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SCRIPTURES
Chapter 15
Elon Zanoah defends his daughter – Elon rebukes the elders – The gathering of an
army – King Remlah seeks a scapegoat – Fifty soldiers take Methuselah captive – Elon
rescues Methuselah – Methuselah anoints Elon – King Remlah gathers a mighty army
– Battle at the Narrows of Tiglath – Elon executes King Remlah – The letter of Elon
to Yasher-Baal – King Melech battles Elon at Mount Tekoa – Yasher-Baal gathers his
war council – Adrammelech made king, taxes increased – 300,000 men made ready for
war – Jandrus in the robes of Yasher-Baal
1 Now there arose in the lands of Shinar a man whose name was Elon Zanoah of the house of Enosh, a shepherd from the hills of Perga, and he believed all the words of Enoch concerning the evils of Yasher-Baal and Rahob.
2 Wherefore, he determined to withstand with all his might the abominations of Sumer, for he desired to set at liberty the children of men.
3 On a certain day there came unto the house of Elon one of the priests of Rahob and with him came two soldiers of the king of Shinar, and they demanded of him his youngest daughter, for she was pure and comely, and they desired that she should be made a sacrifice to the gods of the land.
4 Now when Elon Zanoah heard their words, he would not consent, and they grew angry with him and with many threats determined to lay hold of the girl.
5 But Elon would not be afraid, and picking up a stone, he slew the priest and the soldiers also, for in the heat of his wrath was Elon like unto a lion among the flocks.
6 So Elon sent for the elders of Perga, and he told them all which he had done to the priest of Rahob and to the soldiers of Remlah, king of Shinar.
7 And he spoke unto them, saying: “How long shall you be made to halt between two opinions: to bend the knee unto the gods of abomination, or to give heed to the words of Enoch?
8 How long shall you suffer your children to be taken by the hands of wickedness, that the fires of whoredom might consume them?
9 Therefore, give ear unto me, for this day have I slain by the strength of my arm the servants of Yasher-Baal, that I might set at liberty the children of my loins.
10 Wherefore, seeing that I have done this thing among you, what shall you do? For the king shall take your sons and cause them to die upon the stake as an example to the people.
11 Now if you will that your sons should live and not die, send them unto me, for why will you be made to doubt the words of Enoch?
12 Shall we not take the sword and proclaim liberty throughout the land? Shall we not have faith that God is able to deliver into our hands the workers of iniquity?”
13 Now when the elders of Perga heard these words, they sent word throughout the land, that as many as would might go into the wilderness with Elon Zanoah, that they might gather unto themselves strength against the day of battle.
14 Yet in Shinar did Remlah grow hot with anger against the man Elon, and he desired to slay him before the walls of the city. Wherefore, he called forth his councilors and asked concerning him.
15 And one stood forth and spoke thus with the king, saying: “My lord, this trouble has come upon you by the word of Enoch, for he has gone throughout the lands of Sumer, declaring against you much wickedness. For this cause alone are the children of men made to rebel against you.”
16 And Remlah spoke, saying: “Where is this Enoch who has set forth his hand to trouble the house of Yasher-Baal? Where shall the king find this wild man that I might bring him unto Shinar?”
17 They answered, saying: “My lord, he has fled back unto Zion; yet he has sent throughout all the lands the son of his loins, Methuselah, and even now he is in the land of Perga, baptizing the people who believe on the words of Enoch.”
18 So Remlah sent out from the city fifty soldiers to bring Methuselah unto the king, for he desired to put him to death before the nobles of the city, and he did command that the son of Enoch should have his head cut from his body, that Remlah might send it unto the gates of Zion.
19 Now there went unto Perga the soldiers of the king, and finding Methuselah by the waters of Nod, they fell upon him and bound him with strong cords, which thing caused great anger among the inhabitants of the land, for they had regard for the son of Enoch.
20 So the people went into the hills round about Perga that they might seek out Elon Zanoah, and when they found him, they told him all that had happened to Methuselah beside the waters of Nod.
21 And taking five hundred men, Elon surrounded the soldiers of the king as they journeyed towards Shinar, and he caused that they should set free the son of Enoch.
22 So the soldiers of Remlah gave to the elders of Perga the prophet Methuselah. Now when this was accomplished, Elon commanded the soldiers that they should give him also the youngest from among them.
23 Wherefore, they gave unto him the youngest, and when these things were done, the men of Perga fell upon the soldiers of the king, and they slew every one of them so that no man escaped the wrath of Elon, except the youngest who was taken from among them.
24 And Elon caused that their heads should be taken and placed upon stakes, and he put them along the road that led unto the city of the king.
25 And turning to the young man from Shinar, he commanded him to go and tell the king all that he had seen.
26 Now Methuselah took Elon Zanoah before the people, and he anointed him unto the Lord, that he should be victorious over the armies of the king.
27 And he commanded that all who should desire to be free from the abominations of Yasher-Baal and Rahob, even they should follow the man Elon and do according to his word.
28 Wherefore, against Elon Zanoah did Remlah, king of Shinar, gather together a mighty army and placing himself at the head thereof, he did march towards Perga, for he desired to slay all who lived in the regions round about, that he might put down with great harshness the rebellion of Elon.
29 But when he drew nigh unto the borders of Perga, he caused that his army should march through the Narrows of Tiglath, and there in the deep and narrow lands did Elon meet the son of Yasher-Baal.
30 For Elon had placed all his men upon the hilltops, that their arrows and their stones might fall as the rain upon the armies of the king.
31 And wherever the soldiers of the king would run, there would fall upon them great terror from above. Now there were caused to perish that day twenty thousand men, for there were none to escape. And Remlah and his armor bearer fell captive unto Elon Zanoah.
32 And he brought the king with his armor bearer before the walls of Shinar, and there did he cause that Remlah should perish before the eyes of the city, and he caused the body of the king to be divided into six portions.
33 And he sent unto all the kings of Sumer a portion of Remlah, but the head of Remlah did the armor bearer take unto Yasher-Baal, that he might know of a surety concerning the death of his son.
34 And Elon called forth a scribe and he caused that he should write upon the tablet of clay the words of Elon unto the lord of Sumer, saying:
35 “The words of Elon Zanoah of Perga to Yasher-Baal, the father of abomination, greetings! Behold, O king, how that I have caused your son to perish before the walls of Shinar.
36 Therefore, as I have divided the body of Remlah, even so shall I divide the kingdom of your power. As I have cut the head from Shinar, so shall I remove you from the glory of Sumer.
37 For by the words which God did speak unto us through the prophet Enoch shall I fulfill in you the promise of desolation, for I shall cause the glory of Yasher-Baal to perish from before the eyes of men.
38 And I shall cause your comely habitations to fall low in the dust, and jackals and serpents shall possess your dwelling places, and your name shall I remove from the land, and the evil of your ways shall be made to haunt you with desolation and judgment.
39 Therefore, O king, come forth unto me that I may give you just tribute. Come, O mighty lord and prince, and let us offer unto God a sacrifice in blood.”
40 So Elon caused that the head of Remlah should be taken unto Sumer and the tablet of clay also.
41 And the name of Elon spread throughout the land of the two great rivers, for by the strength of his arm had he brought sorrow upon the head of Sumer.
42 Now there came unto him a multitude of people; and he grew in much strength, for there was numbered among the men of Elon thirty thousand souls.
43 Now the king of Calneh, even Melech the son of Yasher-Baal, gathered together a mighty host and he marched against Elon of Perga. And the armies of Calneh and Elon met at Mount Tekoa in the land of Elam.
44 And there was beside Elon, Methuselah the son of Enoch, and he blessed the followers of Elon that they should be victorious over Melech. Wherefore, their hearts were made fierce in the moment of battle.
45 So they fell upon the armies of Calneh and there was much slaughter, and the men of Elon felt to rejoice over the fallen, but Methuselah forbid them, saying:
46 “How shall you be made to rejoice, seeing that they also are the sons of God like unto you? Yet now they are vanished away, and the day of their repentance is no more.”
47 Now when Yasher-Baal heard concerning the defeat of Melech, he called unto Sumer all the kings of the land and their mighty men also. And they gathered themselves before him in the court of the king.
48 And all the kings and the noble men of Sumer declared with a loud voice that Yasher-Baal should be forever called Lord of lords and King of kings, for they did look upon him as though he were a god, seeing that he killed by the strength of his arm, Cain, the father of nations and of war.
49 Wherefore, Yasher-Baal stood forth boldly before the many and the mighty, and he declared that his son Adrammelech should be made king over Shinar, that the glory of Sumer might not be diminished before the children of men.
50 And he levied against all the cities of Sumer a conscript of fifty thousand men dressed for war.
51 Therefore, against the cities of Kish, Shinar, Uruk, Calneh, Babel, and Sumer did Yasher-Baal increase the tax upon the people of all the lands round about, that there might be sufficient to feed the armies of Yasher-Baal.
52 And Yasher-Baal gathered together a mighty host, such as the sons of men had never before seen, even three hundred thousand men ready for war.
53 Now Yasher-Baal commanded that there should be brought before the kings and lords of Sumer, Jandrus, one of the sons of Cain, a man of great stature.
54 And he caused Jandrus to be dressed in the robes of Yasher-Baal, and he placed under him all the sons of Cain, even ten thousand.
55 Thus did the lord and king of Sumer conspire to trap Elon Zanoah, that he might destroy him.
56 For he commanded that Jandrus should take all the sons of Cain and march towards the regions round about Perga, laying waste all the dwellings and inhabitants thereof.
57 For Yasher-Baal desired that Elon take notice of the ten thousand, and believing as he might that Yasher-Baal himself commanded, he might follow hard after him.
BEGINNINGS 15
