Chapter XIII

 The fall of Adam. Why night and day were created.

 

 

1 Then when God, who is merciful and full of pity, heard Adam's voice, He said to him:—

 

2 "O Adam, so long as the good angel was obedient to Me, a bright light rested on him and on his hosts.

 

3 But when he transgressed² My commandment, I deprived him of that bright nature, and he became dark.

 

4 And when he was in the heavens, in the realms of light, he knew nothing of darkness.

 

5 But he transgressed, and I made him fall from the heaven onto the earth; and it was this darkness that came over him.

 

6 And on you, O Adam, while in My garden and obedient to Me, did that bright light rest also.

 

7 But when I heard of your transgression³, I deprived you of that bright light. Yet, of My mercy, I did not turn you into darkness, but I made you your body of flesh, over which I spread this skin, in order that it may bear cold and heat.

 

8 If I had let My wrath⁴ fall heavily on you, I should have destroyed you; and had I turned you into darkness, it would have been as if I had killed you.

 

9 But in My mercy, I have made you as you are; when you transgressed My commandment, O Adam, I drove you from the garden, and made you come forth⁵ into this land; and commanded you to live in this cave; and darkness covered you, as it did over him who transgressed My commandment.

 

10 Thus, O Adam, has this night deceived you. It is not to last forever; but is only of twelve hours; when it is over, daylight will return.

 

11 Sigh not, therefore, neither be moved; and say not in your heart that this darkness is long and drags on wearily; and say not in your heart that I plague you with it.

 

12 Strengthen your heart, and be not afraid. This darkness is not a punishment. But, O Adam, I have made the day, and have placed the sun in it to give light; in order that you and your children should do your work.

 

13 For I knew you would sin and transgress¹, and come out into this land. Yet I wouldn't force you, nor be heard over you, nor shut up; nor doom⁶ you through your fall; nor through your coming out from light into darkness; nor yet through your coming from the garden into this land.

 

14 For I made you of the light; and I willed to bring out children of light from you and like to you.

 

15 But you did not keep My commandment one day; until I had finished the creation and blessed everything in it.

 

16 Then, concerning the tree, I commanded you not to eat of it. Yet I knew that Satan, who deceived himself, would also deceive you.

 

17 So I made known to you by means of the tree, not to come near him. And I told you not to eat of the fruit thereof, nor to taste of it, nor yet to sit under it, nor to yield to it.

 

18 Had I not been and spoken to you, O Adam, concerning the tree, and had I left you without a commandment, and you had sinned—it would have been an offence on My part, for not having given you any order; you would turn around and blame Me for it.

 

19 But I commanded you, and warned you, and you fell. So that My creatures cannot blame Me; but the blame rests on them alone.

 

20 And, O Adam, I have made the day so that you and your descendants can work and toil⁷ in it. And I have made the night for them to rest in it from their work; and for the beasts of the field to go forth by night and look for their food.

 

21 But little of darkness now remains⁸, O Adam, and daylight will soon appear."

 

1 transgress   

vt.违反，逾越

参考例句：

• Your words must't transgress the local laws .你的言辞不能违反当地法律。
• No one is permitted to have privileges to transgress the law. 不允许任何人有超越法律的特权。

2 transgressed   

v.超越( transgress的过去式和过去分词 )；越过；违反；违背

参考例句：

• You transgressed against the law. 你犯法了。 来自《现代英汉综合大词典》
• His behavior transgressed the unwritten rules of social conduct. 他的行为违反了不成文的社交规范。 来自辞典例句

3 transgression   

n.违背；犯规；罪过

参考例句：

• The price can make an action look more like a transaction than a transgression.罚款让一个行为看起来更像是一笔交易而不是一次违法行为。
• The areas of transgression are indicated by wide spacing of the thickness contours.那幢摩天大楼高耸入云。

4 wrath   

n.愤怒，愤慨，暴怒

参考例句：

• His silence marked his wrath. 他的沉默表明了他的愤怒。
• The wrath of the people is now aroused. 人们被激怒了。

5 forth   

adv.向前；向外，往外

参考例句：

• The wind moved the trees gently back and forth.风吹得树轻轻地来回摇晃。
• He gave forth a series of works in rapid succession.他很快连续发表了一系列的作品。

6 doom   

n.厄运，劫数；v.注定，命定

参考例句：

• The report on our economic situation is full of doom and gloom.这份关于我们经济状况的报告充满了令人绝望和沮丧的调子。
• The dictator met his doom after ten years of rule.独裁者统治了十年终于完蛋了。

7 toil   

vi.辛劳工作，艰难地行动；n.苦工，难事

参考例句：

• The wealth comes from the toil of the masses.财富来自大众的辛勤劳动。
• Every single grain is the result of toil.每一粒粮食都来之不易。

8 remains   

n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹

参考例句：

• He ate the remains of food hungrily.他狼吞虎咽地吃剩余的食物。
• The remains of the meal were fed to the dog.残羹剩饭喂狗了。