First Nations Version

by Terry M. Wildman

  NOTHING IN TRIBAL LAW WILL FAIL

  16“Tribal Law and the Prophets spoke until Gift of Goodwill (John) came. From his time until now, the good story about Creator’s good road has been told, but people are trying to force their way upon it. 17Not one thing the Law or the Prophets have said will fail to come to pass. Their words are as sure as the sky above and the earth below.”

  ABOUT DIVORCE

  In those days men would sometimes send their wives away for no good reason without giving them divorce papers, leaving them destitute and unable to properly remarry. Drawn from the Water (Moses), in the Law, said they must give a woman divorce papers before sending her away.39 To protect the honor and dignity of women, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) set them straight about how to apply this law.

  18“Whoever sends his wife away, without properly divorcing her, and marries another is guilty of being unfaithful to his first wife. Anyone who then marries her is guilty of marrying another man’s wife.

  THE RICH MAN AND THE BEGGAR

  19“There was once a man with many possessions who always dressed in the best clothes, had more than enough to eat, and lived a life of ease. 20Every day a beggar named Creator Helps Him (Lazarus) was laid at the gate of his lodge. 21Dogs would come and lick the sores that covered his body as he begged for crumbs from the rich man’s table.

  22“When the time came for the beggar to cross over to the world of the dead, spirit-messengers carried him into the welcoming arms of his ancestor, Father of Many Nations (Abraham).

  “At the same time the rich man also crossed over to death, and his body was buried. 23In the Dark Underworld of Death (Hades) he was suffering and in pain. He looked up and saw his ancestor, Father of Many Nations (Abraham), far off in the distance. He could see Creator Helps Him (Lazarus) being comforted in his arms.

  24“He cried out in his pain, ‘Father of Many Nations (Abraham), my ancestor, have pity on me. Send Creator Helps Him (Lazarus) to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my thirsty tongue. Help me, for I am suffering in this flame.’

  25“Father of Many Nations (Abraham) said to him, ‘My son, do you not remember? All your days were filled with good things, but the days of Creator Helps Him (Lazarus) were filled with sorrow and pain. It is now his time for comfort, but it is your time for sorrow and pain. 26Look! There is a great canyon between us, so wide that none can make the journey from here to there.’

  27“The rich man hung his head and said, ‘Please, my ancestor, send him back to the lodge 28of my father and my five brothers. He can warn them of this place of suffering and pain, so they will not have to come here also.’

  29“Father of Many Nations (Abraham) said to him, ‘They have the words of Drawn from the Water (Moses) and the words of the prophets. Let your family listen to them.’

  30“‘No!’ the rich man cried out. ‘If someone goes back to them from the world of the dead, they will turn their hearts back to Creator.’

  31“Father of Many Nations (Abraham) shook his head and said, ‘If your family will not listen to Drawn from the Water (Moses) and the prophets, then they will not listen even to one who comes back to life from the dead.’”

  TROUBLE WILL COME

  1Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to the ones who walked the road with him, “This world of sorrow and pain will make many stumble, but how terrible it will be for the ones who go along with it. 2It would be better to be thrown into the deep waters with a great stone tied to your neck than to cause even one of these little ones, who trust in me, to stumble on the path.

  “When you are wronged, 3-4look first at what is in your own heart. If one of your brothers or sisters in the sacred family has wronged you, then tell them face to face. If they turn around and ask forgiveness, then release them—even if they do this seven times in one day.”

  5“Wisdomkeeper,” his message bearers said, “help our weak faith!”

  6“If you had faith as small as a mustard seed,” he replied, “you could also say to this mulberry tree, ‘Come out by the roots and be planted in the sea,’ and it would do what you say.

  DOING ONLY WHAT IS EXPECTED

  7“Would an elder who sent a young man out to hunt for a deer, when the young man returned, say to him, ‘Sit down while I skin the deer and cook the meal for you’? 8No, but he would say, ‘Now skin the deer, then clean up and cook for me, then when I am finished, you can eat.’

  9“The young man is only doing what is expected and deserves no special thanks. 10In the same way, when you have done everything the Great Spirit expects of you, serve him as you would an elder and do not expect to be honored for doing only what you should do.”

  HONOR FROM AN OUTSIDER

  11On his way to Village of Peace (Jerusalem), Creator Sets Free (Jesus) took the path following the border between High Place (Samaria) and Circle of Nations (Galilee). 12He went into a small village where ten men with a skin disease came across his path. 13They kept a respectful distance from him and called loudly, “Creator Sets Free (Jesus)! Honored One!” They pleaded, “Have pity on us!”

  14Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked at them and said, “Go to the holy men and show yourselves to them.”40

  Tribal law instructed that a person healed of a skin disease must be pronounced ceremonially clean by a holy man.

  They did what he said, and as they were on the way, they were healed. 15One of the ten men, when he saw he was healed, returned to Creator Sets Free (Jesus), giving loud praise to the Great Spirit. 16He then bowed down to honor Creator Sets Free (Jesus) and offered him thanks. This man was from High Place (Samaria).

  All the people from there were despised and looked down on by the tribes of Wrestles with Creator (Israel).

  17Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to those who were watching, “Were not ten men healed? Where then are the other nine? 18Was the only one who returned to give thanks and honor to the Great Spirit an outsider from High Place (Samaria)?”

  19Then he said to the man, “Stand up and be on your way. Your trust in me has healed you.”

  THE GOOD ROAD HAS COME

  20Another time the Separated Ones (Pharisees) asked him, “When will we see the Land of Creator’s good road?”

  He said to them, “Creator’s good road is not what you expect. It does not come with the outward signs you are looking for. You will need new eyes to see it. 21No one will say, ‘Here it is! I found it!’ or ‘Look! It is over there!’ For Creator’s good road is already here—in me, as I walk among you.”

  SIGNS OF TROUBLED TIMES

  22He then said to his message bearers, “In the time of trouble ahead, you will long for the days when the True Human Being walked among you. Those days will be no more. 23People will say, ‘Look! He is over there or over here!’ Do not listen to them, 24for when the day of the True Human Being comes, it will be like lightning when it flashes and lights the whole sky. 25But first he will suffer many terrible things and be turned away by the people living today.

  26“The days of the True Human Being will be the same as it was in the days of One Who Rests (Noah), before the great flood. 27The people were eating and drinking and getting married until the day that One Who Rests (Noah) entered the great wooden canoe. No one believed what was coming until the floodwaters came, washed them away, and drowned them all.

  28“It will be the same as it was in the days of Covers His Head (Lot). The people were eating and drinking, trading goods, planting seeds, and building their lodges 29until the day came that Covers His Head (Lot) left Village of Bad Spirits (Sodom). Then rocks burning with fire fell from the sky and destroyed them all. 30This is how it will be when the True Human Being is revealed.

  31“When that day comes, the ones on their rooftops should flee, not even taking the time to get their belongings from inside their house. The ones who are working in the field should not take time to go home. 32Remember what happened to the wife of Covers His Head (Lot).”

  In the days of Covers His Head (Lot), the ancient Village of Bad Spi
rits (Sodom) was destroyed by fire-rocks that fell from the sky. He and his wife had to flee, leaving all behind. But his wife held back, and the ashes from the fire covered her, turning her into a mound of salt.

  33“The ones who cling to their life’s belongings will lose their own lives, but whoever is willing to leave everything behind will survive.

  34“During that night two people will be asleep in bed. One will be taken away and the other left. 35Two women will be husking grain. One will be taken away and the other left.”

  36-37“Taken where?” his followers asked him.

  “To the place where the dead bodies lie and the eagles41 gather over them,” he answered.

  NEVER GIVE UP PRAYING

  1Creator Sets Free (Jesus) told them a story to show that they should pray at all times and never lose heart.

  2“Listen!” he said. “There was a village that had a tribal council chief who did not fear the Great Spirit or respect his fellow human beings. 3A woman of that village, who had lost her husband, kept bothering him. She would say to him, ‘Stand up for me against the one who has done me wrong!’

  4-5“The tribal council chief ignored her at first, but the woman kept demanding that he help her. The council chief grew weary, changed his thinking, and said, ‘This woman really troubles me. If I do not help her and right this wrong, she will never stop bothering me! I will see that she gets justice, not because I respect her or even fear the Great Spirit, but only because she will not give up until I help her.’”

  6Creator Sets Free (Jesus) then said, “Can you hear the words of this bad-hearted tribal council chief? 7If a council chief like that will do what is right, how much more will the Great Spirit right the wrongs done to the ones who cry out to him day and night? Will he ignore their cries? No! 8I tell you, he will not be slow to bring justice to them. But when the True Human Being comes, will he find this kind of faith anywhere in this land?”

  ARROGANCE AND HUMILITY

  9He then told a story to warn the ones who trusted in themselves and thought they were better than others.

  10“Two men, a Separated One (Pharisee) and a tribal tax collector, went to the Great Spirit’s sacred lodge to send up their prayers.

  11“The Separated One (Pharisee) kept his distance from the tribal tax collector and prayed out loud, ‘Creator, I thank you that I am not like the rest of humankind—like the ones who use force to get from others what they want, or who are not faithful in marriage, or who have no understanding of right or wrong. I thank you also that I am not like this tribal tax collector standing here! 12I go without food twice a week for spiritual reasons, and I give a tenth of all my gain.’

  13“Now the tribal tax collector hung his head down and would not even lift his face to the spirit-world above. He beat his hands against his chest and cried out, ‘Creator! Be kind and have pity on me. I am a pitiful man, full of bad thoughts and wrongdoings!’

  14“Can you not see?” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said. “The tribal tax collector returned home in good standing with Creator, but the Separated One (Pharisee) did not! The ones who think too highly of themselves will be brought down low. The ones who humble themselves will be lifted up.”

  LITTLE CHILDREN AND THE GOOD ROAD

  15The people were bringing their little children to Creator Sets Free (Jesus) so he would lay his hands on them and bless them, but his followers spoke harsh words to the ones bringing them.

  16So Creator Sets Free (Jesus) said to them, “Let the little children come to me! Do not turn them away. Creator’s good road belongs to the ones who are like these children. 17I speak from my heart, unless you welcome Creator’s good road in the way a little child does, you will never walk it.”

  POSSESSIONS OR THE GREAT SPIRIT?

  18A spiritual leader came to Creator Sets Free (Jesus). “Good Wisdomkeeper,” he asked, “what must I do to have the life of the world to come that never fades away, full of beauty and harmony?”

  19“Why do you call me good?” he asked the man. “Only the Great Spirit is good. 20You know the sacred instructions from tribal law: Do not be unfaithful in marriage, do not take the life of another, or take anything that is not yours. Do not lie about others, and always give honor and respect to your parents.”42

  21“Wisdomkeeper,” the man answered, “from my youth I have followed all of these instructions.”

  22“Then only one thing remains,” Creator Sets Free (Jesus) told him, “Take all of your possessions and give them to the ones who have none. Then you will have great possessions in the spirit-world above. And then come, walk the good road with me.”

  23The young man’s heart fell to the ground, and he hung his head, for he had many possessions.

  24-25A great sadness came to the face of Creator Sets Free (Jesus) as he looked at the man. And then he said, “Walking the good road is a hard thing for the ones who have many possessions. It would be easier for a moose43 to squeeze through the eye of a beading needle.”

  26After hearing this, they asked him, “How then can anyone walk the good road that sets all people free?”

  27Creator Sets Free (Jesus) looked at them and said, “This is only possible with the help of the Great Spirit.”

  28Stands on the Rock (Peter) spoke up. “Can you see that we have left all our possessions and our relatives to walk the road with you?”

  29“I speak from my heart,” he said to them, “No one who has left homes and families to walk Creator’s good road will go without. 30For in this world they will gain an even greater family with many homes, and in the world to come, the life of beauty and harmony will be theirs.”

  THE ROAD AHEAD

  31Creator Sets Free (Jesus) took the twelve aside and told them again about what was coming on the road ahead.

  “Consider closely what I am telling you,” he reminded them. “We are on our way to the Sacred Village of Peace (Jerusalem), where all the words of the prophets about the True Human Being will come to pass. 32He will be handed over to the People of Iron (Romans).44 They will treat him shamefully, spit on him, 33and put him to death, but on the third day he will come back to life.”

  34But his twelve message bearers did not understand what he was saying. The meaning was hidden from their eyes.

  A BLIND MAN HEALED

  35As they walked the road toward Village of Peace (Jerusalem), they came to Moon Village (Jericho). A blind man was sitting by the road begging for food. 36When he heard the sound of the passing crowd, he asked what was happening. 37He was told that Creator Sets Free (Jesus), from Seed Planter Village (Nazareth), was passing by.

  38The blind man cried out in a loud voice, “Creator Sets Free (Jesus), descendant of Much Loved One (David), have pity on me!”

  39The people in the front of the crowd scolded him and said, “Be quiet!”

  That only made him cry out louder, “Descendant of Much Loved One (David), have pity on me!”

  40Creator Sets Free (Jesus) stopped walking and told them to bring the man to him. When the man was close, Creator Sets Free (Jesus) asked him, 41“What do you want from me?”

  “Wisdomkeeper,” he said, “heal my eyes, so I can see again.”

  42“Open your eyes and look around,” he told the man. “Your trust in me has healed you.”

  43As soon as he said this, the man could see!

  The people laughed with joy as the man blinked his eyes and looked into their faces.

  Right then the man began to walk the road with Creator Sets Free (Jesus), giving honor to the Great Spirit. And all the people who saw this also sang songs to thank the Great Spirit.

  RESTORING PURE OF HEART

  1Creator Sets Free (Jesus) was walking through Moon Village (Jericho). 2There, a man named Pure of Heart (Zacchaeus), who was a head tribal tax collector with many possessions, 3was trying to see who was coming but was too short to see over the crowd. 4So he ran ahead and climbed up a tall tree to get a better view.

  5When Creator Sets Free (Jesus) came to the tree,
he looked up and said, “Pure of Heart (Zacchaeus), come down from there and take me to your house, for I need a place to rest.”

  6He quickly climbed down the tree and with a glad heart welcomed him into his house. 7But when the people saw this, they shook their heads. “What is he doing?” they grumbled out loud. “Why would he go into the house of an outcast?”

  8Pure of Heart (Zacchaeus) stood up to the crowd and said to Creator Sets Free (Jesus), “Hear me, Wisdomkeeper. I will give half my possessions to the ones who have none. If I have cheated anyone, I will give them back four times as much.”

  9Creator Sets Free (Jesus) smiled and said, “This is a good day, because this man and his family have finally been set free. For he also is a descendant of Father of Many Nations (Abraham) who had lost his way. 10The True Human Being has come to find the ones who have lost their way and guide them back again to the good road.”

  REJECTING THE NEW CHIEF

  11Since they were now close to Village of Peace (Jerusalem), and his followers thought that Creator’s good road would appear as soon as they arrived, he decided it was time to tell them another story.

  12“There was a man who was born to be chief of a large tribal nation. The time had come for him to take his place as chief. But first he had to take a long journey to another land, to meet with a council of many nations, to be approved.