Book of Wars Against Jehovih Chapter 41, Chapter 42

Chapter 41

1. Darker and darker, the hadan fields palled before the touch of Jehovih’s hand, to try the
self-assumed Lord God and his heavenly works. As if an epoch new and terrible had
come to one so audacious, who foremost in heaven and earth had sought to banish the
worship and the name of the Great Spirit from mortals, and give them instead a heavenly
ruler in the image of man.

2. For before this, all nations knew the office of Gods and Lords, and reverenced them as
Jehovih’s high officers, raised up spirits of the dead, wise and powerful. But now, in five
great divisions of the earth, satan’s hadan chief had bound his name in mortals, with
threatened penalties, and even death, for mentioning Jehovih’s name. And, to put them
to the test, made oaths on burning flesh, that whoso would not eat thereof should die.

3. For this was the criterion before the courts that they that refused fish and flesh food, or
would not pollute the body by noxious drinks and smoke, intoxicating to the sense, were
possessed of Jehovihian worship, and so deserved torture and death.

4. So the names of Lord and God, and Lord God, and De’yus, had now become for a
thousand years fixed in mortals’minds as the Creator, a large man sitting on a throne in
Hored, his heavenly seat, watched and guarded by his son, Anubi, keeper of the scales,
and of the gate to heaven. To make a plausible story of which, the angels, through oracles,
and magicians, and priests, and prophets, proclaimed that: In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth, and all things therein and thereon. And he was tired, and
rested; and, as if creation was a completed work, left certain laws to run the wonderful
machine whilst he sat afar off, looking on; smiling at the pranks of mortals, and their
failure to understand him, with a devil and a horrid fire to torture their souls, if they sang
not in praise of this compounded, false Lord God.

5. Thus turned he, their false God, the voice of mortals from Him Who is Ever Present,
Whose speech hath every soul heard, Whose Presence moveth all things in heaven and
earth! The false God turned them to sing and pray to himself, so he should clutch and
bind their souls in endless slavery; untaught, half fed; as drudges, to bring into his capital,
provender and building stones to glorify him forever.

6. Over Jaffeth, far and wide, this traitor to Jehovih had sealed in stone, and papyrus, and
wood, and sacred cloth, his name, Ho-Joss, to suit the Panic voice, as whilst in Vind’yu he
made them engrave it Dyaus, to fit the Vedic tongue; and thence in Fonece to suit the
higher-spirited race, Adonia-Egad, and go over to Heleste, and, in less distince and
bastard Greece, whisper Zeus, saying: These words are watch-words to gain Anubi’s ear,
and turn the scales for endless paradise. Go ye, slaves, engrave my names; and, in mortal
libraries, register my great exploit, of how I created the world!

7. And make me spotless pure, letting sin into the races of men by Osiris’cunning tale of
Eve’s weakness by fault of the earth. For I am not come like Jehovih’s captains, spirits
sent to rule men for a season, but a very God of blood and bones, who once, in terrible
anger, flooded the earth to drown my disobedient sons and daughters. Make ye them to
tremble and draw long breath when my name is spoken, or, by mine own soul, I will hurl
heaven and earth into endless chaos!

8. Pressing downward ji’ay came, slowly and surely, the very motion spake as a million
tongues, serious, awful. For many, on every side, of the hosts of Anuhasaj were deserting
him. As one in a small way may see on a sinking ship, how the expert swimmers, with
strong arms, leap into the water boldly and swim for the far-off shore, whilst the helpless,
in frantic rage, cluster fast upon the distracted officers, blockading them from doing good.
So began the tumult in the fast descending plateau, Hored, which was increased a
hundred-fold by the flood of drujas cast upon De’yus’kingdom by his own traitorous false
Gods.

9. De’yus’generals and captains first tried music to hold the forty thousand millions to
peace and order; but the es’enaurs themselves took fright, and by the million fled, flying
down to the earth to Osiris’, or Te-in’s, or Sudga’s kingdoms, and over-flooding mortals
with ghostly revelries. Next, by parades, and rites, and great processions, did De’yus’
officers seek to divert the panic-stricken millions.

10. Thus for years this maddened God with wonderful strength of will almost held his
own, inventing tens of thousands of stratagems. But at last, in the downward course,
Hored touched upon the corporeal earth; and suddenly, as if startled by the shock, the
frantic millions screamed, and then, alas, all order died.

11. The doors of hell were opened! Anuhasaj’s throne and capital, with all their splendor,
the maddened mob broke loose to pillage or to destroy. And then rushed in the faultfinders, shouting: Thou lying God, but like a man, who art thou? And thou, Anubi! Deceiving judge! A thousand horrid deaths to thee!

12. But the unlearned drujas knew not who was rank or officer, God or judge, but seized
the pale and trembling De’yus and Anubi, and more than a million officers, overpowered
them, by ten millions to one, pressed on by the foul-smelling crowd. And now, with
blows and kicks and cuffs, on every side began the awful fray. Till stretched as wide as
the earth, the countless millions were plunged into hell. Hereupon, to right and left, was
now an unceasing combat, and all the hosts of the Lord God were sworn for vengeance
against any one they came against.

13. Then came the torturers, casting into the hells most offensive smells and suffocating
gases, crammed in the nose and mouth of their victims. No more were the Lord God and
Anubi seen, but swallowed up in measureless darkness, where every soul sought nothing
good, but labored hard to give unto others excruciating tortures for vengeance sake.

Chapter 42
1. God in Craoshivi prayed Jehovih what he should do to release De’yus and Anubi;
Jehovih answered, saying: My Son, thou shalt first labor for them that desire; whoso
courteth darkness deserveth not thy hand. I have proclaimed from since the olden time,
warning to them that put ME away; but in their self-conceit they denied My person and
power.

2. Wert thou, this day, to deliver from hell De’yus and Anubi, and their thousands of
millions of self-torturing slaves, they would but use their deliverance to mock My
creation, saying: It lasted not; it was but a breath of wind. For which reason thou shalt not
yet meddle with the hells of Hored.

3. In four hundred years I will bring the earth into another dawn of light. Till then, let
De’yus and Anubi and their hosts take their course.

4. God inquired concerning Osiris and Te-in and Sudga, and Jehovih answered
him, saying: Sufficient unto them is the light they have received. Suffer them also to
take their course, for they also shall become involved in hells of their own building.

5. But be thou attentive to My Chosen, the Faithists, in all parts of heaven and earth; not
suffering one of them to fall into the hells of my enemies.

6. God acquainted Ahura with Jehovih’s words; then Ahura prayed to Jehovih, saying: O
Father, grant thou to me that I may go to Osiris, and to Te-in, and to Sudga, to plead Thy
cause. Behold, the Lord God is locked up in hell; even high-raised Gods would not find it
safe to go to him.

7. Jehovih said: Why, O Ahura, desirest thou to go to Osiris and to Te-in and to Sudga?
Knowest thou not, how difficult it is to alter the mind of a mortal man; and yet these self-Gods are ten-fold more stubborn!

8. Ahura said: I know, I cannot change them; to break this matter of conceit, and all
learned men are liable to fall therein, none but Thee, O Jehovih, have power. But these
self-Gods were long ago my most loved friends; behold, I will go to them as a father
would to a son, and plead with them. Jehovih gave permission to Ahura to visit them, the
three great self-Gods.

9. So Ahura fitted out an otevan, and with ten thousand attendants, and one thousand
heralds, and with five thousand musicians, besides the officers of the fire-ship, set sail
for Che-su-gow, Te-in’s heavenly place, over Jaffeth. And when he arrived near the place
he halted and sent his heralds ahead to inquire if he could have audience with Te-in.

10. Te-in received the heralds cordially, and being informed of their object, sent back this
word: Te-in, the most high ruler of heaven and earth sendeth greeting to Ahura,
commanding his presence, but forbidding Ahura and his hosts from speaking to any soul
in Che-su-gow save himself (Te-in).

11. Ahura received this insulting message with composure, and then proceeded and
entered the capital city, the heavenly place of Te-in, where he was met by one million
slaves, arrayed in the most gorgeous manner. These conducted him and his attendants to
the arena, where Ahura was received by the marshals, who brought him to the throne,
leaving the attendants in the arena. Here Te-in saluted on the SIGn OF TAURUS, and Ahura
answered in the sign FRIENDSHIP.

12. Te-in signaled privacy, and so all the others fell back, leaving Ahura and Te-in alone.
Te-in said: Come thou and sit beside me on the throne. Ahura said: Because thou hast not
forgotten me I am rejoiced. And he went up and sat on the throne. Te-in said: Because
thou art my friend I love thee; because thou art beside me I am rejoiced. It is more than a
thousand years since mine eyes have beholden thee. Tell me, Ahura, how is it with thyself
and thy kingdom?

13. Ahura said: As for myself I am happy; for the greater part, my kingdom is happy also.
My trials have been severe and long enduring. But of my four thousand millions, more
than half of them are delivered beyond atmospherea, high raised; and of the others they
grade from fifty to ninety.

14. Te-in said: And for thy more than two thousand years’toil, what hast thou gained by
striving to raise up these drujas? Ahura said: This only, O Te-in, peace and rejoicing in
my soul.

15. Te-in said: Hereupon hang two philosophies: One seeketh peace and rejoicing by
laboring with the lowest of the low; the other, by leading the highest of the high. As for
myself the latter suiteth me better than the former. I tell thee, Ahura, all things come of
the will; if we will ourselves to shut out horrid sights and complainings, such as the poor
druk and the druj indulge in, we have joy in a higher heaven. To me it is thus; sympathy is
our most damnable enemy, for it bindeth us to the wretched and miserable. To put away
sympathy is to begin to be a great master over others, to make them subservient to our
wills.

16. Ahura said: Is it not a good thing to help the wretched? Te-in answered: To help
them is like drinking nectar; to make one’s senses buoyant for the time being. That is
all. They relapse and are less resolute than before, but depend on being helped again.
For which reason he who helpeth the wretched doth wrong them woefully. To make
them know their places, this is the highest. For hath not even the Gods got to submit
to their places. To learn to be happy with one’s place and condition is great wisdom.

17. Herein have thousands of Gods fallen; they helped up the poor and wretched; as one
may, in sympathy to serpents, take them into his house and pity them. They immediately
turn and bite their helpers. But speak thou, O Ahura; for I have respect to thy words.

18. Ahura said: If a man plant an acorn in a flower-pot, and it take root and grow, one of
two things must follow: the growth must be provided against or the pot will burst. Even
thus draweth, from the sources around about, the lowest druj in heaven. None of the Gods
can bind him forever. Alas, he will grow. All our bondage over them cannot prevent the
soul, soon or late, taking root and growing. How, then, can we be Gods over them
forever?

19. Te-in said: Thou art a God over them; I am a God over them. Where is the difference?
Ahura said: I am not in mine own name; though I am God over them, yet am I not God
over them. For I teach them they shall not worship me, but Jehovih. I train them that I
may raise them away from me. Neither do my people serve me, but serve the Great Spirit.
Thou teachest thy drujas that thou art the all highest, and that they shall be contented
to serve thee everlastingly. Thou dost limit them to the compass of thy kingdom. I do
not limit my subjects, but teach them that their progression is forever onward, upward.

20. Te-in said: How do we not know but the time will come unto them, and they shall
say: Alas, I was taught in error. They told me there was a Great Spirit, a Person
comprising all things, but I have found Him not. Will they not then revolt also? Was not
this the cause of De’yus’fall? He had searched the heavens to the extreme, but found not
Jehovih. Then he returned, and possessed himself of heaven and earth. Although he
failed, and is cast into hell, it is plain that his sympathy for drujas caused his fall. From
his errors, I hope to guard myself; for I shall show no sympathy for the poor or wretched;
neither will I permit education on earth or in heaven, save to my Lords or marshals. When
a mortal city pleaseth me not, I will send spirits of darkness to flood it unto destruction.
Yea, they shall incite mortals to fire the place, and do riot and death. Thus will I keep the
drujas of heaven forever busy playing games with mortals, and in bringing provender and
diadems to forever glorify my heavenly kingdom.

21. Ahura said: Where in all the world hath a self-God stood and not fallen? Te-in said:
Thou mayst ask of mortals: Where is a kingdom or a nation that stood, and hath not
fallen? Yet thou perceivest nations continue to try to found themselves everlastingly. But
they are leveled in time. Things spring up and grow, and then fall into dissolution. Will it
not be so with ourselves in the far future? Will we not become one with the ever-changing elements, and as nothing, and wasted away?

22. Ahura said: One might say of man and spirits: There were some seeds planted; and
many of them rotted and returned to earth; but others took root and grew and became
large trees. But yet, is it not true also of the trees that they have a time? For they die, and
fall down, and rot, and also return to earth.

23. Ahura continued: Admit this to be true, O Te-in, and that the time may come when
thou and I shall pass out of being, doth it not follow that for the time we live we should
contribute all we can to make others happy?

24. Te-in said: If by so doing it will render ourselves happy, with no danger to our
kingdoms, then yea, verily. For which reason are we not forced back after all to
the position that we shall labor for our own happiness, without regard to others?
One man delighteth in art, another in philosophy, another in helping the poor and
wretched; and another in eating and drinking, and another in ruling over others; shall not
they all have enjoyment in the way of their desires? Shalt thou say to him that delighteth
in eating and drinking: Stop thou; come and delight thyself helping the wretched!

25. Ahura said: This I have seen; the intelligent and clean have more delight than do the
stupid and filthy; the rich more enjoyment than the poor. As for ourselves, we delight
more in seeing the delighted than in seeing the wretched. More do we delight to see a
child smile than to hear it cry; but there be such that delight more to make a child cry than
to see it smile; but such persons are evil and take delight in evil. Shall we, then, indulge
them in their means of delight? Or is there not a limit, as when we say: All men have
a right to that which delighteth themselves, provided it mar not the delight of others?

26. Te-in said: Thou hast reasoned well. We shall delight ourselves only in such ways as
do not mar the delight of others. Whereupon Ahura said: Then am I not delighted with the
manner of thy kingdom; and thou shouldst not practice what giveth me pain. Because
thou hast resolved to educate not mortals nor angels, thou hast raised a hideous wall in
the face of Gods.

27. Te-in said: This also wilt thou admit: that as we desire to delight ourselves
we should look for the things that delight us, and turn away from things that delight
us not. Therefore, let not the Gods turn their faces this way, but to their own affairs.

28. Ahura said: Thou art wise, O Te-in. But this I have found; that something within us
groweth, that will not down nor turn aside. In the beginning of life we look to ourselves,
which is the nature of the young; but when we grow, we take a wife, and we delight to see
her delighted; then cometh offspring, and we delight to see them delighted. After this, we
delight to see our neighbors delighted; and then the state, and then the whole kingdom.
This delight to be delighted groweth within us; and when we become Gods we delight no
longer in the delight of a few only, but we expand unto many kingdoms. As for myself, I
first delighted in the delight of Vara-pishanaha; but now I delight to see other Gods
and other kingdoms delighted. For that, I have come to thee. I fear thy fate. I love thee.
I love all thy people, good and bad. Behold, this I have found, that it is an easier matter
to suffer a river to run its course than to dam it up; to dam up a river and not have
it overflow or break the dam this I have not found. The course of the spirit of man
is growth; it goeth onward like a running river. When thou shuttest up the mouth,
saying: Thus far and no farther! I fear for thee. I tried this matter once; I was flooded;
the dam was broken. I see thee shutting out knowledge from mortals and angels; but
I tell thee, O Te-in, the time will come when the channel will be too broad for thee.

29. Te-in said: How shall I answer such great wisdom? Where find a God like unto thee,
O Ahura? And yet, behold, the Lord God, Anuhasaj, toiled with thee hundred of years,
and learned all these things; yea, he traveled in the far-off heavens, where there are Gods
and kingdoms which have been for millions of years. And he came back and renounced
the Great Person, Jehovih. He said: All things are not a harmonious whole; but a jumble;
a disordered mass, playing catch as catch can.

30. Ahura said: And what hath befallen him? And is here not a great argument? For we
behold in all times and conditions and places, in heaven and on earth, wherever people
assume doctrines like unto his, they begin to go down into hell. They flourish a little
while, but only as a summer plant, to yield in the winter’s blast. For this I have seen for a
long time coming against these heavens, even thine, that, as darkness crushed De’yus, so
will thy heavenly dominions soon or late fall, and in the shock and fray thou wilt suffer a
fate like unto De’yus.

31. Te-in said: For thy wise words, O Ahura, I am thy servant. I will consider thy
argument, and remember thee with love. In a thousand years from now I may be wiser;
and I may have my kingdom so built up that it will be an argument stronger than words.
Hereupon the two Gods brought their argument to a close, and Te-in signaled his vice-Gods and marshals, and they came; and when Ahura and Te-in had saluted each other, Ahura was conducted away from the place of the throne, and after that beyond the capital.
The vice-Gods and marshals delivered him to his own attendants, and with them he
embarked in his otevan, and set sail for Sudga’s heavenly kingdom, over the land of
Vind’yu.