Admonitions of an angel to Adam.

In the name of the Great Living God

be glorified the exalted Light.

An angel calls from without

and teaches Adam, the man.

He says to Adam:

"Do not slumber and do not sleep

and do not forget what your Lord has charged you.

Do not be a son of the (earthly) house

and do not be called a wrongdoer on the earth.

Do not love fragrant wreaths

and take no delight in a lovely woman.

Do not love perfumes

and do not neglect the prayer of the night.

Do not love deceiving shadows,

nor the company of lovely women.

Do not love lust,

nor lying shadow-images.

Do not drink and be not immoderate

and do not put your Lord out of your mind.

At your entering and your going out

take care that you do not forget your Lord.

At your going and your coming

take care that you do not forget your Lord.

At your sitting and your standing

take care that you do not forget your Lord.

At your resting and your lying down

take care that you do not forget your Lord.

Do not say, I am a firstborn son,

who, whatever I do, remain without folly.

Adam, look at the world,

which is altogether a thing without substance.

A thing without substance it is,

in which you must place no trust.

The scale sits upright,

and from a thousand it chooses one.

One it chooses from a thousand,

and two it chooses from ten thousand.

The fragrant wreaths pass away,

and the beauty of women becomes as if it had never been.

The perfumes pass away,

and the pleasure of the night ceases.

All works pass away,

come to an end and become as if they had never been."

When Adam heard this,

he lamented and wept over himself.

He said to the angel of the Living God

as follows:

"If you know that it is so,

why did you bring me away from my place into captivity

and cast me into the stinking body?

Into the stinking body you cast me,

hurled me into the consuming fire.

You hurled me into the consuming fire,

so that daily the stench rises on high."

Then he answered him:

"Be silent, be silent, Adam,

head of the whole race.

The world that is to come

we cannot suppress.

Up, up, worship the Great God and submit,

that the Living God may become your Redeemer.

May the Living God be your Redeemer,

and ascend and behold the place of light."

And the Living God is victorious.