2 Abraham 17

Abram cast into prison. He is strengthened by angels. Nimrod's astrologers recognise him as a messenger of doom. Abram and his brother Haran cast into the king's furnace at Casdim.

1. When the king heard my words and the prayer which I uttered, he ordered me to be cast into the prison house until he had determined what to do with me. And after ten days the king gathered together all his counsellors and rehearsed unto them all things concerning me.

2. And when he had rehearsed all things unto them, he asked them, saying: What judgment shall such an one receive who hath reviled the king and our gods and our order?

3. And they returned judgment unto him, saying: The man who revileth the king should be hanged from a tree until he is dead, and the tree then felled to the ground while all the people shall shout: Thus shall it befall him who revileth the king.

4. But this man hath not only reviled the king but also our gods and our order, and according to our law such an one shall be cast into a furnace of fire until he be consumed and naught remain of him in the earth. Let therefore the fire be increased in the king's furnace which is in Casdim where the king's bricks are made, and let this blasphemer be cast into the fire that he be consumed.

5. The king so commanded and for three days and three nights was the fire preparing in Casdim. And at the end of that time I was brought forth from the prison to be cast therein.

6. Nevertheless, while I was in the prison Yahweh sent His angels to minister unto me, and to comfort me. And they said unto me: Fear not, Abram, for thy work is not yet finished, for thou shalt yet become the father of many nations, and thou shalt preach the Gospel in far places, even in the land of Egypt shalt thou declare the mysteries of thy Elohim.

7. And though they cast thee into the furnace, is not Yahweh able to deliver thee therefrom? For through thy deliverance shall many be brought to bow down and worship Yahweh thy Elohim and forsake the evils of Nimrod.

8. Therefore I came forth from the prison confident in the power of my Elohim and in His promise that I should be delivered from the fire. But as I came forth, the astrologers of the king looked upon me, and by the power of Satan they recognised me, for they saw me clothed in light.

9. And they cried out unto the king, saying: O king of all the earth, surely this is the man of whom we spake unto thee fifty years ago that he should rise up to overthrow thy kingdom. Wherefore was he not slain?

10. Hearing these words the king was greatly troubled, and calling my father Terah before him, he exclaimed: Is this then thy son who was to have been slain? And what child then did I slay at his birth? Speak now the truth and thou shalt go free; but if thou speakest not the truth, thou shalt die with thy son.

11. And Nimrod caused my father to swear concerning the matter. And my father answered the king, saying: My lord king, I am guilty! For because of my tender feelings toward my son, I did substitute for him the son of my concubines who was born on the same night.

12. The king's wrath mounted and in his anger he cried: Who advised thee to do this thing? Surely that man shall die. My father, being terrified at the king's anger, said: It was my son Haran who so advised me.

13. Now Haran had not advised my father of anything, but the Spirit of Yahweh had wrought upon my father that he was loathe to give me up to the king. Nevertheless, Haran was privy to what my father had done, and Haran was one of the believers in the true Elohim of Heaven, but his heart was not firm nor his faith sure.

14. Whereupon Haran said in his heart: If Abram be delivered from the furnace, then shall I know that the Elohim of Abram is indeed the true Elohim. Wherefore Haran waivered in his faith and his confidence waxed not great in El Elyon. But my confidence was secure, for I knew that it rested upon the Rock of my salvation and that the Word of Elohim faileth not.

15. Now when the king heard the words of my father, he caused that Haran should also be taken with me. And leading us to the vale of Casdim they stripped us of all our clothing and bound us with cords, and cast us into the fire.

Authors: JB, LThE, SBSK et al

First created in 1990 Updated on 6 June 2016

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