Then they bethought them that they had done wrong in trying to put an
end to their own lives before it pleased God to set them free from
this world. Therefore Adam took stones and piled them up in the shape
of an altar, and then they gathered leaves from the trees and wiped
off the blood that had been spilt upon the face of the rock, and
gathered up the dust that was mingled with their blood and laid it
upon the altar, and prayed to God to forgive their trespass. And this
was the first offering that they made to God. And God looked upon
them with pity and forgave them, and said, "As you have shed your
blood, so after five thousand and five hundred years have passed will
I take your flesh upon Me and shed My blood for you and for your
children; and it shall have power to quench the flame of the sword
which is in the hand of the angel, and you shall enter again into the
garden, and dwell there until the time when I shall make a new heaven
and a new earth."
But when Satan saw that God had pity upon Adam and Eve and accepted
their humble offering--for he was all this time keeping watch to see
what would become of them--he was filled with dismay and hate, and
began to contrive means by which he might lead them astray and put an
end to them; for he thought, "If these creatures were destroyed,
the earth would remain to me and to my hosts, and I should reign over
it alone." He called therefore for some of his host, and made them
appear like angels of light. And when they were all disguised in this
fashion, they rose into the air and flew towards the cave, from which
Adam and Eve were just coming out, meaning to go once again towards
the garden. When they caught sight of these bright ones in the air,
they stopped and raised their hands towards them, thinking that they
were angels coming to them with a message. Satan called to Adam,
"Adam, we are angels come from God; He has sent us to bring you to
the lake of pure water that is on the north side of Eden, that you
may wash yourselves in it and be cleansed from your sin, and return
once more to the garden. Come therefore and follow us." And they
turned and began flying towards the north; but Adam and Eve were glad
beyond measure, and followed the troop of angels as quickly as they
could, till they came to the mountain on the north side of Eden which
overhung the lake. Then Satan lighted on the ground, and guided them
to the top of the mountain, which was very steep. And when they were
at the summit, they stood for a while and looked down upon the waters
of the lake; and while they were doing so, Satan vanished away
silently, and all his host with him; so that when Adam and Eve looked
round, they found themselves left alone and in great peril. And they
saw that they had been brought into this danger by Satan, and that he
had deceived them once again. And they cried aloud for help.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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