Mani's Šābuhragān

TRANSLATION

. . . with demons and . . . will . . . and say, ‘We are the agents of the gods. [You should go] in this path of ours’. Mankind will mostly be deceived and will proceed according to their (the false prophets’) will to do evil. And the ‘religious’ who may not believe in his own religion will also join himself to them. And at that time, when things will be thus in the world, [then] also on earth and in heaven, and on the sun and moon, and in the constellations (of the zodiac) and the stars, a great sign will appear.
Then Xradešahr (the god of the world of wisdom)—he who first [gave] that male creation, the original First Man, wisdom and knowledge, and (who) afterwards from time to time and from [age] to age sent wisdom and knowledge to mankind—in that last [age] also, close to the Renovation, that lord Xradešahr, together with

all the gods and the religious [exiled?] . . . will then stand [up?] in the [heavens], and a great call will resound and it will become known to the whole universe. And these gods which in the cosmos of heavens and earths are lord of the house, of the village, of the tribe, and of the land, border-guard and demon-tormenter will praise that Xradešahr. And the men who will be rulers in the world will go running before him and pay homage and accept his commands. And lustful [and] wicked and tyrannous men will repent. And then god Xradešahr will send messengers to east and west, and they will go and [bring] the religious with (their) helpers, and those wicked ones [together] with (their) accomplices, before Xradešahr,

Apparatus

1–3 S. 4 S. ’](pr)’nd or ](s)d’nd ? ](nd)’nd, ](sn)’nd not possible. 24 (x)[wd’y’c hm’g], S. 25–27 S. 37 dw dww’n pdš, S.