Lectionary Readings for Friday, April 3rd, 2020

Book of God’s Word Chapter 23, Chapter 24

Chapter 23

1. Zarathustra, the All Pure, inquired concerning protection against imposters. To
which I’hua’Mazda answered, saying: Prove all things on the altar. If a man come
before the people saying: Behold, I am a prophet! and he teach strange doctrines, he
shall be tied on the wheel with his face toward the sun at high noon. And if he be a
true prophet, the spirits who dwell by the altar will set him free. But, if he be not released
on the third night, the wheel shall be carried out into the forest and stood up by
the bushes. And if he be an imposter the wild beasts will come and devour his flesh.

2. Zarathustra inquired concerning the wheel afterward. I’hua’Mazda said: When an
imposter hath perished on the wheel, behold, the wheel shall be no longer used as before.
But the disciples shall cut away the rim of the wheel, and cast it away, for it is useless.
But the cross-bars of the centre of the wheel shall be retained, for it was on the bars that
he was bound, and the cross of the bars is sacred; and it shall be hung in the place of
worship, for it is a true cross. (See Se’moin, Book of Saphah, as to the origin of the true
cross. Look for symbol, FETE. –Ed.)

Chapter 24

1. Zarathustra inquired concerning the government. To which I’hua’Mazda replied, saying:

2. To the All Pure disciples there is no need of government, save to do the Will of
Ormazd. But no people are all pure; no people are all wise. Two kinds of government
created the Creator; the first is His Own, the Government of Ormazd; the second is the
government mortals have amongst themselves.

3. Zarathustra inquired if government did not abridge liberty. I’hua’Mazda said: The
Ormazdian government giveth liberty; so far as man’s government partaketh after the
Ormazdian government, it giveth liberty also.

4. Zarathustra inquired: What is the best, most potent, man’s government? To which
I’hua’Mazda replied: This is the best, most potent, man’s government: First, there shall not
be more than two thousand people, so that they can know one another; and no city shall
be larger than that.

5. The oldest, wisest, best man shall be the chief rab’bah; but the families of tens and
families of hundreds within the city shall have each, one rab’bah, being the oldest, wisest,
best man.

6. These rab’bahs shall be the government of the city. They shall have a government
house, and it shall be the place of decrees.

7. Zarathustra said: How shall they make decrees, that the decrees pervert not liberty?
I’hua’Mazda said: Ask not this, O man! He who crieth out constantly for his liberty is a
selfish man, he is a druk. Save a man be willing to sacrifice his liberty somewhat, for the
public good, he is unworthy before Ormazd. To find the amount of sacrifice, this is the
business of the decrees.

8. Zarathustra said: How, then, shall the rab’bah proceed? I’hua’Mazda said: When they
are seated, the chief rab’bah shall announce the subject; neither shall any other rab’bah
announce the subject. But if a rab’bah have a subject, he shall state it beforehand to the
chief rab’bah.

9. After the subject is announced, then shall all the rab’bahs speak on the subject; but they
shall not speak against one another; each one declaring his highest light.

10. When they have all spoken, then shall the chief rab’bah speak his highest light, which
he gathereth from the others in the first place, but which is afterward illuminated by the
Light of Ormazd, and this shall be the decree.

11. Zarathustra inquired concerning the laws betwixt cities. I’hua’Mazda spake to
Zarathustra, the All Pure, explaining the Ormazdian law. He said: A city is a family
of one. A small village is a family of one; for which reason is a city called Ir. And every
city shall have one God-ir, who shall be the oldest, best, wise man. The God-irs
shall meet in council to consider what is good for all the cities jointly. For some cities
are situated for flax and wool, some for iron, and some for copper, and some for ships.

12. Zarathustra inquired concerning the Council of God-irs. I’hua’Mazda answered him,
saying: The God-irs shall choose the oldest, best, wise man amongst them, and he shall be
called God-ir Chief. And he shall sit in the east in the Council chamber, and he shall
present the subjects, after they have been told him by the other God-irs. And when he
hath presented a subject, all the members shall speak upon it. And after they have all
spoken, then the God-ir Chief shall speak, and his words shall be the decree, which shall
be called the Zarathustrian law, because the All Light dwelleth with the Chief, and
he cannot err. This is the Ormazdian law, the I’hua’Mazdian law, the Zarathustrian law.

13. Zarathustra said: Of a walled city (giryah), what is the Ormazdian law? I’hua’Mazda
answered, saying: To the I’hins, walled cities; to the I’huans, cities without walls. To the
cities of the druks, walls. This is the kingdom of I’hua’Mazda; they that have faith, why
shall they build walls? They shall not hoard up gold and silver; none will rob them. After
Zarathustra, two people will live. One shall be the people of this world; the other shall be
the people of Ormazd. The former shall strive for earthly things; the latter for spiritual
things. And there shall be no affinity betwixt these two people. From this time forth,
the Zarathustrian people, who have faith in the Father, shall not have walled cities
(save the I’hins, the sacred people). But this world’s people, having no faith in the Father,
shall have faith in stone walls; whereby ye may know which are righteous in my sight.

14. Zarathustra inquired concerning the smallest of cities. I’hua’Mazda answered him,
saying: The smallest city is a man and his wife and children. And even as the people in a
large city are one with one another, so shall a man and his wife and children be one with
one another.

15. And as a large city must have a head father, so shall a small one. Whatsoever hath no
head is nothing.

16. Zarathustra said: In the government of a large city, the fathers speak on a subject, and
after them, the head father decreeth.

17. I’hua’Mazda said: Even so shall it be in a family of husband and wife. The wife shall
speak first, and the children next, if old enough; and after that the father shall decree. That
which is a good law for a large city, is good for a small one. As the kingdoms in heaven
are governed, so shall be the kingdoms on earth.

18. Zarathustra inquired concerning a bad husband and a good wife, and a bad wife and a
good husband? I’hua’Mazda spake to Zarathustra, the All Pure, saying:

19. Who knoweth what is good and what is bad? Are not all men to give themselves as
sacrifice to the Father, and all women also? If a good woman is not willing to sacrifice
herself to a bad husband, after having sworn to Ormazd, then she is not good, but a lover
of herself. A good woman hath no self to serve. Because her husband turneth out bad,
shall she also? Is it not good for her in the place Ormazd provided? Shall she set up her
judgment against the Father’s?

20. There be men of evil, and of passion, who abuse their wives. Knoweth not every
damsel this? For this reason, if she commit herself to her husband in the name of the
Father, He heareth her. And He establisheth His kingdom in her house. And that man and
woman have no longer themselves to consult as to their desires; for if the Father desireth
her to leave her husband, or the husband to leave the wife, He taketh one of them
to heaven. Think not that He changeth as the wind, or boweth Himself to please the
caprice of man or woman. Rather let the good wife, with a bad husband, say to Ormazd:

21. Because I was vain, Thou hast rebuked me, O Father. Because I sought to change
my condition, Thou hast shown me I knew not what was good for me. Yea, thou hast
shown me the folly of my judgment before Thee, and I will profit in turning to Thy Will.
I will not more open my mouth in complaint. Though I be scourged with stripes,
and made ashamed of my household, yet will I glorify Thee. The city Thou hast
founded in me, will I begin at the foundation, and build up as a holy city, in Thy name.

22. And she shall say to her husband, who beateth her: Because the Father gavest thou to
me, I will rejoice and sing in thy praise. Before I sleep at night, I will ask His blessing
upon thee, and in the early morning, and at high noon. Though thou mayst hate me, yet
will I do so great good works for thee, thou shalt love me. Though thou mayst kill me, yet
will I go into heaven and build a house for thee.