Thus spake God, of old. concerning the people of Israel;
it is nevertheless very nigh thus accomplished in us,
now in these late days, and notoriously.
"We ought to worship God with true constancy,
because He is Almighty God, and He created us to be men;
now do we very wrongly if we worship Him not
for our own need, and our souls' bliss.
God from the beginning avenged contempt of Himself by punishments,
first upon the Angels who rashly exalted themselves,
and afterward on Adam, when He had sinned.
Again, in the days of Noah, when men wrought very foolishly,
and by fornication angered Almighty God exceedingly,
so that He sent the Flood, and drowned them all,
except only Noah with his own household,
because he alone of them all was righteous.
Again when God desired to wreak with fire
the foul fornication of the vilest race of men,
the people of Sodom, then He told it to Abraham.
Abraham then prayed the Almighty thus;
"Thou, Lord, who judgest all mortal flesh,
Thou shouldest not slay the righteous with the wicked.
If there be fifty men dwelling in the place,
righteous before Thee, spare them all."
Then said God to him again: "I will spare them all,
if I find there fifty righteous."
Then began Abraham again to entreat God earnestly,
that He would not destroy them, if there were forty there,
