Hymn 52.
Concerning Satan and Death.
- I heard Death and Satan, as they disputed, which was the more powerful, among men. R., To You be glory, Son of the Shepherd of All, Who delivered His flock from the secret wolves that devoured it, the Evil One and Death!— 2. Death showed his power, that he conquers all; Satan showed his guile, that he makes all to sin.— 3. Death, To you, O Evil One, none hearkens save he that wills: to me he that wills and he that wills not, even to me they come.— 4. Satan, Yours, O Death, is but the force of tyranny: mine are snares and nets of subtlety.— 5. D., Hear, O Evil One, that who so is subtle breaks off your yoke: but none is there that is able to escape my yoke.— 6. S., You, Death, prove your might on him that is sick: but I over them that are whole, am exceeding powerful.— 7. D., The Evil One prevails not over all those that revile him: but for me he that has cursed me and he that curses me, come into my hands.— 8. S., You, Death, from God, hast gotten your might: I alone by none am I helped, when I lead men to sin.— 9. D., You, O Evil-One, like a weakling: while like a king I exercise my dominion.— 10. S., You are a fool, O Death, not to know how great am I: who suffice to capture free will, the sovereign power.— 11. D., You, O Evil One, like a thief, lo! You go round: I like a lion break in pieces and fear not.— 12. S., To you, O Death, none does service or worship: to me kings do service of sacrifice as to God.— 13. D., On Death there are many that call, as on a kind Power: on you, O Evil One, none has called or calls.— 14. S., Do you not mark this, O Death, how many there are: who in sundry fashions call on me and make oblation? — 15. D. Hated is your name, O Satan, nor can you clear it: your name every one curses, hide your reproach.— 16. S., Your ear, O Death, has waxed dull, that you hear not: how against you all men groan, conceal yourself.— 17. D., My face is shown to the world, for I am guileless: not like you who without guile cannot abide.— 18. S., You have not in anything surpassed me for it is true: that you are hateful as I to the sons of men. — 19. D., Of me all men are afraid as of a lord: but as for you they hate you as the Evil One.— 20. S., For you, O Death, they hate your name, and also your work: my name they hate but my delights they greatly love.— 21. D., To bitterness of teeth is turned, this your sweetness: penitence of soul cleaves ever unto your lusts.— 22. S., Sheol is hated because in her is no repentance: a pit that swallows and closes on all movements.— 23. D., Sheol is a gulf wherein whoever falls shall rise again: sin is hated because it cuts off the hope of man.— 24. S., Though I mislike penitents, I give place for repentance: you cut off hope from the sinner who dies in his sin.— 25. D., It was of you that at first his hope was cut off: for he whom you have not caused to sin dies happily.— 26. Blessed is He who raised against each other those cursed servants: that we might see them as they have seen us and mocked at us.— 27. This that we have seen of them is a pledge, my brethren: of what we shall see of them hereafter when we rise again.
Hymn 53.
- Come, let us hear how they contend for victory: the guilty ones who never have conquered, nor will conquer.— 2. Death said to the Evil One, In the end the victory is mine: for Death is master of the close, as a conqueror.— 3. Satan, This were to be Death indeed, were you able: to bring to death a living man, by means of lusts.— 4. D., Lo! I who behold the dead, both good and bad: the righteous who despise you, O Evil One, me they despise not.— 5. S., This dying of the body, is sleep for a time: think not, O Death, that you are Death, who art as a shadow.— 6. D., You, O Evil One, the just have conquered, yea will conquer: but these that have conquered you, lo! I conquer.— 7. S., Even this that you bring to death the just, is not of yourself: because of Adam whom I conquered, they drink this cup.— 8. D., Lo! Sheol is full of the men of Sodom, and the Assyrians: and the giants who were in the flood, who is like me?— 9. S., These, O Death, all of them, by me were slain: I am he that caused them to sin so that they perished.— 10. D., Joseph who conquered you I conquered, O Satan: in the chamber he conquered you but I conquered, and cast him into the tomb.— 11. S., Moses who conquered you, O Death, by sprinkling of blood: he conquered you in Egypt, but at the rock, who conquered him?— 12. D., Elijah who feared you not, O Satan: fled before Jezebel’s face, because he feared me.— 13. S., Aaron who withstood you, O Death, with smoke of incense: to him I gave earrings of gold: and he fashioned a calf.— 14. D., You went down to contend with Job, and he conquered you and came up: but I, after he had conquered you, then conquered him.— 15. S., David who by his sackcloth stayed that pestilence: him on the house-top I conquered, who had conquered Goliath.— 16. D., Jehu who destroyed the house of Baal, the temple of the Evil One: was unable to destroy Sheol, the stronghold of my realm.— 17. S., Solomon who snatched from your mouth, a child by his judgment: him in his old age I made a builder of idol-altars.— 18. D., Samuel who in respect of gold scorned you, O Satan: him I conquered, the conqueror, who conquered bribes.— 19. S., Samson who in respect of the lion’s cub, scorned you, O Death: through Delilah, frail vessel, I yoked him to the mill.— 20. D., Josiah from his childhood despised you, Evil One: but me not even in his old age, could he withstand.— 21. S., Hezekiah withstood you, Death, when he overcame the bound of life: I misled him and he neglected the miracle, and showed his treasures.— 22. D., John who conquered you, Evil One, and absolved and baptized: I extinguished that torch, which had disclosed you.— 23. S., Simon overcame you, when he brought to life that blessed woman: in a woman he overcame you and by a woman I overcame him and made him deny.— 24. S., Apostles and prophets with one voice, curse you, O Death: Where is the victory of Death, and the sting of Sheol? — 25. Your Lord in Sheol you have shut up, O cursed servant: God hates you and also man, hold then your peace.— 26. S., It was the will of Him who gives life to all, that shut him in Sheol: it was you that called Him to this, when you made Adam sin.— 27. O comrade of Nabal who in the wilderness reproached his lord: abhorred be your mouth which said to Him, Fall down and worship me!