40.

In the name of God, the Ever-Living, the Great, and by the precious Truth.

An angel preaches from the beyond, and Ruha answers him from the gates of darkness. "Which of the angels are you," she asks him, "that your voice is so lovely and your palate so sweet?" Then I answer her: "The rebuke of God be upon you, wicked Ruha, Ruha who always strive after evil. I am Hibil-Ziwa, I am an iron shoe, an iron shoe am I, who has trodden down the darkness." Then she approaches him and says: "Take from me beloved gold and silver, worth more than wife and child, and sing me something of your sublime song." But I answer her: "I am an armed angel who has marched out against the demons; I have come to trample down the darkness. An armed angel am I, whom God has armed and sent out. An armed angel am I, mighty against the worlds of darkness. An armed angel am I, whose strength is hard against you. An armed angel am I, armed more than all the other angels."

God is exalted and victorious, and victorious is the man who went forth to this place.

41.

In the name of God, the Ever-Living, the Great, and by the precious Truth.

The man preaches from the beyond, and Ruha replies to him from the gates of darkness. She fetches gold in baskets, and on the tips of her locks of hair she fastens pearls. She goes to him and says: "O stranger! Accept from me beloved, precious gold and wondrous pearls, and sing me of your sublime song. Recite with the voice of life and teach me from the very ground." But I answer her: "Vanish and get away from me, Ruha, who devise evil." Then Namrus comes up, draws near to him and says: "O stranger, recite to me of your wondrous preaching." But I answer her: "Be still, Namrus, and let your anger weigh upon you. I am no wandering minstrel who makes music before lowly people. I am a man from the other world, an iron shoe am I, whose word and song are clubs and blows for the wicked Ruha." "Very well," she says to him, "then may the Truth keep you safe, good one, and keep safe the word in which you have spoken out."

God is exalted and victorious, and victorious is the man who went forth to this place.