The suppressed Gospels and Epistles of the original New Testament of Jesus the Christ, Complete - William Wake

Скачать книгу

exceedingly distressed, and would

       not be seen by his wife:

      6 But retired into the wilderness,

       and fixed his tent there, and

       fasted forty days and forty nights,

       saying to himself,

      7 I will not go down either to

       eat or drink, till the Lord my

       God shall look down upon me, but

       prayer shall be my meat and drink.

      CHAPTER. II.

      1 Anna, the wife of Joachim mourns her Barrenness,

       6 is reproached with it by Judith her maid,

       9 sits under a laurel tree and prays to the Lord.

      IN the mean time his wife Anna

       was distressed and perplexed

       on a double account, and said,

       I will mourn both for my widowhood

       and my barrenness.

      2 Then drew near a great feast

       of the Lord, and Judith her maid,

       said, How long will you thus

       afflict your soul? The feast of

       the Lord is now come, when it is

       unlawful for any one to mourn.

      3 Take therefore this hood

       which was given by one who

       makes such things, for it is not

       fit that I, who am a servant should

       wear it, but it well suits a person

       of your greater character.

      4 But Anna replied, Depart

       from me, I am not used to such

       things; besides, the Lord hath

       greatly humbled me.

      5 I fear some ill-designing person

       hath given thee this, and thou

       art come to reproach me with my sin.

      6 Then Judith her maid answered,

       what evil shall I wish you,

       when you will not hearken to me?

      7 I cannot wish you a greater

       curse than you are under, in that

       God hath shut up your womb, that

       you should not be a mother in

       Israel.

      8 At this Anna was exceedingly

       troubled, and having on her wedding

       garment, went about three o'clock

       in the afternoon to walk in her

       garden.

      9 And she saw a laurel-tree and

       sat under it, and prayed unto the

       Lord, saying,

      10 O God of my fathers, bless

       me and regard my prayer, as thou

       didst bless the womb of Sarah;

       and gavest her a son Isaac.

      CHAPTER III.

      1 Anna perceiving a sparrow's nest in the

       laurels bemoans her barrenness.

      AND as she was looking towards

       heaven she perceive a sparrow's

       nest in the laurel,

      2 And mourning within herself,

       she said, Wo is me, who begat

       me? and what womb did bear

       me, that I should be thus

       accursed before the children of

       Israel, and that they should

       reproach and deride me in the

       temple of my God: Wo is me,

       to what can I be compared?

      3 I am not comparable to the

       very beasts of the earth, for even

       the beasts of the earth are fruitful

       before thee, O Lord! Wo is me,

       to what can I be compared?

      4 I am not compared to the

       brute animal, for even the brute

       animals are fruitful before thee,

       O Lord! Wo is me, to what am I

       comparable?

      5 I cannot be comparable to

       these waters, for even the waters

       are fruitful before thee, O Lord!

       Wo is me, to what can I be compared?

      6 I am not comparable to the

       waves of the sea; for these,

       whether they are calm, or in motion,

       with the fishes which are in them,

       praise thee, O Lord! Wo is me to

       what can I be compared?

      7 I am not comparable to the

       very earth, for the earth produces

       its fruits, and praises thee, O Lord!

      CHAPTER IV.

      1 An Angel appears to Anna and tells her she shall conceive;

       two angels appear on the same errand.

       5 Joachim sacrifices.

       8 Anna goes to meet him,

       9 rejoicing that she shall conceive.

      THEN an angel of the Lord

       stood by her and said, Anna,

       Anna, the Lord hath heard thy

       prayer; thou shalt conceive and

       bring forth, and thy progeny shall

       be spoken of in all the world.

      2 And Anna answered, As the

       Lord my God liveth, whatever I

       bring forth, whether it be male or

       female, I will devote it to the Lord

       my God and it shall minister to

       him in holy things, during its

       whole life.

      3 And behold there appeared

       two angels, saying unto her,

       Behold Joachim thy husband is

       coming with his shepherds.

      4 For an angel of the Lord

       hath also come down to him, and

       said, The Lord God hath heard

       thy prayer, make haste and go

       hence, for behold Anna thy wife

       shall conceive.

      5 And Joachim went down and

       called his shepherds, saying, Bring

       me hither ten she-lambs without

      

Скачать книгу