YA547-550 Chapter 1

[lacuna of 3 folios/6 pages]…. . . and in your community.

So that truly we shall be like the sons of Abraham and the sons of all our ancient ancestors,

whom the Lord blessed

because they not only loved their sons and daughters of the flesh and all their relatives,

but they loved everyone who believed in God and who guarded God's commandments,

and thus their seed inherited everyone who is faithful and just,

from the beginning until today and forever.

But if our ancient ancestors had disobedient and sinful children,

they did not then remounce their just children in order for them to flee from them

because of the amount of ignorance of the evil children,

but they cut off the sinful children

and remain with the just children all the days of their lives.

Therefore just as many sinful children cause grief to our ancient ancestors,

so also many just children bring them joy;

and just as God often becomes angry so to destroy many ancient tribes on account of the many sinful children among them,

so also God often turns his anger from many ancient tribes because of the just children among them;

and just as a great number [of people] died in their wickedness in every lawlessnes, on account of many false prophets

who lived among the many ancient tribes, praising them and deceiving them and drawing the anger of God on them,

so also a great many lived in every righteousness on account of the prophets of the Lord God,

who lived among the many ancient tribes, speaking the truth,

and blaming sinners and blessing those who do good;

and just as some in the ancients tribes were the deceivers (which means the false prophets and the deceptive priests),

so also some in the ancient tribes were prophets of the Lord, such as

Moses and Joshua the prophet, and Isaiah, Jeremaiah, Ezekial,

and all the prophets who find fault with everyone who sinned or who will sin in the presence of the Lord,

and they praise everyone who did, or will do, every righteousness.

But all the prophets of the Lord God and the apostles of our Lord Jesus

are all from the seed of our father Abraham,

and those from Abraham were not spared when they sinned in the presence of the God who made them,

but great curses were brought upon their brethren, their kin,

as it is written in the law of Moses.

And also they bless everyone who gives glory to the Lord God by their just works,

but even more greatly do they curse every false prophet and all the priests who deceive and every anti-Christ,

and all false teachers, and everyone who did not believe in our Lord Jesus from the beginning until now.

But if all the prophets, apostles and ancients ancestors and righteous people from the beginning until today

are people who perform the truth, and speak the truth,

because the truth is in them,

and thus they are upstanding in all their deeds through God.

As for us, brethren, let us perform the truth and speak the truth so that we are upstanding in all our works,

and so that we might belong to the prophets, apostles and all the saints,

and we would be worthy of God, because God is truthful,

and our Lord is truthful, who said, 'I am the truth.'

Therefore let us not lie

about evil deeds that we do in the darkness

so that we do not belong to Satan,

in whom no truth exists,

because he is a liar

and he does not ever stand fast truthfully.

Therefore indeed he is cursed, sowing lies and every sin among his companions, as it is written,

Whenever a liar speaks, he speaks among his companions. [??] that everyone who sins and who lies belongs to…' [text picks up in YA 551-54]