee to be a mother unto thee and this seed is hers as well as yours.
5. The Lord will multiply thy seed exceedingly so that it shall not be numbered for multitude and thou shalt bear a son and shall call his name Ishmael, because the Lord hath heard thy prayers and answered them.
6. He will be a man of the desert and a man of war; nevertheless, many shall join themselves unto him and his people shall be great.
CHAPTER 109
HAGAR replied, What shall I say is the name of him who beareth these glad tidings.
2. And the angel replied, Beerlahairoi, for know thou that God seest thee in all places withersoever thou shalt be.
3. And Hagar said, I know that God seest me, for He hath this day sent His angel to minister unto me.
4. Wherefore, Hagar returned unto the tent of Sarah and at the appointed time she bare unto me a son and I called his name Ishmael, according to the word of the angel.
5. And I was four score and six years old when Hagar bare Ishmael unto me.
CHAPTER 110
AT the end of thirteen years, the Lord appeared unto me and He said unto me, Abraham, because thou hast been faithful in all things unto me from the time thou wast three years old, and behold, now thou art ninety and nine, therefore, I will establish my covenant with thee for with thee I shall commence a new dispensation of the gospel that from this time forth all those who would be sealed into me must be sealed into thee.
2. Wherefore, I will send Noah unto thee in the tabernacle, and he will bestow upon thee the keys of this priesthood, for the city of Melchizedek will I take up from off the earth and there will be a new beginning in thee.
3. For I will greatly multiply thy seed and I will make them my ministers that through thy priesthood all the peoples of the earth shall be blessed.
4. Therefore, from this time forth shall every male child among you be circumcised in that his foreskin shall be opened in token of the opening of his heart to the light of the gospel.
5. And on the eighth day shall ye do it that ye may remember that on the eighth day they shall be baptized that the blessing of the gospel may come upon them.
6. This is according to the covenant I made with Adam in the garden Eden, but I instructed Noah and Shem not to administer this covenant unto thee that thou mightest receive it in token of this new covenant which I make with thee.
7. Although I gave these ordinances in the beginning unto Adam, yet the sons of men have continually gone astray from my precepts and have not kept mine ordinances which I gave unto their fathers.
8. They have neglected the ordinance of baptism which I commanded unto them in token of the burial of the natural man and have ceased to receive the anointing whereby they become kings and priests unto me.
9. Yea, they have turned from my commandments and changed mine ordinances and have replaced baptism with the washing of children which they call baptism.
10. But, behold, this is no baptism, for I will atone for the fall of Adam; wherefore, little children are innocent until they reach the age of accountability.
11. But the sons of men have rejected mine atonement wherein I will offer Mine Only Begotten Son for the sins of the world, for they say that the blood of righteous Abel was shed for sins, thereby rejecting Me as their Savior.
12. But thou hast upheld mine ordinances. Therefore, thy seed shall sprinkle all nations, for thou shalt be a father of many nations.
13. And thou shalt be fruitful and many nations shall come of thee and kings of nations shall be of thy seed.
14. Moreover, ye shall not cut yourselves in your foreskins after the manner of the heathen, for this is the lesser law and applieth only to those who have had part of the gospel cut off from that which they have received.
15. But your hearts are opened to the fullness of my gospel wherefore your foreskins shall be opened.
16. For if it were profitable for you to be without a foreskin, then would your father beget you in you mother without a foreskin.
17. Take not y away what God hath given.
18. But let your foreskins be opened, for this is the true circumcision and it will be profitable unto you as a covenant written in your flesh, which shall be an everlasting covenant.
19. Your daughters also shall be circumcised upon the marriage bed when the matrix is opened by the entrance of her husband, for this is an holy ordinance, and it is completed at the birth of her firstborn; wherefore it is written that the firstborn which openeth the matrix is holy because it is an instrument in the performance of an holy ordinance.
20. Now, go into the tabernacle and fast and pray until Noah cometh to bestow upon thee the keys of which I have spoken.
CHAPTER 111
WHEN the Lord had departed from me, I went into the tabernacle and I remained there fasting and praying for three days.
2. And at the end of that time Noah came to me and he said, Hail, Abraham, for thou art highly favored of the Lord.
3. Behold, I come to thee from the city of Enoch my father to bestow upon thee the keys which I received from Enoch many years ago, for thou shalt stand at the head and thy posterity shall be without number and in thee and in thy seed after thee shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.
4. When Noah had departed from me, I rose up and was circumcised by Eliezer and all the males of mine house were circumcised with me, including my son Ishmael who was thirteen years old at this time.
5. And I conferred upon my son Ishmael the Priesthood of Elias and ordained him to be a priest that he might minister before the Lord.
6. But Ishmael did not honor his priesthood, taking it to be a light thing, which thing was a grief of heart unto me for I knew that in heaven he was counted as having no priesthood because he honored it not; wherefore, I did not call upon him to act in the priest's office.
CHAPTER 112
AND the Lord appeared unto me in the plains of Mamre and he said unto me, Behold, Ishmael shall not be thine heir, neither Eliezer, for Sarah will I bless and I will give thee a son of her.
2. She shall be the mother of nations and kings and people shall be of her.
3. Then I fell upon my face before the Lord and I rejoiced and I said unto Him, O Lord, it is a wondrous thing that this promise should be fulfilled when I am an hundred years old and Sarah is ninety.
4. And the Lord said, Prepare thine heart to receive it, and he told me many secret things concerning the conception of the child which are great mysteries to the unenlightened, but the elect shall know them, and I rejoiced therein.
CHAPTER 113
WHEN the Lord had told me these things, I thought of my son Ishmael and I prayed, O God, grant that Ishmael might live uprightly before Thee.
2. And the Lord God replied, Sarah thy wife shall bear thee a son and thou shalt call his name Isaac and I will continue in him the covenant which I have established with thee to be an everlasting covenant with his seed after him.
3. And as for Ishmael, I have heard thee.
4. Behold, I have blessed him and will make him a great nation.
5. But my covenant will I establish with Isaac whom Sarah shall bear unto thee at this same time in the next year.
6. Then God left me and I saw Him ascent up into heaven and mine heart rejoiced in the promises of the Lord unto me.
CHAPTER 114
THREE months later the Lord sent unto me three of His ministering angels who were holy men of god from the city of Enoch.
2. For I was sitting at the door of my tent and I lifted up mine eyes from my meditations and, behold, three men in the distance were walking toward our camp.
3. And the Spirit of the Lord whispered unto me that they were holy men of god who had a blessing for me; wherefore, I rose up and ran to meet them; and, bowing down before them, I led them unto Sarah's tent.
4. Taking water from Sarah, I washed their feet and spreading a carpet under the tree which was at the door of Sarah's tent, I spread cushions upon it and caused them to sit down there.
5. And I called Eliezer and instructed him to send one of the young men to fetch a young and tender calf and supervise the preparation of it.
6. Sarah also supervised the young women in preparing cakes and milk and cheese, mutton and beef to eat until the calf was prepared.
CHAPTER 115
WHEN they had eaten, one of the holy men said unto me, We shall return to thee nine months hence and, behold, at that time Sarah shall bear a son.
2. Now, Sarah was listening at the door of the tent, and when she heard these words, she laughed within herself, knowing that she was past the age of bearing and I also was very old.
3. But the holy man of God rebuked her, saying, Is anything too hard for the Lord?
4. Surely when we return here nine months hence, thou shalt bear a son.
5. Whereupon the three holy men of God entered with me into Sarah's tent and blessed her.
6. And the Holy Spirit fell upon Sarah in mighty power in the blessing and she conceived according to the word of the man of God.
CHAPTER 116
THEN the three holy men of God departed from our camp, and I walked with them to bring them on their way toward Sodom.
2. And the one who had before spoken, said unto me, Abraham, we are from the city of Enoch and are ordained after the holy order of God.
3. We have come not only to bless Sarah that thou mightest have seed raised up unto thee out of her, but also on a mission which bringeth us sorrow.
4. Nevertheless, the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I will do?
5. Nay, surely for his integrity he shall know what I am about to do.
6. Wherefore, Abraham, hast thou looked upon the iniquities of Sodom and her sister cities?
7. For they have provoked the Lord with their abominations.
8. For four times in each year they gather together to sing and dance before their idol gods and when they are dancing every man layeth hold upon the wives and daughters of his neighbors and lieth with them and this they do without authority from God, which thing is an abomination in His sight.
9. But, behold, this is the least of their sins.
10. For no man is safe who entereth their city, for when a stranger entereth there, they will take from him his goods by force and they will abuse his body, for both men and women will they bind and crowds of the Sodomites will gather about them and lie with them by force until every one who desireth to lie with them hath done so.
11. Now it is a wicked thing that men or women should be forced to lie with another against their will, but here the whole city uniteth to force this wicked thing.
12. Moreover, when they have stolen a man's goods and abused his flesh, they will torture him and when they tire of torturing him, they will leave him naked and without food or water to die in the streets of their city and it is forbidden by the law for anyone to help such an one by giving him food or drink.
13. Moreover, the people of these cities have numerous idol gods before which they practice every kind of abomination without authority.
14. Wherefore, the Lord hath sent us to gather the righteous out of the cities before they are destroyed.
15. So saying, the three embraced me and kissed me and went on their way toward Sodom.
CHAPTER 117
BUT I remained a long time where they had departed from me thinking on the things they had said, for it grieved mine heart that these great cities with all their inhabitants should be destroyed.
2. Wherefore, I, too, went down to the vicinity of Sodom and I called upon the name of the Lord there.
3. And when He answered me out of heaven, I said unto Him, O Lord God, merciful and kind, wilt thou destroy the inheritances of the righteous because of the wicked?
4. Nay, O Lord, far be it from Thee to do this thing. Wilt thou not spare the inheritances of the righteous?
5. Peradventure there may be fifty righteous in the city, wilt thou in thine anger destroy the city and not spare the place for the sake of the fifty righteous that are in it?
6. Surely thou wilt not destroy the inheritances of the righteous because of the wicked.
7. Such a judgment should never be passed according to the justice of thine holy law which is in they bosom.
8. And the Lord said, If I find in these cities fifty righteous who keep the laws and precepts of God and have not partaken of the abominations of the Sodomites, then surely I will spare the whole country for their sake.
CHAPTER 118
NEVERTHELESS, I ventured to speak before the Lord again, for I know that all His ways are just.
2. And I said unto Him, O Lord, suppose there shall lack but five of the fifty righteous. Wilt thou destroy the whole land for the lack of five men?
3. And He said, If there be fortyfive righteous in the land, I will not destroy it.
4. And I spake unto the Lord again, saying, O Lord, I know that I am yet but dust and ashes, for although I am, by the testimony of thine own mouth, declared to be a son of God, yet I am not yet glorified to be like thee.
5. Nevertheless, be not displeased with me when I plead in behalf of the righteous; for suppose there shall be forty righteous in the land?
6. And He said, I will not destroy it if I find there forty.
7. Then I said, O Lord, thou hast been patient indeed with thy servant; wherefore, I shall speak yet again before thee, Suppose there shall thirty righteous be found there?
8. The Lord replied, I will not destroy it if I find thirty there.
9. Then I spake again saying, I have ventured to speak before the Lord; shall I now cease lest the righteous be destroyed with the wicked?
10. Suppose there shall be twenty righteous found in the land?
11. And the Lord said, I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.
12. Finally I said, Oh, let not the Lord be displeased and I will speak only once more.
13. Suppose ten righteous shall be found there?
14. And he said, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten.
15. But thou, Abraham, remain here in prayer and fasting until my messengers return unto thee, for if ten righteous be not found in the land, I shall gather out those righteous who are found there and thou shalt be caught up of the earth to call down fire and brimstone upon the land by an holy ordinance inasmuch as thou art a priest and a king forever after the order of the Most High God, having the right of the Firstborn which hath come down from the fathers to exercise absolute authority over thy posterity, even the right of life and death under the direction of the Holy One.
16. Nevertheless, remember that this authority can only be exercised under the direction of heaven, for when any man exerciseth his priesthood contrary to the will of heaven, his priesthood is forfeited, his authority passeth away and he can call upon the powers of heaven to accomplish no work from that day forward.
17. Wherefore, let all men repent of the exercise of unrighteous dominion and turn unto the Lord their God, that they be severed not from the rights of His House.
18. So saying, the Lord departed from me and I remained in that place in fasting and praying, awaiting the return of the three messenger.
CHAPTER 119
THIS is the account which Lot told unto me, Abraham, concerning the coming of the three messengers unto him in Sodom.
2. For Lot was sitting in the door of his house in the city of Sodom conversing with two of his sonsinlaw who were Sodomites, when he saw three men approaching down the street of the city.
3. And the Spirit of the Lord whispered unto Lot, Behold these are my messengers who bring tiding of salvation.
4. Lot, therefore, rose up to meet them and bowing down before them, said, Behold now, my lords, turn in, I pray you, into your servant's house and tarry all night that I may wash your feet and anoint your heads and feed you, and in the morning ye may go on leaving only a blessing upon the head of your servant.
5. And they said, Nay, but we will abide in the street tonight for we have heard that it is not safe to enter into the house of a Sodomite lest we be abused and tortured and killed and our property stolen from us.
6. But Lot replied, Not so, my lords, for I am no sodomite, but a true worshiper of the Lord Jehovah and I know that ye are his messengers for his Spirit hath shown me this thing.
7. Then, when Lot had confessed his faith in the Lord Jehovah, the angels entered with him into his house and he did set before them a feast with unleavened bread and wine and they blessed it and partook thereof and Lot's family also partook and were filled.
CHAPTER 120
WHEN Lot's two sonsinlaw saw him take the strangers into his home, they went straightway unto the magistrates of the city for it was unlawful in the city of Sodom to entertain an stranger in your home.
2. Wherefore, the people of Sodom surrounded Lot's house, both young and old, all the people of the city.
3. And one of them called to Lot and said, where are the men whom thou tookest into thine house tonight?
4. Behold, thou knowest that it is contrary to our laws to thus entertain strangers.
5. Nevertheless, we will forgive thee for thou art a mighty prince among us; therefore, bring forth the men unto us that we may lie with them and do unto them according to all the desires of our hearts.
6. But Lot went out the door to the front of his house and securing the door behind him, he confronted the Sodomites.
7. And Lot said to them, I pray you, my brethren, do not these wicked things, for it is contrary to the law of the Most High God who is king over all, to force anyone to lie with another.
8. Repent now, therefore, that the wrath of the Most High God fall not upon you and ye with your city be destroyed.
9. But they were angry with Lot and they cried unto him, Stand away from the door lest we take thee also.
10. Thou hast come in among us and partaken of the good of our land and we have treated thee with honor although thou wast a stranger. dost thou now make thyself a judge over us?
11. And their anger increased against Lot and they said unto him, Behold, we will deal worse with thee than with them.
12. Wherefore, we shall take thee and thy daughters and the men who have come in unto thee and any others in thine household who shall please us and we will do with you according to all our desires.
13. But Lot replied, Behold now, I have two daughters who have not lain with man.
14. Let me, I pray you, plead with you that ye take them not according to this wickedness and abuse them according to your abominations, for the most High God will surely destroy this city if ye repent not.
15. Wherefore, ye shall do nothing unto me nor my daughters nor the strangers that are within my gate nor any of mine household, for God will smite you in the attempt.
16. And their anger increased yet more against Lot an they came near to break down the door, but the messengers of God who were holy men bearing the Power of the Priesthood after God's holy order, put forth their hands, pulled Lot into the house and shut the door behind him.
17. Then they smote the people of Sodom with blindness so that they could not find the door.
CHAPTER 121
AND one of these holy men said unto Lot, Take now all that appertaineth unto thee, whether persons or goods, our of this city, for the wrath of God is upon this place and tomorrow it shall be destroyed because the cries of those who have been abused here have risen unto the ears of the Lord of Sabaoth and the abominations of the Sodomites have come up before His face.
2. Wherefore, surely upon the morrow the vengeance of the Lord shall fall upon Sodom that neither root nor branch shall be left here for the fullness of their iniquity hath come upon them and in the fullness thereof they shall be cut off.
3. Therefore, Lot went forth at that time and spake unto his sonsinlaw and his married daughters and all who had gone forth with him from our camp, saying, Up, get you out of their place for on the morrow the Lord will destroy this city.
4. But his words were as foolishness unto them and they mocked him.
5. And Lot returned unto his house in sorrow.
CHAPTER 122
WHEN morning came, the men of god hastened Lot saying, Arise, take thy wives and thy daughters who are here with thee in the house and depart hence lest ye be consumed by the wrath of god which shall be visited upon the iniquities of Sodom.
2. And while they were preparing to depart, Lot's heart being full of sorrow at leaving his daughters and his daughters' children to be destroyed, the men of God took him by the hand with his wives and his daughters, for the Lord had mercy upon Lot because of his integrity, because he had not bowed down unto false gods nor entered into the abominations of Sodom.
3. And Lot thought to dwell in Zoar; wherefore, he hastened there, but his wife Ado turned back unto the city of Sodom.
4. Ado was the daughter of Eli, the son of Eliezer, which Eli had accompanied Lot to Sodom.
5. And Ado thought upon her parents and her daughters who remained in the city, her heart was pained within her and she turned back unto them and was lost.
6. But Lot entered with the rest of his family into Zoar and was there when the cities of the plains were overthrown.
CHAPTER 123
THEN the three holy men of god came unto me, Abraham, where I was fasting and praying nigh unto Sodom, and they lifted me up into the heavens and taught me the ordinances the key words and the sings by which I might call down fire and brimstone upon the cities.
2. And I did as I was commanded by the angels of god and the cities were destroyed.
3. And when I saw the destruction of the land, mine heart was sorrowful, but the Lord said unto me, I have had mercy upon Lot and have sent him out of the city that he was not destroyed, for he was the only righteous man in all the cities.
4. Wherefore, mine heart was comforted.
CHAPTER 124
AND when the destruction was over, Lot feared to continue dwelling in Zoar, lest it also should be destroyed.
2. Wherefore, he took his family and went unto the cave of Adullam and dwelt there.
3. And the word of the Lord came unto Lot saying, Go in now unto thy two daughters who are with thee who have not known man, for they shall conceive by thee that thy posterity shall not be cut off from the earth.
4. So Lot went in unto his two daughters and lay with them and they conceived by him.
5. And the firstborn bare a son and called his name Moab.
6. And the younger also bare a son and she called his name Benammi.
7. And Lot dwelt in the cave for five years and after that he took his wives and his daughters and his sons whom his daughters had borne unto him and dwelt on the other side of Jordan.
8. And the Lord blessed him and prospered him and he dwelt in safety.
CHAPTER 125
AFTER the destruction of the cities of the plains, I, Abraham, journeyed to the south to the land of Gerar.
2. Now the king of the land of Gerar was Abimelech, and he was one who worshipped the Most High God and he was just and upright in all his ways.
3. And Abimelech had entered the Holy Order of God and was a priest and a king after the Order of the Most High God and had received the rites and ordinances of the gospel.
4. As a youth he had dwelt with me in the city of Shalom and he was as a brother unto me and we shared all things.
5. When Sarah and I went in unto Abimelech to commune with him, the Spirit of the Lord fell upon Abimelech and he blessed Sarah in great outpourings after the Order of the Ancients and anointed her that she might bear holy seed and we rejoiced in the blessings of the Lord unto Sarah through the three holy men from the City of Enoch and through His servant Abimelech.
6. And the Spirit of the Lord fell upon me also and I blessed her and anointed her that the Spirit of the Lord might fall upon her in a greater outpouring to the sanctification of herself and her seed.
7. And we rejoiced together for three nights and two days and worshipped the Lord our God and were filled with joy and peace in the blessings of the Lord unto us.
8. And we were magnified in the Lord.
CHAPTER 126
THE next night, after Sarah and I had returned to our camp, Abimelech was seated upon his throne praying when a sleep from the Lord fell upon him and he slept there all that night.
2. And while he slept, he dreamed a dream in which an angel of the Lord with a drawn sword in his hand came and stood above him.
3. And Abimelech was frightened at the angel, but the angel said unto him, Fear not, for because thou hast faithfully entered into the rites and ordinances of my gospel and hast walked an holy walk before me and didst uphold Shem and Abraham after him in the work which I have called them to do in maintaining mine holy order in the earth, behold, I am sent to stand by thy side and shall protect thee against all the power of the adversary.
4. For thy sins are forgiven thee and thine exaltation is sure and thou shalt dwell forever in the presence of thy God.
5. So saying, the angel departed from the vision of Abimelech, but he felt his presence near him from that time forth and the adversary thereafter exercised no power over him.
CHAPTER 127
WE had dwelt in Gerar nine months when the three holy men of God again visited us and Sarah gave birth to a son.
2. And on the eighth day he was circumcised according to the commandment of the Lord to me and I called his name Isaac. The child grew and when he was three years old he was weaned and I made a great feast on the day he was weaned.
3. And Melchizedek, king of Shalom, with Eber his heir and Abimelech, king of Gerar with his son, Abimelech, and Pharaoh, king of Egypt, father to Hagar and Ishmael, and all the mighty princes of the land came to the feast which I prepared, for these were the men whom I loved, with my brethren Aneram, Eshcol, and Mamre.
4. My father, Terah, also, and my brother, Nahor, came unto the feast having heard that Sarah had borne a son. And we all rejoiced before the Lord for many days that my son Isaac had reached the age of weaning from his mother.
5. And from that time forth Sarah and I introduced the lad into the tabernacle and began to instruct him in the mysteries of godliness that he might be prepared in his youth to enter into the Holy of Holies and be instructed there.
6. For Shem had instructed me in the city of Shalom that children should be instructed in the temple from the age of weaning which is three years old, that they should be instructed in the Holy of Holies from the age of puberty which is twelve years old, and that they should be endowed with power from on high from the age of maturity, which is fourteen years.
7. But inasmuch as I had not journeyed unto the city of Shalom until I was ten years old, I was prepared for the blessings of the Lord's House in only a few years.
CHAPTER 128
MY son Ishmael I did not introduce into the Lord's House in his childhood because he was not spiritual in his nature, but he was a hunter, proficient in the use of the bow and other instruments of death.
2. Nevertheless, the Lord was with Ishmael and blessed him for my sake in all to which he put his hand.
3. When Isaac was five years old, he was sitting with Ishmael at the door of Hagar's tent where Ishmael was sharpening his arrows, for Ishmael was sixteen years old at this time.
4. As they thus sat at the door of Hagar's tent, Isaac picked up one of Ishmael's arrows and brake it.
5. Seeing this, Ishmael grew angry and taking another arrow, he fitted it to his bow intending to slay Isaac, but the Lord touched his heart so that he did not slay him.
6. But Sarah saw this thing which Ishmael had intended to do to Isaac and she was grieved at it.
7. That night when I entered the tent of Sarah, she said to me, Let Hagar and her son be sent to dwell apart, for this day did Ishmael seek to slay Isaac.
8. Now these words caused me great sorrow for I did not desire to see my family divided.
9. But that night an angel of the Lord came unto me in a dream, saying, Hearken unto the words of Sarah, thy wife, and let Hagar and her son Ishmael dwell apart lest harm come upon they son Isaac who shall be thine heir.
CHAPTER 129
THEREFORE, I arose early in the morning and took Hagar and my son Ishmael into the deserts of Arabia where dwelt a people who were friendly to me.
2. And there I built with Ishmael a temple unto the Lord our God that his seed might always be kept in remembrance of the Lord.
3. And Hagar and Ishmael dwelt among the people of the desert and were content, and Ishmael was a mighty hunter with the bow among them.
4. And every year at a certain time I went and dwelt with my wife, Hagar, and with my son, Ishmael.
5. And when Ishmael was twenty years of age, his mother asked my consent to take him to the house of her father in Egypt, for she longed to see her family again.
6. Wherefore, I gave them my blessing and they departed into the land of Egypt where they remained one year.
7. And while they were in Egypt, Ishmael took to wife Meribah, daughter of Phanes, son of Pharaoh, king of Egypt.
8. And after he had taken Meribah to wife, they remained in the land of Egypt yet ten years and Meribah bare unto Ishmael four sons and two daughters.
9. After this time, Ishmael took his mother and his wife and his children and returned to the deserts of Arabia.
10. And the Lord blessed Ishmael for my sake and increased him in flocks and in herds and in good things.
CHAPTER 130
WHEN Ishmael had returned from the land of Egypt, I went as was my custom to stay with my wife Hagar and my son Ishmael.
2. And when Ishmael was away hunting, his wife Meribah spake disrespectfully to me and complained of my being in their tents.
3. Moreover, she abused her children and when I chastised her for this thing, she rose up in anger against me.
4. My wife Hagar saw all these things, and when her son Ishmael had returned from the hunt, she complained unto him of the actions of Meribah toward me.
5. And Ishmael came unto me and said, My father, what shall I do with such a wife who abuseth my father and my children and speaketh evil of me, for she had spoken against her husband Ishmael, also.
6. And I said unto him, Such an one is not fit to be thy wife nor the mother of thy children nor to dwell in thy tents; wherefore, give her a bill of divorcement and send her back to the home of her father in shame and find another more worthy than she to be thy wife and the mother of these children.
7. So Ishmael gave unto Meribah a bill of divorcement and sent her back to her father Phanes in the land Egypt and his mother Hagar raised his children until he took another wife.
CHAPTER 131
THE next year Ishmael came to my camp and when he had kissed me and we had eaten together, he said unto me, My father, according to thine instructions I did give unto my wife Meribah a bill of divorcement and sent her back to the home of her father in shame.
2. Now, therefore, I come unto thee to seek thy counsel concerning obtaining another in her place.
3. Now, it pleased me that my son Ishmael had come to me regarding choosing a wife.
4. Therefore, I sought among the women of my camp and found two who were desirous of being wife to Ishmael, even Zola, the daughter of my wife Peleliah and Naiomi, the daughter Kemuel, the son of Kish, who had been among the believers who met in the room of my mother in the city of Ur.
5. And I was pleased to give them unto my son Ishmael because he had come to me for counsel and because he had begun to magnify his priesthood for he did worship the Lord our God and sought to overcome his weaknesses.
6. And Ishmael and his family dwelt with me a long time in Gerar and after that, when I moved my camp to Beersheba, which is by Hebron.
CHAPTER 132
AND Sarah and I continued to teach our son Isaac and instruct him in the ways of the ancients that he might be initiated into the Holy Order of God and receive the blessings of eternal lives.
2. And Isaac did know the Lord and the Lord was with him and did bless him greatly because he was full of faith and love and did good to all he met.
CHAPTER 133
WHEN Isaac was thirtyseven years old, he was one day talking with his brother Ishmael.
2. And Ishmael was boasting of his righteousness, saying, I was thirteen years old when the Lord spake to my father to circumcise us, and from that time I have consecrated my soul unto the Lord and kept His commandments as they have come unto me from my father.
3. But Isaac answered him saying, Why dost thou boast in thy righteousness, for none of us are without sin and all mankind is as nothing before the Lord.
4. And we must be prepared to be offered upon the altar as a sacrifice to our God with joy that we can glorify Him before our calling and election is made sure.
CHAPTER 134
THIS saying of Isaac's pleased the Lord and the Lord visited me, saying, Thy son Isaac have I seen and his heart is right before me and he is clean and pure, an acceptable sacrifice unto the Lord.
2. And the Lord touched the eyes of mine understanding that they were opened and I saw the sons of God gathered in council with the Father and Lucifer also was among them.
3. And the Lord said to Lucifer, Surely thou hast been abroad in the earth trying the hearts of men.
4. Whom hast thou found standing in his integrity who should be further tried to know whether he be thine or mine?
5. Lucifer replied, Hast thou considered Abraham and Sarah and Isaac? For I am unable to lead them into sin in whatever matter I place before them.
6. They are united in perfect bonds of love and purity and even Abraham hath united all his family again which was divided.
7. Surely they should be tried to know whether they are faithful only in their prosperity or whether they will be faithful also in adversity.
8. And the Lord said unto Lucifer, Were I to say unto Abraham, Bring up Isaac thy son unto the high place and offer him as a burnt offering unto me, he would not withhold him from me nor would Isaac refuse to be offered.
9. And Lucifer answered the Lord, Speak now unto Abraham as thou hast said and we shall see whether his heart is perfect with the Lord or whether his end shall be in my kingdom.
CHAPTER 135
WITH these words, the vision was closed to my mind and the Lord said unto me, Abraham, take now thy son Isaac whom thou lovest and go to the land of Moriah and offer him there for a burnt offering upon the mountain upon which thou shalt see the glory of the Lord resting as a cloud.
2. And the Lord departed from me and left me to consider these things.
CHAPTER 136
NOW Sarah's heart was knit unto Isaac's insomuch that she did keep him by her side whenever possible and he did sleep upon her bed at night.
2. Wherefore, I thought, How shall I separate Isaac from his mother Sarah for such a journey lest her heart be grieved and she die in her grief?
3. So I went in unto Sarah and comforted her and afterwards I said unto her, Our son Isaac we have taught these many years and I feel now that I should take him unto Shem and Eber, his son, where the can be instructed by the ancient ones in the mysteries of the ancients that he may become a perfect servant of the Lord our God.
4. Sarah replied, Thou hast spoken well, my lord. Go to now and do all as thou hast said, only let the lad remain not too long apart from me for my soul is bound to his soul with a perfect love from God.
5. And I answered Sarah saying, My daughter, let us pray to the Lord our God that we may yield to His will in all things and that all things will work together for our good.
CHAPTER 137
AND Isaac slept with us that night and Sarah kissed and embraced him and instructed him until morning.
2. And she said to him, O my son, how can my soul separate itself from thee?
3. And she still kissed and embraced him until the time of preparation had come.
4. Then Sarah took a beautiful and costly robe from among those which Abimelech had given her, for Abimelech had loved Sarah greatly and had given her may precious things, but his love toward her was pure in the sight of God and according to the laws of heaven.
5. With this robe which had never been worn, Sarah clothed Isaac and put a turban upon his head in which she head in which she wrapped a precious stone.
6. And she said unto him, Even s this stone art thou precious unto me, my son.
7. Nevertheless, I would have thee so conduct thy life that when the Lord shall come to gather up his jewels, thou wilt be among the number.
CHAPTER 138
THUS, taking provisions for our journey, we started out and Sarah and others of our people accompanied us upon the road.
2. And when the time of parting had arrived, Sarah wept bitterly and I also wept with her as did Isaac our son and those who accompanied us.
3. And Sarah caught hold of Isaac and held him in her arms and embraced him and kissed him and wept over him and Sarah said unto him, Who knoweth if after this day I shall ever see thee again?
4. Nevertheless, our hope is in the Lord Jehovah in whom is life.
5. Therefore, if I see thee not again in this veil of tears, yet surely we shall again embrace before the throne of God.
6. God bless thee, my son, and keep thee secure in His ways and I will be close to thee all thy days.
7. So saying, Sarah kissed Isaac again and turned back to the camp with all who had accompanied us.
CHAPTER 139
AS we proceeded upon our journey, Satan came to me in the form of an aged man, humble and contrite, who said unto me, How canst thou think to do so unto thy son?
2. Did not God give thee this son by an holy conception after the Order of the Ancients and dost thou think so little of this precious gift that thou wilt take his life as thou wouldst slaughter a dumb beast and thus cut off thine only hope of a royal posterity in the earth?
3. What evil hath he done unto thee that thou shouldst do this thing?
4. Dost thou not understand that this thing cannot be from the Lord?
5. Behold the Lord delighteth not in human sacrifice.
6. Did he not smite the priest of Nimrod for seeking to take thy life in like manner?
7. Surely thou shouldst repent of this thy purpose and return thy son unto the bed of his mother, Sarah.
8. But I knew that this was the word of Satan seeking to prevent my obeying the word of the Lord; wherefore, I commanded him to depart by the authority of the holy priesthood in the name of the Lord, and he departed from me in haste.
CHAPTER 140
A short time later, Satan came again, appearing to Isaac in the form of a handsome and pleasing young man.
2. And he said unto Isaac, Dost thou not understand that thine old father in his foolishness bringeth thee to be slain today for no purpose?
3. Now therefore, my brother, go not with him for it is the foolishness of his old age that doeth this.
4. Therefore, let not thy precious life and thy beautiful body be lost from the earth in such a manner, but come with me and I will introduce thee to the pleasures of the earth and thou shalt take pleasure therein all thy days.
5. When Isaac heard this, he saith unto me, My father, surely this is Satan come to dissuade me from obeying the word of the Lord for thus doth he appear and thus doth he say unto me.
6. Wherefore, my father, rebuke him in the name of the Lord that he shall cease from troubling me for I know that thou art a servant of the Most High God and that it is to fulfill the will of the Lord that we are come unto this place.
7. Wherefore, I, Abraham, rebuked Satan in the name of the Lord Jehovah, the God of Noah and of Shem, and he departed from us in fear.
CHAPTER 141
AS we continued on our journey, we entered a narrow ravine with high walls.
2. When we were in the mist of it, we heard a mighty rumbling and the earth shook beneath our feet.
3. Looking back, we saw a great wall of water coming down upon us bearing trees and boulders in a mighty flood.
4. Mine heart was moved within me for my son Isaac and he sought also to protect me, but, raising mine hands to heaven I called upon the Name of the Lord and the Lord heard me out of heaven and stopped the flood until we had ascended from the ravine.
5. Thus did Satan seek to destroy us that we might no offer an acceptable sacrifice unto the Lord our God but the power of our God is mightier than that of Satan; wherefore, Satan can do no harm unto the children of men except the Lord God allow him to do it.
6. Therefore, do all things, whether they be good or evil, work together for the good of the saints of God who serve Him and keep His commandments.
CHAPTER 142
AND on the third day, we saw the place afar off which the Lord had appointed for the sacrifice of my beloved son Isaac.
2. And I knew the place because the glory of the Lord was there as a pillar of fire and a glorious cloud.
3. And when I saw the place, I said unto my son Isaac, My son, dost thou see aught upon yonder mountain.?
4. And Isaac replied, yea, my father, for the glory of the Lord resteth upon it as a pillar of fire and a glorious cloud.
5. Then I rejoiced that my son was found worthy to see this sign also and we bowed down there and worshipped the Lord our God.
CHAPTER 143
AS we approached the mountain, Isaac said unto me, My father, we have with us the fire and the wood, but we have no lamb to serve as a burnt offering unto the Lord.
2. Explain now unto me the mystery hidden in this thing that I may be obedient unto all which the Lord thy God requireth of me.
3. Then I rejoiced, for I knew that the Lord had revealed in the heart of my son Isaac that which we must do.
4. Therefore I said unto him, Isaac, my son, the Lord hath chosen thee to be a perfect burnt offering unto him instead of the lamb.
5. And this thing is a type of the Lord of spirits who is our first Father and his Only Begotten Son who is the Lamb slain from before the foundation to the earth.
6. For surely God will offer his only son as a sacrifice upon the cross to atone for our sins and for the sins of all mankind, that all men might be redeemed front he power of death and be brought to stand before the judgement bar of the great Jehovah to be judged according to their works, that every man might receive a righteous and just judgment and that mercy might have claim upon the penitent, the price of their sins having been paid by the Son of God.
7. Yea, surely, my son, we have been chosen to represent the Father and the Son in this thing, and though I grieve to think of losing thee, my beloved, yet I rejoice that we are honored thus to represent God.
CHAPTER 144
AND Isaac said unto me, I will do all that the Lord hath commanded thee, my father, with joy in mine heart that I am chosen to represent the son of God in this sacrifice, and I have this hope in me, that if we are faithful to all the commandments of the Lord our God, I shall yet stand in the flesh with thee and my mother before the throne of the Ancient of Days and receive from him the promise of exaltation and eternal lives.
2. When I heard this answer, I rejoiced in my son Isaac whose heart was pure and upright before the Lord.
3. But the Spirit of the Lord constrained me to test him further, and I said unto him, Hast thou any thoughts or feelings which would prevent thy being offered as a perfect sacrifice before the Lord?
4. For if thou dost in any way doubt the efficacy of this sacrifice, which is in the similitude of the sacrifice of the Only Begotten of the Father which is full of grace and truth, it is not meet that thou shouldst be offered as a sacrifice before our God.
5. But Isaac answered me saying, O my father, as the Lord liveth and as thou liveth as an holy man of god, I know that thou art a servant of the Most High God and that thou dost hold the keys of the fathers.
6. Thou hast never asked me to do anything which was not of God but thou hast taught me by precept and example to serve the Lord thy God in every act of my life.
7. Shall I then shrink from being offered by thee as a sacrifice unto the Lord thy God?
8. Nay, but I shall rejoice forever to have been so honored.
9. Blessed is the Lord thy God who hath this day chosen me to be sacrificed as a burnt offering before him.
CHAPTER 145
THUS we came unto the place which the Lord had appointed for the offering of my son, rejoicing in the glory of our God.
2. Yet I did weep at the thought of losing my beloved son Isaac and at the knowledge of the pain this would bring to his mother Sarah, for their souls were united as one.
3. Nevertheless, my heart rejoiced that I was chosen with my son for this holy ordinance that we might thereby magnify the name of the Lord.
CHAPTER 146
AFTER kneeling in prayer unto the Lord our God, Isaac and I constructed an altar before the Lord and I laid the wood in order upon the altar which we had built.
2. And Isaac lay upon the altar and I bound him there and he said unto me, Bind me securely lest I move beneath the force of the knife and profane the offering before the Lord.
3. So I bound him securely that he could not move upon the altar.
4. And I wept as I prepared my son for the sacrifice and Isaac wept with me, yet our hearts rejoiced to have been found worthy of this great blessing.
CHAPTER 147
WHEN all was prepared, I picked up the knife, kissed my son Isaac, and prepared to offer him as a sacrifice unto the Lord my God.
2. But the voice of the Lord came unto me saying, Abraham, slay not thy son, for I have tested you in this manner that I might know that your hearts are perfect before me.
3. Now I know that ye fear the Lord your God in that thou hast not withheld thine heir from mine altar and he hath willingly lain thereon to be a sacrifice of a burnt offering unto the Lord.
4. Therefore, lift up thine eyes and behold the ram that was chosen from the beginning to stand in the place of thy son Isaac as a burnt offering before me.
5. And I looked up and saw a ram caught by his horns in a thicket.
6. For as the ram had advanced to the sacrifice, Satan had caught him in the thicket that he might no be offered in Isaac's stead.
7. But I went and freed him from the thicket and releasing my son Isaac, I placed the ram upon the altar and offered him in Isaac's place, the his blood might be considered as the blood of Isaac before the Lord.
8. And the Lord accepted the sacrifice of the ram as if it had been Isaac and the Lord appeared unto us and blessed me and my seed on that day.
9. And we rejoiced in the Lord.
CHAPTER 148
WHEN all things were finished, Isaac and I returned to our camp rejoicing in the Lord our God.
2. But when we reached the place we found that Sarah was not there, for the agents of Satan had come to her saying, Behold, dost thou not understand that Abraham goeth to offer thy son Isaac as a burnt offering unto the Lord his God?
3. Surely he doeth this because he is jealous of thy love for thy son Isaac.
4. Go, therefore, and stop this thing lest he to whom thine heart is knitted be destroyed from off the face of the earth.
CHAPTER 149
BUT Sarah said, Surely the heart of my lord Abraham is right with the Lord his God for he walketh before him in all his ways.
2. Nevertheless, shall my son Isaac be offered as a burnt offering and I not be there to weep over him and strengthen him and pray for him that he be and acceptable offering unto the Lord god of Abraham?
3. Nay, but I shall go to him.
4. And Sarah departed with her menservants and her maidservants and went as far as Hebron but found us not.
5. Therefore, Sarah rested in Hebron and sent her young men to find us, who searched all the land round about and even in the city of Shalom but found us not.
6. Then Sarah prayed unto the lord saying, O Lord God of Abraham, surely I know that all things are in thine hand, and I do not fear for my son Isaac for I know that mine husband Abraham is an high priest after thine holy order.
7. Nevertheless, it is my desire to be with my son at this holy hour that I might share his joy and his sorrow before the Lord our God.
CHAPTER 150
THEN the word of the Lord came unto Sarah saying, Surely I have accepted the offering of Isaac and have provided a ram prepared before the foundation of the earth was laid to be offered in his place; wherefore, thy son liveth and is with his father Abraham and even now searcheth for thee.
2. When Sarah heard these words, her heart was filled with joy so that she could not contain it and her spirit was lifted up to see the Paradise of God and she exclaimed, Behold, I have seen my Redeemer and it sufficeth me, and she gave up the ghost.
3. Thus did Sarah die in Hebrom being one hundred and twentyseven years old and she died having seen her Redeemer and having received from him the promise of eternal life.
CHAPTER 151
THEN was word brought unto us, that Sarah was gone unto Hebron, wherefore we journeyed there and found that Sarah had died.
2. But having inquired after the manner of her death, we rejoiced that she went with the promise of exaltation and that she died knowing of Isaac's salvation and his acceptance with God.
3. Then we took Sarah unto a cave which I purchased of Ephron the Hittite for that purpose and we buried her there and we wept over her, yet we rejoiced in her righteousness before God.
4. And all the people of the land came to honor Sarah with Pharaoh who came from Egypt and Abimelech from Gerar and many others who honored and loved Sarah.
5. For she was truly and handmaiden of the Lord and ministered unto many in the name of the Lord in love and charity and was greatly loved by all for her kindness an meekness and her great wisdom in godliness.
CHAPTER 152
THUS, I, Abraham, began to be old having seen one hundred and thirtyseven years.
2. Wherefore, I write this record of my life that others might benefit from the workings of the Lord my God with me.
3. And I bear this witness that the Lord liveth and reigneth in the heavens, and he is the Most High God over all the earth.
4. He hath led me since first he appeared to me in a dream when I was three years of age, even unto this time when I am old and bowed down with years.
5. He hath done only good to me and not evil all the days of my life.
6. Surely I will love him and serve him forever and ever and will magnify his name on high before all people. Amen.
CHAPTER 153
AFTER Sarah's death, I sent my son Isaac unto Shem and Eber to learn more perfectly the ways of the ancients and he remained there three years before returning to my camp.
CHAPTER 154
IN the one hundred thirtyeighth year of my life, my brother Abimelech, king of Gerar, died being one hundred and ninetythree years of age.
2. Wherefore, I took my people and journeyed to Gerar where we mourned over Abimelech for he was a good and holy man who walked in perfectness before his God and had made his calling and his election sure.
3. Therefore, we rejoiced in knowing of his end.
4. Nevertheless, we sorrowed to be parted from him, but I knew that I should soon go to him, which knowledge comforted mine heart.
5. And his son Abimelech was chosen to reign in his stead.
CHAPTER 155
THE following year Lot, my brother's son, died being one hundred and forty years old.
2. He, to, was a just man and accepted of the Lord, although he did not walk in all the ways of the ancients, for he had coveted his own property and separated from the community of God, therefore he must receive a just reward.
3. Nevertheless, the Lord loved him because he maintained his integrity, even in the midst of wicked Sodom, wherefore the Lord saved him and those of his household who would be saved from destruction and the Lord made of him also a mighty people.
CHAPTER 156
NOW, when my son Isaac was about to return unto me from the city of Shalom, the word of the Lord came unto me saying, Behold, in the city of Haran dwelleth Bethuel the son of thy brother Nahor who is dead.
2. Unto Bethuel hast been born Rebekah, who at this time is ten years of age.
3. Send now and fetch her as a wife to thy son Isaac, for thus have I appointed that she shall bear unto him the chosen seed.
CHAPTER 157
SO I called unto me Eliezer, my trusted companion who had been with me since we had come out of the city of Shalom, and I said unto him, Put now thine hand under my thigh and swear unto me before the Most High god that thou shalt go unto the city of Haran and bring thence Rebekah, daughter of Bethuel son of Nahor my brother to be a wife unto my son Isaac according to the word of the Lord, but if the maiden refuse to come with thee, thou shalt be free of this thine oath.
2. So Eliezer swore before the Most High God and departed from me in peace.
3. He also pursued his journey to Haran and found Rebekah, even as I had said, and returned with her after the return of my son Isaac from the city of Shalom.
4. Thus Isaac took Rebekah to wife when he was forty years old, he having four other wives; but Rebekah he took to wife in the tent of Sarah.
5. And Rebekah bare no children; wherefore I knew that the Lord should work a marvelous work in her even as in Sarah before her.
6. Therefore, mine heart rejoiced in Rebekah, the wife of my son Isaac, for she was pure and virtuous like unto Sarah my beloved who had preceded me into the rest of the Lord.
CHAPTER 158
THIS same year I took to wife Keturah, the daughter of mine old friend Abinelech king of Gerar who was dead.
2. Keturah bare me six sons so that in all I received of the Lord eight sons and three hundred and twentyeight daughters, being in all three hundred and thirtysix souls.
3. Thus did the Lord increase me greatly besides the many sons who were adopted to me.
4. And thus I increased continually before the Lord.
CHAPTER 159
AFTER nine years my son Isaac brought unto me his wife Rebekah for she was yet barren.
2. And she said unto me, My father, surely I know that my mother Sarah was barren for many years before she bare Isaac unto thee.
3. Wherefore, pray for me, that I, like Sarah, may conceive.
4. Therefore, I prayed over my daughter Rebekah, and I said unto Isaac, Thy mother Sarah bare thee after she received a blessing from my brother Abimelech king of Gerar.
5. Abimelech, son of Abimelech, reigneth now in the place of his father in Gerar, and he, too, is a mighty man of God.
6. Go ye in unto him that he may bless Rebekah and she shall conceive an bear unto thee two sons and the younger shall rule over the elder, but in the elder shall the word of the Lord also be fulfilled for through him shall I slay wicked Nimrod even as the Lord foretold at my birth.
7. So Isaac took Rebekah and went unto Gerar, unto Abimelech, son of Abimelech, who blessed her after the order of the ancients, and she conceived and bare unto Isaac two sons, even as I had said.
8. And on the eighth day, Isaac brought the last unto me to be named and the elder I called Esau, for he was covered with hair and I said, Surely he shall be a mighty hunter before the Lord.
9. But the second I called Jacob, for I said, Surely the elder shall serve the younger.
CHAPTER 160
WHEN my youngest son Shuach, whom Keturah had borne me (for she bare Zimran, Jokshan, mean, Midian, Ishbak and Shuach) was fifteen years of age, I called all of my sons unto me and instructed them in the ways of the Lord and blessed them and give unto each wives and a goodly inheritance of property according to the instructions of the Lord and sent them away to inherit lands which the Lord had prepared for them.
2. Then I rested in peace knowing that I had done all the will of the Lord and that soon I should be gathered unto my fathers to be with Sarah and the righteous in the Paradise of God.
CHAPTER 161
BEHOLD, I am Isaac, the son of Abraham, and I finish my father's record.
2. For when the end of my father's sojourn among men had come, he called me unto him and said, My son, according to the commandment of God unto thee, I have appointed thee to be mine heir that all the authority I possess should rest with thee.
3. Thou knowest that the Lord is God in heaven and earth and we serve only him.
4. He hath many times preserved me from destruction when the evil ones would have destroyed me, for I always place my trust in him.
5. He brought me unto this land and said unto me, to thy seed will I give all this land and they shall inherit it when they shall keep my commandments, my statutes and my judgments that I have commanded thee and which I shall command them.
6. Now therefore my son, hearken unto my voice and keep the commandments of the Lord thy God, even as thou hast been instructed by me and by thy mother Sarah and by Shem an Eber.
7. Depart not from the holy order of God in any particular and remember always the mercies of our God and his blessing will never depart from thee.
8. Teach these things also unto thy children and thy children's children that they may receive the like blessings with us for all those who obey the law of the fathers will be blessed with the fathers.
CHAPTER 162
THEN I covenanted with my father to do all things as he had said and to walk always in his ways.
2. And my father blessed me and mine house and he took my son Jacob into his tent, he being fifteen years old at this time, and instructed him for seven days and nights in the ways of the Lord.
3. Thus did my father end his days and he died, being one hundred and seventyfive years of age.
4. And Ishmael and his other sons returned unto me and we did bury our father with Sarah my mother and all the inhabitants of the land did mourn over him for he was a righteous man who did good unto all.
5. And truly this was his testimony, that the Lord is God over all and those who serve him shall inherit peace in this life and eternal joy in the life to come. Amen.
Translate
Main Menu
- Home
- My-Manuscript
- America
- Apochrypha
- Arabia
- Atlantis
- Bavbylon
- Bible-KJV
- Egypt
- Europe
- Greece
- India
- Islam
- Judaism
- Persia
- Pseudepigrapha
- The Generations of Adam
- The Book of Giants, Introduction
- The Book of Giants
- The Book of Giants, Reconstruction
- 3 Maccabees
- Martyrdom of Isaiah
- Testament of the Twelve Patriarchs
- BOOK: The Book of the Bee
- BOOK: The Book of the Cave of Treasures
- BOOK: The Book of Enoch
- BOOK: The Forgotten Books of Eden
- BOOK: The Book of Jasher
- BOOK: The Book of Jubilees
- BOOK: The Kebra Nagast
- BOOK: The Book of Abraham
- BOOK: The writings of Abraham
- Rome
- Sumer
- Various
Keep this website alive, a Donation will be highly appreciated
Please consider a donation supporting our efforts.
Visitors
 | 72.2% | United States |
 | 8.6% | Canada |
 | 4.1% | United Kingdom |
 | 2.5% | Australia |
 | 1.6% | Russian Federation |
 | 1.3% | Netherlands |
 | 0.7% | China |
 | 0.6% | France |
 | 0.6% | Romania |
 | 0.6% | Germany |
| Today: | 2 |
| Yesterday: | 13 |
| This Week: | 56 |
| Last Week: | 87 |
| This Month: | 15 |
| Last Month: | 523 |
| Total: | 458858 |
Please report broken links to the This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
This is a Non-Commercial Web page, © 1998-2011 L.C.Geerts The Netherlands all rights reserved. It is strictly forbidden to publish or copy anything of my book without permission of the author, permission is granted for the recourses, for personal use only. |