THE EPISTLE OF SAINT VELIUS TO THE KINGDOM OF LIMBERRY: CHAPTER 2

CHAPTER 2

¹Hearken now, O King, to the voice of thy servant, and incline thine heart unto wisdom.
²For the Lord is just and jealous, and His ways are not the ways of man; His statutes are as fire, and His judgments as the deep.
³He hath spoken from of old by the mouth of His prophets, and in these latter days by His holy servant Ajora, who walked Ivalice in flesh.
⁴The path of righteousness hath been made plain, and the commandments given unto men are sevenfold, sealed with the breath of the Most High.
⁵These thou knowest, O King, for they are written upon the tablets of memory, and spoken aloud in the hearing of the assembly.
⁶They are not hidden from the wise, nor veiled from the lowly; for the Lord desireth all men to walk uprightly, and not to stumble in the dark.
⁷But many have turned aside, and have walked in crooked paths, saying in their hearts, “Who shall see us?” and, “The Lord regardeth not.”
⁸They build altars to vanity, and burn incense unto their own desires; they heap up riches for the moth, and drink iniquity like water.
⁹These shall not stand in the day of fire, nor shall they escape the gaze of the Almighty; for every deed shall be weighed, and every word judged.
¹⁰Remember, O King, the terror of the second death, which is reserved for the rebellious, for the false, for the slayer of innocence, and for the profaner of holy things.
¹¹The pit is prepared from of old, and the ice thereof is bitter beyond speech; it is the abode of Amphisbaena, the Devourer of the Lost.
¹²He was cast down in the beginning, and yet walketh in chains of flame beneath the frost-bound gates, seeking ever the ruin of souls.
¹³His tongue is forked, and his breath a vapour of despair; his crown is made of lamentation, and his robe of blasphemy.
¹⁴There shall he torment the unrighteous with visions of what they spurned: the warmth of mercy, the light of truth, the glory of obedience.
¹⁵And they shall gnash their teeth in darkness, for they remembered not the Lord in the days of their strength.
¹⁶Woe unto him that knoweth the truth and doeth it not; his house shall be left unto him desolate, and his name shall be a curse among the nations.
¹⁷Woe unto the judge who taketh bribes, and unto the priest who profaneth the altar; their portion shall be shame, and their cup full of weeping.
¹⁸The law of the Lord is not a yoke, but a wing; not a burden, but a light; and blessed is he who delighteth in the precepts of Ajora.
¹⁹For the teachings of the Anointed One are as bread to the hungry, and water to the soul that thirsteth.
²⁰He hath spoken not in riddles, nor in the tongue of angels alone, but in the speech of shepherds and fishermen.
²¹He hath laid upon us not chains, but truth; not shadows, but clarity.
²²And yet, in every generation there arise those who twist His words, and make smooth that which is narrow, and widen that which is strait.
²³These shall lead others into the pit, and their judgment shall not sleep; for it is written, “He who causeth the little one to stumble, it were better that a millstone were hanged about his neck.”
²⁴Consider then thy kingdom, O King, and the souls therein entrusted unto thy rule.
²⁵Let not thy counselors whisper flattery, nor thy captains glory in oppression.
²⁶For the Lord seeth the heart, and trieth the reins; He regardeth not the might of horses, nor the noise of trumpets.
²⁷Uphold the cause of the poor, defend the fatherless, judge not with partiality, but with reverence and fear.
²⁸Remove from the midst of thy realm the idols of silver and gold, and the sorcerers who defile the spirit of the people.
²⁹Let not the temples of Ajora be used for gain, nor the words of the Gospel be chained to the tongue of liars.
³⁰Restore the broken altars, and cleanse the holy vessels; for the Lord dwelleth not in filth, nor visiteth the proud.
³¹Appoint just men to watch over the flock, and let thy priests be chosen for wisdom and mercy, not for lineage or silver.
³²And if any among them walk not in the light, cast them forth, lest the leaven of sin corrupt the whole loaf.
³³Let the law be written anew in thy courts, and let it be known throughout thy cities that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of strength.
³⁴Teach the youth from their cradle, and correct the elder when he strayeth; for all are but dust before the Lord, and wisdom is not measured in years alone.
³⁵Be not deceived by soft words or painted robes; the wolf may wear a shepherd’s garb, but his fangs remain.
³⁶Try all spirits, and prove all teachers; let the holy writings be thy measure, and prayer thy constant shield.
³⁷For in the last days, many shall come speaking vain things, and some shall even work signs and marvels.
³⁸But their heart shall be far from the truth, and they shall draw many after them, as reeds bent by the wind.
³⁹Thou, O King, art the shield of thy people; let not the serpent creep into the garden wherein thou hast been set to watch.
⁴⁰For if thou art faithful, thy kingdom shall be established; but if thou fallest into sloth or pride, ruin shall swiftly follow.
⁴¹Therefore, gird thy loins with truth, and set righteousness as a breastplate; walk humbly, and serve the Lord with gladness.
⁴²For His mercy endureth unto the generations of them that keep His covenant, and His wrath is kindled but a moment against the penitent.
⁴³Return unto Him with thy whole heart, and lead thy people in the way everlasting.
⁴⁴And the Lord shall remember thee in thy time of trouble, and shall not blot thy name from the book of remembrance.
⁴⁵Blessed is the king who feareth the Lord, and walketh in the light of His word; for his throne shall be like a tree planted by the waters.

▷THE SEVEN SCRIPTURES OF THE CHURCH OF GLABADOS
    ▷THE EPISTLES OF SAINT VELIUS TO THE NEW KINGDOMS
        ▷THE EPISTLE OF SAINT VELIUS TO THE KINGDOM OF LIMBERRY
            ▶1—2—3—4

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