The First Book Of Adam And Eve
1926 anthology, complete selected publisher reading text
Rutherford H. Platt
23 “God said further to me, ‘If thou hast not strength to walk, I will send a cloud to carry thee and alight thee at the entrance of their cave; then the cloud will return and leave thee there.
24 “‘And if they will come with thee, I will send a cloud to carry thee and them.’
25 “Then He commanded a cloud, and it bare me up and brought me to you; and then went back.
26 “And now O my children, Adam and Eve, look at my hoar hairs and at my feeble estate, and at my coming from that distant place. Come, come with me, to a place of rest.”
27 Then he began to weep and to sob before Adam and Eve, and his tears poured upon the earth like water.
28 And when Adam and Eve raised their eyes and saw his beard, and heard his sweet talk, their hearts softened towards him; they hearkened unto him, for they believed he was true.
29 And it seemed to them that they really were his offspring, when they saw that his face was like their own; and they trusted him.
CHAP. LXI.
They begin to follow Satan.
THEN he took Adam and Eve by the hand, and began to bring them out of the cave.
2 But when they were come a little way out of it, God knew that Satan had overcome them, and had brought them out ere the forty days were ended, to take them to some distant place, and to destroy them.
3 Then the Word of the Lord God again came and cursed Satan, and drove him away from them.
4 And God began to speak unto Adam and Eve, saying to them, “What made you come out of the cave, unto this place?”
5 Then Adam said unto God, “Didst thou create a man before us? For when we were in the cave there suddenly came unto us a good old man who said to us, ‘I am a messenger from God unto you, to bring you back to some place of rest.’
6 “And we did believe, O God, that he was a messenger from Thee; and we came out with him; and knew not whither we should go with him.”
7 Then God said unto Adam, “See, that is the father of evil arts, who brought thee and Eve out of the Garden of Delights. And now, indeed, when he saw that thou and Eve both joined together in fasting and praying, and that you came not out of the cave before the end of the forty days, he wished to make your purpose vain, to break your mutual bond; to cut off all hope from you, and to drive you to some place where he might destroy you.
8 “Because he was unable to do aught to you, unless he showed himself in the likeness of you.
9 “Therefore did he come to you with a face like your own, and began to give you tokens as if they were all true.
10 “But I in mercy and with the favour I had unto you, did not allow him to destroy you; but I drove him away from you.
11 “Now, therefore, O Adam, take Eve, and return to your cave, and remain in it until the morrow of the fortieth day. And when ye come out, go towards the eastern gate of the garden.”
12 Then Adam and Eve worshipped God, and praised and blessed Him for the deliverance that had come to them from Him. And they returned towards the cave. This happened at eventide of the thirty-ninth day.
13 Then Adam and Eve stood up and with great zeal, prayed to God, to be brought out of their want for strength; for their strength had departed from them, through hunger and thirst and prayer. But they watched the whole of that night praying, until morning.
14 Then Adam said unto Eve, “Arise, let us go towards the eastern gate of the garden as God told us.”
15 And they said their prayers as they were wont to do every day; and they went out of the cave, to go near to the eastern gate of the garden.
16 Then Adam and Eve stood up and prayed, and besought God to strengthen them, and to send them something to satisfy their hunger.
17 But when they had ended their prayers, they remained where they were by reason of their failing strength.
18. Then came the Word of God again, and said unto them, “O Adam, arise, go and bring hither two figs.”
19 Then Adam and Eve arose, and went until they drew near to the cave.
CHAP. LXII.
Two fruit trees.
BUT Satan the wicked was envious, because of the consolation God had given them.
2 So he prevented them, and went into the cave and took the two figs, and buried them outside the cave, so that Adam and Eve should not find them. He also had in his thoughts to destroy them.
3 But by God’s mercy, as soon as those two figs were in the earth, God defeated Satan’s counsel regarding them; and made them into two fruit-trees, that overshadowed the cave. For Satan had buried them on the eastern side of it.
4 Then when the two trees were grown, and were covered with fruit, Satan grieved and mourned, and said, “Better were it to have left those figs as they were; for now, behold, they have become two fruit-trees, whereof Adam will eat all the days of his life. Whereas I had in mind, when I buried them, to destroy them entirely, and to hide them for aye.
5 “But God has overturned my counsel; and would not that this sacred fruit should perish; and He has made plain my intention, and has defeated the counsel I had formed against His servants.”
6 Then Satan went away ashamed, of not having wrought out his design.
CHAP. LXIII
The first joy of trees.
BUT Adam and Eve, as they drew near to the cave, saw two fig-trees, covered with fruit, and overshadowing the cave.
2 Then Adam said to Eve, “It seems to me we have gone astray. When did these two trees grow here? It seems to me that the enemy wishes to lead us astray, Sayest thou that there is in the earth another cave than this?