water of peace; and clothe them in a garment of light, and restore
them to their former state of grace, and leave them not in misery, for
they came from you. But grieve not over them, nor repent of that which
has come over them.

17 But when I heard this, I was sorry; and my heart could not patiently
bear it for your sake, O my child.

18 But, O Adam, when I heard the name of Satan, I was afraid, and I
said within myself, I will not come out because he might trap me as he
did my children, Adam and Eve.

19 And I said, 'O God, when I go to my children, Satan will meet me in
the way, and war against me, as he did against them.'

20 Then God said to me, 'Fear not; when you find him, hit him with the
staff that is in thine hand, and don't be afraid of him, for you are of
old standing, and he shall not prevail against you.'

21 Then I said, 'O my Lord, I am old, and cannot go. Send Your angels
to bring them.'

22 But God said to me, 'Angels, verily, are not like them; and they
will not consent to come with them. But I have chosen you, because
they are your offspring and are like you, and they will listen to what
you say.'

23 God said further to me, 'If you don't have enough strength to walk,
I will send a cloud to carry you and set you down at the entrance of
their cave; then the cloud will return and leave you there.

24 And if they will come with you, I will send a cloud to carry you and
them.'

25 Then He commanded a cloud, and it bear me up and brought me to you;
and then went back.

26 And now, O my children, Adam and Eve, look at my old gray hair and
at my feeble state, and at my coming from that distant place. Come,
come with me, to a place of rest."

27 Then he began to cry and to sob before Adam and Eve, and his tears
poured on the ground like water.

28 And when Adam and Eve raised their eyes and saw his beard, and heard
his sweet talk, their hearts softened towards him; they obeyed him, for
they believed he was true.

29 And it seemed to them that they were really his offspring, when they
saw that his face was like their own; and they trusted him.

* The existence of the two words helpmeet and helpmate, meaning exactly
the same thing, is a comedy of errors. God's promise to Adam, as
rendered in the King James version of the Bible, was to give him an
help meet for him (that is, a helper fit for him). In the 17th century
the two words help and meet in this passage were mistaken for one w