2 Abraham 36
The three angels head for Sodom. The awful blasphemies and cruelties of Sodom. Abraham pleads with Yahweh to spare the righteous there.
1. Then the three holy men of Elohim departed from our camp, and I walked with them to bring them on their way to Sodom. And the one who had before spoken said unto Me: Abraham, we are from the City of Enoch and are ordained after the Chavurat Bekorot of Elohim. We have come not only to bless Sarah, that thou mightest have seed raised up unto thee out of her, but we also serve a mission which bringeth us much sorrow.
2. Nevertheless, the Word of Yahweh came unto me saying: Shall I hide from Abraham that thing which I will do? Nay, surely for his integrity shall he know what I am about to do. Wherefore, Abraham, hast thou looked upon the iniquities of Sodom and her sister cities? For they have provoked Yahweh with their abominations.
3. 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 neighbours and lieth with them. And this they do contrary to the strict Laws of Elohim, which thing is an abomination in His sight. But behold, this is the least of their sins.
4. 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. And not only do men abuse women, and women men, but men lie with men, and women with women, which thing is contrary to the Law of Elohim, whether they desire it or not.
5. 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. 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 their law for anyone top help such an one by giving him food or drink.
6. Moreover, the people of these cities have numerous idol-gods before which they practice every kind of abomination. Wherefore Yahweh hath sent us to gather the righteous out of the cities before they are destroyed. So saying, the three embraced me, and kissed me, and went on their way toward Sodom.
7. But I remained a long time where they had departed from me, thinking on the things they had said, for it grieved my heart that these great cities with all their inhabitants should be destroyed. Wherefore I, too, went down to the vicinity of Sodom and called upon the Name of Yahweh there.
8. And when He answered me out of Heaven I said unto Him: O Yahweh-Elohim, merciful and kind, wilt Thou destroy the inheritances of the righteous because of the wicked? Nay, O Yah, far be it from Thee to do this thing. Wilt Thou not spare the inheritances of the righteous? 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 fifty righteous that are in it?
9. Surely Thou wilt not destroy the inheritances of the righteous because of the wicked. Such a judgment should never be passed according to the justice of Thy Holy Law which is in Thy bosom. And Yahweh said: If I find in these cities fifty righteous souls who keep the laws and precepts of Elohim and have not partaken of the abominations of the Sodomites, then surely I will spare the whole country for their sake.
10. Nevertheless I ventured to speak before Yahweh again, for I know that all His ways are just. And I said unto Him: O Yah, suppose there shall lack but five of the fifty righteous -- wilt Thou destroy the whole land for the lack of five men? And He said: If there be forty-five righteous in the land, I will not destroy it.
11. And I spake unto Yahweh again, saying: O Yah, I know that I am but dust and ashes, for although I am, by the testimony of Thine own mouth, declared to be a son of Elohim, yet I am not glorified to be like Thee. Nevertheless, be not displeased with me when I plead in behalf of the righteous; for suppose there shall be forty righteous in the land? And Yahweh said: I will not destroy it if I find there forty righteous souls.
12. Then I said: O Yah, Thou hast been patient indeed with Thy servant. Wherefore, I shall speak yet again before Thee. Suppose there shall thirty righteous be found there? Yahweh replied: I will not destroy if I find thirty there. Then I spoke again, saying: I have ventured to speak before Yahweh; shall I now cease lest the righteous be destroyed with the wicked? Suppose there shall be twenty righteous found in the land? And Yahweh said: I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty.
13. Finally I said: O, let not Yahweh be displeased and I will speak only once more. Suppose ten righteous shall be found there? And He said: I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. 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.
14. And thou shalt be caught up off the earth to call down fire and brimstone upon the land inasmuch as thou art a priest and a king forever after the Order of El Elyon, having the right of the Firstborn, which hath come down from the fathers to exercise absolute authority over thy postertity, even to the right of life and death under the direction of the Holy One.
15. Nevertheless, remember that this authority can only be exercised under the direction of Heaven, for when any man exerciseth his authority contrary to the will of Heaven, his authority is forfeited, his authority passeth away and he cannot call upon the powers of Heaven to accomplish any work from that day forward.
16. Wherefore let all men repent of the exercise of unrighteous dominion and turn unto Yahweh their Elohim, that they be severed not from the rights of His House. So saying, Yahweh departed from me and I remained in that place in fasting and prayer, awaiting the return of the three messengers.
Authors: JB, LThE, SBSK et al
First created in 1990
Updated on 6 June 2016
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