Chapter 1
The First Vision of Gad the Seer
1In the thirty-first year of King David in Jerusalem, which is the thirty-eighth year of the reign of David, the word of AO came upon Gad the Seer in the month of Ziv, near the brook Kidron, saying,
2Thus said AO, “Go you, gird up your loins as a man, and stand in the midst of the stream, and proclaim with a loud cry, ‘Wait and make ready; wait and make ready; wait and make ready! For there is yet a vision for the son of Jesse.’
3And during the cry, turn your face to the east wind, even the Eastern Gate, and spread forth your hands to heaven.”
4And I did according to what I was commanded.
5And it came to pass when I finished crying aloud, I opened my eyes, and beheld a yoke of oxen led by an ass and a camel, coming up from the brook Kidron; the donkey upon the right side of the yoke and the camel upon the left.
6And a loud voice was going before them, lamenting with a bitter cry, saying,
7“Seer, Seer, Seer! These four minglings are they which confuse the people of AO.
8For the unclean and the clean has been mingled, and the clean has been put under the power of the unclean; a mingling out of Seir to rule over them.
9To increase their hand above those who do righteously,
10And therefore, to the end that they may betray; destroy the Holy One, crown iniquity, to establish occasion for uncleanness in the appearance of that which is clean.
11And following the voice there came a great shaking that overthrew the uncleanness, and dispersed the ass and the camel to the moon with the breathe of a whirlwind.
12And the Moon was opened, having the appearance like to a bow, it’s circle divided, and both of her ends touching the earth.
13And lo, the Sun came forth from Heaven in the form of a man, having a crown upon his head, bringing forth over his right shoulder a lamb, cast off and abhorred.
14And upon the crown of his head were three shepherds seen, fettered with twelve chains, and these fetters were of gold, overlaid with silver.
15And the voice of the lamb was a noise like to the voice of a lion roaring over his prey. “Woe unto me! Woe unto me! Woe unto me! My image has been cut off; my refuge has been lost; my inheritance and end has turned me over to my destroyers, and I was defiled until the twilight by the touch of uncleanness.”
16And it came to pass when the voice of the lamb was finished, and, lo, a man dressed in fine linen came with three vine branches, and twelve palms in his hand.
17And he brought the lamb from the hands of the sun and set the crown upon it’s head, and the vine branches and palms upon his heart.
18And the man dressed in fine linen cried like unto the horn of a ram, saying, “What have you here, uncleanness? And who have you here, defilement? How have you engraved for you a place within purity, and in My covenant which I have established with the vine branches and palms?
19But I heard the lamb’s shepherd AO saying, “There is a place for the clean, yet not for the unclean near to Me.
20For I, the Holy One, am God. And I cannot desire uncleanness; I only desire the clean.
21Though they were alike made of My hands, and My eyes were altogether upon them both,
22Nevertheless, the excess of cleanness excels above the excess of uncleanness, even as a man excels over a shadow.
23For the shadow does not come save by man, and only by the substance of the man is the shade given to those who are wearied and labored; to the clean and unclean is the matter thus,
24For all the gates of understanding shall be turned away at the time of the perishing of the nine vine branches.
25As it is found in the words of righteousness, in the book of Truth; yet on account of the wanderings of the sheep, and their rest, and divisions, understanding is concealed until I do wonderfully in keeping grace.”
26I saw that uncleanness was driven out from the moon, and was given to the hand of consuming wrath, ground small unto powder, and scattered by the continual winds.
27And the day burns as a furnace to remove uncleanness, and blot out transgressions.
28And the lamb was established upon the moon until eternity.
29And the lamb took of the clean, that had been mingled with the unclean, and brought it as a peace offering of the altar of God Almighty, even Jealous, AO, the Lord of hosts.
30And I heard the sound of the song of the lamb, saying, “I shall give thanks to You, O AO, for though You were angry with me, Your anger is turned away and You have comforted me.
31For AO is my strength and song, and He is become my redeemer.
32I will sing to AO, for He is highly exalted; the horse and his rider has He thrown into the Sea of Reeds.
33Arise wisdom; arise, power; arise, O kingdom; arise, majesty and glory! Arise, O Helper of AO!
34For God has saved everyone who has strayed but turned back, and blotted out the uncleanness from the earth.
35He has fought my warfare and brought into the light my righteousness by His support. My help comes from the Almighty. Maker of heaven and earth.
36Verily, who is like to You, O AO? Verily, who is like to You, glorious in holiness? Yet never in uncleanness.
37For You are great over all, exalted over all; You spoke and performed.
38You have declared the end from the beginning, and You have sealed all things by Your Words, turning my heart from him that tormented me.
39For Your seal is upon me, my God, and these are the three vine branches and twelve palms that are on my heart.
40You gave me glory; You have abolished the vanity of the fear of man, and You gave me a clean heart for ever.
41For this shall I praise You at all times, and give thanks to You among the nations, for You have redeemed me mightily for by my King, and performed grace to your Beloved, your Messiah, and His seed for ever and ever David.”
42And I heard a voice crying from heaven, saying, “You are My Son; You are My firstborn; You are My firstfruit.
43Have I not brought you from beyond Sihor Sheol to be daily My Delight?
44Nevertheless, You Israel, My offering, has been cast off; you dressed up uncleanness as clean; and for this cause have all these things befallen you.
45And who is like you among all the living upon the earth? For in your shadow all of these shall live; and by your wounds were they made whole.
46For this cause, consider well that which is before you.
47And because you have fulfilled the words of My Shepherd all the days you have been under the sun, and did not forsake them, therefore all of this honor will overtake you.”
48And I, Gad, son of Ahimelech, of the kindred of Jabez, of the tribe of Judah Ephraim, the son of Israel, was astonied by the scene and could not contain my spirit.
49And the one clothed in fine linen came down to me, and touched me, saying, “Write these words and seal them with the seal of truth, for I am AO, that I AM is My Name, and with My Name you shall bless all the house of Israel, for they are the seed of faith.
50You shall go, for you shall be gathered quietly to your fathers, and at the end of days will you see all these things, but not as a vision, but truly.
51For in those days shall they not be called Jacob, but Israel; for in their remnant no iniquity shall be found, for they shall belong wholly to AO.
52And these words shall be to you the restorer of spirit and life.
53And this shall be a sign to you; when you enter the city, you shall find My servant David while he is reading these words from the Book of the Covenant.
54And yet for all that, when they are in the land of their enemies, I will not reject them, neither will I abhor them, to destroy them utterly, and to break My Covenant with them; for I am AO their God.
55And you shall tell him about the scene you have seen, and when he beholds you, he shall rejoice in his heart.”
56And it came to pass, when I came to the house of David, the man of God, I happened upon him as He that was clothed in fine linen had said, and I told him of all my visions.
57Then David uttered to AO the words of a song, saying, “I love You, O AO, my strength!”
58And to me he said, “Blessed are you to AO that reveals His secret to your ears.”
59And I lifted up my voice, saying, “Blessed are you to AO, that did not remove His covenant from you; for He is faithful, and His Words are truth, and His seal is firm.”