Chapter 4

1When the criminals were sentenced to death, he commanded that their flesh be burned in fire until it turned to ash, and then scattered in the wind. However, the fire could not burn the hair on the side of the corpses. Thus, they were sent away from the pit.

2Again, they set fire to them from morning until evening, but the fire could not burn them. Then they said, "Let us cast their corpses into the sea."

3So, they did as the king commanded, and cast them into the sea, even adding great stones, iron hearthstones, and a millstone that a donkey would grind by turning. Yet, the sea did not sink them, for the Spirit of JAH supported them. They floated on the sea, yet did not sink. The malice that was provoked against them failed to destroy them.

4"Their death has wearied me more than their life. Let me cast their corpses to the beasts that they may eat them. But what will I do?" he said.

5The youths did as he commanded. Vultures and beasts did not touch the corpses. Birds and vultures veiled them with their wings from the burning sun, and the corpses of the five martyrs sat for fourteen days.

6When they were sighted, their bodies shone like the sun, and angels encircled their corpses like the light encircling the Tent.

7He sought counsel, but he did not know what to do. Finally, he dug a grave and buried the five martyrs' corpses.

8Later that night, as the king who had forgotten JAH's law lay in bed, the five martyrs appeared before him, standing and vexing him with swords.

9He thought they had entered his house at night to commit a crime. When he woke from his slumber, he was afraid and fled from his bedchamber to the hall. He feared that they would kill him for the crime he thought they had committed against him. His knees trembled in fear.

10"My lords, what do you want? As for me, what should I do for you?" he asked.

11They answered, "Aren't we the ones you burned in the fire and commanded to be cast into the sea? JAH kept our bodies because we believed in Him. He did not let you destroy us. As those who believe in Him will not perish, let glory and praise be due to JAH. We who believed in Him did not shame in tribulation."

12"I did not know that punishment like this would find me. What reward should I give you for the evil I did to you?" he asked.

13"And now, separate from me the reward I give you - lest you take my body in death and lower my body toward Sheol while I am still alive.

14For I have wronged you, forgive my sin, for it was because of JAH's law that I received such kindness," he told them.

15And those honoured martyrs answered him saying, "Because of the harm you have inflicted upon us, we will not repay you with harm. It is JAH who brings hardship upon a soul, and it is He who will judge you accordingly."

16However, we were spared for your sake, as it seemed to you that you killed us. You showed us kindness despite our small numbers and our inability to reason.

17But you and the priests of your idols will descend into Gehenna, where there is no escape.

18Woe to your idols, before which you bowed down, forsaking JAH who was angry with you when you were scorned like spit. Woe to you who worship them, and do not know JAH who was angry with you and brought you from death to life. Are you who are standing here today not like smoke that will vanish tomorrow?

19The king asked them, "What do you command me to do for you, since you have shown me such love?"

20They replied, "Save yourself from entering the Gehenna of Fire, but you cannot save us. We are the ones who teach you."

21"Your idols are made of silver and gold, stone and wood. They have no understanding or knowledge, and they are the work of human hands."

22"They do not kill or save, benefit their friends or harm their enemies, exalt or humble, enrich or impoverish. They mislead you by the authority of demons, who do not desire the salvation of anyone, but do not uproot or plant anything."

23"They especially do not desire the salvation of people like you, who are dull-hearted and who they appear to be angry with, even though you are the one who made them."

24"As Satan and the demons have made their abode in them, they will repay you with the same love you have shown them, and they will drown you in the sea of Gehenna."

25"But you, stop this error and let this be our reward instead. Even though we are dead, we will benefit our souls by worshiping our Creator JAH," they told him.

26The king was alarmed and completely astonished. As all five drew their swords, he feared for his life and bowed to them.

27"Then I knew that even after death, those who are dust will truly rise. As for me, only a little time remains before my death," he said.

28From that day on, the king no longer burned the corpses of the Tseerutsaydan who were completely arrogant, and they were hidden from his sight.

29As they have misled many for many eras, the idolaters reasoned in error and misled many others like them until they stopped following JAH's worship. It wasn't only them who erred.

30They sacrificed their daughters and sons to demons, practicing seduction and disturbances as their rationale. Satan taught them this, so they could practice seduction and disturbances that JAH detests.

31They married their mothers and abused their aunts and sisters, defiling their bodies while doing all these filthy works. Satan confirmed these perverse people's reasoning, and they said, "We won't return."

32But the Tseerutsaydan, who didn't know JAH's wrath, were completely arrogant and boasted in their idols.

33If they say, "How will JAH give the Kingdom to people who don't know Him in LAW and in Worship?" They will fully return to Him in repentance, and He tests them for this reason.

34But if they completely repent, He will love them and keep their Kingdom. However, if they refuse, the fire of Gehenna will punish them forever.

35It is fitting for a king to fear JAH's wrath like his lordship's reputation, and it is fitting for a judge to be ruled by JAH's wrath while judging righteously, like his Rule's reputation.

36It is fitting for elders, chiefs, envoys, and petty kings to be commanded by those who fear JAH's wrath according to their lordship's abundance measure.

37JAH is the Lord of Heaven and Earth, who instills all wrath, for there is no other Lord in Heaven or Earth who impoverishes or enriches. He is the One who honors and debases.