The story of another Jewish king who endeavoured to destroy the religion of Jesus.

Another king, of the progeny of that Jew, addressed himself to the destruction of the people of Jesus.

If you desire information about this second outbreak, read the chapter of the Qur’án (beginning): By Heaven which hath the (zodiacal) signs.

This second king set foot in the evil way that was originated by the former king.

Whosoever establishes an evil way (practice), towards him goes malediction every hour.

The righteous departed and their ways remained, and from the vile there remained (nothing but) injustice and execrations.

Until the Resurrection, the face of every congener of those wicked men who comes into existence is turned towards that one (who belongs to his own kind).

Vein by vein is this sweet water and bitter water, flowing in (God's) creatures until the blast of the trumpet (at the Resurrection).

To the righteous is the inheritance of the sweet water. What is that inheritance? We have caused (those of Our servants whom We have chosen) to inherit the Book.

If you will consider, the supplications of the seekers (of God) are rays (proceeding) from the substance of prophethood.

The rays are circling with the substances (whence they spring): the ray goes (ultimately) in the direction where that (substance) is.

The window-gleam runs round the house, because the sun goes from sign to sign of the zodiac.

Any one who has affinity with a star (planet) has a concurrence (of qualities) with his star.

If his ascendant star be Venus, his whole inclination and love and desire is for joy;

And if he be one born under Mars, one whose nature is to shed blood, he seeks war and malignity and enmity.

Beyond the (material) stars are stars in which is no conflagration or sinister aspect,

(Stars) moving in other heavens, not these seven heavens known to all,

(Stars) immanent in the radiance of the light of God, neither joined to each other nor separate from each other.

When any one's ascendant (fortune) is (from) those stars, his soul burns the infidels in driving (them) off.

His anger is not (like) the anger of the man born under Mars —perverse, and of such nature that it is (now) dominant and (now) dominated.

The dominant light (of the saints) is secure from defect and dimness between the two fingers of the Light of God.

God hath scattered that light over (all) spirits, (but only) the fortunate have held up their skirts (to receive it);

And he (that is fortunate), having gained that strown largesse of light, has turned his face away from all except God.

Whosoever has lacked (such) a skirt of love is left without share in that strown largesse of light.

The faces of particulars are set towards the universal: nightingales play the game of love with the rose.

The ox has his colour outside, but in the case of a man seek the red and yellow hues within.

The good colours are from the vat of purity; the colour of the wicked is from the black water of iniquity.

The baptism of God is the name of that subtle colour; the curse of God is the smell of that gross colour.

That which is of the sea is going to the sea: it is going to the same place whence it came—

From the mountain-top the swift-rushing torrents, and from our body the soul whose motion is mingled with love.