1 Then Yereḏ kept his father’s commandment, and arose like a lion over his people. He fed them in righteousness and innocence, and commanded them to do nothing without his consent. This was because he was afraid for them that they should go to the children of Qayin.
2 He gave them orders repeatedly, and continued to do so until the end of the four hundred and eighty-fifth year of his life.
3 At the end of these years, there came to him a sign. As Yereḏ was standing like a lion before the bodies of his fathers, praying and warning his people, Satan envied him and produced a beautiful specter because Yereḏ would not let his children do anything without his counsel.
4 Satan appeared to him with thirty men of his hosts, in the form of handsome men. Satan himself was the oldest and tallest among them, with a fine beard.
5 They stood at the mouth of the cave, and called out Yereḏ, who was in the cave.
6 He came out to them and found them looking like handsome men, full of light, and very beautiful. He was in awe of their beauty and their looks, and wondered to himself whether they might not be of the children of Qayin.
7 He said also in his heart, “The children of Qayin cannot come up to the height of this mountain, and none of them are this handsome as these appear to be, and among these men there is not one of my kindred, so they must be strangers.”
8 Then Yereḏ exchanged a greeting with them and he said to the oldest among them, “My father, tell me how you are so wonderful, and tell me who these are with you. They look to me like strange men.”
9 Then the oldest began to weep and the rest wept with him, and he said to Yereḏ, “I am Aḏam whom Elohim made first, and this is Heḇel my son, who was killed by his brother Qayin, whose heart was influenced by Satan to murder.
10 “And this is my son Shĕth, whom I asked 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 to give me to comfort me when I no longer had Heḇel.
11 “Then this one is my son Enosh, son of Shĕth, and that other one is Qĕynan, son of Enosh, and that other one is Mahalal’ĕl, son of Qĕynan, your father.”
12 But Yereḏ remained wondering at their appearance and at the words of the elder to him.
13 Then the oldest said to him, “Do not stand there is awe, my son. We now live in the land north of the garden, which Elohim created before the world. He would not let us live there, but placed us inside the garden, below which you are now living.
14 “After I transgressed, He made me come out of it and I was left to live in this cave. That was when great and horrible troubles came on me. And when the time of my death drew near, I commanded my son Shĕth to tend his people well. And my commandment is to be handed from one to another, to the end of the generations to come.
15 “But, Yereḏ, my son, we live in beautiful regions while you live here in misery. Your father Mahalal’ĕl informed me that a great flood would come and overwhelm the whole earth.
16 “Therefore, my son, fearing for your sakes, I rose and took my children with me, and came here to visit you and your children. I found you standing in this cave weeping, and your children scattered about this mountain in the heat and in misery.
17 “But, my son, as we missed our way, and came as far as this, we found other men below this mountain; who inhabit a beautiful country, full of trees and of fruits, and of all manner of lush, green vegetation. It is like a garden. When we found them we thought they were you, until your father Mahalal’ĕl told me they were no such thing.
18 “Now, my son, listen to my advice, and go down to them, you and your children. You will rest from all this suffering you are in. If you will not go down to them then arise, take your children, and come with us to our garden. There, you shall live in our beautiful land, and you shall rest from all this trouble which you and your children are now living in.”
19 But when he heard these words from the oldest, Yereḏ was confused and went here and there, but at that moment he found none of his children.
20 Then he answered and said to the old one, “Why have you hidden yourselves until this day?”
21 And the oldest replied, “If your father had not told us, we would not have known it.”
22 Then Yereḏ believed his words were true.
23 So that oldest said to Yereḏ, “Wherefore did you turn about, so and so?” And he said, “I was seeking one of my children, to tell him about my going with you, and about their coming down to those about whom you have spoken to me.”
24 When the old one heard Yereḏ’s intention, he said to him, “Do not worry about that right now but come with us and you shall see our country. If the land in which we live pleases you, we shall all return here and take your family with us. But if our country does not please you, you shall come back to your own home.”
25 And the old one urged Yereḏ to go before one of his children came to talk him out of his decision.
26 Yereḏ, then, came out of the cave and went with them, and among them. And they comforted him, until they came to the top of the mountain of the sons of Qayin.
27 Then the old one said to one of his companions, “We have forgotten something by the mouth of the cave, and that is the chosen garment we had brought to clothe Yereḏ with.”
28 He then said to one of them, “One of you go back, and we will wait for you here until you come back. Then will we clothe Yereḏ and he shall be like us, good, handsome, and fit to come with us into our country.”
29 Then that one went back.
30 But when he was a short distance off, the old one called to him and said to him, “You stay there until I come up and speak to you.”
31 Then he stood still and the old one went up to him and said to him, “One thing we forgot at the cave, it is this; we forgot to put out the lamp that burns inside the cave, above the bodies that are in there. Do it and come back to us, quickly.
32 That one went, and the old one came back to his fellows and to Yereḏ. And they came down from the mountain, and Yereḏ was with them. And they stayed by a fountain of water, near the houses of the children of Qayin and waited for their companion until he brought the garment for Yereḏ.
33 Then he who went back to the cave, put out the lamp, and came to them and brought an apparition with him and showed it them. And when Yereḏ saw it he wondered at the beauty and grace thereof, and rejoiced in his heart believing it was all true.
34 But while they were staying there, three of them went into houses of the sons of Qayin and said to them, “Bring us today some food by the fountain of water, for us and our companions to eat.”
35 But when the sons of Qayin saw them, they were in awe at them and thought: “These men are beautiful to look at. We have never seen such before.” So they rose and came with them to the fountain of water, to see their companions.
36 They thought them so very handsome that they called aloud about their places for others to gather together and come and look at these beautiful beings. Then they gathered around them both men and women.
37 Then the old one said to them, “We are strangers in your land, bring us some good food and drink, and bring yourselves and your women, so we can entertain ourselves with you.”
38 When those men heard these words of the old one, every one of Qayin’s sons brought his wife, and another brought his daughter, and so, many women came to them; every one calling out to Yereḏ either for himself or for his wife.
39 But when Yereḏ saw what they did, his very soul wrenched itself from them and he would not taste their food or their drink.
40 The old one saw him as he wrenched himself from them, and said to him, “Do not be sad. I am the great elder, as you shall see me do, do yourself in like manner.”
41 Then he spread his hands and took one of the women, and five of his companions did the same in front of Yereḏ, that he should do as they did.
42 But when Yereḏ saw them doing their wickedness he wept, and said in his mind, “My fathers never acted like this.
43 He then spread his hands and prayed with a fervent heart, and with much weeping, and begged Elohim to deliver him from their hands.
44 No sooner did Yereḏ begin to pray than the old one fled with his companions; for they could not abide in a place of prayer.
45 Then Yereḏ turned round but could not see them, but found himself standing in the midst of the children of Qayin.
46 He then wept and said, “O Elohim, do not destroy me with this race, concerning which my fathers have warned me. For now, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 my Elohim, I was thinking that those who appeared to me were my forefathers, but I have found them out to be devils, who lured me by way of this beautiful apparition, until I believed them.
47 “But now I ask You, O Elohim, to deliver me from this race, among whom I am now staying, as You did deliver me from those devils. Send Your messenger to pull me out of the middle of them. I do not have the power within myself to escape from among them.”
48 When Yereḏ had ended his prayer, Elohim sent His messenger into the middle of them and he took Yereḏ and set him up on the mountain, and showed him the way, and he gave him wise advice, and then departed from him.