Kebra Nagast

perform her service well, so that God may dwell with us. And thou, my son, hearken unto the word of thy fathers, and walk in their counsel. And let not drink make thee foolish, nor women, nor pride of apparel, nor the bridles and trappings of horses, nor the sight of the weapons of war of those who are at the head or at the rear. But let thy confidence be in God and in Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of God, thy Creator, so that thou mayest vanquish thine enemy, and so that thy seed upon the earth may multiply, and so that thy foes and adversaries, near and far, may be overthrown." And those sons of mighty men answered and said with one voice, " O our Lady, we are with you always, and we will remember the lord, the King. Behold, what is written and the performance thereof shall take place if the God of Israel shall be unto him a helper, and if he hearkeneth to the word of his mother and we will inform him about the path of doing good works. For there is no one to be found in these days as wise as Thou hast drawn thyself, except our lord the King. ; us hither as thy servants with our Lady, the heavenly Zion, the Tabernacle of the Law of the Lord our God, just as a man draweth a camel that is loaded with valuable possessions with a little piece of thin, tough cord fastened over his nose. And now, reject us not and treat us not as strange people, but make us like unto thy slaves who wash thy feet, for whether we die or whether we live we are with thee we have no longer ; any hope in the country of our birth, but only in thee and in our Lady, the heavenly Zion, the habitation of the glory of God." 89. How THE QUEEN TALKED TO THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL And the Queen answered and said unto them, " Not but as a father and a teacher will For ye are the guardians of the Law of as servants as ye say, we treat you. 152