CHAPTER 68.  THE PEN                                                                    SECTION 1.  PART XXIX 

IN THE NAME OF GOD
THE MOST GRACIOUS AND MERCIFUL GOD

1  BY THE INKSTAND AND THE PEN AND BY THE RECORD
BY WHICH MEN WRITE AND RECORD

2  YOU ARE NOT MAD BY THE GRACE OF YOUR LORD

3  SURELY FOR YOU IS AN UNFAILING REWARD

4  YOU STAND ON AN EXALTED STANDARD OF CHARACTER INDEED

5  SOON WILL YOU SEE AND THEY WILL SEE

6  WHICH OF YOU ARE AFFLICTED WITH MADNESS INDEED

7  SURELY IT IS YOUR LORD THAT KNOWS BEST 
WHICH MEN HAVE STRAYED AND HE KNOWS BEST 
THOSE WHO RECEIVE GUIDANCE THE BEST

8  SO DO NOT LISTEN 
TO THOSE IN REJECTION

9  THEIR DESIRE IS THAT YOU SHOULD BE PLIANT 
SO THAT THEY WOULD BE PLIANT

10  AND OBEY NOT ANY MEAN SWEARER 

11  A DEFAMER GOING ABOUT WITH SLANDER 

12  A HINDERER OF GOOD, A TRANSGRESSOR

13  VIOLENT AND CRUEL BESIDES THAT A MISCHIEF MAKER

14  BECAUSE OF WEALTH AND SONS HE IS A POSSESSOR

15  WHEN TO HIM ARE OUR MESSAGES TOLD
HE SAYS, TALES OF THE ANCIENTS OF OLD

16  SOON WILL WE SURELY
BRAND HIM ON THE SNOUT SEVERELY

17  WE HAVE TRIED THEM AS WE TRIED THE PEOPLE OF THE GARDEN 
WHEN THEY RESOLVED TO GATHER THE FRUITS OF THE GARDEN

18  BUT THEY MADE NO RESERVATION

19  THEN THERE CAME FROM GOD WHILE THEY SLEPT A VISITATION

20  SO BY THE MORNING THE GARDEN 
BECAME DARK AND BARREN

21  AS THE MORNING BROKE THEY CALLED OUT ONE TO ANOTHER

22  GO TO YOUR HARVEST AND GATHER YOUR FRUITS TOGETHER

23  SO THEY DEPARTED CONVERSING 
IN SECRET LOW TONES SAYING

24  LET NOT A SINGLE INDIGENT PERSON 
BREAK IN UPON YOU THIS DAY INTO THE GARDEN

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CHAPTER 68.  THE PEN                                                  SECTION 1 (CONT'D). PART XXIX 

25  THEY OPENED THE MORNING STRONG IN AN UNJUST WAY

26  WHEN THEY SAW THE GARDEN THEY SAID,WE HAVE LOST OUR WAY

27  AND INDEED WE ARE SHUT OUT AND AWAY

28  ONE OF THEM MORE JUST SAID, GLORIFY GOD REPENTFULLY

29  THEY SAID, GLORY TO OUR LORD WE HAVE ACTED WRONGFULLY

30  THEN THEY TURNED AGAINST ONE ANOTHER BLAMEFULLY

31  THEY SAID, WOE TO US WE HAVE BEEN TRANSGRESSORS 
SURELY IT MAY BE THAT OUR LORD AND CHERISHER

32  WILL GIVE US A GARDEN THAT IS BETTER
FOR WE DO TURN TO HIM AND WE ARE SINCERE

33  THIS IS THEIR PUNISHMENT IN THIS LIFE, BUT GREATER 
IF ONLY THEY KNEW, IS THE PUNISHMENT IN THE HEREAFTER

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CHAPTER 68.  THE PEN                                                                    SECTION 2.  PART XXIX 

34  SURELY FOR THE RIGHTEOUS ARE GARDENS
OF DELIGHT IN GOD'S PRESENCE 

35  WILL WE THEN TREAT THE FAITHFUL PEOPLE
THE SAME WAY AS WE TREAT THE SINFUL PEOPLE? 

36  HOW DO YOU JUDGE, WHAT IS THE MATTER WITH YOU

37  OR HAVE YOU A BOOK WHICH YOU LEARN THROUGH

38  THAT YOU WILL HAVE THROUGH IT WHATEVER YOU CHOOSE?

39  OR HAVE YOU COVENANTS WITH US ON OATHS REACHING 
TO THE DAY OF JUDGMENT PROVING 
THAT YOU WILL HAVE WHATEVER OF YOUR CHOOSING?

40  ASK THEM WHICH OF THEM FOR THAT WILL BE VOUCHING

41  OR HAVE THEY SOME PARTNERS 
THEN LET THEM IF THEY ARE TRUTHFUL PRODUCE THEIR PARTNERS

42  THE DAY THAT THEY WILL BE LAID OPEN
AND THEY WILL BE SUMMONED TO BOW IN ADORATION
BUT WILL NOT BE ABLE TO BE IN SUBMISSION

43  THEIR EYES WILL BE CAST DOWN AND THEY WILL BE IN HUMILIATION 
FOR THEY HAD BEEN SUMMONED IN ADORATION
WHILE THEY WERE IN A SAFE SITUATION

44  THOSE WHO REJECT THIS MESSAGE, LEAVE ME ALONE WITH THEM  
AND WE WILL BY DEGREES PUNISH THEM 
FROM DIRECTIONS NOT PERCEIVED BY THEM

45  A RESPITE WILL I GRANT THEM FOR A PERIOD PROLONGED
FOR SURELY MY PLAN IS STABLE AND STRONG

46  OR IS IT THAT YOU ASK THEM FOR WAGES
SO THAT THEY ARE BURDENED WITH INDEBTEDNESS?

47  OR IS IT THAT THE UNSEEN IS IN THEIR HANDS 
SO THAT THEY CAN WRITE IT WITH THEIR HANDS? 
 
48  WAIT WITH PATIENCE FOR THE COMMAND OF YOUR CREATOR
AND BE NOT LIKE THE FISH'S COMPANION WHEN HE CRIED IN TERROR

49  AND HAD HE NOT RECEIVED HIS LORD'S MIGHTY GRACE  
HE WOULD HAVE BEEN CAST OFF ON THE NAKED SHORE IN DISGRACE 

50  SO DID HIS LORD CHOOSE HIM GRACIOUSLY
AND MADE HIM OF THE COMPANY OF THOSE WHO ACT RIGHTEOUSLY

51  AND THEY WOULD BATTER YOU, WHO ARE DISBELIEVERS 
WITH THEIR EYES WHEN THEY HEAR THE REMINDER
AND THEY SAY, HE IS A POSSESSED SORCERER

52  BUT THIS IS FOR ALL THE NATIONS A REMINDER

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