After many generations, Creator found a man he would choose to make a peace treaty with, named Father of Many Nations (Abraham). Through this man and his descendants, Creator would bring to pass his promise.
When Father of Many Nations (Abraham) and his wife were too old to have children, the Great Spirit gave them a son. They named him He Made Us Laugh (Isaac) because they laughed when Creator told them they would have a child. He Made Us Laugh (Isaac) had a son whom he named Heel Grabber (Jacob), because he grabbed his twin brother’s heel when he was being born. The Great Spirit later gave him a new name, Wrestles with Creator (Israel), because he wrestled with a spirit-messenger from Creator.
Wrestles with Creator (Israel) had twelve sons, who became twelve tribes. After four hundred years of mistreatment and slavery in the foreign nation of Black Land (Egypt), the Great Spirit set them free through Drawn from the Water (Moses), who became the great lawgiver.
The Great Spirit made a peace treaty with the tribes and gave them their own Land of Promise, ceremonies to purify them, and feasts to teach them to celebrate his goodness. He also gave them their tribal law, which was carved into tablets of stone, and a sacred tent lodge, where they would perform their ceremonies.
Creator wanted to be their only Chief, but the tribes wanted a human chief so they could be like the nations around them. This grieved Creator, but he gave them what they wanted. Most of these chiefs became arrogant and misrepresented the Great Spirit, but there were a few good ones. One of these chiefs was Much Loved One (David). He had a good heart toward Creator and the people, even though he, at times, also strayed from the path.
Creator chose the tribes to be a light to other nations, but they failed to keep his peace treaty, broke his laws, and misrepresented him to others. He sent many prophets to turn the hearts of the tribes back to the right ways of the Great Spirit, but they did not listen, and their hearts became like stone. The tribes went to war with each other and divided into two tribal nations. One nation kept the name Wrestles with Creator (Israel). The other nation took the name Give Him Honor (Judah).
After warning them many times, the Great Spirit finally removed his protection from them and allowed them to be conquered by the people of the Village of Confusion (Babylon). The tribes were taken captive and removed from their homeland. Their sacred lodge was destroyed, and their Village of Peace (Jerusalem) was left in ruins.
Creator’s heart was full of sorrow, but he did not forget his ancient promise, so he sent more holy men to tell about his plan.
The Great Spirit spoke through the prophet Lifted by Creator (Jeremiah), saying,
Behold! The time will come when I will make a new peace treaty with the northern tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) and the southern tribes of Give Him Honor (Judah). This peace treaty will be different from the one I made with their ancestors when I took them by the hand and walked them out of Black Land (Egypt). They did not honor that peace treaty, so I had to turn away from them. But here is the new peace treaty I will make with them. I will plant my laws in their minds and carve them into their hearts. I will be their Great Spirit, and they will be my people, my sacred family. (Jeremiah 31:31-33)
He also spoke through Creator Will Help Us (Isaiah), saying,
Here is the one I have chosen, who does all I ask and makes my heart glad. I have made my stand with him and love him as a father loves a son. My Sacred Spirit will rest on him and give him a message that will right the wrongs done to all people. He will not make loud arguments on the village pathways but will speak with humble dignity. He will not break a bruised reed. He will not snuff out a smoldering fire. He will never give up until all wrongs have been made right again! All Nations will hear of his reputation and put their trust and hope in him. (Isaiah 42:1-4)
The prophet Creator Will Decide (Daniel) said,
As I lay awake during the night, I was given many sacred visions. In one vision I looked and saw what appeared to be a True Human Being. He was riding on the clouds of the world above and was brought into the council house of the Ancient of Days. He stood before the Ancient of Days and was gifted with great authority over all the earth, with honor that outshines the sun, and with power that reaches beyond all the directions. All clans, tribes, nations, and languages will honor and serve this Chosen One above all others. His chiefly rule will last beyond the end of all days. For it will be a good road that can never fade away or come to a bad end. (Daniel 7:13-14)
After about seventy years in captivity, a small remnant returned to their homeland and rebuilt the sacred lodge. But the elders wept because it was pitiful in comparison to the original sacred lodge built by the great chief Stands in Peace (Solomon).
Many generations passed. Sacred ceremonies and feasts became empty rituals that were used to try to manipulate the Great Spirit to do what the spiritual leaders wanted. The ceremonies and laws were used to control people and make them afraid instead of helping them. Many spiritual leaders became even more corrupt, and they complicated and twisted the true meaning of Creator’s words.
So the Great Spirit became silent and sent no more holy men to speak his words for four hundred years. But he did not forget his ancient promises.
Through the generations that followed, many powerful nations ruled over the tribes. The most recent was the People of Iron (Romans). This government took control of the tribes and dominated them for nearly two generations.
The People of Iron (Romans) forced their treaties on the tribes but did allow some freedoms. They could practice their own spiritual ways, build gathering houses called synagogues, and maintain a sacred lodge to perform their ceremonies and make their prayers.
This government also allowed them to have their own tribal chiefs. But over many years those chiefs became corrupt and were controlled more by the ways of the People of Iron (Romans) than by their ancient Sacred Ways. The People of Iron (Romans) had taken charge of appointing their holy men and their tribal chief.
The people were oppressed and feared this powerful government of the Village of Iron (Rome) with its many soldiers and weapons of war. They kept praying that the Great Spirit would fulfill the age-old prophecies and send the Chosen One, whom they hoped would be a great warrior chief to destroy the People of Iron (Romans) and set them free.
The right time had finally come for Creator to fulfill his ancient prophecies and send his Chosen One.
But he would not come in the way the tribes expected . . .
GIFT FROM CREATOR TELLS THE GOOD STORY
THE GOSPEL OF MATTHEW
HIS TRIBAL ANCESTRY
1Here is the record of the ancestry of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) the Chosen One, a descendant of Much Loved One (David) and of Father of Many Nations (Abraham).
From Father of Many Nations (Abraham) to Much Loved One (David), his ancestors were:
2Father of Many Nations (Abraham), He Made Us Laugh (Isaac), Heel Grabber (Jacob), Give Him Praise (Judah) and his brothers, 3He Breaks Through (Perez) and his brother First Light (Zerah), whose mother was Fruit of Palm Tree (Tamar), Circle of Tipis (Hezron), Lifted Up (Ram), 4Noble Relative (Amminadab), Talks with Snakes (Nahshon), He Makes Peace (Salmon), 5Moves with Strength (Boaz), whose mother was Boastful Woman (Rahab), He Works Hard (Obed), whose mother was Beautiful Friend (Ruth), Original Man (Jesse), 6who was the father of the great chief Much Loved One (David).
From Much Loved One (David) to the removal to Village of Confusion (Babylon), the ancestors of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) were:
Much Loved One (David), Stands in Peace (Solomon), whose mother, Daughter of Seven (Bathsheba), was the wife of Fire from Creator (Uriah), 7Big People Maker (Rehoboam), He Is My Father (Abijah), Gathers the People (Asa), 8He Makes Wrongs Right Again (Jehoshaphat), Creator Is Above (Jehoram), My Great Power (Uzziah), 9Creator Has No Equal (Jotham), Held by Creator (Ahaz), He Will Be Strong (Hezekiah), 10He Made Them Forget (Manasseh), Burden Bearer (Amon), Good Medicine (Josiah), 11and Chosen by Creator (Jeconiah) and his brothers at the tim
e of the removal to Village of Confusion (Babylon).
12From the removal to Village of Confusion (Babylon) to the birth of Creator Sets Free (Jesus), his ancestors were:
Chosen by Creator (Jeconiah), Ask Creator (Shealtiel), Born in Village of Confusion (Zerubbabel), 13Father Boasts in Him (Abihud), He Builds Up (Eliakim), He Helps (Azor), 14Stands with a Good Heart (Zadok), Stands Firm (Achim), Power of Creator (Eliud), 15Creator Helps Him (Eleazar), Gifted by Creator (Matthan), Heel Grabber (Jacob), 16and He Gives Sons (Joseph), who was the husband of Bitter Tears (Mary), who gave birth to Creator Sets Free (Jesus), who is the Chosen One.
17And so there were fourteen generations from Father of Many Nations (Abraham) to Much Loved One (David), fourteen more generations from Much Loved One (David) until the removal to Village of Confusion (Babylon), and then fourteen more from the removal to Creator Sets Free (Jesus), the Chosen One.
BIRTH OF THE CHOSEN ONE
18Here is the story of how the Chosen One was born:
His mother, Bitter Tears (Mary), had been promised in marriage to He Gives Sons (Joseph). But before they came together in marriage, while still a virgin, she found out that she was carrying a baby in her womb from the Holy Spirit. 19He Gives Sons (Joseph) was a man of honor. He did not want to bring her trouble and open shame, so he thought about secretly releasing her from the marriage promise.
20As he wondered about these things, a messenger from the Great Spirit appeared to him in a dream and said, “He Gives Sons (Joseph), descendant of Much Loved One (David), do not be afraid to take Bitter Tears (Mary) to be your wife, because the Holy Spirit has given her this child. 21She will give birth to a son. You will name him Creator Sets Free (Jesus), because he will set his people free from their bad hearts and broken ways.”
22This gave full meaning to the words of Creator spoken long ago by the prophet, 23“A young virgin will be with child and give birth to a son. They will call his name Immanuel,1 which in our tribal language means Creator Is with Us.”
24When He Gives Sons (Joseph) woke up, he followed the guidance given him in the dream and took Bitter Tears (Mary) to be his wife. 25But he did not have sexual relations with her until after the child was born, and he named the child Creator Sets Free (Jesus).
SEEKERS OF WISDOM
1It was during the days of the bad-hearted Chief Looks Brave (Herod) that the Chosen One was born in the village of House of Bread (Bethlehem) in the Land of Promise (Judea). After his birth, Seekers of Wisdom (Magi) traveling on a long journey from the East came to Village of Peace (Jerusalem).
2They began to ask around, “Where is the one who has been born to be chief of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel)? We saw his star where the sun rises and have come to humble ourselves before him and honor him.”
3When Chief Looks Brave heard this, he and all who lived in Village of Peace (Jerusalem) were troubled. 4He called a council of all the head holy men and scroll keepers and asked them where the Chosen One was to be born.
5“In House of Bread (Bethlehem), the village of the great chief Much Loved One (David),” they answered. “This is what the ancient prophet said: 6‘But you, O House of Bread (Bethlehem), in the Land of Promise (Judea), even though you are small, you have a good reputation with the chiefs who watch over the land. From you will come a Great Chief who will guide my chosen people—the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).’2”
7Then Looks Brave (Herod) called a secret council with the Seekers of Wisdom (Magi) to find out when the star first appeared. 8He then sent them to House of Bread (Bethlehem) and told them, “Look everywhere for the child. Find him and tell me where he is, so that I may also come and honor him.”
9After listening to Looks Brave (Herod), the Seekers of Wisdom (Magi) went their way. 10When they saw the star rising in the East, they jumped with joy, and with glad hearts they followed until the star stopped and rested over the place where the child was. 11They went into the house and saw the child and his mother, Bitter Tears (Mary). As soon as they saw the child, they bowed down to honor him. Then they opened their bundles and gifted him with gold, sweet-smelling incense, and bitter ointment of myrrh.
ESCAPE TO BLACK LAND
12The Seekers of Wisdom (Magi) were warned in a dream not to go back to Looks Brave (Herod), so they returned to their homeland by a different road.
13After the Seekers of Wisdom (Magi) had gone, a spirit-messenger from Creator warned He Gives Sons (Joseph) in a dream. “Rise up!” he said urgently. “Take the child and his mother and go quickly to Black Land (Egypt) and remain there until I tell you to leave. Looks Brave (Herod) is searching for the child to kill him!”
14That night He Gives Sons (Joseph) took the child and his mother, and they fled for their lives to Black Land (Egypt). 15They remained there until the death of Looks Brave (Herod). This gave full meaning to Creator’s ancient prophecy: “I will call my son out from Black Land (Egypt).”3
16When Looks Brave (Herod) realized he had been outsmarted by the Seekers of Wisdom (Magi), he was full of rage. Using the knowledge he had gained from them, he gave orders for all male children in House of Bread (Bethlehem) under two winters of age to be put to death. 17This gave full meaning to another ancient prophecy spoken by Lifted by Creator (Jeremiah): 18“A sound of weeping and wailing is heard in Highland (Ramah). Sheep Woman (Rachel) is shedding tears for her children. No one can bring her peace, because her children have been taken from the land of the living.”4
DREAM GUIDANCE
19After Looks Brave (Herod) died, a spirit-messenger from Creator appeared again to He Gives Sons (Joseph) in a dream while he was still in Black Land (Egypt). 20The spirit-messenger said to him, “Get up and take the child and his mother back to the land of the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel), for the ones who were trying to take the child’s life are dead.”
21He Gives Sons (Joseph) got up, took the child and his mother, and began to go where he was told. 22On the way, when he heard that Rules the People (Archelaus), the son of Chief Looks Brave (Herod), had become the new chief, he became afraid.
After being warned in another dream, he took a different path to their home through Circle of Nations (Galilee), 23to an out-of-the-way village most people looked down on, called Seed Planter Village (Nazareth). This gave full meaning to the words of the prophets, “He will be called a Seed Planter (Nazarene).”
Many long winters had come and gone. Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was now thirty winters old—a mature man. The People of Iron (Romans) had many new rulers and governors, and the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel) had a new chief holy man for the sacred lodge.
GIFT OF GOODWILL
1In those days a man named Gift of Goodwill (John) appeared in the desert places of the Land of Promise (Judea). He began to speak out a message that was loud and clear, 2“It is time to return to the right ways of thinking. Creator’s good road from above is close. It is time to begin walking it.”
3The prophet Creator Will Help Us (Isaiah) told about him long ago when he said, “A voice is howling in the desert, ‘Clear the pathways! Make the path straight for the coming of the Great Chief!’5”
4Gift of Goodwill (John) came wearing a buffalo robe, with a deer-hide6 sash around his waist. The food he ate was grasshoppers and wild honey.
5The people were coming from Village of Peace (Jerusalem), from all over the Land of Promise (Judea) and the territory surrounding the river Flowing Down (Jordan). 6They came admitting to their bad hearts and broken ways and participated in the purification ceremony.7
SPIRITUAL LEADERS WARNED
7When he saw the Separated Ones (Pharisees) and Upright Ones (Sadducees) in the crowd watching, he cried out to them, “You nest of poisonous snakes! Who warned you to run and hide from the coming storm? 8You are like trees without fruit. Prove to others, by the way you live, that you have returned to the good road. 9Do you think you can say, ‘Father of Many Nations (Abraham) is our ancestor’? Do you not know the Great Spirit can m
ake these stones into his children? 10The tomahawk is already at the root of the trees, and the ones that have no good fruit will be cut down and tossed into the fire.
PURIFICATION CEREMONY WITH FIRE
11“I perform the purification ceremonyc with water, for the ones who have returned to the right way of thinking. But there is one you do not know, who is right here with you, and even though he comes after me, he is much greater. I am not even worthy to bend down and untie his moccasins. He is the one who will perform the purification ceremony with the fire of the Holy Spirit! 12His harvest basket is in his hands, to separate the grain from the husks. He will store the good grain in his barn, but the husks he will burn up with a fire no one can put out.”
THIS IS MY MUCH-LOVED SON
13Gift of Goodwill (John) then looked up and saw Creator Sets Free (Jesus) wading out into the water of the river Flowing Down (Jordan). He had come from Circle of Nations (Galilee), a journey of many days, for the purification ceremony,c 14but Gift of Goodwill (John) tried to stop him.
“Why are you coming to me?” he asked humbly. “I am the one who should come to you.”
15“This is the way it should be, for now,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) answered. “It is the right thing to do, to bring honor to the ways of Great Spirit.”
Gift of Goodwill (John) agreed to perform the ceremony. 16As soon as Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came up from the water, he saw the sky open. The Spirit of Creator came down like a dove and rested on him. 17A voice from the sky spoke like distant thunder, “This is my much-loved Son, who makes my heart glad!”
First Nations Version Page 2