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

CHAPTER 2

¹Hear now, O King, and incline thine heart unto wisdom: for the Lord is not mocked, neither shall He pass over transgression unregarded.
²The commandments which He delivered by the mouth of His servant Ajora are sure and eternal, yea, a lamp unto the feet of them that believe.
³Seven are they in number, and complete; whoso keepeth them, walketh in light, but he that casteth them behind his back is as one who wandereth blind in the wilderness.
⁴The law of the Lord is perfect, converting the soul; the testimony of Saint Ajora is faithful, making wise the simple.
⁵Yet many in these days have turned aside, every man to his own way, and the fear of the Lord is not before their eyes.
⁶They heap up riches and forget the poor; they stretch out their hands unto idols, and defile the altars of the Lord.
⁷The tongue of deceit is in their mouths, and their feet are swift to shed innocent blood.
⁸Behold, they lie in wait to deceive the simple, and entice the children of men to eat of the cup of rebellion.
⁹Yea, they cry peace with their lips, but war is in their hearts.
¹⁰Woe unto them, saith the Lord, for they have forsaken My ways, and have loved darkness more than light.
¹¹They have built altars to false gods, and burned incense unto demons, and have defiled themselves in secret places.
¹²But the Lord seeth, and nothing is hidden from His sight.
¹³He beholdeth the proud from afar, and He pondereth the paths of the wicked.
¹⁴Therefore shall their iniquity return upon their own heads, and their judgment shall not slumber.
¹⁵For there is prepared a place of torment for them that forget God; a prison of frost and flame, wherein is no rest.
¹⁶The king of that place is Amphisbaena, lord of the Frozen Hell, and it lieth beneath all the worlds, in uttermost shadow.
¹⁷There, the fire burneth not and light reacheth not; and the frost biteth not to purify, but to punish.
¹⁸The damned cry out, but there is none to hear; they gnash their teeth, but their chains hold fast.
¹⁹Smoke riseth forever from their mouths, and their tears are frozen upon their cheeks.
²⁰And he who ruleth therein is called the Devourer of Truth, the Ancient Enemy, the Liar from the Beginning.
²¹Accursed and attainted is Amphisbaena, twin-headed and without pity, whose tongues speak both flatteries and curses.
²²He was cast down by the hand of the Lord, and is bound in darkness, but he waiteth for the souls of the unfaithful.
²³He delighteth in the fall of kings, and rejoiceth when the strong are made weak.
²⁴He spreadeth snares for the mighty, and draweth noble hearts into the pit.
²⁵Therefore, let the king take heed, and the throne be guarded with righteousness.
²⁶Let not the flatterer whisper in thine ear, nor the bribe be taken into thy hand.
²⁷Let not the voice of the multitude lead thee astray, nor the pride of thine own counsel become a stumbling-block.
²⁸Remember the judgments of the Lord upon the kings of old: how the high were brought low, and the strong made as chaff before the wind.
²⁹Remember how the cities of wickedness were overturned, and the towers of pride cast into the sea.
³⁰But the humble shall be lifted up, and the obedient shall not be moved.
³¹Blessed is the king that walketh in the law of the Lord, and taketh heed unto His ways.
³²His house shall be as a tree planted by the waters, and his throne shall be established forever.
³³But he that forsaketh the covenant shall be as the reed broken in the storm, and his memory shall rot in Ivalice.
³⁴O King Eregalassadim, thou hast been given the sword not for oppression, but for justice; not to glorify thy name, but to magnify the Lord’s.
³⁵Be thou a terror to evildoers, and a praise to them that do well.
³⁶Uphold the law with equity, and judge the people with compassion.
³⁷Set not thy face against the poor, nor harden thy heart against the cry of the widow.
³⁸Remove the wicked from before thy presence, and let no bribe pervert thy judgment.
³⁹Let the priests walk unafraid through thy courts, and let the word of Ajora be proclaimed without hindrance.
⁴⁰For the eyes of the Lord are upon thee, and thy days are measured in His book.
⁴¹Stand in awe, and sin not: commune with thine own heart upon thy bed, and be still.
⁴²Offer the sacrifices of righteousness, and put thy trust in the Lord.
⁴³Let not thy soul be lifted up unto vanity, neither swear deceitfully.
⁴⁴For the righteous shall ascend the hill of the Lord, but the wicked shall be driven away like smoke.
⁴⁵Be not as the kings of the nations, who build with blood and make war for sport.
⁴⁶Be thou as a shepherd over thy people, and as a watchman upon the walls of the city.
⁴⁷Then shall the Lord bless thy borders with peace, and thy name shall be remembered with honour.
⁴⁸But if thou turnest aside and doest wickedly, thou also shalt drink of the cup of wrath, and thy house shall fall.
⁴⁹For the Lord is no respecter of persons, neither regardeth He the crown or the sceptre.
⁵⁰Only the humble and the faithful shall find grace in His sight, and the disobedient shall be cast into outer darkness.

▷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 MUROND
            ▶1—2—3—4

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