Chapter 8

1But in the assemblies,® and®° nations, and churches, there shall be many tumults, for there shall arise evil 4C.: a sound of all sorts of storms. 2 St. Luke xxi. 25, 7C.: others who being but boys take wives shall bring forth (sic) ; see Note. bring forth” (mox nubserit femina pariet !). men). (singular ; the same Syriac word in plural is ‘‘spirits’’) ; cf. Isa. xxvi. 18. only. W For monstrous births, cf. 2 Esdras v. 8. 18§,: Of disturbances and tumults of nations and shepherds (Lagarde: of disturbance and tumult, etc.). shepherds unjust slothful? avaricious, lovers of pleasures,* lovers of gains® lovers of money, talkative, boastful,° haughty, gluttonous,’ perverse, rash, given to delights, vainglorious’ opposing the ways of? the Gospel and fleeing from the strait gate® removing from themselves every humiliation and not sorrowing for My humiliation,” rejecting all the words of truth, and despising” all the ways of piety, and not mourning for their sins. Therefore’ there shall be shed abroad among the nations unbelief, hatred of the brotherhood,® wickedness, bitterness, slothfulness,® envy, hatred, strife, theft, oppression, drunkenness, debauchery,”” lasciviousness,!8 licentiousness, fornication, and all such works as are contrary to the commandments of life. For from many mourning and gentleness shall flee away, and peace and meekness, and poverty and piety, and tears,” because the shepherds heard ®° these things, and did not do them, and moreover did not shew”! My commandments, seeing that they [themselves] are examples of wickedness in the nation.” But the time shall come when some of them will deny Me, and will stir up* confusions in the earth,* and put their trust in a corruptible® king. But they who in My Name endure?’ unto the end shall be saved.28 Then they shall ordain commandments for men, [commandments] unlike the 7808. C.; M. B. omit: gluttonous. 5 xevddotos translated. [people], C. adds: for my sake. debaucheries, lasciviousnesses. *§, C.: kings; Copto-arab.: mortal kings. Cf. Ps. exlvi. 3, 4. book of commandments! in which? the Father is well pleased?; and My elect* and My holy ones shall be rejected® by them, and called among them, as it were, the polluted. Yet these are the upright ones, pure, sad, merciful, quiet, kind, always knowing Him who is among them ® at all times, and they shall be called mad for My sake, who have saved’ them. It shall come to pass also in those days that My Father shall gather together ® out of that generation the pure ones, even the pure and faithful souls, those to whom I will appear, and with whom I will make My habitation, and I will send to them the understanding ® of knowledge and of truth, and the understanding® of holiness, and they shall not cease praising’ and giving thanks to their God,! My Father who sent Me; and they shall speak the truth at all times, and they shall teach [others] whose spirit they have tried * [and have found] that they are upright 3 and worthy, as for the kingdom," and shall instruct them in knowledge and strength and prudence. And those who suffer persecution because they live in piety shall receive the reward of their praise. And it shall be in those times that all the kingdoms shall be disturbed, and all the world % also [shall see] affliction 1° and want; and all this world shall be reputed as nothing ; and all its possessions shall be destroyed 1§,: and the commandment. 3C.: precepts not according to my will, and traditions in which My Father is not well pleased. 4SoC. S.; M. B.: my men (viri). 5 Or: despised. corrupt). upright. 4C.: rightly directed in their hearts towards the kingdom. 16C.: all the kingdoms of the whole earth shall be swept together, and it shall be in want and affliction. by many [destroyers], and there shall be great scarcity of crops, and the winter shall be very severe; and the princes * shall be few in number and small, who have rule over? gold and over silver, and are rich in all those things which are in this world; and the children of this world shall hold their storerooms and barns, and shall have rule over the markets of buying and selling.® Many shall be afflicted,* and on that account shall call upon their God that they may be delivered. Blessed are they who are not [alive] at that time; and [blessed] they [also] who shall be® [alive indeed], but ® [shall] endure. For when these things shall come to pass, then soon she that travaileth is near to bring forth,’ for the® time is fulfilled.