THE SACRED CODEX OF OBLATION: CHAPTER 1

CHAPTER 1

¹And after the foundations of the world were laid, and the sun set its course through the Heavens, and the seas found their beds, and the mountains their heights, the Lord looked upon the world and was pleased.
²He beheld the children of Ivalice whom He had fashioned from dust and breath, and they were as newborns in a garden, pure and without knowledge, but full of wonder.
³And the Lord said, “I shall not leave them to wander in darkness, but I shall give unto them gifts, that they may grow and become wise, and bear the fruit of righteousness.”
⁴And He came unto them not as a storm, nor as fire from the Heavens, but as a gentle presence, clothed in glory and understanding, and the people trembled not, for they knew His peace.
⁵First did the Lord give to them the gift of co-operation, saying, “It is not good for one to labor alone, nor to feast while another hungers. Let each man and woman know the strength of the many.”
⁶And He taught them to build together, to share their harvests and their burdens. He taught the tribes to speak in unity, to hold counsel around the fires in the evening, and to make peace through discourse rather than conflict.
⁷Then the Lord gave unto them fire, which they had feared, for it leapt and consumed, and none could master it.
⁸But the Lord drew fire from the stone and the branch, and tamed it with His hand, saying, “This shall be warmth in the cold night, light in the darkness, and a forge for the shaping of tools. Guard it well, and let it never be used in wrath.”
⁹And the people rejoiced, for the fire gave them power over the long night and drove the beasts from their camps. They gathered close and began to sing, and from that night music was born.
¹⁰Then did the Lord walk among the fields and show them the tilling of the earth. He taught them how to break the ground, how to plant seed with care and patience, and how to draw water from the springs and rivers.
¹¹And He said, “Let the seed fall in its season, and the hand of the harvester be steady. Ivalice shall yield her bounty to those who honor her.”
¹²He gave them knowledge of barley, and of wheat, and of millet and vine. He taught them to graft trees and to tend vineyards, and to store grain for the lean days.
¹³And the people brought forth green shoots from the brown earth, and from the shoots came grain, and from grain came bread, and the people were filled.
¹⁴Next, the Lord gave to them the knowledge of the herds. He called forth the ox, and the sheep, and the goat, and the bird of the field. And He taught the people to keep the animals with kindness and diligence.
¹⁵“Do not strike the beast without cause,” He said, “for it is My creation also. Let thy hand be firm, but thy heart gentle.”
¹⁶He taught them the milk of the goat, the wool of the sheep, and the strength of the oxen. And He instructed them in how to build pens and shelters, so the animals would not perish in storm or drought.
¹⁷And so, the people no longer wandered hungry through the land, but had meat and milk and strong backs to bear their burdens.
¹⁸And seeing that the world was vast and its beasts many, the Lord brought the people into the forest and upon the plains and taught them to hunt.
¹⁹He showed them the bow and the arrow, and the sling and the snare. He taught them to follow tracks, and to honor the animal taken in the hunt.
²⁰“Take only what thou need,” said the Lord, “and let nothing go to waste. For each beast that walks Ivalice is numbered in My sight.”
²¹And the people were swift and skillful, and they gave thanks to the Lord for every meal.
²²And He gave unto them knowledge of the herbs of the field, the roots and leaves and bark that held healing in their sap. And He gave unto some the gift to discern between the plant that soothes and the plant that poisons.
²³To others, He gave the eye to see the stars and seasons, and to count the days, and to name them. He taught them to mark the movements of the moon, and the coming of the rains.
²⁴To the builders He gave skill to shape stone and bake clay; to the weavers He gave threads of flax and patterns of the spider’s web. To the singers He gave pitch and rhythm, and to the storytellers He gave memory.
²⁵Thus did the people receive from the Lord many gifts, and each tribe and tongue prospered in its way. And none were left empty, for the Lord is generous and wise.
²⁶And He walked among the people and watched them learn, and the little children ran to Him, and He knelt among them and blessed them.
²⁷And He said to them, “All things thou see, I have given for thy good. But guard thy hearts, for the gifts of Ivalice are great, and temptation grows as easily as grain.”
²⁸Yet at that time there was no jealousy among the people, nor envy between brothers. They shared what they had, and the gifts of God knit them together as one people, though many were their tongues and many their lands.
²⁹And the Lord made a place in the midst of their settlements, where He would dwell when He was not walking among them. It was not a temple of gold, but a place of stillness and light, and the people came to it to speak with the Lord and seek His wisdom.
³⁰And there was peace upon Ivalice, for the Lord ruled with righteousness, and His gifts were not yet corrupted.

▷THE SEVEN SCRIPTURES OF THE CHURCH OF GLABADOS
    ▷THE FIRST TESTAMENT
        ▷THE SACRED CODEX OF OBLATION
            ▶1—2—3

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