Chapter 103

1 But now I swear to you, ye righteous, by the greatness of his splendor and his glory; by his illustrious kingdom and by his majesty, to you I swear, that I comprehend this mystery; that I have read the tablet of heaven, have seen the writing of the holy Ones, and have discovered what is written and impressed on it concerning you. 2 I have seen that all goodness, joy, and glory has been prepared for you, and been written down for the spirits of those who die eminently righteous and good.241 To you it shall be given in return for your troubles; and your portion of happiness shall far exceed the portion of the living. 3The spirits of you who die in righteousness shall exist and rejoice. Their spirits shall exult; and their remembrance shall be before the face of the mighty One from generation to generation. Nor shall they now fear disgrace. 4Woe to you, sinners, when you die in your sins; and they, who are like you, say respecting you, Blessed are these sinners. They have lived out their whole period; and now they die in happiness243 and in wealth. Distress and slaughter they knew not244 while alive; in honor they die; nor ever in their lifetime did judgment overtake them. 5But has it not been shown to them, that, when to the receptacle of the dead their souls shall be made to descend, their evil deeds shall become their greatest torment? Into darkness, into the snare, and into the flame, which shall burn to the great judgment, shall their spirits enter; and the great judgment shall take effect for ever and for ever.245 6Woe to you; for to you there shall be no peace. Neither can you say to the righteous, and to the good who are alive, "In the days of our trouble have we been afflicted; every species of trouble have we seen, and many evil things have suffered.246 7Our spirits have been consumed, lessened, and diminished. 8We have perished; nor has there been a possibility of help for us in word or in deed: we have found none, but have been tormented and destroyed. 9We have not expected to live247 day after day. 10We hoped indeed to have been the head; 11But we have become the tail. We have been afflicted, when we have exerted ourselves; but we have been devoured by sinners248 and the ungodly; their yoke has been heavy upon us.12Those have exercised dominion over us who detest and who goad us; and to those who hate us have we humbled our neck; but they have shown no compassion towards us. 13We have been desirous of escaping from them, that we might fly away and be at rest; but we have found no place to which we could fly, and be secure from them. We have sought an asylum with princes in our distress, and have cried out to those who were devouring us; but our cry has not been regarded, nor have they been disposed to hear our voice; 14But rather to assist those who plunder and devour us; those who diminish us, and hide their oppression; who remove not their yoke from us, but devour, enervate, and slay us; who conceal our slaughter, nor remember that they have lifted up their hands against us."