Lectionary Readings for Friday, May 1st, 2020

God’s First Book, Chapter 20, Chapter 21

Chapter 20

1. On the next morning, at sunrise, Ormazd spake again through Brahma, and Vede wrote
down the words; and on the succeeding morning, in like manner; and so continued for
forty days; and in forty days, behold, the Veda was completed; the holy words of Brahma
were written.

2. God said to Brahma: Go now, and preach my gospel unto whosoever will hear;
proclaiming liberty to all who will follow thee. I will be with thee to the end. And
thou shalt take Yu-tiv, thy wife, and all thy sons with thee, even Hog, the youngest born.

3. So Brahma went forth preaching by day, and exhibiting the spirits of the dead by night.
But to the chosen he spake at dawn, in the early morning, the time the All Light was upon
him. And his sons also preached and explained; and Yu-tiv explained to all women how it
was with her when pregnant with her sons. Only Hog preached not; neither opened he his
mouth before the populace as to his unbelief. In his soul he said: These things may be
true, and if they be true, it is well. If they be not true, still the believing of them, by the
populace, worketh righteousness and goodness. With all my philosophy, I cannot move
the multitude to righteousness. But my father maketh them as a flock of sheep; they cease
from evil, and they practice good fellowship. Therefore, I will stand by my father to the
end.

4. When Brahma came near a city, he halted outside the walls, that according to law the
kings could not stay his voice. And the multitude came out of the city to hear him, and
many returned not; but remained with Brahma and his sons in their camp. And when
Brahma moved to another city they went with him. And in a little while the hosts of
Brahma were as an army of thousands.

5. And not a few of them were men and women of wealth, and they cast their treasures at
Brahma’s feet, saying: Take thou this trash, and give me of everlasting life instead. But
men of learning came not to Brahma; neither came the priests, nor kings, nor magicians,
nor consulters of oracles.

6. God said: Take thy hosts and establish them in families of tens, and of twenties, and of
hundreds, and of thousands, and give thou a head father unto each and every family. And
thy people shall be a people unto themselves, having nothing in common with the kings’
peoples.

7. Behold, my angel will go with thee, and show the waste lands, such as the kings’
peoples desire not; and thou and thy people shall possess the lands and dwell together in
love and wisdom, doing good to one another.

8. So Brahma did as commanded, and he established the mountains of Roam, and the
valleys in the mountains of Roam, and his people dwelt there, in all six thousand eight
hundred and twenty, men, women and children.

9. And there came to Brahma a certain captain-general of the army of King Syaythaha, of
the West Kingdom of Vind’yu, wherein lay the city of Gowsehamgamrammus, of a
million inhabitants, and he said unto Brahma:

10. In the name of the king, mightiest of men, Syaythaha, am I before thee, O Brahma.
Behold, the king sendeth thee gold, silver and copper, saying: Brahma is good! Brahma
shall give me the blessing of heaven!

11. Brahma answered the captain-general, saying: Brahma saluteth the king, mightiest of
men, Syaythaha, in the name of Ormazd, the Creator, in love and in these wise words,
that come to the soul of Brahma. Brahma sendeth the king’s servant, even the captain-general, back to the king, with his gold, silver and copper, saying: Deal thou with thy Creator and not with men! The Great Spirit holdeth all blessings in His own hands. Give
him thy treasures!

12. The captain-general departed and returned with his gold, silver and copper to the king,
and told the king Brahma’s words. The king was pleased with the wisdom of Brahma, but
withal felt rebuked and sore at heart. So Ormazd suffered satan to possess the king for a
season; and the king resolved to destroy Brahma and all his people. And he commanded
the captain-general to assemble together fifty thousand men, with arms, ready for battle.
And when they were thus prepared, and started on their journey, which would require
seven days, the king bethought him to inquire of the oracle as to his best mode of success.

13. Now the angel of God had taken possession of the oracle, and yet the magi knew it
not, nor did Syaythaha. So the king came before the sand table, and the spirit wrote these
words: He who hath become one with Ormazd is mightier than an army. Take off thy
crown, O king, mightiest of men, and thy golden robes, and all that is fine and fair to look
upon, and clothe thyself in the poorest of garments, even as a druk that wandereth about.
But thy crown and thy costly robes, and thy raiment, fine and fair to look upon, put upon
thy body servant. And ye twain shall go in advance of the army, even before Brahma.

14. And thou shalt witness that man who professeth to labor for the poor will fall on his
belly before the man of riches and power. And behold, O king, thou shalt feel justified
in destroying him that falleth before the crown and robes, knowing he is a hypocrite.

15. The king was pleased with this, and he fulfilled all that was commanded of the oracle;
and when he came near Brahma’s camp, a man came before the king’s servant, saying:
Behold, O king, command me as thou wilt! And he prostrated himself on the ground
before the king’s servant. Whereupon the king, dressed as a druk, came to him and said:
Who art thou? And the man answered: Begone, beggar! My matter is with the king! (For
he mistook which was which.)

16. The king ordered the man to be seized and taken away and put to death; and the
advance guard fell upon the man and slew him with war clubs. And when the man was
quite dead, behold, Brahma came, and the king, nor none of his advance guard, knew
him. And Vus and Whe-ish were with their father, and the three came and stood by
the dead man. Brahma then took the king’s hand, saying: Thou that art in the garb
of a druk come hither, for thou hast flesh and blood unto holiness. Lay thou one hand
on on the dead man; put thine other hand on my head, for I will prove Ormazd
before thine eyes. Behold, thou who hast tried to kill Brahma, killed another person!

17. And when the king’s hands were placed, Brahma stood by the head of the dead man,
and his two sons by the heart; and Brahma said: In Thy name, O Ormazd, and by Thy
power in me, return thou to life, O man! And arise! Arise! Arise!

18. And behold, the man was brought to life, and rose up and stood before the multitude.

19. The king trembled with fear, and the guard stood aback, amazed. And, as for the
servant arrayed in the king’s garb, he cast aside the crown and robes, and fled into the
forest.

20. Brahma said unto the king: Here standeth the angel of Ormazd, and the angel saith
thou art the king in disguise, and, moreover, that he, the angel, commandeth thee here for
this purpose, saying to thee in the oracle: He that hath become one with Ormazd is
mightier than an army!

21. The king said: This is true. I swear before Thee, O Ormazd, henceforth I will wear
such garments as these I have on, and my life shall be given to Thy service. Let who will,
take my kingdom and all I called mine.

22. So Syaythaha joined Brahma’s hosts; and with Syaythaha came his brothers and their
sons and daughters. And, those that came, cast into a heap, whatsoever goods or moneys
they had, and the head fathers of the families divided and distributed the same according
to their best wisdom. And Brahma’s people, by commandment of Brahma, called
themselves not Brahmins, but Vedans; that is, Truth-followers.

23. In those days the language of the kings of Vind’yu, and of men of learning, was
All-ao, signifying, OUT OF ALL THAT IS GOOD. But the Vedans were the unlearned, and
their language was imperfect, and of many meanings for every spoken and written word.

24. And God foresaw the liability to corruption of the Brahmin religion, and he spake to
Brahma, saying: Behold, I have given thee seven sons, six of light and one of darkness.
Thy six sons of light shall establish each one a school amongst my chosen, and teach my
scriptures by word of mouth. And all that henceforth become rab’bahs shall be capable of
repeating every word of the Veda by heart. And, in after ages, if the plates and the books
of my holy religion are destroyed by war, it mattereth not. The substance of thy labors
shall live.

25. Then did Brahma’s sons as commanded, each and every one becoming a teacher. And
again God spake to Brahma, saying: Arise, and go where my angel will lead thee, taking
thy wife and thy son, Hog, with thee. And thou shalt travel yet two years from place to
place, and then return thither, for thy labor will be completed.

Chapter 21
1. The place thus founded by Brahma was called Haraoyo, and his people, at this time,
extended in seven cities and thirty villages, and possessed all the country of Roam, which
had been uninhabited hundreds of years. And the Vedans cultivated the lands, living on
fruits, roots, and on bread made of wheat grown in the fields; but they ate neither fish nor
flesh, nor anything that had breathed the breath of life.

2. Brahma and his wife, Yu-tiv, and his youngest son, Hog, departed from Haraoyo,
accompanied by seven disciples, and went forth under the direction of the angels of
Ormazd, to preach and explain the Veda, carrying one book with them. And they went
first to the north-east, through the kingdoms of Haomsut, and Ali-oud, and Zeth, and
Wowtichiri; thence westerly to Hatiqactra, where the tyrant, Azhi-Aven, had built a
temple of skulls, after the manner of the ancients. Azhi kept six dens of lions, for
devouring his condemned slaves. So, because of oppression, the kingdom of Azhi was
profitable unto Ormazd. From Hatiqactra Brahma obtained three thousand followers.

3. And when Brahma had seven thousand followers, the angel of God directed him to the
plains of Cpenta-armaiti. And here he established his people, dividing them into families
and villages, and appointing priests unto them. And Cpenta-armaiti became known over
all the world from that time after.

4. After this the angel directed Brahma to go to the south-west, through the kingdoms of
H’spor and Vaetaeyo, and Aramya, and thence to Dacyama, to the city of H’trysti, where
Ormazd had a host of one thousand already inspired to join Brahma.

5. And now the angel directed Brahma to take his hosts to the mountains of
T’cararativirwoh, and establish them; the which he did. And behold, the time of Yu-tiv
and of Brahma was near an end, for they were grown quite old.

6. The angel said to Brahma: Great hath been thy labor. Very great Yu-tiv’s! Where in all
the world is such a woman? From the day thou first beheld her! For the glory of thy sons!
And in her age to follow thee, walking so far!

7. Behold, O Brahma! Yu-tiv is weakening fast. Rise up and take her back to Haraoyo!
The mountains of Roam are calling her! And thy faithful son, Hog, strong and tall. Take
him back with his mother. Haraoyo is calling.

8. Brahma went and looked at Yu-tiv; and his soul spake within him, saying: O Ormazd,
have I not forgotten her, in Thee! The mother of my Gods! O her proud young soul when
first I saw her! Alas, I see, she is tottering and feeble!

9. Brahma went nearer to Yu-tiv, and she spake to him, saying: O Brahma, thou God of
men! I know not if my eyes are turning dim. But O, I have had so strange a sight, even
toward the high sun. It was myself I saw, rising, going upward! The earth going
downward! Then I called: O Ormazd! Not alone! Behold, my God is yonder! Let me back
to Brahma! Then I thought the Creator brought me back and said: Go thou quickly and
see thy godly sons in Haraoyo, for thy time hath come!

10. Brahma said: My angel saith: Go thou back to Haraoyo, thy labor is nearly finished.
For this reason I came to thee. It is well, therefore, for us that we return, taking Hog with
us.

11. So Brahma, and Yu-tiv, and Hog, with five remaining disciples, departed for
Haraoyo, which lay three days’journey for a man to walk, and they knew not how Yu-tiv
would go, for she was worn to the last step, and, above all, her shoes were worn out, and
she had only pieces of cloth to her feet.

12. And whilst they were deliberating, having only gone a short distance, Hog perceived,
going in another direction, a score of soldiers, mounted on horses, and they were leading
a number of spare horses with them. Then the soul of Hog spake within him, spake to
himself, saying:

13. Behold, my father hath made many converts in his day, made good men out of bad
ones. And he hath ever refused money, and gifts, and presents. Now, wherever justice
liveth I know not; but many of the rascals who became followers of my father were
conscience-stricken with ill-gotten gains, and, finding that my father would not receive
their stuff, they tried me, and behold, my pockets are full of gold and diamonds. In truth,
it may have been a very devil prompted me; but I am supposed not to know the higher
light but to know the lower. Of myself and for myself I want not these things. If they
belong to Ormazd, it followeth I should not keep them. Therefore, if I give of gold or
diamonds to those soldiers, they will give me a horse for my angel mother to ride on.
Who knoweth but by the way of those soldiers is the nearest road for this gold to find its
way to Ormazd?

14. So Hog went away and purchased a horse, and brought it to his mother, saying:
Behold, a man hath given thee a present in the name of Ormazd, but forbiddeth thee to
retain it save to ride to Haraoyo, whither thou shalt sell it and give the money to the poor.

15. Yu-tiv said: A good man he was, and wise, for only on his own conditions could I
have accepted the horse. Accordingly, Yu-tiv was mounted on the horse, and they
proceeded on their way, going slowly, for Brahma was also near the end. And after seven
days they arrived at Haraoyo, where they were received by Brahma’s sons, and by all the
multitude of disciples.

16. But owing to Yu-tiv’s deep love for her sons, and being worn out withal, and having
witnessed the glory of righteous works fulfilled through her husband and her sons, the
strain was too much for her corporeal parts. And they brought straw and stretched her
along, and a bundle of straw under her head. Then she spake, saying:

17. First to thee, O Ormazd, my blessing, because Thou createdst me alive, to enjoy
Thy glories. Next, O Brahma! My husband, my blessing on thee, God of men! Thou
hast taught me the fullness of earth and heaven! O the glory of having been thy wife!

18. Then she called Whe-ish and said: O my son, my first born! My blessing on thee.
Because I have watched thee from the hour of conception, I have had the wisdom of
creation demonstrated before me. O the joy when first mine eyes beheld thee; I am going
now, to prepare a place in heaven for thee!

19. And, after that, Yu-tiv blessed all her sons, and coming to Hog she said: My blessing
on thee, O my latest born, God of men! To all my other sons I have told my love, but to
thee my soul so overfloweth, I am as a dumb woman. Thou hast been a very God in all
thy ways, and believest not in Ormazd; nor in heaven nor angels! For which reason I look
upon thee as the highest of all creations. Thou art good for goodness’sake; wise for
wisdom’s sake; happy in finding a way to master all unhappiness!

20. And these were Yu-tiv’s last words; she shut her eyes. She was dead! So they took her
body, and robed it in white, and buried her in the forest of Roam.