The Sibyl · a new plain-English translation from the original language
All this the great god himself, the ever-flowing one,
told me to prophesy; and it shall not be left unfulfilled,
nor uncompleted, whatever he alone has willed in his heart;
for the spirit of god that moves through the world does not lie.
And the sons of the great god, all of them, around his temple
shall live in peace, rejoicing in these gifts
which the founder, the righteous judge and sole monarch, will give them.
For he himself alone, standing beside them mightily, will shelter them,
holding round them, as it were, a wall of blazing fire.
And they shall be without war in their cities and in their lands.
For no hand of evil war shall touch them, but rather
the immortal one himself shall fight for them, and the hand of the Holy One.
And then all the islands and the cities shall say,
how much the immortal one loves those men.
For all things strive together with them and help them,
the heaven, and the sun driven by god, and the moon.
And they shall utter sweet speech from their mouths in hymns:
"Come, let all of us prostrate ourselves upon the ground and implore
the immortal king, the great god, the ever-flowing one.
Let us send to the temple, since he alone is master;
and let us all consider the law of the Most High god,
and the earth, the mother of all, shall shake in those days
when he who is most righteous of all upon the earth appears.
But we had wandered from the immortal's path,
and with foolish hearts we worshipped works made by hands,
idols and carved images of dead men."
These things the souls of faithful men shall cry aloud:
["Come, falling upon our faces before god's people,
let us delight the begetter god with hymns in our homes,
gathering the weapons of our enemies from all the earth
for the space of seven revolving years,
shields and bucklers, helmets and armor of every kind,
and many bows and a multitude of unrighteous arrows;
for no wood shall be cut from the forest for the blaze of fire."]
But, wretched Greece, cease from your arrogant thoughts;
beseech the immortal, great-hearted one, and guard yourself beforehand;
do not send your reckless people against this city,
which does not come from the holy land of the Great One.
Do not stir Camarina; for unstirred she is better;
do not rouse the leopard from its lair; lest evil meet you;
but hold back, and do not keep in your breast
an overweening spirit, having set out for a mighty contest.
And serve the great god, that you may share in these things.
But when this fated day too shall reach its end,
[and the judgment of the immortal god shall come upon mortals,]
there shall come upon men a great judgment and a great rule.
For the earth, mother of all, shall give to mortals the best
and boundless fruit of grain, wine, and oil,
[but from heaven a sweet drink of honey shall come,
and trees shall give the fruit of the choicest orchard-fruits and rich apples