The following is taken from Ken Johnson, trans. “Ancient Book of Gad the Seer,” 25-26
1The
LORD appeared unto David when he was old and said to him:
“Behold, I am with you, and I am
your God, and behold, My covenant is with you; do not be afraid, nor
discouraged, because your God is your helper.”
2And
David bowed down to the LORD and rejoiced in his heart. 3And the
LORD said: “Speak these words in My name to the people and make sure they
understand and obey so that they will live. If they do, I will no longer be
angry with them.” 4And the LORD put His words in his mouth. 5Then
David assembled all Israel in Jerusalem, and he made a pulpit of wood for
himself and he stood upon it and addressed all the people. He opened his mouth
and said:
6“Hear,
O Israel, your God and my God is one, the only one, and unique; there is no one
like His individuality. He is hidden from everyone; He always has been and
always will be [eternal]. He fills His creation, but His creation does not fill
Him. He sees everything, but is not seen; He knows the future and reveals it to
mankind, for He is the never-ending God, and there is no end to His presence, power
and truth; whole worlds are full of His glory. 7He gave each person
free choice: if one person wants to do good, he will be helped, but if a person
wants to do evil, he will find a way. 8As for us, we will worship
our God who is our King and Lord, and our Savior, with love and awe. For your
wisdom begins with the fear of the LORD and if you truly understand Him, you
will depart from evil. 9Remember and obey the Law of Moses, the man
of God, so that you will live a blessed life all of your days, 10Ask
your fathers, and they will teach you, ask your elders, and they will instruct
you.
I decided to read this work after reading Jeff Lindsay’s April 2,
2022 blog post, “The
Words of Gad the Seer: Thoughts on a "Lost Book" Preserved by the Jews
at Cochin, India.”
