Part 3 (1/2)
XX
(ll. 1248-1254) Then the sons of G.o.d began to take them wives from the tribe of Cain, a cursed folk, and the sons of men chose them wives from among that people, the fair and winsome daughters of that sinful race, against the will of G.o.d. Then the Lord of heaven lifted up His voice in wrath against mankind, and said:
(ll. 1255-1262) ”Lo! I have not been unmindful of the sons of men, but the tribe of Cain hath sorely angered Me. The sons of Seth have stirred My wrath against them; they have taken them wives from among the daughters of My foes. Woman's beauty and woman's grace and the eternal fiend have taken hold upon this people who dwelt of old in peace.”
(ll. 1263-1284) An hundred and twenty numbered winters in the world that fated folk were busied in evil. Then the Lord resolved to punish those faithless spirits, and slay the sinful giant sons, undear to G.o.d, those huge, unholy scathers, loathsome to the Lord. The King of victory beheld how great was the wickedness of men on earth, and saw that they were bold in sin and full of wiles. He resolved to bring destruction on the tribes of men, and smite mankind with heavy hand. It repented Him exceedingly that He had made man, and the first of men, when He created Adam. He said that for the sins of men He would lay waste the earth, and all that was upon the earth, destroying every living thing that breathed the breath of life. All this would the Lord destroy in the days that were coming on the sons of men.
(ll. 1285-1295) But Noah, the son of Lamech, was good and dear to G.o.d, exceeding blessed, just and meek. And the Lord knew that virtue flourished in the heart of Noah. Wherefore G.o.d, the Holy Lord of every creature, spake unto Noah, declaring His wrath and vengeance on the sons of men. For He saw that the earth was full of wickedness, and its broad and fertile meadows filled with sin and defiled with uncleanness. And the Lord our G.o.d spake unto Noah, and said:
(ll. 1296-1313) ”I will destroy this people with a flood, man and every living thing that the air and the seas bring forth and nourish, birds of the air and beasts of the field. But thou, and thy sons with thee, shall have mercy when the black waters, the dark, destroying floods, shall overwhelm the hosts of sinful men.
Begin to build thee a s.h.i.+p, a mighty seahouse, and in it make abiding-room for many, and set a rightful place for every tribe of earth. Build floors within the ark, dividing it in stories.
And thou shalt build it three hundred cubits long and fifty cubits wide and thirty cubits high, and fasten it firmly against the might of the waves. And thou shalt take within the ark the seed of every living thing, and the offspring of all flesh upon the earth. And the ark must hold them all.”
(ll. 1314-1319) And Noah did according as G.o.d commanded him. He hearkened unto the Holy King of heaven, and began straightway to build the ark, a mighty sea-chest. And unto his kinsmen he proclaimed destruction coming upon men, and bitter vengeance.
And they heeded him not.
(ll. 1320-1326) Then after many winters the Faithful Lord beheld the greatest of ocean-houses, Noah's vessel, towering up, made tight with the best of pitch within and without against the floods. And it was best of all its kind, growing more hard the more the rough waves and the black sea-streams beat up against it.
XXI
(l. 1327) Then our Lord said unto Noah:
(ll. 1328-1355) ”I give thee My pledge, dearest of men, that thou mayest go thy way, thou and the seed of every living thing which thou shalt ferry through the deep water for many a day in the bosom of the s.h.i.+p. Lead on board the ark, as I bid thee, thy household, thy wife and thy three sons, and thy sons' wives with thee. And take within that sea-home seven of every kind of living thing that serve as food for men, and two of every other kind. Likewise of all the fruits of the earth take food for the company upon thy s.h.i.+p, who with thee shall be saved from the flood! Care well for every creature until I shall cause food to grow again beneath the heavens for the survivors of the ocean floods. Depart now with thy household and thy host of guests, embarking on the s.h.i.+p. I know that thou art good, and of a steadfast mind. Thou art worthy of grace and mercy, thou and thy children. Lo! for seven nights I shall let the rains descend upon the face of the broad earth. Forty days will I visit My wrath upon men, with a deluge destroying the riches of the world and the tribes of men, save what shall be upon the ark when the black floods begin to rise.”
(ll. 1356-1371) And Noah departed, as the Lord commanded, embarking his household upon the ark, leading up his sons into the s.h.i.+p, and their wives with them. All that Almighty G.o.d would have for seed went in under the roof of the ark unto their food-giver, even according as the Mighty Lord of hosts gave bidding by His word. And the Warden of that heavenly kingdom, the G.o.d of victories, locked the door of the ocean-house behind him with His hands, and our Lord blessed all within the ark with His blessing. Now Noah, the son of Lamech, had lived six hundred winters, wise and full of years, when he went up with the young men, his beloved sons, into the ark, as G.o.d gave bidding.
(ll. 1371-1399) Then the Lord sent the rains from heaven, and caused the black sea-streams to roar, and the fountains of the deep to overflow the world. The seas surged up over the barriers of the sh.o.r.e. Mighty in His wrath was He who rules the waters!
And He overwhelmed and covered the mortal sons of sin with a black deluge, laying waste the native land and homes of men. G.o.d visited their offences upon them. Forty days and forty nights the sea laid hold on that doomed folk. Dire was that disaster and deadly unto men. The stormy surges of the King of glory quenched the life from out the bodies of that sinful host. The flood, raging beneath the heavens, covered over all high hills throughout the s.p.a.cious earth, and lifted up the ark from the earth upon the bosom of the waters, and all within the ark, whom the Lord our G.o.d had blessed when He locked the door of the s.h.i.+p.
Then far and wide that best of ocean-houses and its burden floated beneath the heavens over the compa.s.s of the sea. The raging terrors of the deep might not lay hold on s.h.i.+p or mariners, but Holy G.o.d ferried them upon the sea and s.h.i.+elded them. Fifteen cubits deep upon the hills the deluge lay. That was a grievous fate!
(ll. 1400-1406) But no harm came nigh unto the ark, save that it was lifted up to heaven, when the flood destroyed all creatures on the earth; but Holy G.o.d, the Eternal King, the Lord of heaven, stern of heart, preserved the ark when He unleashed the ocean currents and their changing streams.
XXII
(ll. 1407-1412) And G.o.d, the Lord of victory, was mindful of those mariners, of the son of Lamech, and all the living things which the Author of life and light had locked within the bosom of the s.h.i.+p against the waters' might. The Lord of hosts guided the warriors by His word across the world.
(ll. 1412-1421) Then the welling floods began to lessen and the black tides ebbed beneath the heavens. The Just G.o.d turned the waters again from His children and stilled the downpour of the rains. Foamy-necked the s.h.i.+p fared on an hundred and fifty nights beneath the heavens, after the flood had lifted up that best of vessels with its well-nailed sides--until at last the appointed number of the days of wrath were pa.s.sed away.
(ll. 1421-1430) And the ark of Noah, the greatest of seahomes, with its burden, rested high upon the hills which are called Armenia. There the holy son of Lamech waited many days for G.o.d's faithful covenant to be fulfilled, when the Warden of life, the Lord Almighty, would give him respite from the perils he had suffered while the black waves bore him far and wide upon the waters over the s.p.a.cious earth.
(ll. 1431-1448) The floods receded, and those sea-tossed men, together with their wives, longed for the hour when they might leave their narrow home, and step across the well-nailed sides upon the sh.o.r.e, and from their prison lead out their possessions.
And Noah, the helmsman of the ark, made trial whether the seafloods yet were ebbing under heaven. After many days, while the high hills yet harboured the seed and treasure of the tribes of earth, the son of Lamech let a dusky raven fly forth from the ark over the deep flood. And Noah was sure that in its need, if so be it should find no land upon this journey, the raven would return to him again within the ark across the wide water. But Noah's hope failed him! Exulting the raven perched upon the floating bodies of the dead; the black-winged bird would not return.
(ll. 1449-1463) And seven days after the dusky raven he let a grey dove fly forth from the ark across the deep water, making trial whether the high and foaming floods had yet receded from any region of the green earth. Widely she sought her heart's desire, circling afar, but nowhere finding rest. Because of the floods she might not set foot upon the land, nor settle on the branch of any tree because of the ocean-streams. The high hills were covered by the deep. And so at evening over the dusky wave the wild bird sought the ark, settling hungry and weary into the hands of that holy man.
(ll. 1464-1476) And again after seven days a second dove was sent forth from the ark. The wild bird circled widely till she found a refuge and a pleasant resting-place, and settled in a tree.
Blithe of heart, she rejoiced that in her weariness she might find rest upon its pleasant branches. She shook her feathers and flew back with a gift, bearing as she flew a branch of an olive tree with its green blades. And the prince of s.h.i.+pmen knew that comfort was at hand, and a requital of their toilsome voyage.