The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English

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The Complete Dead Sea Scrolls in English Page 45

by Geza Vermes


  And serve your master freely

  And do not sell your glory for a price.

  Do not give money in pledge for your inheritance

  lest it impoverish your body.

  Do not satiate yourself with bread while there is no clothing.

  Do not drink wine while there is no food.

  Do not seek luxury when you lack bread.

  Do not glorify yourself in your need if you are poor

  lest you degrade your life.

  Also do not treat with contempt the vessel of your bosom (wife)

  4Q417, fr. 2 i (=4Q416 fr. 2 i)

  ... each time so that he shall not fill you

  and according to his spirit speak against him ...

  without rebuke.

  Forgive the worthy and ...

  And you shall not swallow up his spirit,

  for you have spoken in whisper ...

  And he has recited quickly his rebuke ...

  Do not overlook your sin ...

  for he is as righteous as you are.

  For he is a prince among pr[inces]

  ... he will do.

  For how unique is he in all activity with[out] ...

  Do not reckon an unjust man as a help,

  nor one filled with hatred ... [apart from] the wickedness

  of his deeds

  at his visitation.

  Know how to walk with him ...

  Let [instr]uction not depart from your heart

  and God will be for you, yourself.

  Widen ... in your poverty,

  for who is more insignificant than a poor man.

  Do not be jolly while in mourning

  lest you labour all your life.

  Look at the approaching mystery

  and grasp the sources (or: begetters) of salvation,

  and know who is to inherit glory or injustice.

  Will they not ...

  and for their mourning everlasting joy.

  ...

  Be an advocate for your business ... all your sins.

  Pronounce your judgement like a righteous ruler.

  Do not ta[ke] ...

  and do not overlook your sin.

  Be like a poor man in your dispute;

  His judgement ... take.

  Then God will see and His anger will cease,

  and He will forgive your sins ...

  [Fo]r before His anger

  no one can stand,

  And who is righteous in His judgement?

  And without pardon, how can the poor [stand firm

  before Him]?

  And as for you, if you are in need of food,

  your need and your plenty ... you will make abundant.

  Be led to the sustenance of His delight,

  and take from Him your inheritance

  and do not add agai[n] ...

  [By the word] of his mouth everything is

  and whatever He feeds you with, eat it.

  ... of your life. vacat

  If in your need you borrow money from people

  do not ... day and night

  and there shall be no rest for your soul

  [until] you have repaid [your] creditor [his money].

  Do not lie to him so that you will not bear guilt for it.

  Furthermore, because of the reproach ...

  You will not trust his neighbour.

  In your need he will close his hand.

  Your strength ...

  If you receive a stroke ...

  Do not hide from him who strikes you

  So that he will not reveal your shame ...

  4Q416 2 iii (4Q417 2 ii 26, 4Q418 9-10)

  ...

  and remember that you are poor ...

  What you lack, you will not find ...

  [If someone has left] a deposit with you,

  do not put your hand on it lest it be burnt

  and your body be devoured by its flame.

  A[s you have received] it, so return it

  and you will rejoice if you have no responsibility for it.

  Accept no goods from someone whom you do not know

  lest he increase your poverty.

  But if he has thrust it on you, let it be a deposit until death,

  but do not let your spirit be destroyed by it.

  Then you will lie with the truth

  and your memory will flowe[r for ev]er when you die,

  and your posterity will inherit joy.

  You are poor, do not desire anything save your

  inheritance,

  and do not be devoured by it lest you change your

  boundary.

  But if He brings you back to glory, walk in it,

  and in the approaching mystery search its beginnings.

  Then you will know

  His inheritance and you will walk in righteousness

  For God will shine His face on all your ways.

  Honour Him who glorifies you and praise His name always.

  For your head is above the summit of the mountains

  and He has given you a seat among the nobles

  and has made you to rule over an inheritance of glory.

  Seek always His pleasure.

  You are a poor man. Do not say:

  Since I am poor, I will not seek knowledge.

  Shoulder every discipline

  and with every ... refine your heart,

  and your thoughts with a multitude of understanding.

  Search the approaching mystery

  and consider all the ways of truth,

  and behold all the roots of injustice.

  Then you will know what is bitter for a man

  and what is sweet for a human being.

  Honour your father in your poverty

  and your mother in your steps.

  For his father is like God to a man

  and his mother like a ruler to a human being.

  For they are the crucible from which you were born

  and as He placed them over you as rulers

  and a frame for the spirit (?), so serve them,

  and as He has revealed to you the approaching mystery,

  honour them for your honour’s sake

  and in ... the splendour of their face

  for your life’s sake and for the length of your days.

  And if you are as poor as ...

  without precept.

  You have taken a wife in your poverty,

  take the offspring ...

  from the approaching mystery

  when you are joined together.

  Walk with the helpmate of your flesh ...

  4Q416 iv (4Q418 10 5-10)

  ... his father and his mother and he will cling [to his wife

  and they will become one flesh]

  He made him rule over her

  and she ...

  He did not make her father rule over her

  and He separated her from her mother .

  and towards you [will be her longing

  and she will be] one flesh for you.

  He will separate your daughter for another

  and your sons ...

  And you will become one with the wife of your bosom,

  for she is the flesh of your na[kedness]

  and whoever rules over her apart from you

  has changed the boundary of his life.

  He has made you to rule over her spirit

  so that she may walk according to your pleasure.

  Let her not increase vows and free-will offerings ...

  Bring back (her?) spirit to your good pleasure,

  and annul by the utterance of your mouth

  every binding oath of hers by which to vow a vow.

  And by your will, stop her ...

  of your lips ... forgive her for your sake.

  Let her not multiply ...

  4Q417 1 i (4Q418, fr. 43-45 i)

  ... [And] you, O man of understanding, ...

  Look on ...

  and grasp the won
derful mysteries of the God of awe.

  ...

  Look at the approaching mysteries

  And the ancient deeds ...

  ... what was and what will be ...

  ... in each deed and de[ed] ...

  [day and] night he meditates on the approaching mystery

  and studies (it) always.

  Then you will know truth and injustice,

  wisdom [and folly ... ]

  ... in all their ways

  together with their visitation

  for all the eternal ages and everlasting visitation.

  Then you will know the difference

  between [go]od and evil relating to their deeds.

  For the God of knowledge is the foundation of truth,

  and through the approaching mystery

  He set apart its foundation,

  the work of [His hands] ...

  ... and in pure understanding were revealed

  ... the secrets of his thought

  with his perfect conduct in all his deeds.

  Always seek these eagerly,

  and understand all their results.

  And then you will know everlasting glory

  and His marvellous mysteries, and the might of His deeds.

  And you will understand the beginning of your reward

  at the memorial of the time that has come.

  Engraved is the decree and all the visitation is determined.

  For God’s ordinance is engraved

  over all the in[iquities] of the sons of Seth.

  And a book of memorial is written before Him

  for those who keep His word.

  And this is the vision issuing from the meditation

  on the book of memorial. And He gave it as a heritage

  to mankind and to the people of the spirit.

  For his (man’s) shape is modelled on the holy ones,

  but meditation belongs no more to the fleshly spirit,

  for it cannot distinguish between g[ood] and evil

  according to the judgement of its spirit.

  And you, son of understanding, look ... at the approaching mystery

  and know the heritage of all the living.

  And his conduct and his visitation ...

  ... whether large or small ...

  do not be touched by wickedness ...

  [For whoever is touched] by it

  will not be innocent.

  According to his inheritance in it

  He will be wick[ed] ...

  Son of the intelligent,

  Consider your mysteries

  And the foundation of ...

  4Q418, fr. 55

  ... watchfulness will be in our heart ...

  and confidence in all our ways. vacat

  ... knowledge,

  and they have not searched for understandi[ng,

  and] ... have not chosen. vacat

  Is [he] not the God of knowledge,

  ... on the truth,

  establishing all [their ways of un]derstanding?

  He has assigned to all those who inherit truth

  ... watchfulness ...

  Have not peace and quiet... ?

  [Have] you not known ... ?

  For the holy angels ... in heaven

  [and] ... truth.

  And they will pursue all the roots of understanding,

  And watch over ...

  [And ac]cording to their knowledge

  they will be honoured, one more than another,

  and in conformity with his intelligence

  will his honour increase.

  ... Are they (the angels?) inert like man?

  Are they quiet like a son of man?

  Are they not... eternity,

  Inheriting an everlasting possession?

  Have you not seen ... ?

  4Q418, fr. 69 (4Q417 5 1-5)

  II...

  And now, O you foolish hearts,

  What good is to (someone) who is not...

  [What] is silence for someone who does not exist,

  and what is judgement if it has no foundation?

  Why do the dead groan over their ...

  ... you have been shaped

  and your return is to eternal destruction.

  For it shall wake up... your sin

  Darkness will roar against your dispute.

  And all those who will exist for ever,

  those who search truth will be aroused for your judgement

  [and then] all the foolish hearts will be destroyed,

  and the sons of injustice will be found no more,

  [and a]ll the supporters of wickedness will be put to shame.

  The foundations of the firmament scream at your judgement

  and all the ... will thunder.

  And you, elect of truth

  and pursuers of [righteousness and] jud[gement]

  ... guardians of all knowledge,

  how will you say:

  We labour for understanding

  and keep awake to pursue knowledge

  ... and be not weary in all the years of eternity.

  Will he not delight in truth for ever

  and knowledge... The s[ons of] heaven whose inheritance is eternal life,

  Will they indeed say:

  We have laboured in the works of truth

  and we exhausted ourselves in all the ages.

  Will they not walk in eternal light

  [and inherit g]lory and great splendour.

  And you, O son of [understanding] ...

  4Q418, fr. 81 (4Q423 8 1)

  Your lips are the opening of a spring to bless the holy,

  and in the eternal spring you have praised...

  The [Hol]y... has separated you from every spirit (bound to)

  flesh.

  As for you, separate from all that He hates,

  and keep away from all the abomination of the soul.

  For He has made all,

  and caused them to inherit each his heritage.

  He is your portion and your heritage among the sons of man,

  [and] He has made you ruler [in] his [her]itage.

  And in this you glorify Him, in consecrating yourself to Him.

  When He made of you the holy of holies for the whole world

  And in all these

  He cast your lot.

  And He has much increased your glory

  and has made you the first-born for Himself among...

  ... and I give you My goodness.

  As for you, is not My goodness for you?

  In His faithfulness He has walked always.

  ... your deeds.

  And as for you, search His judgements from all your accusers

  with all ... love Him,

  and with eternal loving-kindness, and with mercy towards

  all who keep His word.

  And his zeal...

  And as for you, He has opened understanding to you and has made you the ruler over His treasury

  and appointed [you] a receptacle of truth ...

  ... them with you,

  and to revoke anger from the men of goodwill by your hand.

  And to visit... with you,

  and before you take your heritage from His hand,

  glorify(?) His holy ones;

  and bef[ore] ...

  ... He has opened the [spr]ing of all the holy ones,

  and everyone called holy by His name ...

  ... with all the ages,

  his beauty and splendour to become an ever[lasting] plant.

  ... will walk all those who inherit the earth.

  For in heav[en] ...

  And you, O man of understanding,

  if He has made you rule over handcraft

  and know[ledge] ...

  secret (?) to all mortal men.

  And from there you will seek your prey

  and ... understand much.

  And by all your instructors increase in learning.

  ... bring from your povert
y

  to all those who seek pleasure.

  Then you will establish...

  ... you will be filled

  and you will be satisfied with plenty of good.

  By the skill of your hands...

  For God has assigned a heritage to all the [living]

  and all those wise in heart have become intelligent...

  Fr. 103 ii

  ... For all of them will seek their times

  and each man according to [his] pleasure...

  like a spring of living water which contains a secret.

  ... Do not mix with your merchandise that which...

  Why should it be a mixture like a mule,

  and you should be like one dres[sed in mixed materials],

  in wool and in linen,

  and you should labour with an ox and an ass (yoked) together.

  Your produce also would be like that of one who sows

  mixed seeds.

  Let the seed and the crop and the produce of the [vineyard]

  be holy

  ...

  4Q423,frs. 1, 2

  ... and every fruit that is grown

  and every tree that is pleasant

  and desirable providing understanding.

  Is this not a pl[easant and desirable] garden

  providing much understanding?

  He made you (Adam) rule over it

  to cultivate and guard it. vacat

  ... [the soil] will sprout for you thorn and thistle

  and it will not give you its strength

  ... because of your unfaithfulness. vacat

  ... she (Eve) gave birth

  and all the sentiments of her who has concei[ved] ...

  ... all your secrets... and all your affairs.

  For it will sprout [for you] everything...

  ... [knowing] evil, knowing good ...

  4Q423 fr.5 5

  ... and beware lest you... the judgement of Korah.

  And as He has unstopped your ear...

  ... and the prince of your people...

  He has divided the inheritance of all the rulers

  and the formation of every [dee]d is in His hand.

  He [knows] the reward of [their works

  and] j[udges] them all in truth.

  He visits the sons and the fathers,

  [the sojourners] (proselytes) with all the natives.

  He will speak...

  [If you are a f]armer,

  pay attention to the seasons of the summer

  and gather in your produce in its time,

  and the period of...

  ... the good with the evil

  Observe your produce and your work,

  In your labour consider... the good with the bad,

 

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