CHAPTER 19.
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Levi
Jesus at the age of twelve in the temple. Disputes with the doctors of the law. Reads from a book of prophecy. By request of Hillel he interprets the prophecies.
Again the great feast in Jerusalem was on, and Joseph, Mary and their son were there. The child was twelve years old.
2 And there were Jews and proselytes from many countries in Jerusalem.
3 And Jesus sat among the priests and doctors in the temple hall.
4 And Jesus opened up a book of prophecy and read:
5 Woe, woe, to Ariel, the town where David dwelt! I will dismantle Ariel, and she shall groan and weep:
6 And I will camp against her round about with hostile posts;
7 And I will bring her low and she shall speak out of the earth; with muffled voice like a familiar spirit shall she speak; yea, she shall only whisper forth her speech;
8 And foes unnumbered, like the grains of dust, shall come upon her suddenly.
9 The Lord of hosts will visit her with thunder and with tempest, and with storm; with earthquake, and with devouring flames.
10 Lo, all these people have deserted me. They draw to me with speech, and with their lips they honor me; their hearts are far removed from me; their fear for me is that inspired by man.
11 And I will breathe an adverse breath upon my people, Israel; the wisdom of their wise men shall be lost; the understanding of their prudent men shall not be found.
12 My people seek to hide their counsel from the Lord, so that their works may not be seen. They fain would cover up their works with darkness of the night, and say, Who sees us now? Who knows us now?
13 Poor, foolish men! shall that which has been made say of its maker, He is naught, I made myself?
14 Or shall the pot speak out and say to him, who made the pot, You have no skill; you do not know?
15 But this will not forever be; the time will come when Lebanon will be a fruitful field, and fruitful fields will be transformed to groves.
16 And on that day the deaf will hear the words of God; the blind will read the Book of God’s Remembrance.
17 And suffering ones will be relieved, and they will have abundant joy; and every one that needs will be supplied; and it will come to pass that all the foolish will be wise.
18 The people will return and sanctify the Holy One, and in their heart of hearts, lo, they will reverence him.
19 When Jesus had thus read he put aside the book and said, You masters of the law, will you make plain for us the prophet’s words?
20 Now, Hillel sat among the masters of the law, and he stood forth and said, Perhaps our young rabboni who has read the word will be interpreter.
21 And Jesus said, The Ariel of the prophet is our own Jerusalem.
22 By selfishness and cruelty this people has become a stench unto the Elohim.
23 The prophet saw these days from far, and of these times he wrote.
24 Our doctors, lawyers, priests and scribes oppress the poor, while they themselves in luxury live.
25 The sacrifices and the offerings of Israel are but abomination unto God. The only sacrifice that God requires is self.
26 Because of this injustice and this cruelty of man to man, the Holy One has spoken of this commonwealth:
27 Lo, I will overturn, yes, I will overturn, it shall be overturned, and it shall be no more until he comes whose right it is and I will give it unto him.
28 In all the world there is one law of right, and he who breaks that law will suffer grief; for God is just.
29 And Israel has gone far astray; has not regarded justice, nor the rights of man, and God demands that Israel shall reform, and turn again to ways of holiness.
30 And if our people will not hear the voice of God, lo, nations from afar will come and sack Jerusalem, and tear our temple down, and take our people captive into foreign lands.
31 But this will not forever be; though they be scattered far and wide, and wander here and there among the nations of the earth, like sheep that have no shepherd guide,
32 The time will come when God will bring again the captive hosts; for Israel shall return and dwell in peace.
33 And after many years our temple shall be built again, and one whom God will honor, one in whom the pure in heart delights will come and glorify the house of God, and reign in righteousness.
34 When Jesus had thus said, he stepped aside, and all the people were amazed and said, This surely is the Christ.