衣索比亞馬加比一書 第 1 章

There was a man whose name was Tseerutsaydan, a lover of evil, who exalted himself in the multitude of his horses and in the strength of the army that was under his hand.

He had many gods, idols, to whom he bowed down and which he served, and to whom he offered sacrifices by day and by night.

In the folly of his heart it seemed to him that it was they who gave him power and strength.

He continually offered sacrifice to his gods.

And further it seemed to him that they gave him authority in battle and in everything that he desired.

And he himself offered sacrifice by day and by night.

And he appointed priests over them to serve the idols.

But those priests pretended, and told him that his gods ate by day and by night, while they themselves ate of that defiled sacrifice.

And further they would urge others like themselves to sacrifice and to eat; and again they would compel still others to sacrifice in the same way.

And he himself trusted in his idol, which has no profit at all.

In the blindness of his heart and the scarcity of his understanding it seemed to him that they had created him, that they nourished him and made him king; for Satan had blinded his heart so that he might not know the God who created him and made him and established him out of nothingness, neither he nor his own, so that he might go with Satan into judgment and be condemned with him forever, together with those whom he called gods, though they were not gods.

And it is fitting to call them dead, for they were never alive at any time.

And as for those who trust in them, the children of men whose understanding is like ashes: the spirit of Satan, which leads them astray, enters into that idol together with their image, and speaks with them according to the desire of their heart, and appears to them according to what they wish.

And when they saw that what they had hoped for was fulfilled for them, they marvelled; and they too carried out his will, until they slaughtered their sons and their daughters who came forth from their womb, and poured out innocent blood, the blood of their sons and their daughters.

And they were not horrified, for Satan had made it pleasant to them according to their evil desire, that he might bring them down with him into his own judgment, into the vision of Gehenna, where there is no escape, for ever and ever.

Now that Tseerutsaydan was arrogant, and he had idols, some made in the likeness of males and some in the likeness of females.

And he boasted in those idols of his that had no profit, and all the more he honoured them and offered sacrifice to them evening and morning.

He compelled the people to sacrifice, and he himself ate of that defiled sacrifice; and he compelled others also to eat, and all the more he gave himself over to wickedness.

And he made houses for his gods, cast of bronze and of iron and of lead.

And he overlaid them with gold and with silver, and he made curtains and canopies around the courts of his house.

And he set keepers there, and he offered sacrifice to them every morning.

And it seemed to him that his gods ate; and he set before them dishes of food and wine, and bowls of silver filled with wheat kneaded with oil of sandalwood.

And he said to his priests, Draw near, give it to them; let my gods eat of my slaughtered offering and drink of all my food; and if it is not enough for them, I myself will add more for them.

And of that defiled sacrifice he compelled everyone to eat and to drink.

And out of the evil of his thought he sent his troops to search throughout all his kingdom, that they might single out and find any who would not sacrifice nor bow down to them; such they would bring and condemn before him with the sword and with fire, and would plunder his goods, and burn his house with fire, and seize all that he had.

And he said, Upon him too I will bring suffering and judgment, if he refuses the worship and sacrifice of my gods; for they are great and good, and in their goodness they have made all things.

For they made the heaven and the earth and the great sea, and the sun and the moon and the stars, and the winds and the clouds, and everything that moves, for our food and for our fullness.

But those who do not worship them shall be condemned with affliction and with tribulation, and they shall show them no mercy.