Предсмертное завещание 4

I, Ephraim, am dying and writing a will, wanting to leave everyone as a keepsake something of what I have, so that those who know me will remember me even for my words. Alas! My time has passed, the continuation of my years has disappeared. The fabric is finished and the shuttle is at the end of the warp. The oil in the lamp has dried up, my days and hours have passed, the hireling has completed his year, the stranger has completed his term. The guards surrounded me on all sides, forcing me to hasten, and they put a chain on my neck, like a criminal. Should I cry? But there is no one to hear. Should I cry for help? But there is no deliverer. Woe to you, Ephraim, at the Judgment, when you appear before the Throne of the Son! Those who know you will surround you on all sides. Alas, what a shame! Woe to him who is put to shame there! You, Jesus, judge Ephraim, and do not hand over judgment to another. For whomever God judges receives bounties at the Judgment. I heard from the wise and learned from the leaders: whoever sees the face of Tsarev will not be put to death, even if he has sinned. Woe is me, my brethren! What happened to me? Weep and weep for my lot. Those who forced me to hasten came to take me and take me away, like the others. Hosea frightens me greatly. He reproaches and reproaches me: “He appeared gray in Ephraim,” but he was not ashamed (Hos. 7:9). And again: “Ephraim the youth” turns away his neck from the yoke (Hos. 10:11). And if anyone says that Hosea says this about Ephraim the son of Joseph, I know that he would not distinguish Ephraim from Ephraim, or me from anyone else. David consoles me somewhat, saying: “Ephraim is the strength of my head” (Ps. 59:9). I don’t want to boast about this - God is my witness, but to you, my brothers, I want to give you a commandment, teach you and convince you, so that you remember me in prayers and petitions, so that at least for my words those who know me remember me. So come, close my eyes; the matter is decided - I must die, the determination is made - I am separated from you and cannot stay. I swear on your life, my disciples, and on the life of Ephraim himself, that he will never leave the bed on which he ascended, because I am burdened with a serious illness, and my torment is unbearable. I display a banner for you, I place a mirror in front of you and an image in it, so that you constantly look at it and try to become like it. Neither day nor night, throughout my entire life, I have never slandered anyone, and from the beginning of my existence I have not quarreled with anyone. But he constantly competed in meetings with apostates. For you know that the owner of the sheep beats his dog, who, seeing the wolf going into the sheepfold, does not run and bark at him. The wise man has no hatred for anyone; and if he hates anyone, then only a stupid one. And a fool also has no love for anyone; and if he loves anyone, then only a stupid one. (Do not be surprised, my brethren, that while learning obedience, some denied me. And among the twelve apostles there was one traitor, Judas. You also know that initially thorny plants usually grow in the vineyard, and thorns are reaped among the roses. Before you, as before sincere and unanimous brethren, I confirm that my faith is sound, I even swear to its unshakability. For I wish your thoughts to be firm about the inviolable and undivided faith of the faithful.) I swear by the One who descended on Mount Sinai and spoke from the stone (Ex. 17:6), I swear by the lips that cried out: “Eloi” (Mark 15:34), and thereby caused the whole creation to tremble. I swear by the One who was sold by Judas and killed in Jerusalem; I swear by the power of the One who was struck on the cheek and the greatness of the One who received spitting. I swear by the three names of Fire (Deut. 4:34) and by the One God's being and one will that I did not separate from the Church, did not rebel against God's omnipotence. If in my mind I exalted the Father more than the Son, then may He not have mercy on me. If I have humbled the Holy Spirit before God, then let my eyes be covered with darkness. If I confessed differently than what I said, then let me be cast into utter darkness. If I speak hypocritically, then let me burn in flames along with the evil ones. If I say this out of man-pleasing, then may the Lord not listen to Me at the Judgment. I swear both by yours, my disciples, and by my life: Ephraim had no property, no rod, no vagina, because I heard the words of our Lord: do not acquire anything on earth (Matthew 6:19). Come, my brothers, speak peace to me and let me go; I'm parting from you. I conjure you, my beloved, remember me in prayers and petitions, because I spent my days and hours in sinful vanity. I conjure you, my disciples, with unbreakable oaths, so that my words will not be in vain: do not transgress my commandments! If anyone lays me under the altar, then let him not see God’s altar, because it is indecent for stinking uncleanness to lie in a holy place. If anyone places me in a church, let him not see the church of light, because vain glory is of no use to him who is unworthy of glory. Each one will appear naked to give an account for himself. Why give honor to someone who could not maintain his honor? He who has not glorified himself should not be glorified by the world. All things pass away, as you heard from our Lord (Matthew 24:35), therefore I say this with tears, my brethren. The church made of stone is destroyed, as you have heard and read (Matthew 24:2), and the church of flesh (human flesh) is raised for retribution and Judgment. Our Lord does not judge stones, but judges the sons of men. Do not take anything from me as a souvenir for yourself, my brothers, my beloved, my children, children of the Holy Church, for as a souvenir you have what you have heard from our Lord, Who is the Giver of Life to us all. If you take what Ephraim has, then Ephraim will be responsible. The Lord will say to me: “They believed in you more than in Me. And if they had put more faith in Me, they would not have taken anything from you as a keepsake.” Do not put me with the martyrs, because I am a sinner and worthless; Because of my shortcomings, I am afraid to approach their bones. If the straw comes close to the fire, the fire will ignite and burn it. I do not forbid this because the proximity of the martyrs disgusts me, but because of my shortcomings I am afraid. I heard the prophet say: “Noah, Job and Daniel will not deliver their neighbors (Ezek. 14:14, 18); “brother will not deliver” brother, and relative will not deliver relative” (Ps. 48:8). Whoever carries me in his hands, let his hands become covered with leprosy, like Gehazi’s; but, lifting me onto your shoulders, carry me as quickly as possible and bury me as despicable, because my days have passed miserably. Why should you glorify me when I am ashamed before the Lord? Why should you please me when I have no good deeds? If someone described my deeds to you, each of you would spit on my face. If the stench of a sinner had been felt by those approaching him, then everyone would have fled from Ephraim’s stench. Whoever puts silk clothes into the coffin with me will be cast into utter darkness. Whoever puts a scarlet robe into the tomb with me will be thrown into fiery hell. Consign me to the ground in my robe and cuculus, because the decoration is indecent to the indecent, and pomp is useless to a dead man stretched out in a coffin. I am a sinner, as I have already said. Let no one please me. My deeds are open to God, He knows the iniquities that I have committed. I am defiled by uncleanness and lewdness, blackened by sins. What impurity is there in me? What sin does not lie with me? Everything obscene, everything lawless and nasty, as I have already said, is in me. Come, O Edessians, my brothers, my lords, children and fathers, bring what you promised, and place it in the grave with your brother. Bring what you promised, my brothers, and lay it before me, so that I myself, while I have a few memories left, will set a price for it. Let expensive clothes be sold, their price brought and distributed to the poor, needy and needy. And it will be a memory for you, and for my benefit. You will be rewarded for this by the mercy of God as distributors, and me as an adviser. But there is another reward for deeds, and another for words. He who gives is greater than he who receives, as you have heard, beloved (Acts 20:35). I thank you, my brothers, for what you have given to me and how you have honored me, although I am unworthy, because I spent my days in sins. He who honors the prophet accepts the reward of the prophecy, as our Teacher assures through His lips (Matthew 10:41). And you know that He is not deceitful. Although I am a sinner, Christ will reward you, because for His sake and out of trust in Him you have shown me this honor. He for whose sake you have honored me, beloved, will reward you for your vows and accept your offerings. Although I am not a prophet, you will accept the reward of prophesying. Blessed is the city you inhabit, Edessa, the mother of the wise! The Son blessed him with his living lips through his disciple. (When King Abgar, the creator of this city, through ambassadors expressed a desire to receive the Savior, the Lord of all Christ, who appeared on earth, and said: “I heard about everything that You have done and what You suffered from the Jews who reject You; therefore come here and live with me; I have a small city, it will serve both You and me.” Then the Lord, marveling at his faith and sending eternal messengers, blessed city, approving its foundations.) And let this blessing remain on him until the Holy One comes! Whoever withholds anything from what was promised to me, let him die the death of Ananias, who thought of lying to the apostles - and fell dead at their feet. (When Ephraim spoke thus, one of those standing here, a very noble man, was struck by an unclean spirit, immediately fell to the bed and began to cry out loudly. Ephraim said to him: “What has this been done by you, man?” And at this word he immediately stood up and said: “I brought expensive clothes with the intention of putting them with you. And as soon as you commanded not to put anything in the coffin with you, I changed this thought, saying: “If there is no way will not be put in such clothes, then why put them on display? If he orders us to give something to the poor, we will give them to the needy, as much as they need, from something else that we have." The blessed one answered him: “Go and fulfill your intention." Whoever carries a wax candle in front of me, let fire burn him from his insides. Why does one need fire who is burned by his own fire? As soon as the visible fire is kindled, the inner, hidden fire is ignited by it. I have had enough of my internal illness; do not increase it also externally. Better, brothers, shed your tears for me, for my friends and for everyone like me. I spent my days in sins and useless vanity; and on the day when I had no hope, a thief came and attacked me; at an hour when I was not thinking, the kidnapper crept up and approached, and forced me to go from here to a country unknown to me. I conjure you, who attracts me, do not confuse or torment me. And if you do to me according to my sins, then great fear will seize me: and then what will happen to me? When I remember what I have done, my knees tremble and my teeth grind; When I bring to mind what I have done, horror seizes me. For I have done nothing good at all in all my days, nothing good has been done at all since my parents brought me into the world. Do not put fragrances with me in the grave, because this honor is useless to me. Do not put on incense, because they will not deliver me from the Judgment. Burn aromas in the sanctuary, and accompany me with prayers; Bring fragrances as a gift to God, and bury me in the earth with psalmody. Instead of wasting incense and aromas, remember me in your prayers, for what is the use of incense to a dead man who cannot smell it? Burn incense in the sanctuary, so that those who enter there may enjoy their fragrance. Do not cover stinking pus with silk clothes, which will serve no purpose. Leave him to lie on the rot, because he cannot feel the honor being given. The rich deserve splendor, and the poor deserve rot; To the descendant of kings belongs the kingdom, and to the stranger - misery. Do not place me in your tombs, for your ornaments will serve me nothing. I made a vow to God to be buried with the strangers. I am a wanderer just like them; Lay me with them, my brethren. Every bird loves those similar to itself, and man loves those similar to himself. Lay me in the cemetery where the brokenhearted are buried, so that the Son of God at His coming will water me and raise me up along with them. Look, O Lord, at my spells, that Thy mercies may appear to me. I pray to You, Son of the Merciful, do not deal with me according to my sins. “If you see iniquity... who will stand” before You? ( Ps.129:3 ) If you demand an account at the Judgment, no one will be justified. “Every mouth will be stopped,” as it is written, “and the whole world will be guilty” (Rom. 3:19). I am not losing hope by saying this, but I am repeating what is written. What will you gain, Son of the Merciful, if I am cast into the fire? Show me your usual bounties, so that Your goodness will be known. If you judge strictly, then indeed, as Your righteousness has spoken, not one out of a thousand, nor two out of darkness will be justified (Ps. 13:3). “Are you reassured, Ephraim, that I will not judge people, that the righteous will be compared with the wicked, the blameless and good with the evil?” No, there can never be communication between light and darkness. How can both Abel and his killer Cain be equal? Or how is it possible to live with the martyrs and their persecutors, against whom the martyrs will cry out and complain? If I say this, I do not ask to compare the good with the evil, but I beg You, Son of the Good, to have mercy on me, my friends and those like me. This is what I said, and I say, and I will not go back on my word: if You do not show mercy, no one will see the Kingdom! For of all those clothed with flesh, Only One is pure from sin. And not only do I say this because I myself am a sinner, but the Scripture actually says so, as I suggest to you, my brothers. “Leave your wisdom, Ephraim,” the Angel of Death tells me, “your intricacies are useless for you; those who persecute you will not listen to you.” And in great anger he also says to me: “Shut your mouth - not everyone will perish like you. The sinner thinks that everyone is the same as him; the blind man assumes that everyone is like him.” Come, my brothers, lay me down, for I am already losing my strength, and soon I will be gone; admonish me with prayer, psalms and offerings. When thirty days have passed since my death, perform a memorial for me, my brethren, because the dead are helped by offerings made by the living (in both the Greek and Syriac texts it reads according to: “the thirtieth day.” And this indicates a special custom in the ancient Church to commemorate the dead, except on other days, on the thirtieth day). Have you not noticed that when living wine ripens in a vineyard, dead wine also ferments in an earthen vessel? And if, my beloved, an onion emitting a heavy smell shows a feeling in itself (when one grows in the field, then the other sprouts in the house), then shouldn’t the dead feel all the more when they create a memory of them? You, sage, will object to me: “This is done according to the laws of nature, and nature does not convince me until you provide evidence.” But be patient, I will present you, if you want, with proof from Scripture. Moses in his blessing said to Reuben: In the third generation let Reuben live (Deut. 33:6). And if it were impossible to receive help from the dead, then why did the son of Abraham bless Reuben? And if you think that the dead do not feel, then listen to what the apostle says: “If the dead do not rise from death, why are they baptized for the sake of the dead?” (1 Cor. 15:29). The sons of Mattathia, containing only images of the truth, with sacrifices, as it is written, atoned for the sins of those defiled by pagan offerings and those who fell in battle (2 Mac. 12:40–46). Isn’t it all the more possible for the priests of the Son of God to cleanse the sins of the dead with holy sacrifices and the prayers of their lips? But when you come to commemorate me, let none of you commit lawlessness and sin, but remain pure, chaste and holy, my brothers, in vigil. This is not necessary because the sin of lewdness is more serious than all sins, for there are sins more serious than fornication. But so that I do not fall responsible for you, for our Lord will say to me: “You, Ephraim, have gathered these adulterers and fornicators.” It is written that God will judge them at the last Judgment (Heb. 13:4). And what else can I say? I am extremely afraid, my beloved, and now I repeat what I said shortly before. Whoever God judges receives bounties for himself at the Judgment. Carnal lust in the body is the same as leaven in flour: it is generated by a person, like fire by iron, and as soon as it is generated within him, it devours and corrupts him. Come close to me, my disciples, accept the blessing by the power of the blessed Shepherd. I am not Noah, but you be like Shem and Japheth. I am not like Melchizedek, but you may be blessed like Abraham. I am not Isaac, but you will receive the blessing like Jacob. I am not like Moses, but let you be like Joshua the son of Nun; I am not Elijah, but you will receive my spirit like Elisha. “May Christ magnify your memory, wonderful Abba, may your light shine like that of an Angel, may you shine glorified like Moses, may all who look at you understand that you are God’s servant!” May the God of Abraham hear you, who walked in my footsteps, Abraham, and as soon as you desire to open your lips, may your Lord fill them with inspirations of wisdom, as I heard the prophet say: “Expand your mouth, and I will do it” (Ps. 80:11). May God hear you, Simeon, when you call on Him in your prayer; No matter what city you come to, may you fill the Church there like a cup! Brides will come to see you; virgins, shut up (in their chambers), will come to listen to your saving instructions, receive help from you, learn from you the salvation of the soul, hear from you wise and beneficial things - and you will become famous in the world, like a doctor in the camp. Immaculate, simple-hearted and sincere Mara from Agel; immaculate not by nature, but by the simplicity of your will, in Whom you trusted, you followed me in my suffering, May He, together with the righteous, reward you with the reward that the saints accept! Warrior and hunter Zenobius from Mesopotamia, let your word be like fire, and let it consume the thorns of heresies; like a fire in the forest; - Let the word of your teaching burn them. Like David, conquer and overthrow the sons of error instead of Goliath; put on the armor of the prophets and the armor of the apostles; May your Lord be your companion and invincible army! Cursed be your mother, Pavlo! Woe to the womb that gave birth to you! For you took part in all heresies and invented all sorts of disputes, and therefore you lost all your labors, like Judas lost his pieces of silver. The pillar you left behind (1 Tim. 3:15) will show a miracle in your body, because you placed your trust in a broken reed, leaving behind the rod of the Cross. Rebel Arvad, may your memory be consumed from among the living, because you forsook the wine of Christ and drank the yeast of sin. Let the Son, whom your lips have blasphemed, repay at your hands for His reproach! Cursed be the Arians and the Manichaeans, the Kafars and the Ophites, the Marcionites and the Ebiomians, the Bardesans and the Kukites! May the Paulians and Vitalians, the Subbotniks and the Worvorians be cursed, along with the teachings of other unclean heresies! Blessed is he who has chosen the Holy Church. This is a lamb that was not torn to pieces by a wolf, this is a pure dove that the hawk pursuing it could not overtake. “Like a cup of wine in the hand of the Lord is not dissolved” (Ps. 74:9), the apostates drank it - and became drunk, separated - and rebelled against Jesus. Just as a mad dog bites his own master if he can, so the apostates spew blasphemies against their Lord. Praise be to Him Who is exalted above them, and Whose height is unattainable for them! For if the wicked could somehow enter heaven, they would bring their strife there too - into the peaceful abode of those above. Their brothers were bold and once wished to ascend to heaven, but the truth condemned them, and the wicked were disgraced and ashamed. And if those who wanted to ascend to the abode of the heavenly Angels suffered such a judgment and such a punishment, then what condemnation, brethren, will those impudent ones who want to separate the Father, Son and Spirit be subjected to? Continue in my teaching and do not fall away from my faith, my disciples. Whoever doubts about God, like Cain, let him be “shaken... on the earth” (Gen. 4:12). Whoever humbles the Son before the Father, let the earth swallow him up alive. Let him who doubts the Holy Spirit receive no pardon. Whoever rebels against the Church may have flesh like Gehazi and be covered with leprosy. Whoever departs from my faith, let him be strangled by Judas. Great wickedness is blasphemy, flee from it, beloved; He who speaks evil and blasphemes sins against the living God. Carnal sins are enough for us; let us not add wickedness to them. In this alone is my hope and my consolation before God, that I have never slandered my Lord, and blasphemy has never come out of my mouth. For I have hated, O Lord, those who hate You, and have not loved Your enemies. Write my words on your hearts and remember me, for after my death wicked people will come to you “in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves” (Matthew 7:15). Their speech is sweet, but the inclinations of their heart are full of bitterness. They are good in appearance, but come from Satan. Flee them and their teachings, and do not approach them. You know that anyone captured in a place where the king was reviled is taken to court and interrogated; and although he is innocent and did not revile the king, he nevertheless bears punishment for not having zeal for the king. Therefore, do not associate with false teachers and do not associate with unbelievers. It is easier to live with a demon than with an infidel. You cast a spell on the demon, and he will leave, because he cannot resist the name of Jesus; but if you cast thousands of spells against an infidel, he will not retreat from his malice and will not abandon his madness. It is easier to teach a demon than to convert the sons of error. The demons confessed and said: “Thou art the Lord, the Son of God” (Mark 3:11); on the contrary, the infidels stubbornly assert that He is not the Son of God. Satan who lives in them confesses, but they stand firm in their stubbornness. If a willow can grow on a bare stone, then an apostate can accept the teaching. It is easier for a mountain, according to Scripture, to stoop to a valley, it is easier for a willow, in fulfillment of the prophetic word, to grow on a bare stone, than for an apostate to learn the truth. If the raven can become white, then the wicked can become righteous. When it snows in winter and falls on the raven’s feathers, then the raven also appears white for a while from the snow lying on its feathers. So sometimes the wicked, hearing about the Judgment, are horrified by future torment, repent for a short time of what they have done, leave their way of life for a while, turning from their wickedness. Listen to my instructions, my disciples, keep my words in memory: do not deviate from my faith and do not transgress my words! The time will come when everything written will be accomplished and what was predicted will be fulfilled: “heaven and earth will pass away, one jot, or one dot will not pass away,” as our Teacher swore with an oath (Matthew 5:18), and you know that He is not a liar (in the Syriac original, these words are followed by a long story about the struggle of Moses with the wise men of Egypt, which is completely unrelated to the testament and interrupting the connection of speech. According to the publisher, this story is taken from some other work of Ephraim and inserted here by an unreasonable copyist). Here comes, and is already close, taking me away. Leave your philosophizing, Ephraim. I beg You, Lord Jesus, as a man begs his friend: “Do not put me on Your side when You come!” I'll tell you something else. I swear on your life that this is not false. When I was still very small and lying on my mother’s lap, then it seemed to me as if in a dream, which later came true. A grape branch appeared on my tongue, it grew higher and higher, and soared to the sky; Countless fruits appeared on it, and the leaves could not be counted. Growing more and more, spreading out and expanding into a circle, it spread out over the whole world; they gathered fruit from it, and the fruit did not decrease; even the more grapes were picked, the more their number increased. The grapes are conversations, the leaves are chants. The giver of this is God. Praise be to Him for His goodness! According to His good pleasure, He gave me this from His treasury. Farewell my friends, pray for me my beloved. Now, the time has come for the merchant to go to his country. But alas! My property is destroyed, all my treasures are wasted. No one cries for the good, because they descend into the grave to live. For me, for my neighbors like me, shed your tears, my brothers, because we spent our days and years in vanity. Farewell, earth, may your sons live in joy, may there be peace in the Churches, may the persecution of the wicked cease, may the wicked be made righteous, and may sinners bring repentance! Peace be with you, taking me away, taking the soul from the body and separating them into special abodes until the Resurrection! This will has been preserved in the Syriac original and in the Greek translation. A translation from the Syriac is offered here. The passages in brackets are not in the Syriac original and have been supplemented from the Greek translation. You might be interested in: