that I had died ere this, and been a thing forgotten, forgotten quite!"

And one cried to her from below her:12 "Grieve not thou, thy Lord hath
provided a streamlet at thy feet:-

And shake the trunk of the palm-tree toward thee:13 it will drop fresh ripe
dates upon thee.

Eat then and drink, and be of cheerful eye:14 and shouldst thou see a man,

Say,-Verily, I have vowed abstinence to the God of mercy.-To no one will I
speak this day."

Then came she with the babe to her people, bearing him. They said, "O Mary!
now hast thou done a strange thing!

O sister of Aaron!15 Thy father was not a man of wickedness, nor unchaste thy
mother."

And she made a sign to them, pointing towards the babe. They said, "How shall
we speak with him who is in the cradle, an infant?"

It said,16 "Verily, I am the servant of God; He hath given me the Book, and
He hath made me a prophet;

And He hath made me blessed wherever I may be, and hath enjoined me prayer
and almsgiving so long as I shall live;

And to be duteous to her that bare me: and he hath not made me proud,
depraved.

And the peace of God was on me the day I was born, and will be the day I
shall die, and the day I shall be raised to life."

This is Jesus, the son of Mary; this is a statement of the truth concerning
which they doubt.

It beseemeth not God to beget a son. Glory be to Him! when he decreeth a
thing, He only saith to it, Be, and it Is.17

And verily, God is my Lord and your Lord; adore Him then. This is the right
way.

But the Sects have fallen to variance among themselves about Jesus: but woe,
because of the assembly of a great day, to those who believe not!

Make them hear, make them behold the day when they shall come before us! But
the offenders this day are in a manifest error.

Warn them of the day of sighing when the decree shall be accomplished, while
they are sunk in heedlessness and while they believe not.

Verily, we will inherit the earth and all who are upon it. To us shall they
be brought back.

Make mention also in the Book of Abraham; for he was a man of truth, a
Prophet.18

When he said to his Father, "O my Father! why dost thou worship that which
neither seeth nor heareth, nor profiteth thee aught?

O my Father! verily now hath knowledge come to me which hath not come to
thee. Follow me therefore-I will guide thee into an even path.

O my Father! worship not Satan, for Satan is a rebel against the God of
Mercy.

O my Father! indeed I fear lest a chastisement from the God of Mercy light
upon thee, and thou become Satan's vassal."

He said, "Castest thou off my Gods, O Abraham? If thou forbear not, I will
surely stone thee. Begone from me for a length of time."

He said, "Peace be on thee! I will pray my Lord for thy forgiveness, for he
is gracious to me:

But I will separate myself from you, and the gods ye call on beside God, and
on my Lord will I call. Haply, my prayers to my Lord will not be with ill
success."

And when he had separated himself from them and that which they worshipped
beside God, we bestowed on him Isaac and Jacob, and each of them we made a
prophet:

And we bestowed gifts on them in our mercy, and gave them the lofty tongue of
truth."19

And commemorate Moses in "the Book;" for he was a man of purity: moreover he
was an Apostle, a Prophet:

From the right side of the mountain we called to him, and caused him to draw
nigh to us for secret converse:

And we bestowed on him in our mercy his brother Aaron, a Prophet.

And commemorate Ismael in "the Book;" for he was true to his promise, and was
an Apostle, a Prophet;

And he enjoined prayer and almsgiving on his people, and was well pleasing to
his Lord.


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