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SCRIPTURES
Chapter 11
An angry Jehovah-Yahweh threatens Adam and Eve – Nakedness condemned by Jehovah-Yahweh
– Adam speaks: “Will you destroy, forever the thing you most desire?” – True worship
– God’s perception of Man – Walking naked and unafraid – Love or hate, joy or fear
– Jehovah-Yahweh responds – The battle is waged – False prophets, persecution of
the holy, guilt and shame – “Let us see then which is greater”
1 Thus would Adam and Eve, with all manner of gentle grace and tender speech, establish between the man and the woman a lasting devotion filled with goodness, whereby they might draw together in harmony the affections of both men and women, being strongly bound and firmly held in that love which endures forever.
2 But in the darkness of the Deep did the Demiurge rage against the coming forth of Adam and Eve, for he delighted not in the coming together of men and women in love and harmony; for the Demiurge feared the power of women and would, by any means, bind them to servitude and drudgery.
3 And on a certain day when Adam and Eve were walking through the midst of the garden, there came upon them a cold and chilling wind, and there swept low over the grasses of the field a dark and loathsome mist which did surge and move about, filling the whole land with a dreadful stench.
4 And the mist did surge up before Adam and Eve into a great billowing cloud filled with darkness, and red flames of fire did move and flash deep within, and a voice spoke from the darkness, saying: “I am god, Jehovah is my name. Why have you thought to sin before me, being naked and without shame?”
5 And Adam, stepping before Eve to shield her from the dreadful presence, spoke unto the Demiurge, saying: “What sin have we committed, seeing that we are in our natural state, and have brought forth no harm to you? Why then should we be ashamed? For the body of both the man and the woman are beautiful to behold and filled with promise. Why then are you offended?”
6 But the Demiurge, hearing these things, bellowed out in sudden rage, saying: “I am god. Would you speak to me in such a manner? Kneel therefore and worship me, lest I destroy you altogether; for the natural man is an offense to me, being filled continually with all manner of sin and corruption, and except you repent quickly, I will destroy you utterly.
7 For I, alone, am the only true god, being wrathful and filled with anger against any who should sin against me; hating with perfect zeal all those who will not worship me. Why therefore will you not repent, seeing that I alone, have power sufficient to save you?
8 For the sin of your nakedness do I perceive in the woman rightly, who by guile and vain deceit should cause that the man transgress before me; filling the hearts of all men with lusts and passions, seducing through the flesh the whole of man whereby they might consume the man to make him weak and feeble in both mind and body.
9 Know therefore that the children of men have I created that they might worship and serve me always. Why therefore would you corrupt the works of my hand? For I know that you are the very Adaam which would turn aside the whole of my creation from following after me.
10 For you would cause that the sons of men entangle themselves with the passions and desires of women; for it is the woman only which would lead a man to sin and death, being in themselves lustful and ever grasping;
11 Luring to their certain doom, the man who would rest beside them; tempting through their sinful flesh the minds of men to corrupt them altogether.
12 For this cause did I command that the man should rule over the woman, to bind her in servitude all the day long; lest she, through some soft word of vain deceit make the man subject unto herself; turning into mocking jest the strength and power of every man upon the earth.
13 Thus have you offended me by making weak the sons of men, while yet adding strength to the woman; and this through the nakedness of both the man and the woman; for you would use the flesh of the body to make as tame and docile the whole of man.
14 For this cause have I decreed that nakedness should be as some great offense unto me, and the natural man an enemy altogether. Thus would I make shameful the coming together of both the man and the woman, and the issue of all their seed as some vile necessity.
15 Go therefore from this garden place, for in this moment shall I cast you forth; that you may tempt no longer the creations of my hand, lest in my anger I destroy even every man and every woman upon the earth; and wheresoever you shall go shall desolation and emptiness cast pale their shadows upon the land.”
16 So spoke the Demiurge unto Adam and Eve, and the earth did tremble and the waters did cast themselves into a heap and darkness did cover the face of all the lands round about.
17 But Adam and Eve did withstand the Demiurge boldly to the face, and Adam spoke, saying: “Will you destroy forever the thing you most desire, even the fear and worship of all mankind?
18 Would you make as nothing what your hand has not created? Look you round about and see: What has Jehovah created in this world of all the living? If you destroy forever the seed of man, who will bring forth another unto you that they might worship you and fear you only?
19 And if you destroy forever the whole of man for our sake alone, will you not concede that you are made to fear because of us, and that in your greatness and power you have no confidence? Will the Demiurge accept defeat even before the battle is begun?”
20 Thus spoke Adam unto Jehovah-Yahweh, and the Demiurge spoke forth boldly, saying: “Of what shall I fear, seeing that I am god; of what then should I be afraid? For what glory then should I be made to wager against such a one as you, seeing that I possess all things unto myself already?”
21 And Adam answered, saying: “There is but one thing you lack, and that is the true worship of all mankind. For even we have come forth unto the children of men to teach unto them the ways of godliness and peace; that they might determine for themselves which is greater still, the god of fear and hate, or the true God of Heaven; even that one which is girded round about with all manner of love and tender affection.
22 Which therefore of these two Gods shall the children of men most desire? Which power shall prove itself greater in the hearts of men: joy or fear, love or hate? For it is in the hearts of men that the battle shall rage twixt me and thee, and not some other.
23 For unto the children of men would we raise up the hand to bless and curse not, that there might be established in the bosom of man the tabernacle of peace and joy forever;
24 First between the man and the woman strongly bound, then between a man and his neighbor. For it is peace and love which the children of men desire most for themselves and not fear and hate; for in the love of a man for a woman is joy made to come alive within the very soul, giving birth to all manner of hope and goodly expectation.
25 But such things as you would impose upon the minds of men would draw from the heart only bitterness and despair; for in you are all men made to seem as vile and loathsome creatures, being worthy of all manner of reproach and condemnation.
26 Yet does the true God perceive in man the beginning of some greater hope made rich with promise, being in themselves the very seed from which shall spring a far more noble human filled with glory and light; being forever added upon from eternity to eternity, even exaltation and worlds without end.
27 For there is a glory which lies beyond mere flesh and bone, and we which stand now before you, being the very Adaam, have come forth to make real in man the visions of God, placing in the heart of all mankind the beginning of light and glory.
28 For we have determined that in the love of both the man and the woman is there found that certain tabernacle, made not by the hands of men, but fashioned only of that love and devotion which endures forever.
29 Know therefore that in the woman shall all men find the fulfillment of all things beautiful, being desired above all others; while in the man shall be made manifest a strength and power which would make safe and certain the joy of both the man and the woman.
30 For it is good that a man should love the woman to worship her, for the good man is he which loves with fervent passion, first his wife, then all others besides; likewise it is good that a woman love her husband to worship him; that by her gentle passions she might exalt nigh unto God, the very soul of both the man and the woman.
31 Thus is it expedient that, in a time of their choosing, both the man and the woman walk naked upon the earth; walking gently and unafraid through the garden place wherein the sun and the wind might mingle themselves together in the pleasure of both the man and the woman.
32 For the tabernacle of God shall both the man and the woman strongly fashion; not with those things which are seen, being of themselves common and unworthy, but of those things which are unseen, being of themselves most subtly discerned.
33 For in God is there found a goodly hope filled with expectation; for in God would all mankind be lifted above the very stars whereby they might walk in all holy communion with that God which loved them from the very beginning.
34 Let us see, therefore, which shall conquer which, being greater of itself altogether: love or hate, joy or fear, and this in the heart and mind of man only; for it is certain that you cannot but act your nature, while yet we are likewise bound.
35 And if it should be that men shall succumb to fear and yield themselves to hate and folly, then shall the very Adaam stand defeated, and we shall leave this place to come no more among the children of men.
36 And in that day shall the children of men elect for themselves to follow after the very Demiurge, to bind themselves forever unto Jehovah-Yahweh, to worship and fear you always.
37 But if there be any among the children of men who would seek after the things of God, then shall the battle twixt me and thee rage on and on in the hearts of men, even until that day when all men are made free of you forever.
38 Come now Jehovah and let us see which is the greater, love or hate, joy or fear; and this in the heart and mind of every man and every woman upon the face of the earth.”
39 So spoke Adam unto the Demiurge, and Jehovah-Yahweh did ponder deeply the words which were spoken; for he desired most earnestly the fear and worship of all mankind; and seeing that he had not the power to create anew the things which he destroyed, he did agree most grudgingly.
40 And he spoke unto Adam, saying: “Let it be agreed between us then. Yet be not deceived, for there is a power greater than all your goodness.
41 For wheresoever you sow forth light, I shall sow forth darkness; where you would bring hope, I shall bring despair; where you would establish joy, I will plant deep in the heart of man a great and dreadful fear; and what you build in love, I shall lay waste through hate and malice.
42 For I know full well already the workings of those dispensations which you would establish in the world of man; being made aware most fully through the words of that Lucifer which fell from the very midst of you.
43 Know therefore that all those which you would send forth unto the children of men will I search out to destroy; for even I will call forth a great many false prophets and priests of my own design, and these will I cause to persecute and kill all those who would bring forth the light;
44 Corrupting through some sly deceit and subtle word, the words of that God whom I know not of; mocking and jesting with fearsome ridicule all those who would seek to follow.
45 For through the mouth of my servants will I speak most harshly of sin and death, binding upon the minds of all which hear, a dreadful expectation concerning the wrath and judgment to come, being of themselves consumed in torment forever and ever.
46 And all those who would seek the greater Light will I cause to be persecuted and chased about, even till they are made weary of you and they will curse you forever, being made to seem foolish in the eyes of all men.
47 And I shall bind the souls of men in guilt and shame, that in themselves there might exist all manner of contempt and dread, making dark and fearful the heart within;
48 Binding and constraining with all manner of doctrine, the hope of glory and exaltation in the kingdom of God; filling the minds of men with an ever increasing scorn against themselves whereby they might make small the seed of greatness.
49 By such means will I frustrate forever the hope of light and glory; making great in every man and in every woman the fear of that god who awaits them after death.”
50 Such were the words of Jehovah-Yahweh, and the Demiurge did laugh out loud with a dreadful hiss, and he spoke again, saying: “It is agreed between us. Let us see then which is greater: love or hate, joy or fear.”
51 And again the Demiurge roared with a dreadful hiss, laughing aloud in the midst of his darkness. And going away into the regions of his power, Adam and Eve were left again unto themselves, to ponder all which had taken place beside the waters of Shem Torath.