ness he beheld, and
perceived that they would not
truly return unto him; to them
he denied any return unto
repentance, lest they should again
blaspheme his law with wicked
words.

49 I said unto him; Now, Sir,
make known unto me, what is the
place of every one of those, who
have given up their rods, and
what their portion; that when
they may have not kept their seal
entire, but have wasted the seal
which they received, shall hear
and believe these thins, and may
acknowledge their evil deeds and
repent;

50 And receiving again their
seal from you, may give glory to
God, that he was moved with
compassion towards them, and sent
you to renew their spirits.

51 Hearken, said he; they
whose rods have been found
and rotten, and as it were touched
with the moth; are the deserters
and the betrayers of the church;

52 Who with the rest of their
crimes, have also blasphemed the
Lord, and denied his name when
he had called upon them. Therefore
all these are dead unto God
and thou seest that none of them
have repented, although they
have heard my commands which
thou hast delivered unto them.
From these men therefore life is
far distant.

53 They also who have delivered
up their rods dry, but not rotten,
have not been far from them. For
they have been counterfeits,
and brought in evil doctrines,
and have perverted the servants
of God, especially those
who had sinned; not suffering
them to return unto repentance,
but keeping them back by their
false doctrines.

54 These therefore have hope;
and thou seest that many of them
have repented, since the time
that thou hast laid my commands
before them; and many more
will yet repent. But they, that
shall not repent; shall lose both
repentance and life.

55 But they that have repented,
their place is begun to be within
the first walls, and some of them
are even gone into the tower.
Thou seest therefore, said he, that
in the repentance of sinners there
is life; but for those who repent
not, death is prepared.

56 Hear now concerning
those who gave in their rods half
dry and full of clefts. Those whose
rods were only half dry, are the
doubtful; for they are neither
living nor dead.

57 But they who delivered in
their rods, not only half dry but
also full of clefts, are both doubtful
and evil speakers; who detract from
those that are absent, and have
never peace among themselves,
and who envy one another.

58 Howbeit, to those also