1 Meqabyan (Ethiopian) 8

And concerning the resurrection of the dead also, hear and I will tell you. Men plant trees and tend their branches and the shoots of the vine, and they make wine from it; for the Lord brings forth the fruit out of that which was not.

It draws its nourishment from water and from earth.

And the Lord gives suck to its roots.

The winds gather the spirits from the water and from the earth and from the sun and from the wind; for that which is its own departs when it has gone forth out of the body.

And the Spirit of the Lord gives fruit in their midst; even so shall be the resurrection of the dead.

And He said:

The earth abode in that which was its own and became ashes; and the water too abode in that which was its own and became dew.

And the wind too abode in that which was its own and became wind; and the fire too abode in that which was its own and became the heat of the sun.

And the spirit of the Lord returned into the hand of its Maker, and He sets it in the place He desires; for at the time He pleases He gathers it again.

And He establishes the souls of the righteous in houses of light; but the souls of sinners He shuts up in houses of darkness, until the time when He desires to bring them forth.

And He said to Ezekiel the prophet, Call upon the four spirits, that they may be gathered together and become one breath.

And when he had spoken thus in one word, the four winds gathered together.

And the water brought dew, and again the sun brought heat.

And again the earth brought ashes, and the wind too brought breath.

And the Lord too brought the soul from its dwelling, from where it was shut up; and at one word they were gathered together, and there was the resurrection.

And again He showed you that which is a likeness near to you: there comes evening and you sleep, and there comes morning and you rise up. As for you, when you sleep you are as a dead man.

And when you awake, it is the likeness of the resurrection. And the night is the likeness of this world, which is wholly of darkness, and all the world sleeps in it, for the darkness of night has covered them.

And the dawning of the morning is the likeness of the resurrection of the dead; for thereby the darkness is removed, and there comes light upon all the world, and man rises up and goes forth to his labour.

And even so is this renewal of the world and the resurrection of the dead; for this world is passing away, like this night.

And when the sun comes and shines, it is the likeness of this world; even as David said, And in the sun He has set His tabernacle.

And when He comes in the new world, then, as now the sun gives light, when the Lord Himself comes upon it, He gives light in the new world; for it is said that the Lord Himself is its light, a sun that never sets and a lamp that is never quenched.

And again He raises up the dead as in the twinkling of an eye. And again I bring you a likeness from your sowing, that which you sow and by which you live: whether it be a grain of wheat or a grain of barley or a grain of millet, and all the labour of man that he sows in any field, unless it die, there is nothing that lives.

And when it dies, its body is consumed in the ashes together with its husk, like the body of man which you behold.

And when its body has been consumed in the earth, it springs up.

You see that this too, unless it die, cannot live; and when it has sprung up, it brings forth ears in abundance.

And there is given from the Lord fruit upon that ear which has grown up, and He clothes it with a body, with skin and husk.

And the leaves and the stalk and the chaff and the awn cannot be reckoned by you; but see how greatly the grains of that which you have sown are multiplied.

Be not a fool, but see how greatly your seed has multiplied; even so consider the resurrection of the dead, and how they shall be requited according to their deeds.

And again hear and I will tell you, how the seed is not changed into another seed: if you sow wheat, do you reap barley?

And if you sow cummin, do you reap caraway? And among the trees too, if you plant a fig, does a poplar spring up for you? And if you plant a walnut, does a vine spring up for you?

And if you plant sweet fruit, does it spring up bitter? And if you plant a bitter tree, can it become sweet?

Even so, if a sinner dies, can he become righteous at the resurrection? And if a righteous man dies, can he become a sinner at the resurrection? No, but each one is requited according to his deeds, and according to the fruit of his work, and according to the work of his hands he is requited; and there is none who is condemned for the sin of another.

The cedar of Lebanon is planted and puts forth long and great branches; but if the dew of Hermon does not come down upon it, its foliage does not flourish, but it dries up and is shaken off.

And the cypress too is filled out from the root, if the rain of the winter season comes down upon it.

And likewise, if there does not come down upon the dead, and upon them life from the Lord, the dead cannot rise.