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 transgressed 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 transgression, 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 wrath 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 forth 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 transgress, and come out into this land. yet i wouldn't force you, nor be heard over you, nor shut up; nor doom 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 toil 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 remains, o adam, and daylight will soon appear."
