On the Parable of the Ten Virgins

1.                       Groom of Heaven, Who called all worlds to His wedding feast,

2.                       dawn on me and I will shine and speak to You richly.

3.                       Son of the Kingdom, Who called the worlds to His banquet hall,

4.                       may Your glory awaken me and stir my songs about Your story.

5.                       May Your word be a way for me, Lord, and I will walk in it –

6.                       and Your discourse[2], light – and I will see Your truth in Your songs.

7.                       I am Your flute – blow in me and I will sing beautifully

8.                       songs of glory with movements of the soul, discerningly.

9.                       Without breath[3] there is no word from speakers,

10.                   <376> so may Your Spirit be the cause for my songs toward listeners.

11.                   The breath brings up the voice[4], wherever it is,

12.                   and it moves it toward hearing sensibly.[5]

13.                   May Your grace, Lord, be a life-giving spirit,

14.                   and it, in its din, will stir in me songs of teaching.

15.                   May I speak in You, and You speak in me, about Your coming,

16.                   for You are the Word in Whom all speakers speak.

17.                   You are the image of the glory of the Father,[6] and in You a person sees

18.                   all the beauties of all worlds clearly.

19.                   You are the radiance of that Being that is entirely light,

20.                   and Your dawning secretly enlightens the soul, and it tells Your story.

21.                   Move in me, Lord, a word and song toward listeners,

22.                   that in wonder I might preach Your wealth among discerning ones.

23.                   May You speak in me, Lord, about Your coming, clearly,

24.                   while I wonder at Your great dawning discerningly.

25.                   For the soul that is full of discernment and faith,

26.                   it is easy for it to hear about that dawning in great wonder.

27.                   Behold, in the Scriptures is depicted the revelation of the Son of God!

28.                   And whoever fixes the eye of the soul, in them he sees Him.

29.                   From the reading of Divinity a person understands

30.                   <377> what that kingdom resembles when it is revealed.

31.                   The luminous Son explained to us while He taught

32.                   how He will come and what He will resemble, when He dawns upon us.

33.                   Before He came, He showed how He will come,

34.                   and how the worlds will go out to meet Him on the great day.

35.                   With the glorious groom and the beautiful virgins,

36.                   He depicted the day and His kingdom, when it is revealed.

37.                   The Son of God made a great parable for us while He taught,

38.                   that in it He might teach us about His coming and the news of His path[7]:

39.                   Thus, the kingdom of heaven resembles

40.                   ten virgins who took their lamps.

41.                   And they all went to meet the groom and the bride[8] who were coming

42.                   so they might enter with him the great banquet hall which he had made.

43.                   And five of the virgins were wise,

44.                   and took with them oil for the light of their lamps.

45.                   And the other five were foolish,

46.                   and in their vessels did not take oil for their lamps.

47.                   And when they saw that the groom tarried from the wedding feast,

48.                   the virgins slept and slumbered in their clothes.

49.                   And from within the silence, in the middle of the night, a voice cried out:

50.                   <378> “The groom is coming! Rise and go meet him, for he approaches!”

51.                   And all the wise and foolish women were awakened

52.                   with a great movement to the sound of the trumpet: “the groom approaches!”

53.                   And where there was oil in the vessels, the lamps shone,

54.                   for these five wise women were prepared.

55.                   But the foolish women’s lamps were dark,

56.                   for they did not have oil for light in their vessels.

57.                   And those ones went while shining towards the groom,

58.                   but their companions while their lamps were dark.

59.                   They said, “give us oil from your vessels,

60.                   for our light has gone out, and we are laid bare in the banquet hall.

61.                   The groom approaches, [but] look, our lamps are dark!

62.                   Give us oil so we may shine with you lovingly.”

63.                   These wise women said, “it is a great danger,

64.                   for the oil does not suffice for us all as you seek.

65.                   The oil we prepared suffices for us alone.

66.                   Go, then, and buy oil for your lamps.”

67.                   But while they were searching and turning to get ready,

68.                   the groom entered and the door of the banquet hall was shut.

69.                   And the wise women, whose lamps were lit,

70.                   entered with him, and the foolish women remained outside the door.

71.                   <379> And they came, knocking, beseeching loudly:

72.                   “Our lord, our lord, open to us [so] we too may rejoice with you!”

73.                   The groom said, “I do not know you, who you are!”

74.                   And the miserable women remained outside the gate in great darkness.

75.                   Suffering and weeping! Cutting-off of hope and great calamity

76.                   for the virgins whose lamps were extinguished![9]

77.                   Fear and fright and terror and great trembling

78.                   upon the foolish women who inherited darkness instead of light!

79.                   Woe, woe! For instead of the glorious light of the banquet hall,

80.                   they were tormented in the darkness outside the gate!

81.                   Instead of that great bedchamber of the bride, daughter of lights,

82.                   the groom threw the dark women into the mournful land.

83.                   Up to the gate, they were friends and companions,

84.                   but when the groom entered, he separated the desirable ones.

85.                   He chose and took the wise ones who were bright,

86.                   and he rejected and cast out the foolish ones who were dark.

87.                   Ten sisters, [who were] also companions and neighbors,

88.                   became to one another strangers and far-away.

89.                   Five rejoice in the banquet hall in great light,

90.                   and five weep in the land full of sufferings.

91.                   Five see the groom in his light within his gate,

92.                   <380> and five knock, ashamed, and are not answered.

93.                   Five sing glory in the light of their lamps,

94.                   and five wail, for their lanterns were extinguished and darkened.

95.                   Those ones rejoice with the inner ones, the members of the feast,

96.                   and these ones weep with the outer ones who are not worthy of it.

97.                   Inside, sweetness and promised blessings for the wise ones!

98.                   And outside, weeping and gnashing of teeth for the foolish.

99.                   Those ones sing within the palace of the groom, the king,

100.              and these ones weep great weeping outside the gate.

101.              Those ones laugh before the light of their lamps,

102.              and these ones weep with the darkness that has overtaken them.

103.              “Our lord, our lord, open to us the gate!” they beseeched him,

104.              And he responded to them, “I do not know you, who you are.

105.              The land is of light, and whoever is dark does not enter it.

106.              Go, foolish ones, with the smoke of your lamps!

107.              The lovers of light, the children of day, hold the gate,

108.              and unless one is full of light, he does not enter here.

109.              From his lamp, it is known if each one is from us.

110.              He who is light enters, and whoever is dark is not from us.”

111.              Weeping and wailing for the virgins from the discerning!

112.              <381> For by their wills the great darkness overtook them.

113.              They did not take care to prepare oil for the light.

114.              For this reason, when the groom entered, they were dark.

115.              They neglected to restore the lamps.

116.              For this reason, they acquired the name “foolish” in Scripture.

117.              By their wills their lamps were darkened,

118.              and for this reason the groom hated them, for he loves light.

119.              In their laziness and in the carelessness of their ways,

120.              they were not diligent to take oil in their vessels.

121.              It is not that the groom who rejected them is a hater of people,

122.              [but] they were not earnest about the feast that is full of light.

123.              Error entered and seized control of their thoughts,

124.              and they did not take care for the way of the groom when they were awake.

125.              It was [a matter] of their will to take oil for their lamps,

126.              and because they did not take, who is ashamed but them?

127.              The wise women, they took care to prepare.

128.              No one else poured the oil for light inside their vessels.

129.              For this reason, they have praise and an unveiled face,[10]

130.              but the foolish women have shame and reproach and infamy[11].

131.              Scripture, with the name of “virgins,” made them equal,

132.              for they were equal in their natures from God.

133.              <382> The ten of them had vessels and lamps,

134.              and one was not lesser than another in her nature.

135.              Fault is borne by the sinner in the just judgment,

136.              for he does not lack anything more than the righteous one, if he seeks.[12]

137.              The Gospel of the Son is light to whoever encounters it,

138.              and its teaching is a storehouse of treasures to the discerning.

139.              From the reading, the soul is enlightened to understand

140.              the entire judgment that will be at the end in the great world.

141.              That Judge of the dead and living set down in His Scripture

142.              how He judges, that we might prepare for ourselves repentance.

143.              In this parable of the ten virgins, He demonstrated to us

144.              His entire way and the entire judgement done in it.

145.              It is necessary, therefore, concerning spiritual thoughts,

146.              for the soul to be moved by them in wonder about hidden things.

147.              O discerning ones, hear with that perfect inner man

148.              the parable of our Lord – what He said when He taught.

149.              In all ways He seeks to help men,

150.              and whoever flees from help, that is from his own [doing].

151.              Our Lord opened His mouth in parables when He taught,

152.              and with examples He revealed the hidden things of the new world.

153.              He wrote His teaching and granted creation to meditate on it,

154.              <383> that each one might be enriched by His divine words.

155.              Come, O learned ones[13], let us enter and hear spiritually

156.              the parable of our Lord with the ears of the soul, wisely!

157.              Why did He depict for us the kingdom with ten virgins?

158.              I will speak now about what that number ten means.

159.              Without ten, there is nothing among numbers,

160.              for it begins and it ends all numberings.

161.              They revolve[14] around it, and however much they increase, it is the same,

162.              and all thousands are counted by it when it is multiplied.

163.              By the amount of ten, therefore, all numbers are counted,

164.              and from it and to it one can add and subtract, as much as you give it.[15]

165.              By it, all hundreds are contained, though they are many,

166.              and also by it, thousands run, passing over number.

167.              By it, myriads are all bound together as they revolve,

168.              and without ten, there are no hundreds and no ten thousands.

169.              That number ten, [multiplied] by ten becomes one hundred,

170.              and also ten hundreds revolve and become one thousand.

171.              And again, from thousands, ten stands – a ten thousand.

172.              And as much as you seek, you will not find [anything] except ten.

173.              <384> Thus also, even in the Scriptures, the number

174.              ten shines forth and is arranged and well-known to the one who understands.

175.              In the tenth generation, the world was washed from impurity,

176.              and in the tenth [month], Noah began to dwell on land[16].

177.              And again, from then up to Abraham, ten generations,

178.              and the Lord gave him circumcision[17] and separated him to be with Him.

179.              And on Mt. Sinai, He gave ten commandments [18]so that in them

180.              the world might learn the way of life and walk in it.

181.              The Son of God gave ten “blesseds” to His apostles[19],

182.              and He depicted His way in the woman who had ten zuze[20].

183.              These ten – both in nature and in Scripture –

184.              these, you find that all things stand in them.

185.              It is the name of Jesus[21], upon Whom all creation stands,

186.              and [creation] is His, and in Him it moves and exists.[22]

187.              Yud, the letter set tenth in number

188.              invokes Jesus, for He is the end of all ends.

189.              He begins and He completes all creation,

190.              and from Him all established things receive, and towards Him they turn.

191.              He is the cause of all worlds, and in Him they exist.

192.              Around Him revolve all times, and from Him they are.

193.              It is He Who controls[23] the height and depth and all sides,

194.              <385> like the number ten, which controls all numbers.

195.              In Him the hosts and legions rose and came into being,

196.              and His are the ranks and orders and bands above.

197.              From Him live the lands and crowds below,

198.              the living and dead, watchers and men, who are held[24] by Him.

199.              He hands down and makes times pass, behold – from eternity!

200.              And he brings times and leads them toward the end.

201.              In Him worlds and their establishments were begun and came into being;

202.              in Him they are completed, and outside of Him, there is no light.

203.              All that is and came into being and subsists and exists is from His own,

204.              for without Him, not even one thing came into being, as it is written.[25]

205.              For this reason, all numbers and all numberings

206.              are bound with that number ten mysteriously.

207.              And they are held in it and controlled in it and revolve in it,

208.              and they begin in it and end in it and from it they are.

209.              In Jesus stands all that was established from the beginning,

210.              and by Him is moved all that approaches the end.

211.              All numbers are also kept in the mystery of His name,

212.              for in the number ten all numberings stand.

213.              Therefore, now when you hear some “ten,”

214.              know that the number is complete wherever it is.

215.              <386> For this reason the Son of God depicted His kingdom

216.              in ten virgins who went out to meet the groom.

217.              Ten is all that will go out to meet Him on the day He comes:

218.              the living and dead and all the worlds, in great procession.[26]

219.              All the races of men who entered creation

220.              will go out to meet the Groom with the light of their lamps.

221.              All generations, from Adam to the end,

222.              with that perfect number ten He bounded[27] them.

223.              And the entire boundary of that kingdom, the possessor of boundaries[28],

224.              He bounded with ten, for it is the boundary of all numbers.[29]

225.              He named them “virgins,” then, because of this:

226.              all creation was betrothed to Him in the blood of His Son.

227.              The lamps, then, are images of Divinity,

228.              those which were fashioned for humanity from the beginning[30].

229.              For the faces of men are light

230.              for they were fashioned in that image of glory when He fashioned them.

231.              And they shine in the kingdom much more than the sun,

232.              and because of this He depicted[31] the lamps in the parable He made.

233.              All creation resembled the ten virgins,

234.              for if it wills, all of it will shine in the new world.

235.              And He put Himself in the image of the glorious groom who is coming,

236.              <387> and He depicted humanity in the bride, the daughter of lights.

237.              And the wise women who took oil inside their vessels

238.              are the just who are diligent in righteousness.

239.              The vessels are the bodies of people in which

240.              they keep oil to be for light for themselves.

241.              He calls “oil” the love of the soul and its purity,

242.              for by it is gathered the entire course of beautiful things.

243.              He calls the side of the just “wise women,”

244.              for in their bodies, they guarded the treasure that is full of light.

245.              And the sinners and doers of iniquity he called “foolish women,”

246.              for they did not guard their own beauty in their ways of life.

247.              “When the groom delayed in coming, they dozed off and slept.”

248.              Hear, discerning ones, the parable of our Lord, which is entirely light!

249.              All of them slept, both the foolish and wise women.

250.              This is because the good and evil die before the resurrection.

251.              An equal sleep for the ten of them, as one might say.

252.              Death is equal for all creation without distinction.

253.              One was the sleep of the wise and foolish women,

254.              for one is the death of the righteous and sinners.

255.              The good die as the wise women slept,

256.              and the evil die as also the foolish women slept.

257.              <388> Behold! All creation longs for that coming

258.              of Christ the groom, Who will come at the end with His angels!

259.              And because He delayed, all generations slumbered and slept

260.              in the sleep of death while looking to Him, to when He would come.

261.              Common is the death of the doers of iniquity and the doers of truth,

262.              like that sleep of the virgins, which was common.

263.              While they looked to Him and longed for Him, the righteous died

264.              with the sinners, because the day of the Lord was delayed.[32]

265.              And behold! The just and the wicked now sleep,

266.              and they are preserved by the Groom[33] Who will come and awaken them.

267.              There is one who fell asleep while ways of righteousness

268.              are preserved in his body like that oil of the wise women.

269.              And there is one who is empty and his vessel barren of good things,

270.              and his light is extinguished and he stands ashamed like the foolish women.

271.              But before the groom comes in His glory, behold! They are sleeping –

272.              the two sides, like the foolish and wise women.

273.              But when He comes, there will be a blare before His coming

274.              with the last horn by which those sleeping in Sheol will be awakened[34].

275.              The dead will stir and shake, rising from their sleep

276.              like that group of virgins which was sleeping.

277.              <389> The sound of that trumpet proclaims that He is dissolving the earth,

278.              and all generations that were sleeping are awakened by it.

279.              The horn cries out, “the Groom is coming! Rise, go to meet Him!”

280.              And startled, all the dead rise from their sleep.

281.              When all races are sleeping in dust,

282.              and silence is stretched out over generations in the abode of Sheol,

283.              and all the dead are sunken in the sleep of death,

284.              and there is none there who hears or speaks,

285.              and a great silence is laid upon them within ruin,

286.              and the sleepers are silent, and the spark of their [bodily] compositions is idle,

287.              and from within the silence, in the middle of the night, a voice cries out:

288.              “The Groom is coming! Rise, go to meet Him, children of lights!”

289.              The horn cries out and the world shakes like a hut,

290.              and, awakened, the entire crowd rises to see the Groom.

291.              Each one who preserved holiness and righteousness,

292.              his face shines like a lamp with good oil.

293.              And whoever was barren of justice and righteousness

294.              rises wretched, dark, and contemptible like the foolish women.

295.              Those who shone in their works like the day

296.              are radiant, blazing, going out to meet Him as they shine.

297.              <390> And those whose deeds were dark in their sins

298.              rise in stupor like shadows, and are without light.

299.              The just resemble the sun and the dawn and the luminaries,

300.              and the iniquitous [resemble] the clouds and also the thick darkness.

301.              Those ones rise like days in glorious light,

302.              and these ones resemble nights in despicable darkness.

303.              The evil are ashamed by themselves, as much as they are dark,

304.              while they are scourged by their consciences in their works.

305.              In shaking they rise, and in the exposure of their deeds,

306.              for they saw that the Groom was angered by them, and the wretched ones shook.

307.              The evil begin to plead before the righteous:

308.              “Please, petition and beseech for our sake!

309.              The Judge is fearful and our deeds are not beautiful.

310.              Make supplication for us that we might be reconciled[35]!”

311.              The just said, “Here, it is a danger and terror

312.              for someone to petition for his companion to the Fearful One Who is entirely fire.

313.              He has mercy and He has zeal, and who would dare [to think]

314.              that by his supplication he would increase something in His uprightness?

315.              No one can seek mercy for his neighbor,

316.              for no one is able to deliver except for himself.”[36]

317.              <391> A righteous father, whose pagan son is before the Judge,

318.              does not have any way to help while he watches him.

319.              A virgin daughter sees in the fire her mother who committed adultery,

320.              and she does not help her before Justice at that time.

321.              A just brother sees his brother who committed iniquity

322.              as he is scourged and trembles that he might supplicate on his behalf.

323.              Great Adam, when Cain his firstborn is tormented,

324.              does not benefit him and does not acknowledge him before the Judge.

325.              Just Isaac, when they accuse greedy Esau[37],

326.              does not approach to defend [him] concerning his offense.

327.              And not Solomon, when they judge him because he apostatized[38],

328.              does David help in all the beauty of his faith.

329.              The soul that sins is exacted before Justice,

330.              and there is no place for someone to supplicate there for his neighbor.

331.              Cut off is that love of parents from their children,

332.              and except for himself, one is not anxious if someone is saved.[39]

333.              The Judge is fearful, and fire roars and surrounds Him,

334.              and neither supplicators nor petitioners approach Him.

335.              The judgement of uprightness receives no addition,

336.              for in justice, He judges each one by his deeds.

337.              The just know that He is upright and full of mercy,

338.              <392> and they would be ashamed by Him to beseech Him about sinners.

339.              When the just were perfected at the sum of perfection,

340.              thus they think that not even they themselves suffice.

341.              When they were purified and the beauty of their works radiated forth,

342.              they saw that light [and] thought they were inferior to the Luminary.

343.              When they looked and saw that majesty of Divinity,

344.              they shook[40] in the knowledge of how small their works were.

345.              The just fear to petition Him about sinners,

346.              and there they think not even they themselves suffice.

347.              For these five wise virgins

348.              for this reason did not give oil from their vessels.

349.              For they said, “lest it will not suffice both for us and for you,”

350.              for before that throne, one does not suffice except for himself.

351.              Each person’s works are painted on his face,

352.              and he cannot be adorned with his companion’s works.

353.              No one gives oil to his companion so he may shine there,

354.              for in his own ways he is beautiful if he is beautiful.

355.              Not even here, in this our hypocritical world!

356.              No one gives his beauty to his companion to be adorned by it.

357.              Rachel’s beautiful countenance and lovely eyes

358.              <393> did not adorn ugly Leah towards viewers[41].

359.              Leah’s sickly eyes were not helped

360.              by that beauty of Rachel’s eyes, which were glorious.

361.              Though she was her sister, she did not give her from her beauty,

362.              for each face possesses its own just as it is.

363.              If it were possible for someone to ask beauty for himself,

364.              brides would buy all beauty at their marriage banquets.

365.              From her sisters and from her companions and from her neighbors,

366.              the bride would ask for beauty on the day of her wedding feast.

367.              And because it is not possible for the bride to ask for a face from someone,

368.              if she is ugly, her marriage banquet will expose and accuse her.

369.              This is the custom: that virgins are unwilling

370.              to give to their companions their own beauty.

371.              Nor does nature give a hand in its uprightness

372.              so that she who is ugly might steal beauty from a beautiful woman.

373.              Nor does Scripture teach that she ever has[42] a way

374.              for someone to shine in the banquet hall from his companion’s oil.

375.              And the wise virgins of their lamps[43] were not

376.              persuaded to give from the preparedness of their vessels.

377.              And the righteous in the new world do not give a hand

378.              <394> to supplicate for someone if here he does not supplicate.

379.              If there is petition and if there is supplication, let it be here!

380.              For in that land, whoever supplicates is not accepted.

381.              If someone seeks to be beautiful, let him take care here,

382.              for on that day, they will not let him ask for beauty.

383.              Whoever wishes to see the Groom with his lamp,

384.              may he store up good works with his body, that in them he may shine.

385.              Whoever desires to receive the light of that kingdom,

386.              let him prepare before he sleeps like the foolish women.

387.              O, you, soul, beautiful bride, daughter of lights!

388.              Why are you inclined toward darkness in your deeds?

389.              Where is the beauty of your nature that dwelt in you,

390.              which has been darkened by foreign deeds?

391.              Where is the oil prepared by you, like your companions?

392.              Foolish soul! The Groom has arrived – see your lamp!

393.              Where is the beauty that was poured into you from your Creator,

394.              which the serpent stole from you and filled you with ugly darkness?

395.              Where is the ornament of virgins, the daughters of day?

396.              For you – behold! – are made a companion of the night, and your appearance is ugly.

397.              Where now is the ring that He gave you – the Groom, the King?

398.              <395> Preserve faithfulness[44] lest He shut the door in your face!

399.              Buy oil and fill your vessel with righteousness,

400.              for you perceive that no one will give to you from [what is] his own.

401.              It is a great shaking when all souls appear

402.              like brides before that Groom Who loves light.

403.              And whichever [soul] is beautiful and its beauty is preserved in its brightness,

404.              with an unveiled face stretches out and shows the world its beauty.

405.              And whichever is ugly by its will, like the foolish women,

406.              rushes, disturbed, and asks for beauty, and they do not give to it.

407.              Whichever [soul’s] oil is preserved in its vessel, its lamp blazed,

408.              and it entered and stood in the banquet hall, shining.

409.              And that one which is empty of the ways of righteousness

410.              was darkened and stood outside the gate, ashamed.

411.              At the dawn of the Groom, He chooses and receives the bright [souls],

412.              and leaves and casts outside the gate the dark ones.

413.              He brings the just into His kingdom as He promised,

414.              and the iniquitous, He casts out into the pit full of terror.

415.              The good enter, inheriting blessings in glorious light,

416.              and the evil go out, acquiring woe in the ugly darkness.

417.              He brings with Him those who worked righteousness,

418.              <396> and banishes and expels the doers of iniquity from the kingdom.

419.              They rejoice with Him, those who preserved holiness,

420.              and He judges the adulterers in fire mightily.

421.              He opens the door to whoever broke his bread for the hungry,

422.              and He hates and rebukes whoever neglected one of his own flesh.

423.              Whoever satisfied the soul of the hungry, He makes him recline in His bosom,

424.              and he who did not love the poor, He judges in anger.

425.              Whoever clothed the naked, He will clothe Him in His light,

426.              and whoever seized the clothing of a widow will fall into the abyss.

427.              Whoever raised orphans, He will make him sit at His table,

428.              and whoever did not have compassion on those in need, He will cast into fire.

429.              The Groom enters and with Him enter the children of light,

430.              and in His great wedding feast, all the righteous rejoice.

431.              His appearance is like a table full of blessings,

432.              and all His guests are sweetened by Him at their places at the table[45].

433.              They feed from Him as from a meadow of new life,

434.              and they are replete with Him and fattened in Him spiritually.

435.              His appearance fills the place of all high blessings,

436.              for all His holy ones to delight in Him richly.

437.              They eat light and drink brightness from His face,

438.              <397> and they shine from Him like lamps in a great dawn.

439.              He is the table and He the wine pitcher for all His guests[46];

440.              food and drink and delight for whoever is worthy of Him.

441.              In His bosom they recline and suck life from His Essence[47].

442.              With Him they are mixed, and they delight in Him spiritually.

443.              The Father makes recline and the Son serves, as He promised,

444.              and the Holy Spirit perfects the worlds spiritually.

445.              The Trinity holds the banquet of the children of light

446.              And It purifies them and sanctifies them so they might be mixed with It.

447.              The Groom is glad and His guests[48] rejoice in the banquet hall,

448.              and the land of light thunders there with great glory.

449.              The Groom exults in the wise virgins,

450.              but the foolish ones seek mercy and are not answered.

451.              Those ones are mixed with Him in light divinely,

452.              but these ones stand, their lamps dark.

453.              The chosen are on high, and the doers of iniquity in ugly darkness.

454.              They seek mercy, but the door of mercy is shut in zeal.

455.              They increasingly knock, but because they delayed, they are not heard.

456.              The time had passed, and who will open the great door?

457.              <398> Mercies are piled up within the door toward those inside,

458.              and there is absolutely no chance for them to go out toward the outer ones.

459.              It is not that God is deficient of mercy in the just judgment,

460.              [but] the sinner destroys himself with the iniquity of his hands.

461.              The Father wills that every person be with Him,

462.              and whoever did not will to inherit life – that is from his own [doing].

463.              For humanity He made the kingdom, that they might inherit life,

464.              and if they do not inherit, it is not Him hindering [them] – they turned away.

465.              For the bride He wove a bridal chamber, that she might be with Him,

466.              and if the soul hates light, it is not that He deprived it[49].

467.              And it was not that He darkened the lamps of the virgins –

468.              they did not want to take oil in their vessels.

469.              It was not that the Groom expelled the foolish women from His banquet;

470.              they delayed, and the door was shut and they did not enter it.

471.              As much as the door of mercy was opened before enterers,

472.              everyone who willed and prepared himself entered, rejoicing.

473.              But whoever neglected preparation and did not will to enter,

474.              remained while dark; the Groom did not hinder him from His banquet.

475.              Everyone who cast his soul in the fire in the iniquity that he committed –

476.              he burns, while God does not burn anyone.

477.              He grieves over the evil who willed to burn in their deeds,

478.              <399> and rejoices in the good who entered His bridal chamber by their ways of life.

479.              It is not that He hates the supplication of people when they call Him –

480.              there is a certain time when we may supplicate and be silent

481.              And surely a farmer does not sow at all times,

482.              for he knows when to sow and when to harvest.

483.              So also supplications, the time is set apart in which they may be sought,

484.              and whoever is wise seeks every supplication in its time.

485.              For this reason, He called “wise virgins”

486.              those who knew what was the time that they would be heard[50] by Him.

487.              He showed beforehand that banquet full of light,

488.              and before the time they prepared oil for their lamps.

489.              For they knew that when the groom entered and the door was shut,

490.              whoever dares to cry out there, they will not answer him.

491.              Whoever cries out untimely[51] is very foolish,

492.              for he would harass the bride’s bedchamber after she entered it.

493.              As long as the Groom is in the feast, supplication is easy,

494.              but when He entered and the door was shut, who will He answer?

495.              He will not answer them when they knock[52] on His great door,

496.              they who did not knock on it except after He closed it.

497.              After the house of grooms and brides has been established,

498.              no one knocks except the fool who seeks to make trouble.

499.              <400> For this reason He called the virgins “foolish,”

500.              for after the Groom closed His door, they called to Him to open.

501.              When the kingdom came to its end with the children of light,

502.              and the righteous entered and inherited life in the glorious land,

503.              and the Spirit of judgment separated the wheat from the tares,

504.              and both the right and the left took their own,

505.              and the Shepherd separated the goats and the lambs to two sides,

506.              no one is able to leave the side that he prepared.[53]

507.              In that time, neither supplication nor petition

508.              is able to open the gate of mercy before those who ask.

509.              In that time, judgment is executed by the judge,

510.              and it is righteous and upright, and He does not add or subtract in it.

511.              In that time, supplications entered with their pleadings.

512.              and He shut them entirely (?)[54], and whichever remained is not answered.

513.              In that time dawns the wisdom of the wise women,

514.              of all souls that made the beauty of their ways radiant.

515.              In that time, each one remembers all his deeds,

516.              and becomes like a judge to his soul as much as it sinned.

517.              In that time, remorse enters upon minds,

518.              and those who went astray with desires are beaten by [their minds].

519.              In that time, all deeds are exposed,

520.              <401> when the hidden things come out to revelation clearly.

521.              In that time, each one is judged by himself[55],

522.              and his conscience contends with him in shaking, as much as he has sinned.

523.              In that time, the fire roars from the left,

524.              and the wicked have no place to go toward the right.

525.              <In that time, every supplication is at the door,

526.              and the children of the kingdom do not open to it because the Groom has entered.[56]>

527.              In that time, it is not everyone who says “Lord, Lord!” that enters,

528.              but whoever has works of righteousness.

529.              In that time they give woe to themselves,

530.              the foolish who went out from the banquet that is full of light.

531.              In that time, wealth and power are ashamed,

532.              along with the love of the world and all anxiety for superfluous things.

533.              In that time, the face is revealed by the soul,

534.              for it will condemn itself because it inclined toward lusts.

535.              In that time, make me worthy to see You in the kingdom,

536.              O Groom Who betrothed me in His own blood! To You be glory!

 ܀܀܀܀܀

[1] Translated by Aimee Hannoush, 2025. In addition to the manuscripts Bedjan used, I have located the homily in the following MSS: 1) BL Add 12154, f.132b-138a (uncertain folio range). Wright DCCCLX (2:982). https://archive.org/details/catalogueofsyria02brituoft/page/982.; 2) BL Add 14515, f. 134a-137a. Wright CCCVI (1:242). https://archive.org/details/catalogueofsyria01brituoft/page/242.; 3) BL Add 14590, f. 115a-118b. Wright DCCLXXVII (2:754). https://archive.org/details/catalogueofsyria02brituoft/page/754.; 4) BL Add 14651, f. 201a-214b. Wright DCCCCXLVIII (3:1102). https://archive.org/details/catalogueofsyria03brituoft/page/1102.; 5) BL Add 17157, f.69b-82b. Wright DCXXXVI (2:504). https://archive.org/details/catalogueofsyria02brituoft/page/504.; 6) Diyarbakir, Turkey Meryem Ana Kilisesi; Diyr 00003, f.330r-335r. https://w3id.org/vhmml/readingRoom/view/122718.; 7) Vatican Syriac 115, f.118r-126v. https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.sir.115.; 8) Vatican Syriac 117, f.391v-394v. https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.sir.117.; 9) Vatican Syriac 251, f.10v-13r. https://digi.vatlib.it/view/MSS_Vat.sir.251.

[2] “discourse” Syriac: ܡܐܡܪܐ

[3] “breath” Syriac: ܪܘܚܐ, the same as “spirit.” Jacob plays on the double meaning of ܪܘܚܐ in these lines.

[4] “breath” Syriac: ܪܘܚܐ. Lit: “the breath is the nurse/rearer/raiser of the song”

[5] That is, breath moves the song toward hearing.

[6] Cf. Heb 1:3.

[7] The parable of the Ten Virgins is found in Mt 25:1-13.

[8] “the groom and the bride”: The Peshitta text includes both a groom and a bride (Mt 25:1).

[9] Lit. “for the virgins, whose light of their lamps was extinguished.”

[10] I.e., they are unashamed (ܓܠܝܘܬ ܐܦ̈ܐ).

[11] “infamy” lit. “evil name.”

[12] I have preferred here the reading from Vat. Syr.117 (ܐܠܘ ܒ̇ܥܐ). Bedjan’s text has ܐܠܐ ܒ̇ܥܐ.

[13] Or “acquaintances”: ܝܕܘܥ̈ܐ.

[14] Jacob uses forms of the verb “ܟܪܟ” to describe how the numbers “revolve” around ten.

[15] This line is unclear to me. “ܘܡܢܗ ܘܥܠܘܗܝ ܗܦܟ ܫܕܐ ܟܡܐ ܕܬܬܠ ܠܗ”

[16] Cf. Gen 5 for Noah as the tenth generation, and Gen 8:5 for the waters receding at the tenth month.

[17] Cf. Gen 11:10-27 for Abram’s birth after ten generations, and Gen 17:10 for the covenant of circumcision.

[18] Cf. Ex 20:1-17 and Deu 5:1-27.

[19] Cf. Mt 5:3-12 and Lk 6:20-23. I am assuming Jacob refers to the Beatitudes, though ܛܘܒܝܟܘܢ only occurs nine times in Matthew and four times in Luke.

[20] Cf. Lk 15:8-10.

[21] The name of Jesus, ܝܫܘܥ, starts with yudh, the tenth letter of the Syriac alphabet.

[22] Cf. Acts 17:28.

[23] “controls” or “possesses” or “contains”: ܐܚܝܕ. Same in line 194.

[24] “held”: ܐܚܝܕܝܢ

[25] Cf. John 1:3.

[26] I am unsure what lines 217-224 refer to with “ten generations.” Because of this I am also uncertain about the translation of these lines.

[27] “He bounded”: ܣܝܟ. The words in this line and in 223-4 translated as “boundary” or “bounded” are all from the same root.

[28] “possessor of boundaries”: ܐܚܝܕܬ ܣܟ̈ܐ. I am uncertain about this translation.

[29] The translation of these lines is unclear to me.

[30] Cf. Gen 1:27.

[31] Jacob uses the same word (ܨܪ) as I have translated as “fashioned” in the previous lines.

[32] Lit. “Because He delayed the day of the Lord.”

[33] Or “for the Groom”: ܘܢܛܝܪܝܢ ܠܗ ܠܚܬܢܐ

[34] Cf. 1 Cor 15:52.

[35] “that we might be reconciled.” Or: “that He might be reconciled to us.”

[36] It is unclear where the speech of the just ends, but I have placed the ending here. In any case, it seems clear the speech ends before line 337.

[37] Cf. Gen 25:29-34.

[38] Cf. 1 Kgs 11:1-13.

[39] I.e., a person is only worried about his or her own salvation.

[40] I prefer here the variant reading Bedjan gives (ܙܥܘ). His main text has “ܙܠܘ”.

[41] Cf. Gen 29:17.

[42] I am unsure about the exact translation. The subject seems to switch from “her” (ܐܝܬ ܠܗ̇) in 373 to “someone” (ܐܢܫ) in line 374.

[43] “the wise virgins of their lamps.” Perhaps this means virgins wise regarding their lamps? The syntax is unclear to me. Syriac:܆ ܐܬܬܦܝܣ ܢܬܠ̈ܢ ܡܢ ܛܘܝܒܐ ܕܒܡ̈ܐܢܝܗܝܢ  ܘܠܐ ܒܬܘ̈ܠܬܐ ܚܟܝ̈ܡܬܐ ܕܠܡܦܝ̈ܕܝܗܝܢ

[44] “faithfulness”: ܫܪܪܐ

[45] “their places at the table”: ܒܣܡܟܝ̈ܗܘܢ

[46] “His guests”: ܥܠܡܘ̈ܗܝ. Sokoloff cites this meaning in Aphrahat, specifically in the context of a groom’s guests at his wedding banquet. (p.1105).

[47] “His Essence”: ܐܝܬܘܬܗ

[48] “His guests”: ܥܠܡܘ̈ܗܝ. See note above.

[49] “It” here is the soul.

[50] The participle here, and the plural verbs and suffixes in the following lines, are all masculine despite the subject appearing to be the “wise virgins.”

[51] “untimely” lit: “not in his time.”

[52] “they knock”: The subject is feminine.

[53] I have interpreted this line as saying the righteous and just prepare a side for themselves, in keeping with previous lines about their need to prepare oil. However, it can also be interpreted as God preparing a side for them.

[54] “He shut them entirely”: ܐܚܕ ܣܟܗܝܢ. I am not sure about the translation of this phrase.

[55] “himself” or “his soul” (ܢܦܫܗ)

[56] These lines are not in Bedjan. They are present in the two medieval digitized manuscripts I have found, Vat. Syr. 117 and Diyarbakir, Meryem Ana Kilisiei 00003. They are not present in the 7th-cent. Vat. Syr. 251. Vat. Syr. 115 was too damaged to draw a conclusion. The Diyarbakir text has “sounds of supplications” instead of “every supplication,” though this does not fit the meter.