The Sibyl · a new plain-English translation from the original language
In a pillar of fire he went through the night,
and in a pillar of cloud he will journey the whole day through,
and over this people he will set as leader a great man,
Moses, whom a princess found by the marsh and carried home,
and having reared him she called him her son. And when he came
leading this people, whom God brought out of Egypt
to Mount Sinai, and the law from heaven above
God gave, writing on two tablets every just decree,
and commanded them to keep it; and if anyone should disobey,
either by the law he shall pay the penalty at mortal hands,
or, escaping men's notice, by every kind of justice he shall utterly perish.
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x x
for them alone the grain-giving field brings forth its fruit
a hundredfold from one seed, and God's own measures stand fulfilled.
But even upon these evil shall come, and they shall not escape
pestilence. And you too, indeed, leaving your most beautiful shrine,
shall flee, since it is your fate to leave the holy ground.
You will be led away to the Assyrians, and your infant children
you will see enslaved among hostile men,
and your wives; and all your livelihood and wealth shall perish;
and all the earth shall be full of you, and all the sea;
and everyone will be disgusted at your customs.
All your land shall be desolate; and the strong altar
and the temple of the great God and the long walls,
all shall fall to the ground, because in your heart you did not trust
the sacred law of the undying God, but, led astray,
you served hideous idols and did not fear
the immortal begetter of all gods and of men;
you were not willing to honor him, but honored the idols of mortals.
Because of this, for seven decades of years the fruit-giving earth
for to all the Heavenly One made the earth common,
and faith, and the best understanding in their hearts.
shall be wholly desolate, you and the wonders of your shrine.
But there awaits you a good end and the greatest glory,
as the immortal God has ordained for you. But do you remain,
trusting in the holy laws of the great God,
until your weary knee is lifted upright toward the light.
And then indeed the heavenly God will send a king,
and he will judge every man in blood and in the gleam of fire.
There is a certain royal tribe, whose line shall be
unfailing; and this, as the years roll round,
shall rule, and shall set about founding anew a shrine unto God.
And every Persian king in turn shall bring as tribute
gold and bronze and much-wrought iron.
For God himself will send a holy dream in the night.
And then indeed the temple will be again as it was before. ⁂
When at last my spirit ceased its inspired song,
and I begged the great Begetter to grant a respite from my compulsion,
and again the utterance of the great God rose within my breast,