The Sibylline Oracles 1

1BEGINNING with the generation first

2Of mortal men down to the very last

3I'll prophesy each thing: what erst has been,

4And what is now, and what shall yet befall

5The world through the impiety of men.

6First now God urges on me to relate

7Truly how into being came the world.

8And thou, shrewd mortal, prudently make known,

9Lest ever thou should'st my commands neglect,

10The King most high, who brought into existence

11The whole world, saying, "Let there be," and there was.

12For he the earth established, placing it

13Round about Tartarus, and he himself

14Gave the sweet light; he raised the heaven on high,

15Spread out the gleaming sea, and crowned the sky

16With an abundance of bright-shining stars,

17And decked the earth with plants, and mingled sea

18With rivers, and the air with zephyrs mixed

19And watery clouds; and then, another race

20Appointing, he gave fishes to the seas

21And birds unto the winds, and to the woods

22The beasts of shaggy neck, and snakes that crawl,

23And all things which now on the earth appear.

24These by his word he made, and every thing

25Was speedily and with precision done;

26For he was self-caused and from heaven looked down

27And finished was the world exceeding well.

28And then thereafter fashioned he again

29A living product, copying a new man

30From his own image, beautiful, divine,

31And bade him in ambrosial garden dwell,

32That labors beautiful might be his care.

33But in that fertile field of Paradise

34He longed for conversation, being alone,

35And prayed that he might see another form

36Such as he had. And forthwith, from man's side

37Taking a bone, God himself made fair Eve,

38A wedded spouse, and in that Paradise

39Gave her to dwell with him. And, when he gazed

40Upon her, on a sudden filled with joy

41Great admiration held his soul, he saw

42A pattern so exact; and with wise words

43Spontaneous flowing answered he in turn

44For God had care for all things. For the mind

45They darkened not with passion, nor concealed

46Their nakedness, but with hearts far from evil

47Even like wild beasts they walked with limbs exposed.

48And afterwards delivering them commands

49God showed them not to touch a certain tree;

50But the dread serpent drew them off by guile

51To go away unto the fate of death

52And to gain knowledge of both good and evil.

53But the wife then first traitress proved to God;

54She gave, and urged the unknowing man to sin.

55And he, persuaded by the woman's words,

56Forgot the immortal Maker utterly,

57And treated plain commandments with neglect.

58Therefore, instead of good, received they evil

59According to their deed. And then the leaves

60Of the sweet fig-tree piercing they made clothes

61And put them on each other, and concealed

62The sexual parts, because they were ashamed.

63But on them the Immortal set his wrath

64And cast them out of the immortal land.

65For their abiding now in mortal land

66Was brought to pass, since hearing they kept not

67The word of the immortal mighty God.

68And straightway they, upon the fruitful soil

69Forthgoing, with their tears and groans were wet;

70And to them then the immortal God himself

71A word more excellent spoke: "Multiply,

72Increase, work constantly upon the earth,

73That with the sweat of labor ye may have

74Sufficient food." Thus he spoke; and he made

75The author of deceit to press the ground

76On belly and on side, a crawling snake,

77Driving him out severely; and he sent

78Dire enmity between them and the one

79Is on the look-out to preserve his head,

80But man his heel; for death is neighbor near

81Of evil-plotting vipers and of men.

82And then indeed the race was multiplied

83As the Almighty himself gave command,

84And there grew up one people on another

85Innumerable. And houses they adorned

86Of all kinds and made cities and their walls

87Well and expertly; and to them was given

88A day of long time for a life much-loved;

89For they did not worn out with troubles die,

90But as subdued by sleep; most happy men

91Of great heart, whom the immortal Saviour loved,

92The King, God. But they also did transgress,

93Smitten with folly. For with impudence

94They mocked their fathers and their mothers scorned;

95Kinsmen they knew not, and they formed intrigues

96Against their brothers. And they were impure,

97Having defiled themselves with human gore,

98And they made wars. And then upon them came

99The last calamity sent forth from heaven,

100Which snatched the dreadful men away from life;

101And Hades then received them; it was called

102Hades since Adam, having tasted death,

103Went first and earth encompassed him around.

104And therefore all men born upon the earth

105Are in abodes of Hades called to go.

106But even in Hades all these when they came

107Had honor, since they were the earliest race.

108But when Hades received these, secondly

109[Of the surviving and most righteous men]

110God formed another very subtile race

111That cared for lovely works, and noble toils,

112Distinguished reverence and solid wisdom;

113And they were trained in arts of every kind,

114Finding inventions by their lack of means.

115And one devised to till the land with plows,

116Another worked in wood, another cared

117For sailing, and another watched the stars

118And practiced augury with winged fowls;

119And use of drugs had interest for one,

120While for another magic had a charm;

121And others were in every other art

122Which men care for instructed, wide awake,

123Industrious, worthy of that eponym

124Because they had a sleepless mind within

125And a huge body; stout with mighty form

126They were; but, notwithstanding, down they went

127Into Tartarean chamber terrible,

128Kept in firm chains to pay full penalty

129In Gehenna of strong, furious, quenchless fire.

130And after these a third strong-minded race

131Appeared, a race of overbearing men

132And terrible, who wrought among themselves

133Many an evil. And fights, homicides,

134And battles did continually destroy

135Those men possessed of overweening heart,

136And from these afterward another race

137Proceeded, late-completed, youngest born,

138Blood-stained, perverse in counsel; of men these

139Were in the fourth race; much the blood they spilled,

140Nor feared they God nor had regard for men,

141For maddening wrath and sore impiety

142Were sent upon them. And wars, homicides,

143And battles sent some into Erebus,

144Since they were overweening impious men.

145But the rest did the heavenly God himself

146In anger afterwards change from his world,

147Casting them into mighty Tartarus

148Down under the foundation of the earth.

149And later yet another race much worse

150[Of men he made, to whom no good thereafter]

151The Immortal formed, since they wrought many evils.

152For they were much more violent than those,

153Giants perverse, foul language pouring out.

154Single among all men, most just and true,

155Was the most faithful Noah, full of care

156For noblest works. And to him God himself

157From heaven thus spoke: "Noah, be of good cheer

158In thyself and to all the people preach

159Repentance, so that they may all be saved.

160But if, with shameless soul, they heed me not

161The whole race I will utterly destroy

162With mighty floods of waters. Quickly now

163An undecaying house I bid thee frame

164Of planks strong and impervious to the wet.

165I will put understanding in thy heart,

166And subtile skill, and rule of measurement

167And order; and for all things will I care

168That thou be saved, and all who dwell with thee.

169And I am He who is, and in thy heart

170Do thou discern. I clothe me with the heaven,

171And cast the sea around me, and for me

172Earth is a footstool, and the air is poured

173Around my body; and on every side

174Around me runs the chorus of the stars.

175Nine letters have I; of four syllables

176I am; discern me. The first three have each

177Two letters, the remaining one the rest,

178And five are mates; and of the entire sum

179The hundreds are twice eight and thrice three tens

180Along with seven. Now, knowing who I am,

181Be thou not uninitiate in my lore."

182Thus he spoke; and great trembling seized on him

183At what he heard. And then, within his mind

184Having contrived each matter, he besought

185The people and began with words like these:

186"O men insatiate, smit with madness great,

187Whatever things ye practiced they shall not

188Escape God's notice; for he knows all things,

189Immortal Saviour overseeing all,

190Who bade me warn you, that ye perish not.

191Be sober, cut off badness, do not fight

192Perforce each other with blood-guilty heart,

193Nor irrigate much land with human gore.

194Revere, O mortals, the supremely great

195And fearless heavenly Creator, God

196Imperishable, whose dwelling is the sky;

197And do ye all entreat him--he is kind--

198For life of cities and of all the world,

199And of four-footed beasts and flying fowls;

200Entreat him to be gracious unto all.

201For when the whole unbounded world of men

202Shall be destroyed by waters loud ye'll raise

203A fearful cry. And suddenly for you

204The air shall be disordered, and from heaven

205The fury of the mighty God shall come

206Upon you. And it certainly shall be

207That the immortal Saviour against men

208Will send wrath if ye do not placate God

209And from this time repent; and nothing more

210Fretful and evil lawlessly shall ye

211One to another do, but let there be

212A guarding of one's self by holy life."

213But when they heard him each turned up his nose,

214Calling him mad, a frenzy-smitten man.

215And then again did Noah sound this strain:

216"O men exceeding wretched, base in heart,

217Unstable, leaving modesty behind

218And loving shamelessness, rapacious lords,

219Fierce sinners, false, insatiate, mischievous,

220In nothing true, stealthy adulterers,

221Flippant in language, pouring forth foul words,

222The wrath of God most high not fearing, kept

223To the fifth generation to atone!

224In no way do ye wail, harsh men, but laugh;

225Sardonic smile shall ye laugh, when shall come

226That which I speak--God's dire incoming flood,

227When Eve's polluted race, in the great earth

228Blooming perennial in impervious stem,

229Shall, root and branch, in one night disappear,

230And cities, men and all, shall the Earth-shaker

231From the depths scatter and their walls destroy.

232And then the whole world of unnumbered men

233Shall die. But how shall I weep, how lament

234In wooden house, how mingle tears with waves?

235For, if this water bidden of God shall come,

236Earth shall float, hills float, and even sky shall float;

237Everything shall be water, and all things

238Shall be destroyed by waters. And the winds

239Shall stand still, and a second age shall come.

240O Phrygia, thou shalt from the water's crest

241First rise up, and thou first another race

242Of men shalt nourish, once again anew

243Beginning; and thou shalt be nurse for all."

244But when now to the lawless generation

245He had thus vainly spoken, the Most High

246Appeared, and once more cried aloud and said:

247"The time is now come, Noah, to proclaim

248Each thing, even all which I that day to thee

249Did promise and confirm, and to complete,

250Because of a people disobedient,

251Throughout the boundless world even all the things

252Which generations of a former time

253Did practice, evil things innumerable.

254But do thou quickly enter with thy sons

255And the wives. Call as many as I bid,

256Of tribes of beasts and creeping things and birds,

257And in as many as I ordain for life

258Will I then put a willingness to go."

259Thus spoke he; forth went (Noah) and aloud

260Cried out and called. And then wife, sons and brides,

261Entered the house of wood; then also went

262The other things, as many as God willed

263To shut in. But when fitting bolt was put

264About the lid, and in its polished place

265Was fitted sideways, then was brought to pass

266Forthwith the purpose of the God of heaven.

267And he massed clouds, and bid the sun's bright disk,

268And moon, and stars, and circle of the heaven,

269Obscuring all things round; he thundered loud,

270Terror of mortals, sending lightnings forth;

271And all the winds together were aroused,

272And all the veins of water were unloosed

273By opening of great cataracts from heaven,

274And from earth's caverns and the tireless deep

275Appeared the myriad waters, and the whole

276Illimitable earth was covered o'er.

277But on the water swam that wondrous house;

278And torn by many furious waves, and struck

279By force of winds, it rushed on fearfully;

280But with its keel it cut the mass of foam

281While the loud-babbling waters dashed around.

282But when God deluged all the world with rains

283Then also Noah took thought to observe

284By counsels of the Immortal; for he now

285Had had enough of Nereus. And straightway

286The house he opened from the polished wall,

287That crosswise was bound fast with skillful stays.

288And looking out upon the mighty mass

289Of boundless waters Noah on all sides--

290And 'twas his fortune with his eyes to see!--

291Fear possessed and shook mightily his heart.

292And then the air became a little calm,

293Since it was weary wetting all the world

294Many days; parting, then, it brought to light

295How pale and blood-red was the mighty sky

296And sun's bright disk awearied; scarcely held

297Noah his courage. And then forth afar

298Sent he a dove alone, that he might learn

299If yet firm land appeared. But with tired wing,

300Flying round all things, she again returned;

301For not yet had the water ebbed away;

302For it was deeply filling every place.

303But after resting quietly for days

304He sent the dove once more, to learn if yet

305Had ceased the many waters. And she flew

306And flew on, and went o'er the earth and, resting

307Her body lightly on the humid ground,

308Again to Noah back she came and bore

309An olive branch--of tidings a great sign.

310Courage now filled them all, and great delight,

311Because they hoped to look upon the land.

312But then thereafter yet another bird,

313Of black wing, sent he forth as hastily;

314Which, trusting to its wings, flow willingly,

315And coming to the land continued there.

316And Noah knew the land was nearer now.

317But when on dashing waves the craft divine

318Had here and there o'er ocean's billows swum,

319It was made fast upon the narrow strand.

320There is in Phrygia on the dark mainland

321A steep, tall mountain; Ararat its name,

322Because upon it all were to be saved

323From death, and there was great desire of heart;

324Thence streams of the great river Marsyas spring.

325There on a lofty peak the ark abode

326When the waters ceased, and then again from heaven

327The voice divine of the great God this word

328Proclaimed: "O Noah, guarded, faithful, just,

329Come boldly forth, with thy sons and thy wife

330And the three brides, and fill ye all the earth,

331Increasing, multiplying, rendering justice

332To one another through all generations,

333Until to judgment every race of men

334Shall come; for judgment shall be unto all."

335Thus spoke the voice divine. Then from his couch

336Noah, encouraged, hastened on the land,

337And with him went his sons and wife and brides,

338And creeping things, and birds and quadrupeds,

339And all things else went from the wooden house

340Into one place. And then went Noah forth

341As eighth, most just of men, when on the waters

342He had made full twice twenty days and one

343Because of counsels of the mighty God.

344Then a new stock of life again arose,

345Golden first, which indeed was sixth, and best,

346From the time when the first-formed man appeared;

347Heavenly its name, because all things to God

348Shall be a care. O first race of sixth age!

349O mighty joy which I thereafter shared,

350When I escaped sheer ruin, by the waves

351Much tossed, with husband and with brothers-in-law,

352Stepfather and stepmother, and with wives

353Of husband's brothers suffering terribly.

354Fitting things now will I sing: There shall be

355On the fig-tree a many-colored flower,

356And afterward the royal power and sway

357Shall Cronos have. For three kings of great soul,

358Men most just, shall distribute portions then,

359And many a year rule, rendering what is just

360To men who care for toil and deeds of love.

361And earth shall glory in her many fruits

362Self-growing, yielding much corn for the race.

363And the foster-fathers, ageless all their days,

364Shall from diseases chill and dreadful be

365Far aloof; they shall die as fallen on sleep,

366And unto Acheron in the abodes

367Of Hades they shall go away, and there

368Shall they have honor, since they were a race

369Of blessed ones, fortunate heroes, whom

370The Lord of Sabaoth gave a noble mind,

371And with whom always he his counsels shared.

372But blessed shall they be even when they go

373In Hades. And then afterward again

374Oppressive, strong, another second race

375Of earth-born men, the Titans. All excel

376In figure, stature, growth; and there shall be

377One language, as of old from the first race

378God in their breasts implanted. But even these,

379Having a haughty heart and rushing on

380To ruin, shall at last resolve to fight

381Against the starry heaven. And then the stream

382Of the great ocean shall upon them pour

383Its raging waters. But the mighty Lord

384Of Sabaoth though enraged shall check his wrath,

385Because he promised that again no flood

386Should be brought upon men of evil soul.

387But when the great high-thundering God shall cause

388The boundless swelling of the many waters--

389With their waves hither and thither rising high--

390To cease from wrath, and into other depths

391Of sea their measure lessen, setting bounds

392By harbors and rough headlands round the land;

393Then also shall a child of the great God

394Come, clothed in flesh, to men, and fashioned like

395To mortals in the earth; and he doth hear

396Four vowels, and two consonants in him

397Are twice announced; the whole sum I will name:

398For eight ones, and as many tens on these,

399And yet eight hundred will reveal the name

400To men insatiate; and do thou discern

401In thine own understanding that the Christ

402Is child of the immortal God most high.

403And he shall fulfill God's law, not destroy,

404Bearing his very image, and all things

405Shall he teach. Unto him shall priests convey

406And offer gold, and myrrh, and frankincense;

407For all these things he'll also bring to pass.

408But when a voice shall through the desert land

409Come bearing tidings to men, and to all

410Shall call to make straight paths, and from the heart

411Cast wickedness out and illuminate

412With water all the bodies of mankind,

413That being born again they may no more

414From what is righteous go at all astray--

415And one of barbarous mind, by dances bound,

416Cutting that (voice) off shall bestow reward--

417Then on a sudden there shall be a sign

418To mortals, when, watched over, there shall come

419Out of the land of Egypt a fair stone;

420And on it shall the Hebrew people stumble;

421But by his guiding nations shall be brought

422Together; for the God who rules on high

423They also shall know through him, and the way

424In common light. For unto chosen men

425Will he show life eternal, but the fire

426Will be for ages on the lawless bring.

427And then shall he the sickly heal, and all

428Who are blameworthy who shall trust in him..

429And then the blind shall see, the lame shall walk,

430The deaf shall hearken, and the dumb shall speak.

431Demons shall he drive out, and of the dead

432There shall be an uprising; on the waves

433Shall he walk; also in a desert place

434Shall he five thousand satisfy with food

435From five loaves and a fish out of the sea,

436And with the remnants of them, for the hope

437Of peoples, shall he fill twelve baskets full.

438And then shall Israel, drunken, not discern,

439Nor shall they hear, oppressed with feeble cars.

440But when the maddening wrath of the Most High

441Shall come upon the Hebrews, and take faith

442Away from them, because they slew the Son

443Of the heavenly God; then also with foul lips

444Shall Israel give him cuffs and spittle drugged.

445And gall for food and vinegar unmixed

446For drink will they, with evil madness smitten

447In bosom and in heart, give impiously,

448Not seeing with their eyes, more blind than moles,

449More terrible than crawling poisonous beasts,

450Fast bound by heavy sleep. But when his hands

451He shall spread forth and measure out all things,

452And bear the crown of thorns, and they shall pierce

453His side with reeds, for which dark monstrous night

454Shall be for three hours in the midst of day,

455Then also shall the temple of Solomon

456Bring to an end a mighty sign for men,

457When he shall to the house of Hades go

458Proclaiming resurrection to the dead.

459But when in three days he shall come again

460Unto the light, and show his form to men

461And teach all things, ascending in the clouds

462Unto the house of heaven shall he go

463Leaving the world a Gospel convenant.

464And in his name shall blossom a new shoot

465From nations that are guided by the law

466Of the Mighty One. But also after this

467There shall be wise guides, and then afterward

468There shall be a cessation of the prophets.

469After that, when the Hebrew people reap

470Their evil harvest, shall a Roman king

471Much gold and silver utterly destroy.

472And afterward shall other royal powers

473Continuously arise as kingdoms perish,

474And they will oppress mortals. But great fall

475Shall be for those men, when they shall begin

476Unrighteous arrogance. But when the temple

477Of Solomon in the holy land shall fall,

478Cast down by barbarous men in brazen mail,

479And from the land the Hebrews shall be driven

480Wandering and wasted, and among the wheat

481They shall much darnel mingle, there shall be

482Evil contention among, all mankind;

483And the cities suffering outrage shall bewail

484Each other, in their breasts receiving wrath

485Of the great God, since they wrought evil work.