108. Concerning the wickedness of the iniquitous JEWS

The Kebra Nagast, by E.A. Wallis Budge, [1932], at sacred-texts.com

108. Concerning the wickedness of the iniquitous JEWS

   And the Prophets prophesied concerning the wickedness of the JEWS. And DAVID said concerning it, "The man of violence hunteth iniquity to destroy himself."³ And again he saith, "His sorrow shall return upon his head, and his iniquity upon his forehead" (or, skull).⁴

   Thus SOLOMON his son prophesied and said, "The foolish man and the man of iniquity travel by paths that are not straight. He winketh with the eye, and tappeth with the foot, and he giveth a sign by movements of the fingers and motion of the lips, and his perverted heart meditateth evil at all times; a man who is like this will make to come tumult and murder, and the shedding of blood through double-dealing, and he shall not escape the judgement."⁵

   And DAVID his father prophesied and said, "They brought forth against me the word of error; he who sleepeth shall he not awake? Shall then the man of my peace (i.e., my friend), whom I trusted, who ate my food, lift up his foot against me?"⁶

   Thus ISAIAH the Prophet prophesied and said, "Woe p. 212 be unto the man of iniquity who bringeth wrath."¹ And again he said, "Let them remove the sinner so that he may not see the glory of God."²

   Thus DAVID the Prophet prophesied and said, "The sinner speaketh what will condemn him, and there is no fear of God before his eyes."³

   Thus SOLOMON his son prophesied and said, "The man of iniquity bringeth tumult to the city; and he willingly maketh to come destruction, and beating, and calamity which cannot be healed, for he rejoiceth in everything which God hateth."⁴

   Thus prophesied MOSES the Prophet and said, "God wisheth not to forgive him but rather to increase vengeance upon him; and He will make punishments to rest upon him, and the curse which is written in this book shall come upon him; and his name shall be blotted out from under heaven."⁵

   Thus DAVID the Prophet prophesied and said, "His heart is ready for slaughter; he preferreth cursing and it shall come to him; he refuseth blessing and it shall be far from him."⁶

   Thus JEREMIAH the Prophet prophesied concerning him and said, "The man of iniquity shall be destroyed because of the love of money, and he looketh upon darkness because of his fraud."⁷

   Thus JOB prophesied and said concerning him, "His Creator will destroy his fair work, and his root shall dry up under him, and his flower shall be beaten down upon him, and his memorial shall be blotted out from the earth, and his name shall be cast far away, and men shall remove him into the darkness so that he may not see the light, and the house of the man of iniquity shall be blotted out."⁸

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   Thus HOSEA prophesied and said concerning him, "Hearken unto me, O children of ISRAEL, for there is no righteousness, and no mercy, and no fear of God in his heart, but falsehood, and theft, and murder, and fornication."¹

   And DAVID the Prophet prophesied and said, "SATAN standeth at his right hand"; and again he said, "Let another take his office."²

   And MOSES cursed in the Law and said, "Cursed be every one who taketh bribes to slay innocent blood; and all the people said, Amen. And Amen."³

   Thus HABAKKUK the Prophet prophesied and said, "The governor maketh [men] wise concerning this perversion of the Law, and no right judgement cometh forth; for the sinner corrupteth the righteous man, and therefore a perverted judgement cometh forth."⁴

   Thus DAVID the Prophet prophesied and said, "The sinner seeth and becometh wrathful, and he gnasheth with his teeth and is dissolved."⁵

   Thus SOLOMON his son prophesied and said, "A false balance is a hateful thing to God."⁶

   Thus JEREMIAH prophesied and said concerning JUDAH, "My hire is ready (or, weighed) for me—thirty [pieces of] silver."⁷

Footnotes

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³ Psalm ix. 15, 16.

⁴ Psalm vii. 16.

⁵ Proverbs vi. 13.

⁶ Psalm xli. 9.

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¹ Isaiah x. 1, 2.

² Psalm civ. 35.

³ Psalm xxxvi. 1.

⁴ Prov. xi. 11

⁵ Deuteronomy xxix. 20.

⁶ Psalm cix. 17.

⁷ Compare Ezekiel xviii. 12, 31.

⁸ Job xviii. 16 f.

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¹ Hosea iv. 1, 2.

² Psalm cix. 6-8.

³ Exodus xxiii. 8; Deuteronomy xxvii. 25.

⁴ Habakkuk i. 4.

⁵ Psalm cxii. 10.

⁶ Proverbs xi. 1.

⁷ Zechariah xi. 12.