Genesis A Translated from the Old English

Excerpt

GENESIS A

I.

Ours is a great duty—to praise in word and love at
heart the heavens' Ruler, the glorious King of Hosts:
He is the substance of all power, the head of all high
things, the Lord Almighty. Origin or beginning was5
never made for Him, nor shall an end ever come to the
eternal God: but, on the contrary, He is for ever supreme
by His high puissance over the heavenly kingdoms;
just and mighty, He rules the mansions of the sky,10
which were established far and wide through the power
of God for the sons of glory, the keepers of souls.

These angelic hosts were wont to feel joy and rapture,
transcendent bliss, in the presence of their Creator:
their beatitude was measureless. Glorious ministers15
magnified their Lord, spoke his praise with zeal, lauded
the Master of their being, and were excellently happy
in the majesty of God. They had no knowledge of
working evil or wickedness, but dwelt in innocence20
forever with their Lord: from the beginning they wrought
in heaven nothing but righteousness and truth, until
a Prince of angels through pride strayed into sin: then
they would consult their own advantage no longer, but
turned away from God's lovingkindness. They had25
vast arrogance, in that by the might of multitudes they
sought to wrest from the Lord the celestial mansions,
spacious and heaven-bright. Then there fell upon
them, grievously, the envy, presumption, and pride
of the Angel who first began to carry out the evil plot,30
to weave it and promote it, when he boasted by word—
as he thirsted for conflict—that he wished to own the
home and high throne of the heavenly kingdom to the
north. Thereupon God became angered and hostile35
towards the beings whom he had formerly exalted in
beauty and glory: he created for the traitors a marvelous
abode as penalty for their action, namely the pangs of
Hell, bitter afflictions; Our Lord called forth that40
abysmal joyless house of punishment to wait for the
outcast keepers of souls. When he knew that it was
ready, he enveloped it in eternal night and equipped it
with torment, filling it with fire and fearful cold, with
fume and red flame: then he commanded the terrors
of suffering to increase throughout that hapless place.45

They had committed a dire sin against God: on that
account dire punishment befell them. They asserted,
in fierce mood, that they wished to seize the kingdom
and could easily do so: but this presumption mocked
them when their Lord, the high King of heaven, lifted50
up his almighty hand against the throng. The mad
rebels, accursed ones, could not make head against God,
but the Highest troubled their spirits and humbled their
pride, for he was incensed; he stripped the sinners of55
victory and might, of dominion and honor, and further
took from his foes happiness, peace, and all joys, as well
as bright glory, and finally, with his own exceeding power,
wreaked his wrath on his adversaries in mighty ruin.60
He was stern in mood, grimly embittered, and seized
upon his foes with resistless grasp and broke them in
his grip, enraged at heart, and deprived his opponents of
their native seat, their bright abodes on high....