Attributed to Nestor the Chronicler · Complete work
986, Part 2: The Philosopher's Account of Sacred History
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По сихъ же лѣтѣхъ възмогоша людье жидовьстии, умножишася, и насиляхуть им егуптяне работою. В си же времена родися Моисѣй в жидех, и рѣша волъсви егупетьстии цесарю, яко «Родилъся есть дѣтищь въ жидох, иже хощеть погубити Егупет». Ту абье повелѣ цесарь ражающаяся дѣти жидовьскыя вмѣтати в рѣку. Мати же Моисѣова, убоявшися сего погубления, вземъши младенѣць, вложи въ крабьицю и, несъши, постави в лузѣ. В се же время сниде дщи фараонова Фермуфи купаться и видѣ отроча плачющеся, и възя е и пощади е, и нарече имя ему Моисий, и въскорми е. И бысть отроча красно, и бысть 4 лѣт, и приведе ̀и дщи фараоня къ отцю своему фараону. Видѣвъ же Моисѣя фараонъ, нача любити фараонъ отроча. Моисий же, хапаяся за шию цесареву, срони вѣнѣць съ главы цесаревы, и попра ̀и. Видѣвъ же волхвъ, рече цесареви: «О цесарю! Погуби отроча се: аще ли не погубиши, имаеть погубити всь Егупет».
И не послуша его цесарь, но паче повелѣ не погубити дѣтий жидовьскыхъ. Моисѣеви же възмогъшю, и бысть великъ в дому фараони. И бысть цесарь инъ, възавидѣша ему бояре. Моисѣй же уби егупьтянина, бѣжа изъ Егупта и приде в землю Мадиамьску и, ходя по пустыни, научися от ангела Гавриила о бытьи всего мира, и о пѣрвѣмъ человѣци, и яже суть была по нем и по потопѣ, и о смѣшении языкъ, аще кто колико лѣтъ бяше былъ, и звѣздное хожение и число, земльную мѣру и всяку мудрость. По семъ же явися ему Богъ в купинѣ огньмь и рече ему: «Видѣхъ бѣду людий моих въ Егуптѣ и низълѣзохъ изяти я от руку егупетьску, изъвѣсти я от земли тоя. Ты же иди къ фараону цесарю егупетъску и речеши ему: „Пусти Израиля, да три дни положать требу Господу Богу“. Аще не послушаеть тебе цесарь егупетъскый, побью ̀и и всими чюдесы моими».
И пришедъшю Моисѣови, и не послуша его фараонъ, и пусти Богъ 10 казний на фараона: 1 — рѣкы въ кровь, 2 — жабы, 3 — мьшицѣ, 4 — пѣсья мухы, 5 — смерть на скотъ, 6 — прыщьеве горющии, 7 — градъ, 8 — прузи, 9 — тма три дни, 10 — моръ в человѣцѣхъ. Сего ради 10 казний бысть на нихъ, яко 10 мѣсяць топиша дѣти жидовьскы. Егда же бысть моръ въ Егупте, рече фараонъ Моисѣови и брату его Аарону: «Отъидета въскорѣ». Моисѣй же, събравъ люди жидовьскыя, поиде от земля Егупетъскыя. И ведяше я Господь путемъ по пустыни къ Чермьному морю, и предъидяше пред ними нощью столпъ огньнъ, а во дни — облаченъ. Слышавъ же фараонъ, яко бѣжать людье, погна по нихъ, и притисну я къ морю. Видѣвъше же людье жидовьстии въспиша на Моисѣя, ркуще: «Почто изведе ны на смерть?». И въспи Моисѣй къ Богу, и рече Господь: «Что вопиеши къ мнѣ? Удари жезломъ в море». И створи Моисѣй тако, и раступися вода надвое, и внидоша сынове израилеви в море.
Видѣвъ же, фараонъ гна по нихъ, сынове же израилеви проидоша посуху. Яко излѣзоша на брегъ, и съступися море о фараонѣ и о воихъ его. И възлюби Богъ Израиля, и идоша от моря три дня по пустыни, и придоша в Меронъ. И бѣ ту вода горка, и възропташа людье на Бога, и показа имъ древо, и вложи е Моисѣй въ воду, и осладишася воды. По семъ же пакы възропташа людье на Моисѣя и на Арона, ркущи: «Луче ны бяше въ Егуптѣ, еже ядохом мяса, и тукъ и хлѣбъ до сытости». И рече Господь Бог Моисѣови: «Слышах хулнание сыновъ Израилевъ». И дасть им манну ясти. По семъ же дасть имъ законъ на горѣ Синайстий. И Моисѣови въшедъшю на гору къ Богу, они же, съльявше тѣльчью главу, поклонишася аки Богу. Ихъ же Моисѣй исъсѣче 3000 числом. По семъ же пакы възропташа на Моисѣя и на Арона, еже не бѣ воды.
И рече Господь Моисѣови: «Удари жезломъ в камень», рекъ: «Исъ сего камени егда не испустивѣ воды?» И разгнѣвася Господь на Моисѣя, яко не възвеличи Господа, и не вниде в землю обѣтованую сего ради, роптанья онѣхъ ради, но възведе ̀и на гору Вамьску и показа ему землю обѣтованую. И умре Моисѣй ту на горѣ. И прия власть Исусъ Навгинъ. Сий приде въ землю обѣтованую и изби хананѣйско племя, и всели в нихъ мѣсто сыны Израилевы. Умѣрьшю же Исусу, бысть судья въ него мѣсто Июда, инѣхъ судий бысть 14. При них же, забывше Бога, изъведъшаго я изъ Егупта, начаша служити бѣсом. И разъгнѣвася Богъ, предаяшеть я иноплеменьником на расхыщение. И егда ся начьну каяти, помиловашеть их, и пакы укланяхуся на бѣсослужение. По сихъ же служаше Илий жрець, и по семъ Самуилъ пророкъ. Рѣша людье Самуилу: «Постави нам цесаря». И разъгнѣвася Богъ на Израиля и постави надъ ними цесаря Саула.
Таче Саулъ не изволи ходити въ завѣтѣ Господни, избра Господь Давида, постави ̀и цесаря надъ Израилемъ, и угоди Давидъ Богу. Сему Давиду кляся Богь, яко от племени его родитися Богу. И пѣрвое начаша пророчьствовати о воплощении Божии, рекъ: «Изъ щрева преже деньница родихъ тя». Се же пророчьствовавъ 40 лѣт и умре. И по нем царствова и пророчьствова сынъ его Соломонъ, иже възгради церковь Богови и нарече ю Святая Святыхъ. И бысть мудръ, но на конѣць поползеся; цесарьствовавъ лѣт 40 и умре. По Соломонѣ же цесарьствовавъ сынъ его Ровоамъ. При семъ раздѣлися царство надвое жидовьское: въ Ерусалимъ одино, а другое в Самарии Въ Самарѣи же царьствова Еровамъ, холопъ Соломонь, иже створи двѣ кравѣ златѣ и постави едину въ Вефили на холмѣ, а другу въ Енданѣ и рекъ: «Се Бога твоя, Израилю». И кланяхуся людье, а Бога забыша.
Таче и въ Ерусалимѣ забывати Бога начаша, кланятися Валу, рекъше ратьну богу, еже есть Арей, и забыша Бога отець своихъ. И нача Богъ посылати к нимъ пророкы. Пророци же начаша обличати о безаконьи ихъ и о служеньи кумиръ. Они же начаша пророкы избивати, обличаеми от них. И разгнѣвася Богъ на Израиля велми и рече: «Отрину от себе и призову ины люди, иже мене послушают. И аще съгрѣшат, не помяну съгрѣшения ихъ». И нача посылати пророкы, глаголя: «Прорицайте о отвѣржении жидовьстѣ и о призваньи стран».
Пѣрвое же начаша пророчьстьвовати Осий, глаголя: «Преставлю царство дому Израилева и скрушю лукъ Израилевъ, и не приложю пакы помиловати дому Израилева, но отмѣтаа, отвѣргуся ихъ, — глаголеть Господь, — и будут блудяще въ языцѣхъ». Иеремѣя же рече: «Аще станеть Самуилъ и Моисѣй, не помилую ихъ», И пакы той же Еремѣя рече: «Тако глаголеть Господь: Се кляхся именемъ моим великымъ, аще будеть отселѣ кдѣ имя мое именуемо въ устѣх июдѣйскыхъ». Иезекеиль же рече: «Тако глаголеть Господь Аданай: Расъсѣю вы вся, останкы твоя въ вся вѣтры, зане святая моя осквѣрнависте вьсими негодованми твоими. Азъ же тя отрину и не имамъ тя помиловати пакы». Малахия же рече: «Тако глаголеть Господь: Уже нѣсть ми хотѣнья въ вас, понеже от въстока и до запада имя мое прославися въ языцѣх, и на всяком мѣстѣ приносится кадило имени моего и жертва чиста, зане велье имя мое въ языцѣх. Сего ради дамъ васъ на поносъ и на пришествие въ вся языкы». Исая великый рече: «Тако глаголеть Господь: Простру руку свою на тя, истьлю тя и расѣю тя, и не приведу тя». И пакы и тъ же рече: «Възненавидѣхъ праздникы ваша и начаткы мѣсяць ваших не приемлю». Амосъ же пророкъ рече: «Слышите слово Господне: Азъ приемлю на вы плачь. Домъ Израилевъ падеся и не приложи въстати». Малахия же рече: «Тако глаголеть Господь: Послю на вы клятву и проклѣну благословление ваше, и разорю, и не будет въ вас».
И много пророчьствоваша о отвѣржении их. Симъ же пророкомъ повелѣ Богъ пророчьствовати о призваньи инѣх странъ в них мѣсто. Нача звати Исая, тако глаголя: яко «Законъ от мене изидет, и судъ мой свѣтъ странамъ. Приближается скоро правда моя, изидеть, и на мышцю мою страны уповают». Иеремѣя же рече: «Тако глаголеть Господь: И положю дому Июдову завѣтъ новъ, дая законы в разумѣнья ихъ, и на сѣрдца ихъ напишю, и будут имъ въ Богъ, и ти будут мьнѣ въ люди». Исая же рече: «Ветхая мимоидоша, а новая възвѣщаю. И преже възвѣщения явлено бысть вамъ: пойте Господеви пѣснь нову. Работающим ми призоветь имя ново, еже благословиться имя ново, еже благословится имя всей земли. Домъ мой домъ молитвѣ прозовется по всѣмъ языком». Той же Исая глаголеть: «Открыеть Господь мыщьцю свою святую пред всѣми языкы. Узрять вси конци земля спасение Бога нашего». Давидъ же: «Хвалите Господа вси языци, похвалите его вьси людье».
Тако Богу възлюбившю новыя люди, рекъ имъ снити к нимъ самъ и явитися человѣком плотью и пострадати за Адамово преступление. И начаша пророчьствовати о воплощении Божии. И пѣрвое Давидъ, глаголя: «Рече Господь Господеви моему: сяди одѣсъную мене, дондеже положю врагы твоя подножье ногама твоима». И пакы: «Рече Господь къ мнѣ: сынъ мой еси ты, азъ днесь родих тя». Исая же рече: «Не солъ, ни вѣстьникъ, но самъ Господь, пришедъ, спасеть ны». И пакы: «Яко дѣтищь родися намъ, ему же бысть начало на рамѣ его. И прозовется имя его „велика свѣта ангелъ“ и велика власть его, и миру его нѣсть конца». И пакы: «Се въ утробѣ дѣвая зачат и родить сынъ, и прозовуть имя ему Еммануилъ». Михѣя же рече: «Ты Вифлеоме, доме Ефрантовъ, еда не многъ еси быти в тысящах Июдовах? Ис тебе бо ми изидет старѣйшина быти въ князех въ Израили; исходъ его от дний вѣка. Сего ради дасться до времени ражающая родит, и прочии от братья его обратятся на сыны Израилевы». Иеремия же рече: «Се Богъ наш, и не въмѣнится инъ к нему. Изъобрѣте вьсякъ путь художьства, яко дасть Иякову, отроку своему. По сихъ же на земли явися и съ человѣкы поживе». И пакы: «Человѣкъ есть, и кто увѣсть, яко Богъ есть, яко человѣкъ же умираеть». Захарья же рече: «Не послушаша сына моего, и не услышю ихъ, глаголеть Господь». Иосѣй рече: «Тако глаголеть Господь: Плоть моя от нихъ».
Прорекоша же и о страсти его, ркуще, якоже рече Исая: «О лютѣ души ихъ, понеже свѣтъ золъ свѣщаша, ркуще: Свяжемъ праведника». И пакы той же рече: «Тако глаголеть Господь: Азъ не супротивлюся […] ни глаголю противу. Плещи мои дах на раны, и ланитѣ мои на заушение, и лица своего не отвратих от студа заплеваниа». Еремия же рече: «Приидите, въложим древо въ хлѣбъ его, изътребимъ от земля животъ его». Моисѣй же рече о распятьи его: «Узрите жизнь вашю висящю предъ очима вашима». И Давидъ рече: «Въскую шаташася языци». Исая же рече: «Яко овьча на заколенье веденъ бысть». Ездра же рече: «Благословенъ Богъ, распростеръ руцѣ свои и спаслъ Иерусалима».
Musean translation
Mouseia’s complete machine-assisted Musean translation, made directly from the Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex (O. V. Tvorogov’s 1997 edition, pinned Russian Wikisource revision), covering the undated introduction and every annal from 6360 to 6625 (852–1117 CE). Worker drafts were checked against the source paragraph by paragraph before publication. Years keep the chronicle’s own reckoning from the creation of the world; subtract 5508 for the approximate year CE, as the chapter titles do.
After these years the Jewish people grew strong and multiplied, and the Egyptians oppressed them with labor. In those same times Moses was born among the Jews, and the Egyptian sorcerers said to the emperor: “A child has been born among the Jews who will destroy Egypt.” At once the emperor ordered that every Jewish child being born be thrown into the river. Moses' mother, fearing this destruction, took the infant, laid him in a little ark, and carried him and set him in the reeds. At that very time Pharaoh's daughter Thermuthis came down to bathe, and she saw the child weeping, and took him, and had pity on him, and named him Moses, and brought him up. And the child grew beautiful, and when he was 4 years old Pharaoh's daughter brought him to her father Pharaoh. When Pharaoh saw Moses, he came to love the child. And Moses, clasping the emperor by the neck, knocked the crown from the emperor's head and trampled it. When the sorcerer saw this, he said to the emperor: “O emperor, destroy this child: if you do not destroy him, he will destroy all Egypt.”
And the emperor did not heed him, but rather ordered that the Jewish children not be destroyed. When Moses grew to manhood he became great in Pharaoh's house. Then another emperor arose, and the boyars envied him. And Moses killed an Egyptian and fled from Egypt and came to the land of Midian, and as he walked through the wilderness he was taught by the angel Gabriel of the making of the whole world, and of the first man, and of all that came to be after him and after the flood, and of the confusion of tongues, and how many years each man lived, and the course and the number of the stars, and the measure of the lands, and all wisdom. And after this God appeared to him in the bush in fire and said to him: “I have seen the affliction of my people in Egypt and have come down to deliver them out of the hand of the Egyptians and to bring them out of that land. Go now to Pharaoh, emperor of Egypt, and say to him: ‘Let Israel go, that they may keep a feast three days to the Lord God.’ If the emperor of Egypt does not heed you, I will strike him with all my wonders.”
And when Moses came, Pharaoh did not heed him, and God sent 10 plagues upon Pharaoh: 1 — the rivers into blood; 2 — frogs; 3 — gnats; 4 — dog flies; 5 — death upon the cattle; 6 — burning boils; 7 — hail; 8 — locusts; 9 — three days of darkness; 10 — death among the people. For this reason 10 plagues came upon them, because for 10 months they had been drowning the Jewish children. When the pestilence was in Egypt, Pharaoh said to Moses and to his brother Aaron: “Depart quickly, both of you.” And Moses gathered the Jewish people and set out from the land of Egypt. And the Lord led them by a way through the wilderness toward the Red Sea, and a pillar of fire went before them by night, and a cloud by day. When Pharaoh heard that the people were fleeing, he pursued them and pressed them against the sea. The Jews, seeing it, cried out against Moses, saying: “Why have you led us out to die?” And Moses cried to God, and the Lord said: “Why do you cry to me? Strike the sea with the rod.” And Moses did so, and the water parted in two, and the children of Israel went into the sea.
And Pharaoh pursued them, while the children of Israel passed through on dry ground; and when they had come up on the shore, the sea closed in upon Pharaoh and his troops. And God loved Israel, and they went three days from the sea through the wilderness and came to Marah. The water there was bitter, and the people murmured against God, and he showed them a tree, and Moses cast it into the water, and the waters were made sweet. After this the people again murmured against Moses and against Aaron, saying: “It was better for us in Egypt, where we ate meat and fat and bread to fullness.” And the Lord God said to Moses: “I have heard the murmuring of the children of Israel.” And he gave them manna to eat. After this he gave them the law on Mount Sinai. And while Moses had gone up the mountain to God, they cast the head of a calf and bowed down to it as to a god; of these Moses slew 3000. After this they again murmured against Moses and against Aaron, because there was no water.
And the Lord said to Moses: “Strike the rock with the rod,” saying: “Out of this rock—will you two not let out water?” And the Lord was angry with Moses, because he had not magnified the Lord, and for this reason, and because of the murmuring of those people, he did not enter the promised land; instead the Lord led him up Mount Abarim and showed him the promised land. And Moses died there on the mountain. And Joshua the son of Nun received authority. He came into the promised land and destroyed the Canaanite tribe, and settled the children of Israel in their place. When Joshua died, Judah became judge in his place, and there were 14 other judges. In their days they forgot God, who had led them out of Egypt, and began to serve demons. And God was angry and gave them over to foreigners for plunder; and when they began to repent he had mercy on them, and again they bowed down to the serving of demons. After these things Eli the priest served, and after him the prophet Samuel. The people said to Samuel: “Set a king over us.” And God was angry with Israel and set Saul as king over them.
Yet Saul did not choose to walk in the covenant of the Lord, and the Lord chose David and set him as king over Israel, and David pleased God. To this David God swore that God would be born of his tribe. And they first began to prophesy of the incarnation of God, saying: “From the womb, before the morning star, I have begotten you.” And David prophesied thus 40 years and died. And after him his son Solomon reigned and prophesied; he built a church to God and named it the Holy of Holies. And he was wise, yet in the end he stumbled; he reigned 40 years and died. After Solomon his son Rehoboam reigned, and in his days the Jewish kingdom was divided in two: one in Jerusalem, and the other in Samaria. In Samaria Jeroboam reigned, Solomon's slave, who made two golden calves and set one in Bethel on a hill and the other in Dan, saying: “Behold your god, O Israel.” And the people bowed down to them and forgot God.
Yet in Jerusalem too they began to forget God and to worship Baal, the god of battle, who is Ares, and they forgot the God of their fathers. And God began to send prophets to them. The prophets began to rebuke them for their lawlessness and for their serving of idols; and they began to kill the prophets who rebuked them. And God was very angry with Israel and said: “I will cast them off and call other peoples who will obey me; and if they sin, I will not remember their sin.” And he began to send prophets, saying: “Prophesy of the rejection of the Jews and of the calling of the nations.”
First Hosea began to prophesy, saying: “I will remove the kingdom from the house of Israel and break Israel's bow, and I will never again have mercy on the house of Israel; casting them off, I will reject them—says the Lord—and they shall wander among the nations.” Jeremiah said: “Though Samuel and Moses stand before me, I will not have mercy on them.” And the same Jeremiah said again: “Thus says the Lord: behold, I have sworn by my great name that from this hour my name shall nowhere be named in the mouths of the Jews.” Ezekiel said: “Thus says the Lord Adonai: I will scatter you all, your remnant to every wind, for you have defiled my holy things with all your abominations; I will cast you off and will not have mercy on you again.” Malachi said: “Thus says the Lord: I no longer take pleasure in you, for from east to west my name is glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name and a pure sacrifice, for my name is great among the nations; therefore I will give you over to reproach and to exile among all nations.” The great Isaiah said: “Thus says the Lord: I will stretch out my hand upon you, and destroy you and scatter you, and will not bring you back.” And the same one said again: “I hate your feasts and will not accept your new moons.” The prophet Amos said: “Hear the word of the Lord: I will bring mourning upon you. The house of Israel has fallen and shall rise no more.” Malachi said: “Thus says the Lord: I will send a curse upon you and curse your blessing, and destroy it, and it shall not be among you.”
And they prophesied much of their rejection. To these prophets God commanded to prophesy of the calling of other lands in their place. Isaiah began to call, saying thus: “A law shall go forth from me, and my judgment shall be a light to the nations; my righteousness draws near, it goes forth, and upon my arm the nations shall hope.” Jeremiah said: “Thus says the Lord: I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah, giving laws into their understanding and writing them upon their hearts, and I will be a God to them, and they shall be to me a people.” Isaiah said: “The old things have passed away, and I proclaim new ones; and before the proclamation it was made known to you: sing to the Lord a new song. My servants shall be called by a new name, a new name by which the name of the whole earth shall be blessed. My house shall be called a house of prayer for all nations.” The same Isaiah says: “The Lord shall reveal his holy arm before all nations; all the ends of the earth shall see the salvation of our God.” And David: “Praise the Lord, all nations; praise him, all peoples.”
Thus God, having loved the new people, decreed to come down to them himself, to appear among men in the flesh, and to suffer for Adam's transgression. And they began to prophesy of the incarnation of God. First David, saying: “The Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.” And again: “The Lord said to me: you are my son; today have I begotten you.” Isaiah said: “Not an envoy, nor a messenger, but the Lord himself, coming, shall save us.” And again: “For a child is born to us, and the government is upon his shoulder; and his name shall be called ‘angel of great counsel,’ and great is his dominion, and of his peace there is no end.” And again: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive in her womb and bear a son, and they shall call his name Emmanuel.” Micah said: “And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are you not small to be among the thousands of Judah? Out of you shall come forth for me one to be a ruler, a prince in Israel; his going forth is from the days of eternity. Therefore he shall give them up until the time when the woman in labor bears, and the rest of his brothers shall return to the children of Israel.” Jeremiah said: “Behold our God, and no other shall be reckoned beside him. He found out every way of skill and gave it to Jacob his servant; afterward he appeared on earth and lived among men.” And again: “He is a man—and who shall know that he is God, that a man should die?” Zechariah said: “They did not heed my son, and I will not hear them, says the Lord.” Hosea said: “Thus says the Lord: my flesh is of them.”
They prophesied also of his passion, saying, as Isaiah said: “Oh, bitter to their souls, for they have taken evil counsel, saying: let us bind the righteous one.” And the same one said again: “Thus says the Lord: I do not resist […] nor speak against; I gave my back to blows and my cheeks to smiting, and did not turn my face from the shame of spitting.” Jeremiah said: “Come, let us put wood into his bread, and cut off his life from the earth.” Moses said of his crucifixion: “You shall see your life hanging before your eyes.” And David said: “Why have the nations raged?” Isaiah said: “He was led like a sheep to the slaughter.” Ezra said: “Blessed be God, who stretched out his hands and saved Jerusalem.”
Plain English translation
Mouseia’s complete Plain English edition, made independently and directly from the same Old East Slavic text of the Hypatian Codex, paragraph for paragraph, and checked against the source before publication.
After these years the Jewish people grew strong and multiplied, and the Egyptians oppressed them with labor. At that time Moses was born among the Jews, and the Egyptian sorcerers said to the emperor: “A child has been born among the Jews who wants to destroy Egypt.” The emperor at once ordered that Jewish newborn children be thrown into the river. Moses' mother, fearing this destruction, took the infant, put him in a little basket, carried him, and set him down among the reeds. At that same time Pharaoh's daughter Thermuthis came down to bathe and saw the child crying; she took him and had pity on him, and named him Moses, and brought him up. The child was beautiful, and when he was 4 years old Pharaoh's daughter brought him to her father Pharaoh. When Pharaoh saw Moses, he began to love the child. Moses, reaching up and taking the emperor around the neck, knocked the crown from the emperor's head and trampled it. When the sorcerer saw this, he said to the emperor: “O emperor! Destroy this child: if you do not destroy him, he will destroy all Egypt.”
The emperor did not listen to him; instead he ordered that the Jewish children not be killed. When Moses grew up, he became great in Pharaoh's house. Then another emperor arose, and the boyars envied Moses. Moses killed an Egyptian and fled from Egypt, and came to the land of Midian; walking through the desert, he learned from the angel Gabriel about the creation of the whole world, about the first man, about what was after him and after the flood, about the mixing of tongues, about how many years each man lived, about the course and number of the stars, the measure of the earth, and every kind of wisdom. After this God appeared to him in a bush in fire and said to him: “I have seen the distress of my people in Egypt, and I have come down to take them from the hand of the Egyptians, to lead them out of that land. Go to Pharaoh, the emperor of Egypt, and say to him: ‘Let Israel go, to hold a sacrifice to the Lord God for three days.’ If the emperor of Egypt does not listen to you, I will strike him with all my wonders.”
Moses came, and Pharaoh did not listen to him, and God sent 10 plagues on Pharaoh: 1—the rivers into blood, 2—frogs, 3—gnats, 4—dog flies, 5—death on the cattle, 6—burning boils, 7—hail, 8—locusts, 9—darkness for three days, 10—death among men. For this reason there were 10 plagues on them, because for 10 months they drowned the Jewish children. When the plague was in Egypt, Pharaoh said to Moses and his brother Aaron: “Leave quickly.” Moses gathered the Jewish people and set out from the land of Egypt. The Lord led them by a way through the desert to the Red Sea, and a pillar of fire went before them by night, and a cloud by day. Hearing that the people were fleeing, Pharaoh pursued them and pressed them against the sea. Seeing this, the Jewish people cried out against Moses, saying: “Why have you brought us out to die?” Moses cried to God, and the Lord said: “Why do you cry to me? Strike the sea with the staff.” Moses did so, the water parted in two, and the sons of Israel went into the sea.
Pharaoh saw this and pursued them, but the sons of Israel passed through on dry ground. When they came out on the shore, the sea closed in on Pharaoh and his troops. And God loved Israel, and they went from the sea three days through the desert and came to Marah. The water there was bitter, and the people murmured against God; he showed them a tree, and Moses put it into the water, and the waters became sweet. After this the people again murmured against Moses and Aaron, saying: “It was better for us in Egypt, where we ate meat and fat and bread to fullness.” The Lord God said to Moses: “I have heard the reviling of the sons of Israel.” And he gave them manna to eat. After this he gave them the law on Mount Sinai. When Moses went up the mountain to God, they molded a calf's head and bowed down to it as God. Moses cut down 3000 of them. After this they again murmured against Moses and Aaron because there was no water.
The Lord said to Moses: “Strike the staff on the rock,” saying: “Will you not bring water out of this rock?” The Lord was angry with Moses because he did not magnify the Lord, and for that reason, because of the murmuring of those people, he did not enter the promised land; but he led him up Mount Abarim and showed him the promised land. Moses died there on the mountain. And Joshua son of Nun received authority. He came to the promised land, struck down the Canaanite people, and settled the sons of Israel in their place. When Joshua died, Judah became judge in his place, and there were 14 other judges. In their time, forgetting God, who had led them out of Egypt, they began to serve demons. God was angry and gave them over to foreigners to be plundered. And when they began to repent, he had mercy on them, and again they turned to the worship of demons. After this Eli the priest served, and after him the prophet Samuel. The people said to Samuel: “Set a king over us.” God was angry with Israel and set over them King Saul.
But Saul did not choose to walk in the covenant of the Lord; the Lord chose David, made him king over Israel, and David pleased God. To this David God swore that from his line God would be born. And they began first to prophesy about the incarnation of God, he saying: “From the womb, before the morning star, I begot you.” He prophesied this for 40 years and died. After him his son Solomon reigned and prophesied; he built a church to God and named it the Holy of Holies. He was wise, but in the end he stumbled; he reigned 40 years and died. After Solomon his son Rehoboam reigned. In his time the Jewish kingdom split in two: one in Jerusalem, and the other in Samaria. In Samaria Jeroboam reigned, Solomon's slave; he made two golden calves, set one in Bethel on a hill and the other in Dan, and said: “Here is your God, O Israel.” And the people worshiped them and forgot God.
Then in Jerusalem too they began to forget God and to worship Baal, the god of war, that is, Ares, and they forgot the God of their fathers. God began to send prophets to them. The prophets began to denounce their lawlessness and their worship of idols. And they, while being denounced by them, began to kill the prophets. God was very angry with Israel and said: “I reject them and will call other people, who will listen to me. And if they sin, I will not remember their sin.” And he began to send prophets, saying: “Prophesy about the rejection of the Jews and about the calling of other nations.”
First Hosea began to prophesy, saying: “I will put an end to the kingdom of the house of Israel and break Israel's bow, and I will not again have pity on the house of Israel; but casting them off, I will reject them, says the Lord, and they will wander among the nations.” Jeremiah said: “Even if Samuel and Moses stood before me, I would not have pity on them.” And the same Jeremiah said again: “Thus says the Lord: I have sworn by my great name that from now on there will be no place where my name is named in the mouths of the Jews.” Ezekiel said: “Thus says the Lord Adonai: I will scatter you all, your remnant to all the winds, for you have defiled my holy things with all your abominations. And I will reject you and will not have pity on you again.” Malachi said: “Thus says the Lord: I no longer take pleasure in you, for from east to west my name is glorified among the nations, and in every place incense is offered to my name and a pure sacrifice, for my name is great among the nations. Therefore I will give you over to contempt and to exile among all nations.” Isaiah the great said: “Thus says the Lord: I will stretch out my hand on you, destroy you and scatter you, and I will not bring you back.” And the same one said again: “I have hated your feasts and I do not accept your new moons.” The prophet Amos said: “Hear the word of the Lord: I take up a lament over you. The house of Israel has fallen and will rise no more.” Malachi said: “Thus says the Lord: I will send a curse on you and curse your blessing, and destroy it, and it will not be with you.”
He prophesied much about their rejection. To these prophets God commanded to prophesy about the calling of other countries in their place. Isaiah began to call them, saying: “A law will go out from me, and my judgment will be a light to the nations. My righteousness is drawing near; it comes out, and the nations will hope in my arm.” Jeremiah said: “Thus says the Lord: I will make a new covenant with the house of Judah, giving laws into their understanding, and I will write them on their hearts, and I will be a God to them, and they will be a people to me.” Isaiah said: “The old things have passed away, and I proclaim new ones. And before the proclaiming it was made known to you: sing to the Lord a new song. Those who serve me will be called by a new name, and by that new name the name of the whole earth will be blessed. My house will be called a house of prayer among all nations.” The same Isaiah says: “The Lord will reveal his holy arm before all nations. All the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” And David: “Praise the Lord, all nations; praise him, all peoples.”
So, God having loved the new people, he said that he would come down to them himself and appear to men in the flesh and suffer for Adam's transgression. And they began to prophesy about the incarnation of God. First David, saying: “The Lord said to my Lord: sit at my right hand, until I make your enemies the footstool of your feet.” And again: “The Lord said to me: you are my son; today I have begotten you.” Isaiah said: “Not one sent, no messenger, but the Lord himself, coming, will save us.” And again: “A child is born to us, and his authority is on his shoulder. And his name will be called ‘angel of great counsel,’ and great is his power, and of his peace there is no end.” And again: “See, a maiden will conceive in the womb and bear a son, and they will name him Emmanuel.” Micah said: “And you, Bethlehem, house of Ephrathah, are you not small among the thousands of Judah? From you will come forth for me one to be a ruler among the princes of Israel; his goings forth are from the days of eternity. Therefore he will give them up until the time the woman in labor bears, and the rest of his brothers will return to the sons of Israel.” Jeremiah said: “This is our God, and no other will be compared to him. He found every way of skill and gave it to Jacob his servant. After this he appeared on earth and lived among men.” And again: “He is a man, and who will know that he is God, when a man dies?” Zechariah said: “They did not listen to my son, and I will not listen to them, says the Lord.” Hosea said: “Thus says the Lord: My flesh is from them.”
They also prophesied about his passion, saying, as Isaiah said: “O the evil of their souls, for they took wicked counsel, saying: Let us bind the righteous one.” And the same one said again: “Thus says the Lord: I do not resist […] nor speak against. I gave my shoulders to blows and my cheeks to smiting, and I did not turn my face from the shame of spitting.” Jeremiah said: “Come, let us put wood into his bread, and destroy from the earth his life.” Moses said about his crucifixion: “You will see your life hanging before your eyes.” And David said: “Why have the nations raged?” Isaiah said: “Like a sheep he was led to slaughter.” Ezra said: “Blessed is God, who stretched out his hands and saved Jerusalem.”