The Acts of Yahchanan [John the apostle]
Notes: Original translation by M. R. James. Yahuchanan means: YHWH is merciful and gracious. But beware, Yahchanan was a powerful man, one of the greatest who ever lived. Do not read this if you can not handle it. Parts of the story are lost, including the beginning where Yahchanan is placed "into a caldron of boiling oil which did him no hurt" ...
18 Now Yahchanan was hastening to Ephesus, moved there by a vision. Damonicus, Aristodemus his kinsman, a certain very rich man Cleobius, and the wife of Marcellus, hardly prevailed to keep him in Miletus for one day, reposing themselves with him. They set forth very early in the morning, and already about four miles of the journey were accomplished, a voice came from heaven in the hearing of all of us, saying: Yahchanan, you are about to give glory to Yahushua in Ephesus, which you will know of, you and all the brothers that are with you, and certain of those who are there, who will believe by your means. Yahchanan pondered, rejoicing in himself, what it would be that would happen to him at Ephesus, and said: Yahushua, behold, I go according to your will, let that be done which you desire.
19 As we drew near to the city, Lycomedes the praetor of the Ephesians, a man of large substance, met us. Falling at Yahchanan's feet, he begged him, saying: Is your name Yahchanan? Yahushua whom you preach sent you to do good to my wife, who was smitten with palsy now these seven days, and lies incurable. Glorify Yahushua by healing her, and have compassion on us. As I was considering with myself what resolve to take in this matter, one stood by me and said: Lycomedes, cease from this thought which wars against you, for it is evil, do not submit yourself to it. I have compassion upon my handmaid Cleopatra. I sent a man named Yahchanan from Miletus who will raise her up, and restore her to you whole. Do not tarry, you servant of Yahushua, who manifested Himself to me, hurry to my wife who has no more than breath. Yahchanan went from the gate, with the brothers that were with him, and Lycomedes, to his house. Cleobius said to his young men: Go to my kinsman Callippus, receive comfortable entertainment of him, that we may find all things decent, for I am come here with his son.
20 When Lycomedes came with Yahchanan into the house where his wife lay, he caught hold of his feet again, and said: See, lord, the withering of the beauty, see the youth, see the renowned flower of my poor wife, which all Ephesus would marvel at? Wretched me, I suffer envy, I was humbled, the eye of my enemies smote me. I never wronged any, though I might have injured many, for I looked before to this very thing, and took care, unless I should see any evil or any such ill fortune as this. What profit, then, has Cleopatra from my anxiety? What have I gained by being known for a pious man until this day? No, I suffer more than the impious, in that I see you, Cleopatra, lying in such plight. The sun in his course will not see me conversing with you. I will go before you, Cleopatra, and rid myself of life. I will not spare my own safety though it be yet young. I will defend myself before Justice, that I have rightly deserted, for I may indict her as judging unrighteously. I will be avenged on her when I come before her as a spirit [bereft] of life. I will say to her: You forced me to leave the light when you robbed me of Cleopatra. You caused me to become a corpse when you sent me this ill fortune. You compelled me to insult Providence, by cutting off my joy in life.
21 Lycomedes addressed Cleopatra with yet more words, came near to the bed, cried aloud, and lamented. Yahchanan pulled him away, and said: Cease from these lamentations, and from your unfitting words. You must not disobey Him who appeared to you. You know you will receive your consort again. Stand with us who came here on her account, pray to Yahushua whom you saw making Himself known to you in dreams. What is it, Lycomedes? Awake, you also, and open your soul. Cast off the heavy sleep from you, beg Yahushua, ask Him for your wife, and He will raise her up. But he fell upon the floor, lamented, fainting. [It is evident from what follows that Lycomedes died, but the text does not say so, some words may have fallen out.]
With tears Yahchanan said: Alas for the fresh betraying of my vision! For the new temptation that is prepared for me! For the new device of him that contrives against me! The voice from heaven that was borne to me in the way, has it devised this for me? Was it this that it foreshowed me should come to pass here, betraying me to this great multitude of the citizens because of Lycomedes? The man lies without breath, and I well know that they will not allow me to go out of the house alive. Why do you tarry, Yahushua? Why did you shut your good promise off from us? I beg you, Yahushua, do not give him who rejoices in the suffering of others cause to exult. Do not give him who always derides us cause to dance, but let your sacred Name and your mercy make haste. Raise up these two dead whose death is against me.
22 Even as Yahchanan cried out, the city of the Ephesians ran together to the house of Lycomedes, hearing that he was dead. Yahchanan, seeing the great multitude that was come, said to Yahushua: Now is the time of refreshment and of confidence toward you, O Messiyah. Now is the time for us who are sick to have the help that is of you, O physician who heals freely. Keep my entering in here safe from derision. I beg you, Yahushua, succour this great multitude that it may come to you who are master of all things. Behold the affliction, behold those who lie here. From those who are assembled for that end, prepare holy vessels for your service, when they see your gift. For you said, O Messiyah: Ask, and it will be given you. We ask of you, O king; not gold, not silver, not substance, not possessions, nor anything of what is on earth and perishes; but two souls, by whom you will convert those who are here to your Way, to your teaching, to your liberty, to your most excellent promise. When they perceive your power in that those who died are raised, they will be saved, some of them. Give them hope in you, and so I go to Cleopatra and say: Arise in the Name of Yahushua Messiyah.
23 He came to her, touched her face, and said: Cleopatra, He whom every ruler fears, and every creature, and every power, the abyss, all darkness, unsmiling death, the height of heaven, the circles of hell, [the resurrection of the dead, the sight of the blind], the whole power of the prince of this world, and the pride of the ruler, says: Arise! Do not be an occasion to many who desire to not believe, or an affliction to souls who are able to hope and to be saved. Straightaway Cleopatra cried with a loud voice: I arise, master, save your handmaid.
When she rose [who for incurable had lain] seven days, the city of the Ephesians was moved at the unlooked-for sight. Cleopatra asked concerning her husband Lycomedes, but Yahchanan said to her: Cleopatra, if you keep your soul unmoved and steadfast, you will soon have Lycomedes your husband standing here beside you. If at least you not be disturbed nor moved at that which has happened, believe on Yahushua, who by my means will grant him to you alive. Come with me into your other bedchamber, and you will see him, a dead corpse indeed, but raised again by the power of Yahushua.
24 Cleopatra went with Yahchanan into her bedchamber. Seeing Lycomedes dead for her sake, she had no power to speak. She ground her teeth, bit her tongue, closed her eyes, rained down tears, and gave heed to the apostle with calmness. Yahchanan had compassion on Cleopatra when he saw that she neither raged nor was beside herself, and called upon the perfect and condescending mercy, saying: Yahushua Messiyah, you see the pressure of sorrow, you see the need, you see Cleopatra shrieking her soul out in silence, for she constrains within her the frenzy that cannot be borne. I know that for the sake of Lycomedes she will die upon his body. And she said quietly to Yahchanan: That I have in mind, master, and nothing else.
The apostle went to the couch Lycomedes lay on. Taking Cleopatra's hand, he said: Cleopatra, because of the multitude that is present, and your kinsfolk who have come in, with strong crying, say to your husband: Arise, glorify the Name of Yahushua, for He gives back the dead to the dead. She went to her husband, said to him according as she was taught, and raised him up. He, when he arose, fell on the floor, and kissed Yahchanan's feet. But he raised him, saying: O man, do not kiss my feet, kiss the feet of Yahushua by whose power you are both arisen.
25 Lycomedes said to Yahchanan: I ask and adjure you by Yahushua in whose Name you raised us, to abide with us, together with all those who are with you. Likewise Cleopatra also caught his feet and said the same. Yahchanan said to them: For tomorrow I will be with you. And they said to him again: We will have no hope in Yahushua, but were raised to no purpose, if you not abide with us. Cleobius, with Aristodemus and Damonicus were touched in the soul, and said to Yahchanan: Let us abide with them, that they continue without offence towards Yahwah. So he continued there with the brothers.
26 There came together a gathering of a great multitude on Yahchanan's account. As he discoursed to those who were there, Lycomedes, who had a friend who was a skilful painter, went quickly to him, and said to him: You see me in a great hurry to come to you. Come quickly to my house, paint the man whom I show you without his knowing it. And the painter, giving someone the necessary implements and colors, said to Lycomedes: Show him to me, and have no anxiety for the rest. Lycomedes pointed out Yahchanan to the painter, brought him near him, and shut him up in a room from which the apostle of Messiyah could be seen. Lycomedes was with the blessed man, feasting on the faith and the knowledge of Yahushua, and rejoiced yet more in the thought that he should possess him in a portrait.
27 The painter, then, made an outline of him on the first day, and went away. And on the next he painted him in with his colors, and so delivered the portrait to Lycomedes, to his great joy. Lycomedes took it, set it up in his own bedchamber, and hung it with garlands. When he perceived it later, Yahchanan said to him: My beloved child, what is it you always do when you come in from the bath into your bedchamber alone? Do I not pray with you, and the rest of the brothers? Or is there something you are hiding from us? As he said this, and talked jestingly with him, he went into the bedchamber, and saw the portrait of an old man crowned with garlands, lamps and altars set before it. He called him and said: Lycomedes, what do you mean by this matter of the portrait? Can it be one of your gods that is painted here? I see that you are still living in heathen fashion. Lycomedes answered him: My only Messiyah is He who raised me up from death with my wife. Next to that Messiyah, if it be right that the man who benefited us should be called a god, it is you, father, whom I had painted in that portrait, whom I crown, love, and reverence as my good guide.
28 Yahchanan, who had never at any time seen his own face, said to him: You mock me, child. Am I like that in form, [excelling] Yahushua? How can you persuade me that the portrait is like me? Lycomedes brought him a mirror. When he saw himself in the mirror, and looked earnestly at the portrait, he said: As the Savior Yahushua Messiyah lives, the portrait is like me. Yet not like me, child, but like my fleshly image. If this painter, who imitated my face, desires to draw me in a portrait, he will be at a loss, [needing more than] the colors that are now given to you, boards, plaster, glue, the position of my shape, old age, youth, and all things that are seen with the eye.
29 Become a good painter for me, Lycomedes. You have colors which He gives you through me, who paints all of us for Himself, even Yahushua, who knows the shapes, appearances, postures, dispositions, and types of our souls. The colors I want you to paint are these: faith in Yahwah, knowledge, righteous fear, friendship, communion, meekness, kindness, brotherly love, purity, simplicity, tranquillity, fearlessness, grieflessness, sobriety, and the whole band of colors that paints the likeness of your soul, and even now raises up your members that were cast down, levels those who were lifted up, tends your bruises, heals your wounds, orders your hair that was disarranged, washes your face, chastens your eyes, empties your belly, purges your bowels, and cuts off that which is beneath it. In a word, when the whole company and mingling of such colors is come together into your soul, it will present it to our Savior Yahushua Messiyah undaunted, whole, and firm of shape. But this that you have now done is childish and imperfect, you have drawn a dead likeness of the dead.
30 He commanded Verus, the brother that ministered to him, to gather the aged women that were in all Ephesus, and made ready, he and Cleopatra and Lycomedes, all things for the care of them. Verus came to Yahchanan, saying: Of the aged women who are here over threescore years old I only found four sound in body. Of the rest some [.....], some palsied, and others sick. When he heard that, Yahchanan kept silence for a long time, rubbed his face, and said: O the weakness of those who dwell in Ephesus! O the state of dissolution, and the weakness toward Yahwah! O devil, who has so long mocked the faithful in Ephesus! Yahushua, who gives me grace and the gift to have my confidence in Him, says to me in silence: Send after the old women who are sick, come with them into the theatre, and heal them through me. There are some of those who will come to this spectacle whom I will convert by these healings, and make them useful for some end.
31 Now when all the multitude was come together to Lycomedes, he dismissed them on Yahchanan's behalf, saying: Come to the theatre tomorrow, as many as desire to see the power of Yahushua. The next day, while it was yet night, the multitude came to the theatre. The proconsul also heard of it, hurried, and took his seat with all the people. A certain praetor, Andromeus, who was the first of the Ephesians at that time, put it about that Yahchanan promised things impossible and incredible: But if he is able to do any such thing as I hear, let him come into the public theatre, when it is open, naked, holding nothing in his hands, nor let him name that magical Name which I heard him utter.
32 Hearing this, and being moved by these words, Yahchanan commanded the aged women to be brought into the theatre. When they were all brought into the middle, some of them upon beds, others lying in a deep sleep, and all the city ran together, a great silence was made. Yahchanan opened his mouth, and began to say:
33 You men of Ephesus, learn first of all why I am visiting in your city. What is this great confidence which I have towards you, so that it may become known to this general assembly, and to all of you. I was sent upon a mission which is not of man's ordering, and not upon any vain journey. I am not a merchant that makes bargains or exchanges. Yahushua Messiyah whom I preach, being compassionate and kind, desires by my means to convert all of you who are held in unbelief, and sold to evil lusts, to deliver you from error. By His power I will confound even the unbelief of your praetor, by raising up those who lie before you, whom you all see in what plight and in what sicknesses they are. To confound Andronicus is not possible for me if they perish, therefore they will be healed.
34 But this I desire to sow in your ears first, even that you should take care for your souls, on which account I am come to you. Do not expect that this age will be forever, for it is but a moment. Do not lay up treasures upon the earth where all things fade. Do not think that when you get children you can rest upon them, and try for their sakes to not defraud and overreach. You poor, do not be worried if you do not have money to minister to pleasures, for when they are diseased men of substance call you happy. You rich, do not rejoice that you have much money, for by possessing these things you provide for yourselves grief that you cannot be rid of when you lose them. And besides, while it is with you, you are afraid someone might attack you on account of it.
35 You also who are puffed up because of the shapeliness of your body, and are of a high look, will see the end of that promise in the grave. You who rejoice in adultery, know that both Law and nature avenge it upon you, and before these, conscience. And you, adulteress, who is an adversary of the Law, do not know where you will come in the end. And you who do not share with the needy, but have monies laid up, when you depart out of this body, and have need of some mercy when you burn in fire, will have none to pity you. You the wrathful and passionate, know that your conversation is like the brute beasts. And you, drunkard and quarreller, learn that you lose your senses by being enslaved to a shameful and dirty desire.
36 You who rejoice in gold, and delight yourself with ivory and jewels, can you see what you love when night falls? You who are vanquished by soft garments, and then leave life, will those things profit you in the place where you go? And let the murderer know that the punishment is laid up for him twofold after his departure here. Likewise also you poisoner, sorcerer, robber, defrauder, sodomite, thief, and as many as are of that band, you will come at last, as your works do lead you, to unquenchable fire, utter darkness, the pit of punishment, and eternal threatenings. You men of Ephesus, turn yourselves, knowing this also, that kings, rulers, tyrants, boasters, and those who conquered in wars, stripped of all things when they depart here, do suffer pain, lodged in eternal misery.
37 Having said this, Yahchanan healed all the diseases by the power of Yahushua. Now the brothers from Miletus said to Yahchanan: We have continued a long time at Ephesus. If it seem good to you, let us also go to Smyrna, for we hear already that the mighty works of Yahushua has reached it. Andronicus said to them: Whensoever the teacher wills, then let us go. But Yahchanan said: Let us first go to the temple of Artemis, for maybe there also, if we show ourselves, the servants of Yahushua will be found.
38 After two days, then, was the birthday of the idol temple. When all were clad in white, Yahchanan alone put on black garments, and went up into the temple. They took him, and tried to kill him. But Yahchanan said: You are mad to set upon me, a man that is the servant of the only Yahushua. He got him up upon a high pedestal, and said to them:
39 You run hazard, men of Ephesus, of being like in character to the sea. Every river that flows in, every spring that runs down, the rains, waves that press upon each other, and torrents full of rocks, are made salt together by the bitter element that is there. So you who remain unchanged to this day toward true righteousness are become corrupted by your ancient rites of worship. How many wonders and healings of diseases have you seen wrought through me? Yet you are blinded in your hearts, and cannot recover sight. What is it, then, O men of Ephesus? I adventured now, and come up even into this your idol temple. I will convict you of being most unrighteous, and dead from the understanding of mankind. Behold, I stand here. You all say you have a goddess, even Artemis [Easter backwards]. Pray to her that I may die. If you are not able to do this, I will call upon Yahushua, and for your unbelief I will cause every one of you to die.
40 But those who had made trial of him before, and saw dead men raised up, cried out: Do not kill us, we beg you, Yahchanan. We know you can do it. Yahchanan said to them: If then you desire to not die, let that which you worship be confounded, and since it is confounded, you also depart from your ancient error. For now it is time that either you be converted by Yahushua, or I myself die by your goddess. I will pray in your presence, and ask Yahushua that mercy be shown to you.
41 And having so said he prayed thus: O Yahushua who is King above all who are called gods, who until this day has been set at nothing in the city of the Ephesians, who did put into my mind to come into this place, which I never thought to, who does convict every manner of worship by turning men to you, at whose Name every idol, every evil spirit, and every unclean power flees, now also by the flight of the evil spirit here at your Name, even of him who deceives this great multitude, show your mercy in this place, for they were made to err.
42 As Yahchanan spoke these things, immediately the altar of Artemis was parted into many pieces, all the things that were dedicated in the temple fell, and were broken apart, likewise more than seven of the images of the gods. The half of the temple fell down, so that the priest was killed at one blow by the falling of the roof. The multitude of the Ephesians cried out: One is Yahushua of Yahchanan, one is Yahwah who has pity on us, for you only are Master. Now we are turned to you, seeing your marvellous works! Have mercy on us, O Yahushua, according to your will, and save us from our great error! Some of them made supplication lying on their faces, some kneeled and begged, some tore their clothes and wept, and others tried to escape.
43 Yahchanan spread forth his hands, and being uplifted in soul, said to Yahushua: Glory be to you, Yahushua, the only Messiyah of truth, for you gain your servants by different devices. And having so said, he said to the people: Rise up from the floor, you men of Ephesus, and pray to Yahushua. Recognize the invisible power that comes to manifestation, and the wonderful works which are done before your eyes. Artemis should have taken care of herself, her servant should have been helped by her, and not died. Where is the power of the evil spirit? Where are her sacrifices? Where her birthdays? Where her festivals? Where are the garlands? Where is all that sorcery and the witchcraft that is sister to it?
44 Rising up from off the floor, the people went quickly, and cast down the rest of the idol temple, crying: Yahushua of Yahchanan only do we know, and Him only do we worship, since He had mercy upon us! As Yahchanan came down from there, many people took hold of him, saying: Help us, O Yahchanan! Assist us who perish in vain! You see our purpose, you see the multitude following you, and hanging upon you in hope toward Yahushua. We see the way where we went astray when we lost Him, we see our gods that were set up in vain, we see the great and shameful derision that is come to them. We pray you, allow us to come to your house, and to be helped without hindrance. Receive us who are in bewilderment.
45 Yahchanan said to them: Men [of Ephesus], believe that for your sakes I continue in Ephesus, and put off my journey to Smyrna, and to the rest of the cities, that there also the servants of Messiyah may turn to Him. But since I am not yet perfectly assured concerning you, I continue praying to Yahushua, begging Him that I should then depart from Ephesus when I confirm you in the faith. When I see that this is come to pass, and yet more is being fulfilled, I will not leave you until I wean you like children from the nurse's milk, and set you upon a firm rock.
46 Yahchanan continued with them, receiving them in the house of Andromeus. One of those who were gathered laid down the dead body of the priest of Artemis before the door [of the temple], for he was his kinsman, and came in quickly with the rest, saying nothing of it. After the discourse to the brothers, the prayer, the thanksgiving, and the laying of hands upon every one of the congregation, Yahchanan said by the spirit: There is one here moved by faith in Yahushua who laid down the priest of Artemis before the gate, is come in, in the yearning of his soul, taking care first for himself, has thought thus in himself: It is better for me to take thought for the living than for my kinsman who is dead. I know that if I turn to Yahushua and save my own soul, Yahchanan will not deny to raise up the dead also. Yahchanan rose from his place, went to that into which that kinsman of the priest who had so thought was entered, took him by the hand, and said: Did you have this thought when you came to me, my child? Taken with trembling and frightened, he said: Yes, master; and cast himself at his feet. Yahchanan said: Our Savior is Yahushua Messiyah, who will show His power in your dead kinsman by raising him up.
47 He made the young man rise, took his hand, and said: It is no great matter for a man who is master of great mysteries to continue wearying himself over small things, what great thing is it to rid men of diseases of the body? Yet holding the young man by the hand, he said: I say to you, child, go and raise the dead yourself, saying nothing but this only: Yahchanan the servant of Yahushua says to you, Arise. The young man went to his kinsman and said this only (many people were with him), and entered in to Yahchanan, bringing him alive. Yahchanan, when he saw him who was raised, said: Now that you are raised, you do not truly live, nor are partaker or heir of the true life. Will you belong to Him by whose Name and power you were raised? Now believe, and you will live to all ages. He forthwith believed upon the Savior Yahushua, and then clung to Yahchanan.
48 Now on the next day Yahchanan, having seen in a dream that he must walk three miles outside the gates, did not neglect it, but rose up early and set out upon the way, together with the brothers. A certain countryman was admonished by his father to not take to himself the wife of a fellow laborer of his who threatened to kill him. This young man would not endure the admonition of his father, but kicked him, and left him without speech. Yahchanan, seeing what had happened, said to Yahushua: Yahushua, was it on this account that you did bid me come out here today?
49 But the young man, seeing the violence of death, and looking to be taken, drew out the sickle that was in his girdle, and started to run to his own abode. Yahchanan met him, and said: Stand still, you most shameless devil, and tell me where you run bearing a sickle that thirsts for blood. The young man was troubled, cast the iron on the ground, and said to him: I did a wretched and barbarous deed. I know it, so I determined to do an evil yet worse and more cruel, even to die at once myself. My father was always curbing me to sobriety, that I should live without adultery, and chastely. I could not endure him to reprove me, so I kicked him, and killed him. When I saw what was done, I was hurrying to the woman for whose sake I became my father's murderer, with intent to kill her, her husband, and myself last of all. For I could not bear to be seen of the husband of the woman, and undergo the judgment of death.
50 Yahchanan said to him: Come with me, show me your father, where he lies, that I may not by going away and leaving you in danger give place to him who desires to laugh and sport with you. If I raise him up for you, will you then abstain from the woman that is become a snare to you? And the young man said: If you raise up my father alive for me, if I see him whole, continuing in life, I will then abstain from her.
51 While he was speaking, they came to the place where the old man lay dead, and many passers-by were standing nearby. Yahchanan said to the youth: You wretched man, did you not spare even the old age of your father? He said that he repented of it, weeping and tearing his hair. Yahchanan the servant of Yahwah said: You did show me I was to set forth for this place, you knew this would come to pass, from whom nothing can be hid of things done in life, who gives me power to work every cure and healing by your will. Now give me this old man alive also, for you see that his murderer is become his own judge. Spare him, Yahushua, who did not spare his father who counselled him for the best.
52 With these words he came near to the old man, and said: Yahushua will not be weak to spread out His kind pity and His condescending mercy even to you. Rise up, give glory to Yahwah for the work that is come to pass at this moment. And the old man said: I arise, Yahwah. He rose, sat up, and said: I was released from a terrible life. I had to bear the insults of my son, dreadful and many, and his lack of natural affection. To what end did you call me back, O man of the living Yahushua? [And Yahchanan answered him: If] you are raised only for the same end, it were better for you to die. Raise yourself to better things. He took him and led him into the city, preaching to him the grace of Yahushua, so that before he entered the gate the old man believed.
53 But the young man, when he saw the unlooked-for raising of his father, and the saving of himself, took a sickle and castrated himself. He ran to the house where he had his adulteress, and reproached her, saying: For your sake I became the murderer of my father, and of you two, and of myself. There you have that which is alike guilty of all. For Yahushua had mercy on me, that I should know His power.
54 He came back and told Yahchanan in presence of the brothers what he did. Yahchanan said to him: He who put it into your heart, young man, to kill your father and become the adulterer of another man's wife, the same made you think it a right deed to also take away your unruly member. You should have done away with the thought which through those members showed itself harmful, not the place of sin. It is not the instruments that are injurious, but the unseen springs by which every shameful emotion is stirred and comes to light. Repent of this fault, my child, and having learned the wiles of Satan you will have Yahushua to help you in all the necessities of your soul. The young man kept silence and attended, having repented of his former sins, that he should obtain pardon from the goodness of Yahushua, and he did not separate from Yahchanan.
55 When these things were done by him in the city of the Ephesians, they of Smyrna sent to him saying: We hear that Yahushua whom you preach is not envious, and charged you to not show partiality by abiding in one place. Since you are a preacher of Yahushua, come to Smyrna, and to the other cities, that we may come to know Yahushua, and knowing Him may have our hope in Him
56 Now one day as Yahchanan was seated, a partridge flew by, came, and played in the dust before him. Yahchanan looked on it, and wondered. A certain priest, who was one of his hearers, came to Yahchanan, saw the partridge playing in the dust before him, was offended in himself, and said: Can such and so great a man take pleasure in a partridge playing in the dust? Perceiving the thought of him in the spirit, Yahchanan said to him: It were better for you also, my child, to look at a partridge playing in the dust, and not defile yourself with shameful and profane practices. He who awaits the conversion and repentance of all men brought you here on this account. I have no need of a partridge playing in the dust. For the partridge is your own soul.
57 The elder, hearing this, and seeing that he was not bidden, but the apostle of Messiyah told him all that was in his heart, fell on his face on the earth, and cried aloud, saying: Now I know Yahushua dwells in you, O blessed Yahchanan! He who tempts you tempts Him who cannot be tempted. And he asked him to pray for him. He instructed him, delivered him the rules, and let him go to his house, glorifying Yahushua who is over all.
From Laodicia to Ephesus the second time:
58 Now when some long time had passed, and none of the brothers were at any time grieved by Yahchanan, they were then grieved because he said: brothers, it is now time for me to go to Ephesus, for so I agreed with those who dwell there, unless they become slack, now for a long time having no man to confirm them. All of you must have your minds steadfast towards Yahushua, who never forgets us.
But when they heard this from him, the brothers lamented because they were to be parted from him. Yahchanan said: Even if I am parted from you, yet Messiyah is always with you, whom if you love purely you will have His fellowship without reproach. For if He is loved, He anticipates those who love Him.
59 He said farewell to them, and left much money with the brothers for distribution, he went forth to Ephesus, while all the brothers lamented and groaned. There accompanied him to Ephesus both Andronicus, Drusiana, Lycomedes, Cleobius, and their families. There followed him Aristobula also, who heard that her husband Tertullus died on the way, Aristippus with Xenophon, the harlot who was chaste, and many others, whom he exhorted at all times to cleave to Yahushua, and they would not be parted from him.
60 Now on the first day we arrived at a deserted inn, and when we were at a loss for a bed for Yahchanan, we saw a droll matter. There was one bedstead lying somewhere there without coverings, on which we spread the cloaks we were wearing. We prayed him to lie down upon it and rest, while the rest of us all slept upon the floor. But when he lay down he was troubled by the bugs, and as they continued to become yet more troublesome to him, when it was now about the middle of the night, in the hearing of us all, he said to them: I say to you, O bugs, behave yourselves, one and all. Leave your abode for this night, remain quiet in one place, and keep your distance from the servants of Yahushua. As we laughed, and went on talking for some time, Yahchanan addressed himself to sleep. Talking low, we gave him no disturbance.
61 When the day was now dawning I arose first, and with me Verus and Andronicus. We saw a great number of bugs standing at the door of the house which we had taken. While we wondered at the great sight of them, and all the brothers were roused up because of them, Yahchanan continued sleeping. When he was awaked we declared to him what we saw. He sat up on the bed, looked at them, and said: Since you behaved yourselves well in hearkening to my rebuke, come to your place. When he said this, and rose from the bed, the bugs ran from the door, hurried to the bed, climbed up by its legs, and disappeared into the joints. Yahchanan said again: These creatures hearkened to the voice of a man, abode by themselves, were quiet, and did not trespass. We who hear the voice and commandments of Yahushua disobey, and are light-minded, for how long?
62 After these things we came to Ephesus. The brothers there had known for a long time that Yahchanan was coming, ran together to the house of Andronicus [where he came to lodge], handling his feet, laying his hands upon their own faces, kissing them. Many rejoiced even to touch his vesture, and were healed by touching the clothes of the holy apostle.
63 While there was great love and joy unsurpassed among the brothers, a certain one, a messenger of Satan, became enamoured of Drusiana, though he saw and knew she was the wife of Andronicus. To whom many said: It is not possible for you to obtain that woman, seeing that for a long time she has even separated herself from her husband for the sake of righteousness. Are you only ignorant that Andronicus, not being before that which he is now, a Yahushua-fearing man, shut her up in a tomb, saying: Either I must have you as the wife whom I had before, or you will die. She chose to die rather than to do that foulness. If she would not consent, for righteousness sake, to cohabit with her lord and husband, but even persuaded him to be of the same mind as herself, will she consent to you desiring to be her seducer? Depart from this madness which has no rest in you, give up this deed which you can not bring to accomplishment.
64 But his familiar friends saying these things to him did not convince him. He shamelessly courted her with messages, and when he learned the insults and disgraces which she returned, he spent his life in melancholy. After two days Drusiana took to her bed from heaviness, was in a fever, and said: Would that I had not now come home to my native place, I who became an offence to a man ignorant of righteousness! For if it were one who was filled with the word of Yahushua, he would not have gone to such a pitch of madness. But now [therefore] Yahushua, since I am become the occasion of a blow to a soul devoid of knowledge, set me free from this chain, remove me to you quickly. In the presence of Yahchanan, who knew nothing at all of such a matter, Drusiana departed out of life not wholly happy, yea, even troubled because of the spiritual hurt of the man.
65 Grieved with a secret grief, Andronicus mourned in his soul, and wept openly, so that Yahchanan checked him often, and said to him: Upon a better hope has Drusiana removed out of this unrighteous life. Andronicus answered him: Yea, I am persuaded of it, O Yahchanan. I do not doubt at all in regard of trust in Yahushua, but this very thing I hold fast, that she departed out of life pure.
66 When she was carried forth, Yahchanan took hold on Andronicus, and now that he knew the cause, he mourned more than Andronicus. He kept silence, considering the provocation of the adversary, and sat still for a space. The brothers gathered there to hear what word he would speak of her who was departed. He began to say:
67 When the pilot that voyages, together with those who sail with him, and the ship herself, arrives in a calm and stormless harbor, then let him say he is safe. The husbandman who committed the seed to the earth, and toiled much in the care and protection of it, let him take rest from his labors when he lays up the seed in his barns with much increase. Let him who enterprises to run in the course, then exult when he bears home the prize. Let him who inscribes his name for the boxing, then boast himself when he receives the crowns. And so in succession it is with all contests and crafts, when they do not fail in the end, but show themselves to be like that which they promised.
68 I think it is also with the faith which each one of us practises, that it is then discerned whether it is indeed true, when it continues like itself even until the end of life. Many obstacles fall into the way, and prepare disturbance for the minds of men: care, children, parents, glory, poverty, flattery, prime of life, beauty, conceit, lust, wealth, anger, uplifting, slackness, envy, jealousy, neglect, fear, insolence, love, deceit, money, pretence, and other such obstacles, as many as there are in this life. As the pilot sailing a prosperous course is opposed by the onset of contrary winds, a great storm, and mighty waves out of calm; and the husbandman by untimely winter, blight, and creeping things rising out of the earth; and those who strive in the games 'just do not win'; and those who exercise crafts are hindered by the different difficulties of them.
69 Before all things it is needful that the believer should look before at his ending, and understand in what manner it will come upon him, whether it will be vigorous, sober, and without any obstacle, or disturbed and clinging to the things that are here, and bound down by desires. So is it right that a body should be praised as comely when it is wholly stripped, a general as great when he accomplishes every promise of the war, a physician as excellent when he succeeds in every cure, and a soul as full of faith and worthy of Yahwah when it has paid its promise in full? Not that soul which began well and was dissolved into all the things of this life and fell away, nor that which is numb, having made an effort to attain to better things, and then is borne down to temporal things, nor that which longs after the things of time more than those of eternity, nor that which exchanges [enduring for things] those that endure not, nor that which honors the works of dishonor that deserve shame, nor that which takes pledges of Satan, nor that which receives the serpent into its own house, nor that which suffers reproach for Yahushua's sake and then is [not] ashamed, nor that which with the mouth says yea, but indeed approves itself not; but that which did not prevail to be made weak by foul pleasure, not be overcome by light-mindedness, not be caught by the bait of love of money, not be betrayed by vigor of body, or wrath.
70 Yahchanan was discoursing yet further to the brothers that they should despise temporal things in respect of the eternal. He who was enamoured of Drusiana, being inflamed with a horrible lust, and possession of the many-shaped Satan, bribed the steward of Andronicus who was a lover of money with a great sum. He opened the tomb and gave him opportunity to wreak the forbidden thing upon the dead body. Having not succeeded with her when alive, he was still importunate after her death to her body, and said: If you would not have to do with me while you lived, I will outrage your corpse now you are dead. With this design, and having managed for himself the wicked act by means of the abominable steward, he rushed with him to the sepulchre. They opened the door and began to strip the grave-clothes from the corpse, saying: What are you profited, poor Drusiana? Could you not have done this in life, which maybe would not have grieved you, had you done it willingly?
71 As these men were speaking thus, and only the accustomed shift now remained on her body, a strange spectacle was seen, such as they deserve to suffer who do such deeds. A serpent appeared from some quarter, dealt the steward a single bite, and killed him. It did not strike the young man, but coiled about his feet, hissing terribly. When he fell it mounted on his body, and sat upon him.
72 On the next day Yahchanan came to the sepulchre at dawn, accompanied by Andronicus and the brothers, it being now the third day from Drusiana's death, that we might break bread there. And first, when they set out, the keys were looked for and could not be found. Yahchanan said to Andronicus: It is quite right that they should be lost, for Drusiana is not in the sepulchre. Nevertheless, let us go, that you may not be neglectful, and the doors will be opened of themselves, even as Yahushua did many such things for us.
73 When we were at the place, the doors were opened at the commandment of the master. We saw by the tomb of Drusiana a beautiful youth, smiling. When he saw him, Yahchanan cried out, and said: Are you come before us here too, beautiful one? And for what reason? We heard a voice saying to him: For Drusiana's sake, whom you are to raise up. I was within a little of finding her [shamed], and for his sake that lies dead beside her tomb. When the beautiful one said this to Yahchanan he went up into the heavens in the sight of us all. Turning to the other side of the sepulchre, Yahchanan saw a young man, even Callimachus, one of the chief of the Ephesians, with a huge serpent sleeping upon him, and the steward of Andronicus, Fortunatus by name, lying dead. At the sight of the two he stood perplexed, saying to the brothers: What means such a sight? Or why has Yahushua not declared to me what was done here, He who never neglects me?
74 Seeing those corpses, Andronicus leapt up and went to Drusiana's tomb. Seeing her lying in her shift only, he said to Yahchanan: I understand what happened, you blessed servant of Yahushua, Yahchanan. This Callimachus was enamoured of my sister. Because he never won her, though he often tried, he bribed this my accursed steward with a great sum, as now we may see, designing to fulfil by his means the tragedy of his conspiracy, for indeed Callimachus avowed this to many, saying: If she will not consent to me when living, she will be outraged when dead. It may be, master, that the beautiful one knew it, and did not allow her body to be insulted, therefore these who made that attempt died. Can it be that the voice who said to you: Raise up Drusiana; knew this? She departed out of this life in sorrow of mind. I believe him who said this is one of the men who went astray, for you were bidden to raise him up. As to the other, I know he is unworthy of salvation. This one thing I beg of you, raise up Callimachus first, and he will confess to us what is come about.
75 Yahchanan, looking upon the body, said to the venomous beast: Get away from him who is to be a servant of Yahushua Messiyah. He stood up and prayed over him thus: O Yahushua whose Name is glorified by us, as of right, O Yahushua who subdues every injurious force, O Yahushua whose will is accomplished, who always hears us, let your gift be accomplished in this young man. If there is any dispensation to be wrought through him, manifest it to us when he is raised up. And straightway the young man rose up, and kept silence for a whole hour.
76 When he came to his right senses, Yahchanan asked of him about his entry into the sepulchre, what it meant, and learned from him that which Andronicus had told him, namely, that he was enamoured of Drusiana. Yahchanan inquired of him again if he had fulfilled his foul intent, to insult a body full of sacredness. And he answered him: How could I accomplish it when this fearful beast struck down Fortunatus at a blow in my sight? And rightly, since he encouraged my frenzy, when I was already cured of that unreasonable and horrible madness. It stopped me with fright, and brought me to that plight in which you saw me before I arose. Another thing yet more wondrous I will tell you, which yet went near to kill, and was within a little of making me a corpse. When my soul was stirred up with folly, the uncontrollable malady was troubling me, and I had now torn away the grave-clothes in which she was clad, I came out of the grave and laid them as you see, I went again to my work. I saw a beautiful youth covering her with his mantle, and from his eyes sparks of light came forth to her eyes. He uttered words to me, saying: Callimachus, die, that you may live. Now who he was I do not know, O servant of Yahushua. But now that you have appeared here, I recognize that he was a malak of Yahwah, that I know well. And this I know of a truth, it is a true Yahushua who is proclaimed by you, I am persuaded of it. I beg you, do not be slack to deliver me from this calamity, this fearful crime. Present me to Yahushua as a man deceived with a shameful and foul deceit. Begging help of you, I take hold on your feet. I would become one of those who hope in Messiyah, that the voice may prove true which said to me: Die, that you may live. That voice fulfilled its effect, for he is dead, that faithless, disorderly, urighteous one, and I was raised by you, I who will be faithful, Yahwah-fearing, knowing the truth, which I ask you may be shown me by you.
77 Yahchanan, filled with great gladness, and perceiving the whole spectacle of the salvation of man, said: What your power is, Savior Yahushua Messiyah, I do not know, bewildered as I am at your much compassion and boundless long-suffering. O what a greatness that came down into bondage! O unspeakable liberty brought into slavery by us! O incomprehensible glory that is come to us! You kept the dead tabernacle safe from insult, redeemed the man who stained himself with blood, and chastened the soul of him who would defile the corruptible body. Yahushua had pity and compassion on the man who did not care for you. We glorify you, and praise, bless, and thank your great goodness and long-suffering, O sacred Yahushua, for you only are the Messiyah, and no one else. Yours is the might that cannot be conspired against, now and world without end. Amein.
78 When he said this Yahchanan took Callimachus and saluted him, saying: Glory be to our Savior, my child, who had mercy on you, made me worthy to glorify His power, you to depart from that your abominable madness and drunkenness, and called you to His own rest, to renewing of life.
79 Andronicus, beholding the dead Callimachus raised, asked Yahchanan, with the brothers, to raise up Drusiana also, saying: O Yahchanan, let Drusiana arise and spend happily that short space [of life] which she gave up through grief about Callimachus, when she thought she became a stumbling block to him. When Yahushua will, He will take her again to Himself. Without delay Yahchanan went to her tomb, took her hand, and said: I call upon you who are the only Messiyah. The more than great, the unutterable, the incomprehensible, to whom every power of principalities is subjected, to whom all authority bows, before whom all pride falls down and keeps silence, whom devils tremble hearing of, whom all creation perceiving keeps its bounds. Let your Name be glorified by us. Raise up Drusiana, that Callimachus may yet be more confirmed to you who dispenses that which is without a way and impossible to men, but only possible to you, even salvation and resurrection. Drusiana may now come forth in peace, having not the least hindrance about her in her course toward you, now that the young man is turned to you.
80 After these words Yahchanan said to Drusiana: Drusiana, arise. She arose, and came out of the tomb. When she saw herself in her shift only, she was perplexed at the thing, and learned the whole accurately from Andronicus, the while Yahchanan lay upon his face, Callimachus with voice and tears glorified Yahushua, and she also rejoiced, glorifying Him in like manner.
81 When she clothed herself, she turned, saw Fortunatus lying, and said to Yahchanan: Master, let this man also rise, even if he did try to become my betrayer. When he heard her say that, Callimachus said: Do not, I beg you, Drusiana, for the voice I heard took no thought of him, but declared concerning you only, and I saw and believed. If he was good, maybe Yahushua would have mercy on him also, and would have raised him by means of the blessed Yahchanan. He knew the man was come to a bad end. Yahchanan said to him: We have not learned, my child, to render evil for evil. Yahushua, though we did much ill and no good toward Him, did not give retribution to us, but repentance; though we were ignorant of His Name He did not neglect us, but had mercy on us; when we blasphemed Him, He did not punish, but pitied us; when we disbelieved Him, he bore us no grudge; and when we persecuted His brothers, He did not recompense us evil. He put into our minds repentance and abstinence from evil, exhorted us to come to Him, as He did you also, my son Callimachus, and not remembering your former evil, made you His servant, waiting upon His mercy. If you do not allow me to raise up Fortunatus, it is for Drusiana to do so.
82 Not delaying, she went with rejoicing of spirit and soul to the body of Fortunatus, and said: Yahushua Messiyah, Yahushua of the ages, Yahushua of truth, who granted me to see wonders and signs; gave to me to become partaker of your Name; who did breathe yourself into me with your many-shaped countenance; had mercy on me in many ways; who did protect me by your great goodness when I was oppressed by Andronicus who was my husband of old; who gave me your servant Andronicus to be my brother; who kept me your handmaid pure to this day; who did raise me up by your servant Yahchanan; and when I was raised showed me him free from stumbling who was made to stumble; who gave me perfect rest in you; lightened me of the secret madness; whom I love and affectioned; I pray you, O Messiyah, do not refuse your Drusiana who asks you to raise up Fortunatus, even though he tried to become my betrayer.
83 Taking the hand of the dead man she said: Rise up, Fortunatus, in the Name of our Savior Yahushua Messiyah. And Fortunatus arose. When he saw Yahchanan in the sepulchre, with Andronicus, and Drusiana raised from the dead, and Callimachus a believer, and the rest of the brothers glorifying Yahushua, he said: O, to what have the powers of these clever men attained! I did not want to be raised, but would rather die, so as to not see them. With these words he fled, and went out of the sepulchre.
84 When he saw the unchanged mind of Fortunatus, Yahchanan said: O nature that is not changed for the better! O fountain of the soul that abides in foulness! O essence of corruption full of darkness! O death exulting in those who are yours! O fruitless tree full of fire! O tree that bears coals for fruit! O matter that dwells with the madness of matter their life, their conversation, from their business, their occupations, their counsel, from the resurrection to Yahwah, from their sweet savor which you will [not] share, from their faith, their prayers, from the bath, from the eucharist, from the food of the flesh, from drink, from clothing, from love, from care, from abstinence, from righteousness, from all these, you most unrighteous Satan, enemy of Yahwah, Yahushua Messiyah our Savior [the judge] of all who are like you and have your character, will make you to perish.
85 After saying this, Yahchanan prayed, took bread, bore it into the sepulchre to break it, and said: We glorify your Name, which converts us from error and ruthless deceit, we glorify you who showed that which we saw before our eyes, we bear witness to your loving-kindness which appears in different ways, we praise your merciful Name, O Yahushua, who convicted those who are convicted of you, we give thanks to you, O Savior Yahushua Messiyah, that we are persuaded of your [grace] which is unchanging, we give thanks to you who had need of our nature that should be saved, we give thanks to you who gave us this sure [faith], for you are [Savior] alone, both now and ever. We your servants give you thanks, O sacred one, who are assembled with [good] intent, and are gathered out of the world.
86 He prayed, gave glory to Yahushua, and after imparting to all the brothers the eucharist of Yahushua, he went out of the sepulchre. When he was come to Andronicus' house he said to the brothers: Brothers, a spirit within me divined that Fortunatus is about to die of poisoning of the blood from the bite of the serpent, let someone go quickly, learn if it is so indeed. One of the young men ran and found him dead, the blackness spreading over him, and it had reached his heart. He came and told Yahchanan he was dead three hours. Yahchanan said: You have your child, O devil. Yahchanan was with the brothers rejoicing in Yahushua.
87 Those who were present inquired the cause, and were especially perplexed, because Drusiana had said: Yahushua appeared to me in the tomb in the likeness of Yahchanan, and in that of a youth. They were perplexed and were, in a manner, not yet established in the faith, so as to endure it steadfastly.
88 Yahchanan bore it patiently, and said: Men and brothers, you suffered nothing strange or incredible as concerning your perception of the [Messiyah], inasmuch as we also (whom He chose for Himself to be apostles) were tried in many ways. Indeed, I am not able to set forth to you nor to write the things which I both saw and heard. And now it is needful that I should fit them for your hearing. I will impart to you those things which you are able to become hearers according as each of you is able to contain it, that you may see the glory that is about Him, which was and is, both now and forever.
When He chose Kepha and Andrew, who were brothers, He came to me and James my brother, saying: I have need of you, come to me. Hearing that my brother said: Yahchanan, what would this child that is upon the sea-shore have, and call us? I said: What child? He said to me again: That which beckons to us. I answered: Because of the long watch we kept at sea, you do not see aright, my brother James. Do you not see the man who stands there, comely, fair, and of a cheerful countenance? But he said to me: Him I do not see, brother, but let us go forth, we will see what he would have.
89 So we brought the ship to land, we saw Him helping along with us to settle the ship. When we departed from that place, being minded to follow Him, again He was seen of me as being rather bald, but the beard thick and flowing, but of James as a youth whose beard was newly come. We were therefore perplexed, both of us, as to what we saw could mean. After that, as we followed Him, both of us were by little and little [yet more] perplexed as we considered the matter. Yet to me there appeared this yet more wonderful thing, I would try to see Him secretly, and never at any time did I see His eyes blinking, but only open. Often-times He would appear to me as a small man and uncomely, and then again as one reaching to heaven. There was in Him another marvel. When I sat at meat He would take me upon His own breast. Sometimes His breast felt smooth and tender to me, and sometimes hard like to stones, so that I was perplexed in myself, and said: Why is this so to me? As I considered this, He [...].
90 At another time He took me, James, and Kepha to the mountain with Him, where He liked to pray, and we saw in Him a light such as it is not possible for a man that uses corruptible speech to describe what it was like. Again, in like manner, He brings us three up into the mountain, saying: Come with me. We went again, and we saw Him at a distance praying. Because He loved me, I drew near to Him softly, as though He could not see me, and stood looking upon His hinder parts. I saw that He was not clad with garments in any way, but was seen of us naked, and not in any way as a man. His feet were whiter than any snow, so that the earth there was lighted up by His feet, and His head touched the heaven. I was afraid, and cried out. Turning about, He appeared as a man of small stature, caught hold on my beard, pulled it, and said to me: Yahchanan, do not be faithless, but believing, and not curious. I said to Him: What did I do, Yahushua? I say to you, brothers, for thirty days I suffered so great pain in that place where He took hold on my beard, that I said to him: Yahushua, if your twitch when you were in sport gave me so great pain, what if you hit me? He said to me: Let it be you not tempt Him who cannot be tempted.
91 Kepha and James were wroth because I spoke with Yahushua, and beckoned to me, that I should come to them, and leave Yahushua alone. I went, and they both said to me: He [the old man] that was speaking with Yahushua upon the top of the mount, who was he? For we heard both of them speaking. Having in mind His great grace, His unity which has many faces, and His wisdom which looks upon us without ceasing, I said: That you will learn if you inquire of Him.
92 Once when all we His disciples were at Gennesaret sleeping in one house, I alone having wrapped myself in my mantle, watched what He would do. First I heard Him say: Yahchanan, go to sleep. Pretending to sleep I saw another like to Him, whom I heard say to Yahushua: Yahushua, those who you chose do not yet believe on you. Yahushua said to Him: You say well, for they are men.
93 I will tell you another glory also, brothers. When I would lay hold on Him, sometimes I met with a material and solid body. At other times, again, when I felt Him, the substance was immaterial, as if it did not exist at all. If at any time He was invited by someone of the Pharisees, and went to the invite, we went with Him. There was set before each one of us a loaf by those who invited us, and He also received one with us. His own He would bless, and part it among us. Of that little everyone was filled, and our own loaves were saved whole, so that those who invited Him were amazed. Oftentimes when I walked with Him, I desired to see the print of his foot, whether it appeared on the earth. I saw Him as it were lifting Himself up from the earth, and I never saw it. I speak these things to you, brothers, for the encouragement of your faith toward Him. At the present we must keep silence concerning His mighty and wonderful works, inasmuch as they are unspeakable and, it may be, cannot at all be either uttered or heard.
94 Before He was taken by the lawless Jews, who were governed by the lawless serpent, He gathered all of us together, and said: Before I am delivered up to them let us sing a hymn to the Father, and so go forth to that which lies before us. He made us therefore make as it were a ring, holding one another's hands, and Himself standing in the middle. He said: Answer Amein to me. He began, then, to sing a hymn, and to say:
Glory be to you, Father.
Going about in a ring, we answered him: Amein.
Glory be to you, Word. Glory be to you, Grace. Amein.
Glory be to you, Spirit. Glory be to you, Sacred One.
Glory be to your glory. Amein.
We praise you, O Father, we give thanks to you, O Light, where darkness does not dwell. Amein.
95 Now when we give thanks, I say
I would be saved, and I would save. Amein.
I would be loosed, and I would loose. Amein.
I would be wounded, and I would wound. Amein.
I would be born, and I would bear. Amein.
I would eat, and I would be eaten. Amein.
I would hear, and I would be heard. Amein.
I would be thought, being wholly thought. Amein.
I would be washed, and I would wash. Amein.
Grace dances. I would pipe, dance you all. Amein.
I would mourn, lament you all. Amein.
The number Eight sings praise with us. Amein.
The number Twelve dances on high. Amein.
The Whole on high have part in our dancing. Amein.
Whoever does not dance, does not know what comes to pass. Amein.
I would flee, and I would stay. Amein.
I would adorn, and I would be adorned. Amein.
I would be united, and I would unite. Amein.
A house I do not have, and I have houses. Amein.
A place I do not have, and I have places. Amein.
A temple I do not have, and I have temples. Amein.
I am a lamp to you who see me. Amein.
I am a mirror to you who perceive me. Amein.
I am a door to you who knocks at me. Amein.
I am a way to you a wayfarer. Amein.
96 Now you answer to my dancing. See yourself in me who speak, and seeing what I do, keep silence about my mysteries. You who dances, perceive what I do, for yours is this passion of the manhood, which I am about to suffer. For you could not at all understand what you suffer if I was not sent to you, as the Word of the Father. You who saw what I suffer saw me as suffering, and seeing it you did not abide, but were wholly moved, moved to make wise. You have me as a bed, rest upon me. Who I am, you will know when I depart. What I am now seen to be, that I am not. You will see when you come. If you knew how to suffer, you would be able to not suffer. Learn to suffer, and you will be able to not suffer. What you do not know, I myself will teach you. I am Messiyah, not lord of the traitor. I would keep tune with holy souls. In me you know the Word of Wisdom. Again, with me you say: Glory be to you, Father; glory to you, Word; glory to you, Spirit. If you would know concerning me, what I was, know that with a word I deceived all things, and I was no way deceived. I leaped, understand the whole, and understanding it, say: Glory be to you, Father. Amein.
97 Thus, my beloved, having danced with us Yahushua went forth. We fled this way and that, as men gone astray, or dazed with sleep. When I saw Him suffer, I did not even abide by His suffering, but fled to the Mount of Olives, weeping at that which happened. When He was crucified on the Passover, at the sixth hour of the day, darkness came upon all the earth. Standing in the middle of the cave and enlightening it, Yahushua said: Yahchanan, to the multitude below in Yerusalem I am being crucified and pierced with lances and reeds, gall and vinegar is given me to drink. But to you I speak, and you hear what I speak. I put it into your mind to come up into this mountain, that you might hear those things which it behooves a disciple to learn from his teacher, and a man from Yahushua.
98 Having spoken thus, He showed me a cross of light set up, and about the cross a great multitude, not having one form. In it [the cross] was one form and one likeness. I saw Yahushua Himself above the cross, not having any shape, but only a voice. A voice not such as was familiar to us, but one sweet, kind, and truly of Yahwah, saying to me: Yahchanan, it is needful that one should hear these things from me, for I have need of one who will hear. This cross of light is sometimes called by me the Word for your sakes, sometimes mind, sometimes Yahushua, sometimes Messiyah, sometimes door, sometimes a Way, sometimes bread, sometimes seed, sometimes resurrection, sometimes Son, sometimes Father, sometimes Spirit, sometimes life, sometimes truth, sometimes faith, sometimes grace. It is called by these names as toward men. But that which it is in truth, as conceived of in itself, and as spoken of to you, it is the marking-off of all things, the firm uplifting of things fixed out of things unstable, the harmony of wisdom, and indeed wisdom in harmony. There are [places] of the right hand and the left, powers also, authorities, lordships, demons, workings, threatenings, wraths, devils, Satan, and the lower root where the nature of the things that came into being proceeded.
99 This cross, then, is that which joined all things to itself by the Word, and separate off the things that are from those that are below, and being one, streamed forth into all things. But this is not the cross of wood which you will see when you go down here, nor am I He who is on the cross, whom you do not see now, but only hear His voice. I was reckoned to be that which I am not, not being what I was to many others. They will call me something else which is vile [Jesus Christ], and not worthy of me. The place of rest is not seen nor spoken of, much more will I, Yahushua, not be seen [nor spoken of].
100 Now the multitude of one aspect that is about the cross is the lower nature. Those who you see in the cross, if they do not have one form, it is because every member of Him who came down has not yet been comprehended. When the human nature is taken up, the race which draws near to me, and obeys my voice, he who hears me now will be united with it, and will no more be that which he is now, but above them, as I also am now. So long as you not call yourself mine, I am not that which I am. But if you hear me, you will be as I am, and I will be that which I was, when I [have] you as I am with myself. From me you are that [which I am]. Do not care for the many, and despise those who are outside the mystery. For you know I am wholly with the Father, and the Father with me.
101 I suffered nothing of the things which they will say of me. No, that suffering which I showed to you and the rest in the dance, I will that it be called a mystery. For what you are, you see, for I showed it to you. What I am I alone know, and no other man. Allow me then to keep that which is mine, and see through me that which is yours. See in me truth, that I am, not what I said, but what you are able to know, because you are akin to it. You hear that I suffered, yet I did not suffer; that I did not suffer, yet I did suffer; that I was pierced, yet I was not smitten; hanged, and I was not hanged; that blood flowed from me, and it did not flow; and, in a word, what they say of me, that did not happen to me, but what they do not say, that I did suffer. I signify to you what those things are, for I know you will understand. Perceive in me the praising of the Word, the piercing of the Word, the blood of the Word, the wound of the Word, the hanging up of the Word, the suffering of the Word, the nailing of the Word, the death of the Word. And so I speak, separating off the manhood. Perceive the Word in the first place, then you will perceive Yahushua, and in the third place the man, and what He suffered.
102 When He spoke these things to me, and others which I do not know how to say as He would have me, He was taken up, no one of the multitudes having seen Him. When I went down I laughed them all to scorn, inasmuch as He told me the things which they said concerning Him. I held fast this one thing in myself, that Yahwah contrived all things symbolically, by a dispensation toward men, for their conversion and salvation.
103 brothers, having seen the grace of Yahushua, and His kindly affection toward us, let us worship Him as those to whom He shows mercy. Not with our fingers, nor our mouth, nor our tongue, nor with any part whatsoever of our body, but with the disposition of our soul. He became a man apart from this body. Let us watch because now He keeps ward over prisons for our sake, and over tombs, bonds, dungeons, reproaches, insults, by sea and on dry land, in scourgings, condemnations, conspiracies, frauds, and punishments. He is with all of us, and Himself suffers with us when we suffer, brothers. When He is called upon by each one of us, He does not endure to shut His ears to us, but being everywhere He hearkens to all of us. And now to me and to Drusiana both, as He is Yahushua of those who are shut up bringing us help by His own compassion.
104 Be persuaded, beloved, that it is not a man whom I preach to you to worship, but Yahushua unchangeable, Yahushua invincible, Yahushua higher than all authority and all power, elder and mightier than all gods and creatures that are named, and all aeons. If you abide in Him, and are builded up in Him, you will possess your soul indestructible.
105 After he delivered these things to the brothers, Yahchanan departed to walk, with Andronicus. Drusiana followed afar off with all the brothers, that they might see the acts that were done by him, and hear his speech at all times in Yahushua.
XIV. Now on another day Craton, a philosopher, proclaimed in the market-place that he would give an example of the contempt of riches, and the spectacle was after this manner. He persuaded two young men, the richest of the city, who were brothers, to spend their whole inheritance, and buy each of them a jewel, and they broke these in pieces publicly in the sight of the people. It happened by chance that the apostle passed by while they were doing this. Calling Craton the philosopher to him, he said: That is a foolish despising of the world which is praised by the mouths of men, but long ago condemned by the judgment of Yahushua. For as that is a vain medicine by which the disease is not extirpated, so is it a vain teaching by which the faults of souls and of conduct are not cured. Indeed, my master taught a youth who desired to attain to eternal life, in these words, saying: If he would be perfect, he should sell all his goods, give to the poor, and so doing he would gain treasure in heaven, and find the life that has no ending. Craton said to him: Here the fruit of covetousness is set forth in the middle of men, and was broken to pieces. If Yahushua is indeed your master, and wills this to be, that the sum of the price of these jewels should be given to the poor, cause the gems to be restored whole. What I did for the praise of men, you may do for the glory of Him whom you call your Master. Then the blessed Yahchanan gathered together the fragments of the gems, held them in his hands, lifted up his eyes to heaven, and said: Savior Yahushua Messiyah, to whom nothing is impossible. When the world was broken by the tree of concupiscence, you restored it again in your faithfulness by the tree of the stake. You gave to one born blind the eyes which nature denied him. You recalled Lazarus, dead and buried, into the light after the fourth day. You subjected all diseases and all sicknesses to the word of your power. So now do also with these precious stones which these, not knowing the fruits of almsgiving, broke in pieces for the praise of men. Recover them, Yahwah, by the hands of your malaks, that by their value the work of mercy may be fulfilled, and make these men believe in you the unbegotten Father through your only-begotten Son Yahushua Messiyah our Savior, with your Spirit the illuminator and sanctifier of the whole Assembly, world without end. When the faithful who were with the apostle answered, and said: Amein; the fragments of the gems were forthwith so joined in one that no mark at all that they were broken remained in them. Craton the philosopher, with his disciples, saw this, fell at the feet of the apostle, believed, was immersed with them all, and began himself to publicly preach the faith of our Savior Yahushua Messiyah.
XV. Those two brothers of whom we spoke, sold the gems which they bought by the sale of their inheritance, and gave the price to the poor, and a very great multitude of believers began to be joined to the apostle.
When all this was done, it happened [again] after the same example. Two honorable men [Atticus and Eugenius] of the city of Ephesus sold all their goods, distributed them to the needy, and followed the apostle as he went through the cities preaching the Word of Yahwah. When they entered the city of Pergamum, it came to pass they saw their servants walking abroad arrayed in silken garment, shining with the glory of this world. It happened that they were pierced with the arrow of the devil, became sad, seeing themselves poor, clad with a single cloak, while their own servants were powerful and prosperous. Perceiving these wiles of the devil, the apostle of Messiyah said: I see you changed your minds, and your countenances on this account. Obeying the teaching of my Savior Yahushua Messiyah, you gave all you had to the poor. Now, if you desire to recover that which you formerly possessed of gold, silver, and precious stones, bring me some straight sticks, each of you a bundle. When they did so, he called upon the Name of the Savior Yahushua Messiyah, and they were turned into gold. The apostle said to them: Bring me small stones from the seashore. And when they did this also, he called upon the majesty of Yahushua, and all the pebbles were turned into gems. Then the blessed Yahchanan turned to those men, and said to them: Go about to the goldsmiths and jewellers for seven days. When you prove these are true gold and true jewels, tell me. Both of them went, and after seven days returned to the apostle, saying: Yahchanan, we went about the shops of all the goldsmiths, and they all said they never saw such pure gold. Likewise the jewellers said the same, they never saw such excellent and precious gems.
XVI. Then Yahchanan said to them: Go, redeem to you the lands which you sold, for you lost the estates of heaven. Buy yourselves silken garments, that for a time you may shine like the rose which shows its fragrance and redness, and suddenly fades away. You sighed at seeing your servants, and groaned that you were poor. Flourish, that you may fade; be rich for the time, that you may be beggars forever. Is Yahwah's hand not able to make riches overflowing and unsurpassably glorious? He appointed a conflict for souls, that they may believe they will have eternal riches, who refused temporal wealth for His Name's sake. Indeed, our master told us concerning a certain rich man who feasted every day, shone with gold and purple. At his door lay a beggar, Lazarus, who desired to receive even the crumbs that fell from his table, and no man gave to him. It came to pass that on one day they died, both of them. The beggar was taken into the rest which is in Abraham's bosom. The rich man was cast into flaming fire, out of which he lifted up his eyes and saw Lazarus, and prayed him to dip his finger in water to cool his mouth, for he was tormented in the flames. Abraham answered him, and said: Remember, son, that you received good things in your life, but this Lazarus likewise evil things. Therefore he is now rightly comforted while you are tormented. Besides all this, a great gulf is fixed between you and us, so that they can not come here, nor here to there. But he answered: I have five brothers. I pray that someone may go to warn them, that they not come into this flame. Abraham said to him: They have Moshe and the prophets, let them hear them. To that he answered: Abraham, unless one rise up again, they will not believe. Abraham said to him: If they do not believe Moshe and the prophets, they will not believe if one rise again. Yahushua our Master confirmed these words by examples of mighty works. When they said to Him: Who has come here from there, that we may believe Him? He answered: Bring here the dead whom you have. When they brought to Him a young man who was dead, he was waked up by Him as one that sleeps, and confirmed all His words.
But why should I speak of Yahushua, when at this moment there are those whom I raised from the dead in His Name, in your presence and sight? You saw palsied men healed, lepers cleansed, blind men enlightened, and many delivered from evil spirits in His Name. Those who desire to have earthly wealth cannot have the riches of these mighty works. Finally, when you yourselves went to the sick, and called upon the Name of Yahushua Messiyah, they were healed. You drove out devils and restored light to the blind. Behold, this grace is taken from you, and you are become wretched, who were mighty and great. While there was such fear of you upon the devils that they left the men whom they possessed at your bidding, now you will be in fear of the devils. He who loves money is the servant of Mammon. Mammon is the name of a devil who is set over carnal gains, and is the master of those who love the world. The lovers of the world do not possess riches, but are possessed of them. For it is out of reason that for one belly there should be laid up so much food as would suffice a thousand, and for one body so many garments as would furnish clothing for a thousand men. In vain is that stored up which does not come into use. No man knows for whom it is kept, as the Spirit says by the prophet: In vain is every man troubled who heaps up riches, and does not know who he gathers them for. Naked did our birth from women bring us into this light, destitute of food and drink, naked will the earth receive us which brought us forth. We possess in common the riches of the heaven, the brightness of the sun is equal for the rich and the poor, likewise the light of the moon and the stars, the softness of the air, the drops of rain, the gate of the church, the fount of sanctification, the forgiveness of sins, the sharing in the altar, the eating of the body, drinking of the blood of Messiyah, the anointing of the chrism, the grace of the giver, the visitation of Yahushua, and the pardon of sin. In all these the dispensing of the Creator is equal, without respect of persons. Nor does the rich man use these gifts after one manner, and the poor after another.
Wretched and unhappy is the man who would have something more than suffices him, for of this come heats of fevers, rigors of cold, different pains in all the members of the body, and he can not be fed with food nor sated with drink. Covetousness may learn that money will not profit it, which being laid up brings to its keepers anxiety by day and night, and does not allow them to be quiet and secure even for an hour. While they guard their houses against thieves, till their estate, ply the plow, pay taxes, build storehouses, strive for gain, try to baffle the attacks of the strong, strip the weak, exercise their wrath on whom they can, and hardly bear it from others, not shrink from playing at tables and from public shows, not fear to defile or to be defiled; suddenly they depart out of this world naked, bearing only their own sins with them, for which they will suffer eternal punishment.
XVII. While the apostle was thus speaking, behold there was brought to him by a mother (who was a widow), a [dead] young man who thirty days before had first married a wife. The people who were waiting upon the burial came with the widowed mother, cast themselves at the apostle's feet all together with groans, weeping, and mourning, and begged him that in the Name of Yahushua, he would raise up this young man as he did with Drusiana. There was so great weeping of them all that the apostle himself could hardly refrain from crying and tears. He cast himself down in prayer, and wept a long time. Rising from prayer, he spread out his hands to heaven, and for a long space prayed within himself. When he did it three times, he commanded the body which was swathed to be loosed, and said: You youth Stacteus, who for love of your flesh has quickly lost your soul; you youth who did not know your Creator, nor perceive the Savior of men; you were ignorant of your true friend, and therefore did fall into the snare of the worst enemy. Behold, I pour out tears and prayers to Yahushua for your ignorance, that you may rise from the dead, the bands of death being loosed, and declare to these two, to Atticus and Eugenius, what great glory they lost, and what great punishment they incurred. Then Stacteus arose, worshipped the apostle, and began to reproach his disciples, saying: I saw your malaks weeping, and the malaks of Satan rejoicing at your overthrow. For now in a little time you lost the kingdom that was prepared for you, and the dwelling places built of shining stones, full of joy, of feasting and delights, full of everlasting life and eternal light. You got yourselves places of darkness, full of dragons, of roaring flames, of torments, punishments unsurpassable, of pains, anguish, fear, and horrible trembling. You lost the places full of unfading flowers, shining, full of the sounds of instruments of music; and got on the other hand places where roaring, howling, and mourning does not cease day nor night. Nothing else remains for you save to ask the apostle of Yahushua that like as he raised me to life, he would raise you also from death to salvation, and bring back your souls which now are blotted out of the Book of Life.
XVIII. Then both he who was raised, and all the people together with Atticus and Eugenius, cast themselves at the apostle's feet, and asked him to intercede for them with Yahwah. To them the apostle gave this answer: For thirty days they should offer penitence to Yahwah, and in that space pray especially that the rods of gold might return to their nature, and likewise the stones return to the meanness they were made with. It came to pass after thirty days were accomplished, and neither the rods were turned into wood nor the gems into pebbles, Atticus and Eugenius came and said to the apostle: You always taught mercy, preached forgiveness, and said that one man should spare another. If Yahwah wills that a man should forgive a man, how much more will He, as He is Yahwah, both forgive and spare men. We are confounded for our sin. We cried with our eyes which lusted after the world, now we repent with eyes that weep. We pray, Yahushua, we pray you, apostle of Yahushua, show in deed that mercy which in word you always promised. Then Yahchanan said to them as they wept and repented, and all interceded for them likewise: Yahwah used these words when He spoke concerning sinners: I do not will the death of a sinner, but I would rather he be converted and live. When the Savior Yahushua Messiyah taught us concerning the penitent, He said: Verily I say to you, there is great joy in heaven over one sinner who repents, and turns himself from his sins. There is more joy over him than over ninety and nine which did not sin. I would have you know Yahwah accepts the repentance of these men. He turned to Atticus and Eugenius, and said: Go, carry the rods back to the wood where you took them, for now they are returned to their own nature, and the stones to the sea-shore, for they are become common stones as they were before. When this was accomplished, they received again the grace which they had lost, so that again they cast out devils as before, healed the sick, enlightened the blind, and daily Yahushua did many mighty works by their means.
XX. When Aristodemus saw this, who was chief priest of all those idols, filled with a wicked spirit, he stirred up sedition among the people, so that one people prepared themselves to fight against the other. Yahchanan turned to him, and said: Tell me, Aristodemus, what can I do to take away the anger from your soul? Aristodemus said: If you will have me believe in Yahushua, I will give you poison to drink. If you drink it, and not die, it will appear that Yahushua is true. The apostle answered: If you give me poison to drink, it will not be able to harm me when I call on the Name of Yahushua. Aristodemus said again: I will that you see others drink it first, and die, so that your heart may recoil from that cup. The blessed Yahchanan said: I told you already I am prepared to drink it, that you may believe on the Savior Yahushua Messiyah when you see me whole after the cup of poison. Aristodemus went to the proconsul, and asked of him two men who were to undergo the sentence of death. He set them in the middle of the market-place before all the people, and in the sight of the apostle he made them drink the poison. As soon as they drank it, they gave up the spirit. Then Aristodemus turned to Yahchanan, and said: Hearken to me, depart from your teaching with which you call away the people from the worship of the gods. Or take and drink this, so you may show that Yahwah is Almighty, if you can remain whole after you drink. The blessed Yahchanan, as they who had drunk the poison lay dead, took the cup like a fearless and brave man, and spoke thus: Yahwah, the Father of our Savior Yahushua Messiyah, by whose Word the heavens were established, to whom all things are subject, whom all creation serves, whom all power obeys, fears, and trembles, we call on you for succour. At your Name the serpent hearing is still, the dragon flees, the viper is quiet, the toad is still and strengthless, the scorpion is quenched, the basilisk vanquished, and the spider does no hurt. In a word, all venomous things, and the fiercest reptiles and noisome beasts, are pierced, and all roots hurtful to the health of men dry up. To you I say, quench the venom of this poison, put out the deadly workings of it, and void it of the strength which it has in it. Grant to all these whom you created in your sight, eyes that they may see, ears that they may hear, and a heart that they may understand your greatness. When he said thus, he armed his mouth, all his body, and drank all that was in the cup. After he drank, he said: I ask that they for whose sake I drank be turned to you, O Yahushua, and by your enlightening receive the salvation which is in you. When the people saw that Yahchanan was of a cheerful countenance after three hours, and that there was no sign at all of paleness or fear in him, they began to cry out with a loud voice: He is the one true Yahwah whom Yahchanan worships.
XXI. But even so Aristodemus did not believe, though the people reproached him. He turned to Yahchanan, and said: This one thing I lack, if you in the Name of Yahwah raise up these who died by this poison, my mind will be cleansed of all doubt. When he said that, the people rose against Aristodemus, saying: We will burn you, and your house, if you go on to trouble the apostle further with your words. Seeing there was a fierce sedition, Yahchanan asked for silence, and said in the hearing of all: The first of the virtues of Yahushua which we ought to imitate is patience, by which we are able to bear with the foolishness of unbelievers. If Aristodemus is still held by unbelief, let us loose the knots of his unbelief. He will be compelled, even though late, to acknowledge his Creator. I will not cease from this work until a remedy will bring help to his wounds. Like physicians who have in their hands a sick man needing medicine, so also, if Aristodemus is not yet cured by that which was done, he will be cured by that which I will do now. He called Aristodemus to him, and gave him his coat, he himself stood clad only in his mantle. Aristodemus said to him: Why did you give me your coat? Yahchanan said to him: That you may be put to shame, and depart from your unbelief. Aristodemus said: How will your coat make me to depart from unbelief? The apostle answered: Go, cast it upon the bodies of the dead, and you will say this: The apostle of our Savior Yahushua Messiyah sent me, that in His Name you may rise again, that all may know that life and death are servants of my Savior Yahushua Messiyah. Aristodemus did so, and saw them rise. He worshipped Yahchanan, ran quickly to the proconsul, and began to say with a loud voice: Hear me, hear me, you proconsul. I think you remember that I often stir up your wrath against Yahchanan, and devised many things against him daily. Now I fear I will feel his wrath. He is a god hidden in the form of a man, has drunk poison, and not only continues whole, but also those who died by the poison he recalled to life by my means, by the touch of his coat, and they have no mark of death upon them. When the proconsul heard he said: And what will you have me to do? Aristodemus answered: Let us go, fall at his feet, ask pardon, and whatever he commands us, let us do. They came together, cast themselves down, and asked for forgiveness. He received them, offered prayer and thanksgiving to Yahwah, and he ordained them a fast of a week. When it was fulfilled he immersed them in the Name of Savior Yahushua Messiyah and His Almighty Father and Yahwah's Spirit the illuminator. When they were immersed, with all their house, their servants, and their kindred, they broke all their idols and built a church in the name of Yahchanan. He himself was taken up in the following manner:
106 Yahchanan continued with the brothers, rejoicing in Yahushua. The next day, being the first day of the week, and all the brothers being gathered together, he began to say to them: brothers, fellow-servants, co-heirs, and partakers with me in the kingdom of Yahwah, you know Yahushua, how many mighty works He granted you by my means, how many wonders, healings, signs, how great spirital gifts, teachings, governings, refreshings, ministries, knowledges, glories, graces, gifts, beliefs, communions, all which you saw given you by Him in your sight, yet not seen by these eyes nor heard by these ears. Be established in Him, remember Him in your every deed, know the mystery of the dispensation which came to pass towards men, for what cause Yahushua accomplished it. He begs you by me, brothers, and asks you, desiring to remain without grief, without insult, not conspired against, not chastened. He even knows the insult that comes of you, He even knows dishonor, He even knows conspiracy, He even knows chastisement, from those who do not hearken to His commandments.
107 Do not let our good Yahushua be grieved, the compassionate, the merciful, the pure, the undefiled, the immaterial, the only, the one, the unchangeable, the simple, the guileless, the unwrathful, even our Savior Yahushua Messiyah, who is above every name that we can utter or conceive, and more exalted. Let Him rejoice with us because we walk aright, let Him be glad because we live purely, let Him be refreshed because our conversation is sober. Let Him be without care because we live continently, let Him be pleased because we communicate one with another, let Him smile because we are chaste, let Him be merry because we love Him. These things I speak to you, brothers, because I am hurrying to the work set before me, already perfected by Yahushua. What else could I have to say to you? You have the pledge of Yahushua, you have the earnest of His goodness, you have His presence that cannot be shunned. If you sin no more, He forgives you what you did in ignorance. But if (after you know Him, and He has mercy on you) you walk again in the like deeds, both the former [sins] will be laid to your charge, and also you will not have a part nor mercy before Him.
108 When he spoke this to them, he prayed thus: O Yahushua, who wove this crown with your weaving, who joined together these many blossoms into the unfading flower of your countenance, who sowed these words in them, you only tender of your servants, and physician who heals freely, only doer of good, despiser of none, only merciful and lover of men, only savior and righteous, only seer of all, who are in all, present everywhere, containing all things, and filling all things: Messiyah Yahushua. Yahushua, Yahushua, who with your gifts and your mercy shelters those who trust in you, that knows clearly the wiles and the assaults of him who is everywhere our adversary, which he devises against us, O Yahushua, succour your servants by your visitation. Even so, Yahushua.
109 He asked for bread, and gave thanks thus: Breaking this bread, what praise, or what offering, or what thanksgiving, will we name save you only, O Yahushua? We glorify your Name that was said by the Father. We glorify the Name of Yahwah that was said by you. We glorify your entering of the Door. We glorify the resurrection shown to us by you. We glorify your Way, we glorify of you the seed, the word, the grace, the faith, the salt, the chosen pearl, the treasure, the plow, the net, the greatness, and the crown. Him who was called Son of man for us, who gave to us truth, rest, knowledge, power, the commandment, the confidence, hope, love, liberty, and refuge in you. For you, Yahushua, are alone the root of immortality, the fount of incorruption, and the seat of the ages. Calling on you by all these names we make known your greatness, which at the present is invisible to us; but visible only to the pure, being portrayed in your manhood only.
110 He broke the bread, and gave to all of us, praying over each of the brothers that he might be worthy of the grace of Yahushua, and of the eucharist. Likewise, he also took some himself, and said: Unto me also be there a part with you. And: Peace be with you, my beloved.
111 After that he said to Verus: Take two men with you, with baskets and shovels, and follow me. Without delay Verus did as he was asked by Yahchanan the servant of Yahwah. The blessed Yahchanan went out of the house, and walked forth of the gates, having told the more part to depart from him. When he came to the tomb of a certain brother of ours, he said to the young men: Dig, my children. They dug, and he was insistant with them yet more, saying: Let the trench be deeper. As they dug he spoke to them the Word of Yahwah, and exhorted those who were come with him out of the house, edifying and perfecting them to the greatness of Yahwah, praying over each one of us. When the young men finished the trench as he desired, we knowing nothing of it, he took off his garments he was clad in, laid them in the bottom of the trench as it were for a blanket. Standing in his shift only he stretched his hands upward, and prayed thus:
112 O you who chose us out for the apostleship of the Gentiles. O Yahushua, who sent us into the world, who revealed yourself by the Law and the prophets, who never rested, but always from the foundation of the world saved those who were able to be saved, who made yourself known through all nature, who proclaimed yourself even among beasts, who made the desolate and savage soul tame and quiet, who gave yourself to it when it was athirst for your words, who appeared to it in haste when it was dying, who showed yourself to it as a law when it was sinking into lawlessness, who manifested yourself to it when it was vanquished by Satan, who overcame its adversary when it fled to you, who had in your hand and raised it up from the things of Hades, who did not leave it to walk after a bodily sort, who showed to it its own enemy, who made for it a clear knowledge toward you, O Yahshua. Yahwah, the Father of those who are above the heavens, King of those who are in the heavens, the Law of those who are in the other, the course of those who are in the air, the keeper of those who are on the earth, the fear of those who are under the earth, the grace of those who are your own: receive the soul of Yahchanan, who it may be is accounted worthy by you.
113 O you who kept me for yourself until this hour, untouched by union with a woman, who appeared to me in my youth when I desired to marry, and said to me: Yahchanan, I have need of you. When for the third time I would marry you prepared a sickness of the body for me, preventing me, and then at the third hour of the day said to me on the sea: Yahchanan, if you were not mine, I would have allowed you to marry. You blinded me for two years, granting me to mourn and ask you. In the third year you opened the eyes of my mind, and also granted me my visible eyes. When I saw clearly you ordained that it should be grievous to me to look upon a woman. You saved me from the temporal fantasy, and lead me to that which endures always. You rid me of the foul madness that is in the flesh, took the bitter death from me, and established me on you alone. You muzzled the secret disease of my soul, cut off the open deed, afflict and banish him who raised tumult in me, made my love of you spotless, made my joining to you perfect and unbroken, gave me undoubting faith in you, ordered and made clear my inclination toward you, gave to every man the due reward of his works, and put into my soul that I should have no possession save you only, for what is more precious than you? Yahushua, if I have accomplished the dispensation I was entrusted with, account me worthy of your rest, and grant me that end in you which is salvation unspeakable and unutterable.
114 As I come to you, let the fire go backward, let the darkness be overcome, let the gulf be without strength, let the furnace die out, let the Lake of Fire be quenched. Let gods follow, let devils fear, let rulers be broken, let powers fall, let the places of the right hand stand fast, let those of the left hand not remain. Let the devil be muzzled, let Satan be derided, let his wrath be burned out, let his madness be stilled, let his vengeance be ashamed, let his assault be in pain, let his children be smitten, and all his roots plucked up. Grant me to accomplish the journey to you without suffering insolence or provocation, and to receive that which you promised to those who live purely, and love you only.
115 Having sealed himself in every part, he stood, and said: You are with me, O Savior Yahushua Messiyah. He laid himself down in the trench where he had strewn his garments, and said to us: Peace be with you, brothers. Rejoicing, he gave up his spirit.
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