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And the Lord showed me [Peter] a very great country outside of this
world, exceeding bright with light, and the air there lighted with
rays of the sun, and the earth itself blooming with unfading flowers
and full of spices and plants, fair-flowering and incorruptible and
bearing blessed fruit. And so great was the perfume that it was
borne thence even unto us. And the dwellers in that place were clad
in the raiment of shining angels and their raiment was like unto
their country; and angels hovered about them there. And the glory of
the dwellers there was equal, and with one voice they sang praises
alternately to the Lord God, rejoicing in that place. The Lord said
to us, This is the place of your brethren the righteous.
And over against that place I saw another, exceedingly parched, and
it was the place of punishment. And those who were being punished
there and the angels who punished them wore dark raiment like the
air of the place.
Certain persons there were hanging by the tongue. These were they
who blaspheme the way of righteousness, and under them lay a fire
whose flames tortured them.
Also there was a great lake full of flaming mire in which were
certain men that pervert righteousness, and tormenting angels
afflicted them.
And there were also others, women, hanged by their hair over that
mire that flamed up, and these were they who adorned themselves for
adultery. And the men who mingled with them in the defilement of
adultery, were hanging by the feet with their heads in that mire,
and they exclaimed in a loud voice: We did not believe that we
should come to this place.
And I saw the murderers and their accomplices cast into a certain
narrow place full of evil snakes where these evil beasts smote them
while they turned to and fro in that punishment, and worms like
great black clouds afflicted them. And the souls of those who had
been murdered said, as they stood and looked upon the punishment of
their murderers, O God, just is thy judgment.
And other men and women were aflame up to the middle, and were cast
into a dark place and were beaten by evil spirits, and their inwards
were eaten by restless worms. These were they who persecuted the
righteous and delivered them up to the authorities.
And over against these were othe
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