orders in which we were--to
come under his command, and to accept his vein promise. But we would
not, and we did not take his advice.

12 Then after he had fought with God, and had dealt forwardly with Him,
he gathered together his hosts, and made war with us. And if it had
not been for God's strength that was with us, we could not have
prevailed against him to hurl him from heaven.

13 But when he fell from among us, there was great joy in heaven,
because of his going down from us. For if he had remained in heaven,
nothing, not even one angel would have remained in it.

14 But God in His mercy, drove him from among us to this dark earth;
for he had become darkness itself and a worker of unrighteousness.

15 And he has continued, O Adam, to make war against you, until he
tricked you and made you come out of the garden, to this strange land,
where all these trials have come to you. And death, which God brought
to him, he has also brought to you, O Adam, because you obeyed him, and
trespassed against God."

16 Then all the angels rejoiced and praised God, and asked Him not to
destroy Adam this time, for his having sought to enter the garden; but
to bear with him until the fulfillment of the promise; and to help him
in this world until he was free from Satan's hand.

Chapter LVI - A chapter of divine comfort.

1 Then came the Word of God to Adam, and said to him:--

2 "O Adam, look at that garden of joy and at this earth of toil, and
behold the garden is full of angels, but look at yourself alone on this
earth with Satan whom you obeyed.

3 Yet, if you had submitted, and been obedient to Me, and had kept My
Word, you would be with My angels in My garden.

4 But when you transgressed and obeyed Satan, you became his guests
among his angels, that are full of wickedness; and you came to this
earth, that brings forth to you thorns and thistles.

5 O Adam, ask him who deceived you, to give you the divine nature he
promised you, or to make you a garden as I had made for you; or to fill
you with that same bright nature with which I had filled you.

6 Ask him to make you a body like the one I made you, or to give you a
day of rest as I gave you; or to create within you a reasonable soul,
as I created for you; or to take you from here to some other earth than
this one which I gave you. But, O Adam, he will not fulfil even one of
the things he told you.

7 Acknowledge, then, My favor towards you, and My me