Jacob 5
1 Behold, my brethren, do ye not remember to have read the words of the
prophet Zenos, which he spake unto the house of Israel, saying:
2 Hearken, O ye house of Israel, and hear the words of me, a prophet of the
Lord.
3 For behold, thus saith the Lord, I will liken thee, O house of Israel, like
unto a tame olive-tree, which a man took and nourished in his vineyard; and
it grew, and waxed old, and began to decay.
4 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard went forth, and he saw
that his olive-tree began to decay; and he said: I will prune it, and dig about
it, and nourish it, that perhaps it may shoot forth young and tender branches,
and it perish not.
5 And it came to pass that he pruned it, and digged about it, and nourished it
according to his word.
6 And it came to pass that after many days it began to put forth somewhat a
little, young and tender branches; but behold, the main top thereof began to
perish.
7 And it came to pass that the master of the vineyard saw it, and he said
unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should lose this tree; wherefore, go and
pluck the branches from a wild olive-tree, and bring them hither unto me; and
we will pluck off those main branches which are beginning to wither away,
and we will cast them into the fire that they may be burned.
8 And behold, saith the Lord of the vineyard, I take away many of these
young and tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will; and it
mattereth not that if it so be that the root of this tree will perish, I may
preserve the fruit thereof unto myself; wherefore, I will take these young and
tender branches, and I will graft them whithersoever I will.
9 Take thou the branches of the wild olive-tree, and graft them in, in the
stead thereof; and these which I have plucked off I will cast into the fire and
burn them, that they may not cumber the ground of my vineyard.
10 And it came to pass that the servant of the Lord of the vineyard did
according to the word of the Lord of the vineyard, and grafted in the
branches of the wild olive-tree.
11 And the Lord of the vineyard caused that it should be digged about, and
pruned, and nourished, saying unto his servant: It grieveth me that I should
lose this tree; wherefore, that perhaps I might preserve the roots thereof that
they perish not, that I might preserve them unto myself, I have done this
thing.
12 Wherefore, go thy way; watch the tree, and nourish it, according to my
words.
13 And these will I place in the nethermost part of my vineyard,
whithersoever I will, it mattereth not unto thee; and I do it that I may
preserve unto myself the natural branches of the tree; and also, that I may lay
up fruit thereof against the season, unto myself; for it grieveth me that I
should lose this tree and the fruit thereof.
14 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard went his way, and hid
the natural branches of the tame olive-tree in the nethermost parts of the
vineyard, some in one and some in another, according to his will and
pleasure.
15 And it came to pass that a long time passed away, and the Lord of the
vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard, that
we may labor in the vineyard.
16 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard, and also the servant,
went down into the vineyard to labor. And it came to pass that the servant
said unto his master: Behold, look here; behold the tree.
17 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard looked and beheld the
tree in the which the wild olive branches had been grafted; and it had sprung
forth and begun to bear fruit. And he beheld that it was good; and the fruit
thereof was like unto the natural fruit.
18 And he said unto the servant: Behold, the branches of the wild tree have
taken hold of the moisture of the root thereof, that the root thereof hath
brought forth much strength; and because of the much strength of the root
thereof the wild branches have brought forth tame fruit. Now, if we had not
grafted in these branches, the tree thereof would have perished. $ And now,
behold, I shall lay up much fruit, which the tree thereof hath brought forth;
and the fruit thereof I shall lay up against the season, unto mine own self.
19 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant:
Come, let us go to the nethermost part of the vineyard, and behold if the
natural branches of the tree have not brought forth much fruit also, that I
may lay up of the fruit thereof against the season, unto mine own self.
20 And it came to pass that they went forth whither the master had hid the
natural branches of the tree, and he said unto the servant: Behold these; and
he beheld the first that it had brought forth much fruit; and he beheld also
that it was good. $ And he said unto the servant: Take of the fruit thereof,
and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it unto mine own self;
for behold, said he, this long time have I nourished it, and it hath brought
forth much fruit.
21 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: How comest
thou hither to plant this tree, or this branch of the tree? For behold, it was
the poorest spot in all the land of thy vineyard.
22 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto him: Counsel me not; I knew that
it was a poor spot of ground; wherefore, I said unto thee, I have nourished it
this long time, and thou beholdest that it hath brought forth much fruit.
23 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant:
Look hither; behold I have planted another branch of the tree also; and thou
knowest that this spot of ground was poorer than the first. But, behold the
tree. I have nourished it this long time, and it hath brought forth much fruit;
therefore, gather it, and lay it up against the season, that I may preserve it
unto mine own self.
24 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said again unto his
servant: Look hither, and behold another branch also, which I have planted;
behold that I have nourished it also, and it hath brought forth fruit.
25 And he said unto the servant: Look hither and behold the last. Behold,
this have I planted in a good spot of ground; and I have nourished it this long
time, and only a part of the tree hath brought forth tame fruit, and the other
part of the tree hath brought forth wild fruit; behold, I have nourished this
tree like unto the others.
26 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant:
Pluck off the branches that have not brought forth good fruit, and cast them
into the fire.
27 But behold, the servant said unto him: Let us prune it, and dig about it,
and nourish it a little longer, that perhaps it may bring forth good fruit unto
thee, that thou canst lay it up against the season.
28 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant of the
Lord of the vineyard did nourish all the fruit of the vineyard.
29 And it came to pass that a long time had passed away, and the Lord of
the vineyard said unto his servant: Come, let us go down into the vineyard,
that we may labor again in the vineyard. For behold, the time draweth near,
and the end soon cometh; wherefore, I must lay up fruit against the season,
unto mine own self.
30 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard and the servant went
down into the vineyard; and they came to the tree whose natural branches
had been broken off, and the wild branches had been grafted in; and behold
all sorts of fruit did cumber the tree.
31 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard did taste of the fruit,
every sort according to its number. And the Lord of the vineyard said:
Behold, this long time have we nourished this tree, and I have laid up unto
myself against the season much fruit.
32 But behold, this time it hath brought forth much fruit, and there is none
of it which is good. And behold, there are all kinds of bad fruit; and it
profiteth me nothing, notwithstanding all our labor; and now it grieveth me
that I should lose this tree.
33 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: What shall we do
unto the tree, that I may preserve again good fruit thereof unto mine own
self?
34 And the servant said unto his master: Behold, because thou didst graft in
the branches of the wild olive-tree they have nourished the roots, that they
are alive and they have not perished; wherefore thou beholdest that they are
yet good.
35 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant:
The tree profiteth me nothing, and the roots thereof profit me nothing so
long as it shall bring forth evil fruit.
36 Nevertheless, I know that the roots are good, and for mine own purpose
I have preserved them; and because of their much strength they have hitherto
brought forth, from the wild branches, good fruit.
37 But behold, the wild branches have grown and have overrun the roots
thereof; and because that the wild branches have overcome the roots thereof
it hath brought forth much evil fruit; and because that it hath brought forth so
much evil fruit thou beholdest that it beginneth to perish; and it will soon
become ripened, that it may be cast into the fire, except we should do
something for it to preserve it.
38 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto his servant:
Let us go down into the nethermost parts of the vineyard, and behold if the
natural branches have also brought forth evil fruit.
39 And it came to pass that they went down into the nethermost parts of the
vineyard. And it came to pass that they beheld that the fruit of the natural
branches had become corrupt also; yea, the first and the second and also the
last; and they had all become corrupt.
40 And the wild fruit of the last had overcome that part of the tree which
brought forth good fruit, even that the branch had withered away and died.
41 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard wept, and said unto the
servant: What could I have done more for my vineyard?
42 Behold, I knew that all the fruit of the vineyard, save it were these, had
become corrupted. And now these which have once brought forth good fruit
have also become corrupted; and now all the trees of my vineyard are good
for nothing save it be to be hewn down and cast into the fire.
43 And behold this last, whose branch hath withered away, I did plant in a
good spot of ground; yea, even that which was choice unto me above all
other parts of the land of my vineyard.
44 And thou beheldest that I also cut down that which cumbered this spot of
ground, that I might plant this tree in the stead thereof.
45 And thou beheldest that a part thereof brought forth good fruit, and a
part thereof brought forth wild fruit; and because I plucked not the branches
thereof and cast them into the fire, behold, they have overcome the good
branch that it hath withered away.
46 And now, behold, notwithstanding all the care which we have taken of
my vineyard, the trees thereof have become corrupted, that they bring forth
no good fruit; and these I had hoped to preserve, to have laid up fruit thereof
against the season, unto mine own self. But, behold, they have become like
unto the wild olive-tree, and they are of no worth but to be hewn down and
cast into the fire; and it grieveth me that I should lose them.
47 But what could I have done more in my vineyard? Have I slackened
mine hand, that I have not nourished it, Nay, I have nourished it, and I have
digged about it, and I have pruned it, and I have dunged it; and I have
stretched forth mine hand almost all the day long, and the end draweth nigh.
And it grieveth me that I should hew down all the trees of my vineyard, and
cast them into the fire that they should be burned. Who is it that has
corrupted my vineyard?
48 And it came to pass that the servant said unto his master: Is it not the
loftiness of thy vineyard — have not the branches thereof overcome the roots
which are good? And because the branches have overcome the roots
thereof, behold they grew faster than the strength of the roots, taking
strength unto themselves. $ Behold, I say, is not this the cause that the trees
of thy vineyard have become corrupted?
49 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant:
Let us go to and hew down the trees of the vineyard and cast them into the
fire, that they shall not cumber the ground of my vineyard, for I have done
all. What could I have done more for my vineyard?
50 But, behold, the servant said unto the Lord of the vineyard: Spare it a
little longer.
51 And the Lord said: Yea, I will spare it a little longer, for it grieveth me
that I should lose the trees of my vineyard.
52 Wherefore, let us take of the branches of these which I have planted in
the nethermost parts of my vineyard, and let us graft them into the tree from
whence they came; and let us pluck from the tree those branches whose fruit
is most bitter, and graft in the natural branches of the tree in the stead
thereof.
53 And this will I do that the tree may not perish, that, perhaps, I may
preserve unto myself the roots thereof for mine own purpose.
54 And, behold, the roots of the natural branches of the tree which I planted
whithersoever I would are yet alive; wherefore, that I may preserve them also
for mine own purpose, I will take of the branches of this tree, and I will graft
them in unto them.
Yea, I will graft in unto them the branches of their mother tree, that I may
preserve the roots also unto mine own self, that when they shall be
sufficiently strong perhaps they may bring forth good fruit unto me, and I
may yet have glory in the fruit of my vineyard.
55 And it came to pass that they took from the natural tree which had
become wild, and grafted in unto the natural trees, which also had become
wild.
56 And they also took of the natural trees which had become wild, and
grafted into their mother tree.
57 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto the servant: Pluck not the wild
branches from the trees, save it be those which are most bitter; and in them
ye shall graft according to that which I have said.
58 And we will nourish again the trees of the vineyard, and we will trim up
the branches thereof; and we will pluck from the trees those branches which
are ripened, that must perish, and cast them into the fire.
59 And this I do that, perhaps, the roots thereof may take strength because
of their goodness; and because of the change of the branches, that the good
may overcome the evil.
60 And because that I have preserved the natural branches and the roots
thereof, and that I have grafted in the natural branches again into their
mother tree, and have preserved the roots of their mother tree, that, perhaps,
the trees of my vineyard may bring forth again good fruit; and that I may
have joy again in the fruit of my vineyard, and, perhaps, that I may rejoice
exceedingly that I have preserved the roots and the branches of the first fruit
—
61 Wherefore, go to, and call servants, that we may labor diligently with our
might in the vineyard, that we may prepare the way, that I may bring forth
again the natural fruit, which natural fruit is good and the most precious
above all other fruit.
62 Wherefore, let us go to and labor with our might this last time, for behold
the end draweth nigh, and this is for the last time that I shall prune my
vineyard.
63 Graft in the branches; begin at the last that they may be first, and that the
first may be last, and dig about the trees, both old and young, the first and
the last; and the last and the first, that all may be nourished once again for the
last time.
64 Wherefore, dig about them, and prune them, and dung them once more,
for the last time, for the end draweth nigh. And if it be so that these last
grafts shall grow, and bring forth the natural fruit, then shall ye prepare the
way for them, that they may grow.
65 And as they begin to grow ye shall clear away the branches which bring
forth bitter fruit, according to the strength of the good and the size thereof;
and ye shall not clear away the bad thereof all at once, lest the roots thereof
should be too strong for the graft, and the graft thereof shall perish, and I
lose the trees of my vineyard.
66 For it grieveth me that I should lose the trees of my vineyard; wherefore
ye shall clear away the bad according as the good shall grow, that the root
and the top may be equal in strength, until the good shall overcome the bad,
and the bad be hewn down and cast into the fire, that they cumber not the
ground of my vineyard; and thus will I sweep away the bad out of my
vineyard.
67 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft in again into the natural
tree;
68 And the branches of the natural tree will I graft into the natural branches
of the tree; and thus will I bring them together again, that they shall bring
forth the natural fruit, and they shall be one.
69 And the bad shall be cast away, yea, even out of all the land of my
vineyard; for behold, only this once will I prune my vineyard.
70 And it came to pass that the Lord of the vineyard sent his servant; and
the servant went and did as the Lord had commanded him, and brought other
servants; and they were few.
71 And the Lord of the vineyard said unto them: Go to, and labor in the
vineyard, with your might. For behold, this is the last time that I shall
nourish my vineyard; for the end is nigh at hand, and the season speedily
cometh; and if ye labor with your might with me ye shall have joy in the fruit
which I shall lay up unto myself against the time which will soon come.
72 And it came to pass that the servants did go and labor with their mights;
and the Lord of the vineyard labored also with them; and they did obey the
commandments of the Lord of the vineyard in all things.
73 And there began to be the natural fruit again in the vineyard; and the
natural branches began to grow and thrive exceedingly; and the wild
branches began to be plucked off and to be cast away; and they did keep the
root and the top thereof equal, according to the strength thereof.
74 And thus they labored, with all diligence, according to the
commandments of the Lord of the vineyard, even until the bad had been cast
away out of the vineyard, and the Lord had preserved unto himself that the
trees had become again the natural fruit; and they became like unto one body;
and the fruits were equal; and the Lord of the vineyard had preserved unto
himself the natural fruit, which was most precious unto him from the
beginning.
75 And it came to pass that when the Lord of the vineyard saw that his fruit
was good, and that his vineyard was no more corrupt, he called up his
servants, and said unto them: Behold, for this last time have we nourished my
vineyard; and thou beholdest that I have done according to my will; and I
have preserved the natural fruit, that it is good, even like as it was in the
beginning. And blessed art thou; for because ye have been diligent in
laboring with me in my vineyard, and have kept my commandments, and
have brought unto me again the natural fruit, that my vineyard is no more
corrupted, and the bad is cast away, behold ye shall have joy with me
because of the fruit of my vineyard.
76 For behold, for a long time will I lay up of the fruit of my vineyard unto
mine own self against the season, which speedily cometh; and for the last
time have I nourished my vineyard, and pruned it, and dug about it, and
dunged it; wherefore I will lay up unto mine own self of the fruit, for a long
time, according to that which I have spoken.
77 And when the time cometh that evil fruit shall again come into my
vineyard, then will I cause the good and the bad to be gathered; and the good
will I preserve unto myself, and the bad will I cast away into its own place.
And then cometh the season and the end; and my vineyard will I cause to be
burned with fire.