First Book of Adam and Eve | Page 5

fell on their
faces, and were as dead. O my Lord, what shall we do to Your
servants?"
14 Then God had pity on them, and showed them mercy, and sent His
Angel to keep the garden.
15 And the Word of the Lord came to Adam and Eve, and raised them
up.
16 And the Lord said to Adam, "I told you that at the end of the five
and a half days, I will send my Word and save you.
17 Strengthen your heart, therefore, and stay in the Cave of Treasures,
of which I have before spoken to you."
18 And when Adam heard this Word from God, he was comforted with
that which God had told him. For He had told him how He would save
him.


Chapter IV
- Adam mourns over the changed conditions. Adam and Eve enter the
Cave of Treasures.
1 But Adam and Eve cried for having come out of the garden, their first
home.
2 And indeed, when Adam looked at his flesh, that was altered, he cried
bitterly, he and Eve, over what they had done. And they walked and
went gently down into the Cave of Treasures.
3 And as they came to it, Adam cried over himself and said to Eve,

"Look at this cave that is to be our prison in this world, and a place of
punishment!
4 What is it compared with the garden? What is its narrowness
compared with the space of the other?
5 What is this rock, by the side of those groves? What is the gloom of
this cavern, compared with the light of the garden?
6 What is this overhanging ledge of rock to shelter us, compared with
the mercy of the Lord that overshadowed us?
7 What is the soil of this cave compared with the garden land? This
earth, strewed with stones; and that, planted with delicious fruit trees?"
8 And Adam said to Eve, "Look at your eyes, and at mine, which
before beheld angels praising in heaven; and they too, without ceasing.
9 But now we do not see as we did; our eyes have become of flesh;
they cannot see like they used to see before."
10 Adam said again to Eve, "What is our body today, compared to what
it was in former days, when we lived in the garden?"
11 After this, Adam did not want to enter the cave, under the
overhanging rock; nor would he ever want to enter it.
12 But he bowed to God's orders; and said to himself, "Unless I enter
the cave, I shall again be a transgressor."


Chapter V
- Eve makes a noble and emotional intercession, taking the blame on
herself.
1 Then Adam and Eve entered the cave, and stood praying, in their own
tongue, unknown to us, but which they knew well.
2 And as they prayed, Adam raised his eyes and saw the rock and the
roof of the cave that covered him overhead. This prevented him from
seeing either heaven or God's creatures. So he cried and beat his chest
hard, until he dropped, and was as dead.
3 And Eve sat crying; for she believed he was dead.
4 Then she got up, spread her hands toward God, appealing to Him for
mercy and pity, and said, "O God, forgive me my sin, the sin which I
committed, and don't remember it against me.

5 For I alone caused Your servant to fall from the garden into this
condemned land; from light into this darkness; and from the house of
joy into this prison.
6 O God, look at this Your servant fallen in this manner, and bring him
back to life, that he may cry and repent of his transgression which he
committed through me.
7 Don't take away his soul right now; but let him live that he may stand
after the measure of his repentance, and do Your will, as before his
death.
8 But if You do not bring him back to life, then, O God, take away my
own soul, that I be like him, and leave me not in this dungeon, one and
alone; for I could not stand alone in this world, but with him only.
9 For You, O God, caused him to fall asleep, and took a bone from his
side, and restored the flesh in the place of it, by Your divine power.
10 And You took me, the bone, and make me a woman, bright like him,
with heart, reason, and speech; and in flesh, like to his own; and You
made me after the likeness of his looks, by Your mercy and power.
11 O Lord, I and he are one, and You, O God,