Lost Books of the Bible (18 page)

3 Then Lamech pitied him, and he said, "You may be correct. When you are alone you might be overpowered by the men of this place."

4 So Lamech arose, took a bow he had kept ever since he was a youth, before he became blind, and he took large arrows, and smooth stones, and a sling, which he had, and he went to the field with the young shepherd, and placed himself behind the cattle while the young shepherd watched the cattle. Lamech did this for many days.

5 Meanwhile, ever since God had cast him off and had cursed him with trembling and fear, Cain could not be still (settle) nor find rest in any one place, so he wandered from place to place.

6 In his wanderings he came to Lamech's wives, and asked them about him. They said to him, "He is in the field with the cattle."

7 Then Cain went to look for him and as he came into the field, the young shepherd heard the noise he made, and the cattle herding together in front of him.

8 Then said he to Lamech, "My lord, is that a wild beast or a robber?"

9 And Lamech said to him, "Tell me where he is when he comes up.”

10 Then Lamech bent his bow, placed an arrow on it, and fitted a stone in the sling, and when Cain came out from the open country, the shepherd said to Lamech, "Shoot, behold, he is coming."

11 Then Lamech shot at Cain with his arrow and hit him in his side. And Lamech struck him with a stone from his sling, and the stone struck his face and knocked out both his eyes. Then Cain fell dead instantly.

12 Then Lamech and the young shepherd came up to him and found him lying on the ground. And the young shepherd said to him, "It is Cain our grandfather, whom you have killed, my lord!"

18 Then Lamech grieved in bitterness and regret. And he clapped his hands together and struck the head of the youth with his flat palm, and the youth fell as if he were dead. But Lamech thought the youth was pretending, so he took up a stone and struck him, and smashed his head until he died.

Chapter XIV

1 When Enos was nine hundred years old, all the children of Seth, and of Cainan, and his first-born, with their wives and children, gathered around him, asking for a blessing from him.

2 Then he prayed over them and blessed them, and made them promise them by the blood of Abel the just, saying to them, "Do not let even one of your children go down from this Holy Mountain, and do not let them make friends with the children of Cain the murderer."

3 Then Enos called his son Cainan and said to him, "Look, my son, and set your heart on your people, and establish them in righteousness, and in innocence, and stand ministering before the body of our father Adam, all the days of your life."

4 After this Enos rested (died). He was nine hundred and eighty - five years old. Cainan wrapped him up, and laid him in the Cave of Treasures on the left of his father Adam, and made offerings for him, following the custom of his fathers.

Chapter XV

1 After the death of Enos, Cainan led his people in righteousness and innocence, as his father had commanded him. He also continued to minister before the body of Adam, in the Cave of Treasures.

2 Then when he had lived nine hundred and ten years, suffering and sickness came upon him. And when he was about to enter into rest (die), all the fathers with their wives and children came to him, and he blessed them, and earnestly urged them by the blood of Abel, the just, saying to them, "Let no one among you descend from this Holy Mountain; and do not make friends with the children of Cain the murderer."

3 Mahalaleel, his first - born son, received this commandment from his father, who blessed him and died.

4 Then Mahalaleel embalmed him with sweet spices, and laid him in the Cave of Treasures, with his fathers; and they made offerings for him, as was the custom of their fathers.

Chapter XVI

1 Then Mahalaleel led his people, and fed them in righteousness and innocence, and watched them to see they had no relationship with the children of Cain.

2 He also continued in the Cave of Treasures praying and ministering before the body of their father Adam, asking God for mercy on himself and on his people, until he was eight hundred and seventy years old, when he fell sick.

3 Then all his children gathered around him to see him, and to ask for his blessing on them all, before he left this world.

4 Then Mahalaleel arose and sat on his bed, his tears streaming down his face, and he called his eldest son Jared, who came to him.

5 He then kissed his face, and said to him, "Jared, my son, I solemnly urge you by Him who made heaven and earth, to watch over your people, and to feed them in righteousness and in innocence; and not to let even one of them go down from this Holy Mountain to the children of Cain, or he will perish with them.

6 "Hear, my son, there will come a great destruction upon this earth because of them. God will be angry with the world, and will destroy them with waters.

7 "But I also know that your children will not listen to you, and that they will go down from this mountain and have relations with the children of Cain, and that they shall perish with them.

8 " My son! Teach them, and watch over them, so that no guilt will be on you because of them."

9 Mahalaleel continued, saying to his son Jared, "When I die, embalm my body and lay it in the Cave of Treasures, by the bodies of my forefathers then stand by my body and pray to God, and take care of them, and fulfill your ministry before them, until you enter into rest yourself."

10 Mahalaleel then blessed all his children, then he laid down on his bed and entered into rest like his fathers.

11 But when Jared saw that his father Mahalaleel was dead, he wept and grieved, and embraced, and kissed his hands and his feet, and so did all his children.

12 And his children embalmed him carefully, and laid him by the bodies of his fathers. Then they stood and mourned for him forty days.

(Author’s note: Mahalaleel’s way of adjuring Jared, his son, was different in form from those before. He did not invoke the name of Abel, the just. The results were also different, in that it was at this time the children of Abel first began to have intercourse with the children of Cain.)

Chapter XVII

1 Then Jared kept his father's commandment, and arose like a lion over his people. He fed them in righteousness and innocence, and commanded them to do nothing without his consent. This was because he was afraid for them that they should go to the children of Cain.

2  He gave them orders repeatedly, and continued to do so until the end of the four hundred and eighty-fifth year of his life.

3 At the end of these years, there came to him a sign. As Jared was standing like a lion before the bodies of his fathers, praying and warning his people, Satan envied him and produced a beautiful specter because Jared would not let his children do anything without his counsel.

4 Satan appeared to him with thirty men of his hosts, in the form of handsome men. Satan himself was the oldest and tallest among them, with a fine beard.

5 They stood at the mouth of the cave, and called out Jared, who was in the cave.

6 He came out to them and found them looking like handsome men, full of light, and very beautiful. He was in awe of their beauty and their looks, and wondered to himself whether they might not be of the children of Cain.

7 He said also in his heart, " The children of Cain cannot come up to the height of this mountain, and none of them are this handsome as these appear to be, and among these men there is not one of my kindred, so they must be strangers."

8 Then Jared exchanged a greeting with them and he said to the oldest among them, " My father, tell me how you are so wonderful, and tell me who these are with you. They look to me like strange men."

9 Then the oldest began to weep and the rest wept with him, and he said to Jared, "I am Adam whom God made first, and this is Abel my son, who was killed by his brother Cain, whose heart was influenced by Satan to murder.

10 "And this is my son Seth, whom I asked Lord to give me to comfort me when I no longer had Abel.

11 "Then this one is my son Enos, son of Seth, and that other one is Cainan, son of Enos, and that other one is Mahalaleel, son of Cainan, your father."

12 But Jared remained wondering at their appearance and at the words of the elder to him.

13 Then the oldest said to him, "Do not stand there is awe, my son. We now live in the land north of the garden, which God created before the world. He would not let us live there, but placed us inside the garden, below which you are now living.

14 "After I transgressed, He made me come out of it and I was left to live in this cave. That was when great and horrible troubles came on me. And when the time of my death drew near, I commanded my son Seth to tend his people well. And my commandment is to be handed from one to another, to the end of the generations to come.

15 "But, Jared, my son, we live in beautiful regions while you live here in misery. Your father Mahalaleel informed me that a great flood would come and overwhelm the whole earth.

16 "Therefore, my son, fearing for your sakes, I rose and took my children with me, and came here to visit you and your children. I found you standing in this cave weeping, and your children scattered about this mountain in the heat and in misery.

17 "But, my son, as we missed our way, and came as far as this, we found other men below this mountain; who inhabit a beautiful country, full of trees and of fruits, and of all manner of lush, green vegetation. It is like a garden.  When we found them we thought they were you, until your father Mahalaleel told me they were no such thing.

18 "Now, my son, listen to my advice, and go down to them, you and your children. You will rest from all this suffering you are in. If you will not go down to them then arise, take your children, and come with us to our garden. There, you shall live in our beautiful land, and you shall rest from all this trouble which you and your children are now living in."

19 But when he heard these words from the oldest, Jared was confused and went here and there, but at that moment he found none of his children.

20 Then he answered and said to the old one, "Why have you hidden yourselves until this day?"

21 And the oldest replied, "If your father had not told us, we would not have known it."

22 Then Jared believed his words were true.

23 So that oldest said to Jared, "Wherefore did you turn about, so and so?" And he said, "I was seeking one of my children, to tell him about my going with you, and about their coming down to those about whom you have spoken to me."

24 When the old one heard Jared's intention, he said to him, "Do not worry about that right now but come with us and you shall see our country. If the land in which we live pleases you, we shall all return here and take your family with us. But if our country does not please you, you shall come back to your own home."

25 And the old one urged Jared to go before one of his children came to talk him out of his decision.

26 Jared, then, came out of the cave and went with them, and among them. And they comforted him, until they came to the top of the mountain of the sons of Cain.

27 Then the old one said to one of his companions, "We have forgotten something by the mouth of the cave, and that is the chosen garment we had brought to clothe Jared with."