AḆRAHAM 117

1 Nevertheless, I ventured to speak before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 again, for I know that all His Ways are just. 2 And I said unto Him, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, suppose there shall lack but five of the fifty righteous. Wilt Thou destroy the whole land for the lack of five men? 3 And He said, If there be forty-five righteous in the land, I will not destroy it. 4 And I spake unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 again, saying, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, I know that I am yet but dust and ashes, for although I am, by the testimony of Thine own mouth, declared to be a son of Elohim, yet I am not yet glorified to be like Thee. 5 Nevertheless, be not displeased with me when I plead on behalf of the righteous; for suppose there shall be forty righteous in the land? 6 And He said, I will not destroy it if I find there forty. 7 Then I said, O 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄, Thou hast been patient indeed with Thy servant; wherefore, I shall speak yet again before Thee, Suppose there shall thirty righteous be found there? 8 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 replied, I will not destroy it if I find thirty there. 9 Then I spake again saying, I have ventured to speak before 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄; shall I now cease lest the righteous be destroyed with the wicked? 10 Suppose there shall be twenty righteous found in the land? 11 And 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 said, I will not destroy it for the sake of twenty. 12 Finally I said, O, let not 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 be displeased and I will speak only once more. 13 Suppose ten righteous shall be found there? 14 And He said, I will not destroy it for the sake of ten. 15 But thou, Aḇraham, remain here in prayer and fasting until My messengers return unto thee, for if ten righteous be not found in the land, I shall gather out those righteous who are found there and thou shalt be caught up of the earth to call down fire and brimstone upon the land by a qodesh ordinance inasmuch as thou art a kohĕn and a sovereign forever after the order of the Most High Elohim, having the right of the First-born which hath come down from the fathers to exercise absolute authority over thy posterity, even the right of life and death under the direction of the Qodesh One. 16 Nevertheless, remember that this authority can only be exercised under the direction of the shamayim, for when any man exerciseth his kehunnah contrary to the will of the shamayim, his kehunnah is forfeited, his authority passeth away and he can call upon the powers of the shamayim to accomplish no work from that day forward. 17 Wherefore, let all men repent of the exercise of unrighteous dominion and turn unto 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 their Elohim, that they be severed not from the rights of His House. 18 So saying, 𐤉𐤄𐤅𐤄 departed from me and I remained in that place in fasting and praying, awaiting the return of the three messengers.