51: Jesus Hath Pity on Satan

When he had prayed to the Lord, his disciples came to him and said: 'O master, two things we would know; one is, how thou talkedst with Satan, who nevertheless thou sayest impenitent; the other is, how God shall come to judge in the day of judgment.' Jesus replied: 'Verily I say unto you I had compassion on Satan, knowing his fall; and I had compassion on mankind whom he tempteth to sin. Therefore I prayed and fasted to our God, who spoke to me by his angel Gabriel: "What seekest thou, O Jesus, and what is thy request?" I answered: "Lord, thou knowest of what evil Satan is the cause,
and that through his temptations many perish; he is thy creature, Lord, whom thou didst create; therefore, Lord, have mercy upon him."

    'God answered: "Jesus, behold I will pardon him. Only cause him to say, 'Lord, my God, I have sinned, have mercy upon me,' and I will pardon him and restore him to his first
state. "

    'I rejoiced greatly. said Jesus, 'when I heard this, believing that   I had made this peace. Therefore I called Satan, who came saying: What must I do for thee, O Jesus?"

    I answered: "Thou shalt do it for thyself, O Satan, for I love not thy services, but for thy good have I called thee."

    'Satan replied: "If thou desires" not my services, neither desire I thine; for I am nobler than thou, therefore thou art worthy to serve me-thou who art clay, while I am spirit."

    'Let us leave this,'  I said, 'and tell me if it were not well thou shouldst return to thy first beauty and thy first state. Thou must know that the angel Michael must needs on the day of judgment strike thee with the sword of God one hundred thousand times, and each blow will give thee the pain of ten hells.'

    'Satan replied: "We shall see in that day who can do most; certainly I shall have on my side many angels and most potent idolaters who will trouble God, and he shall know how great mistake he made to banish me for the sake of a vile [piece of] clay."

    Then I said: "O Satan, thou art infirm in mind, and knowest not what thou sayest."

    Then Satan, in a derisive manner, wagged his head, saying: come now, let us make up this peace between me and God; and what must be done say thou, O Jesus, since thou art sound in mind "

     I answered: "Two words only need be spoken."

     Satan replied: "What words?"

     I answered "These: I have sinned: have mercy on me."

     'Said Satan then: Now willingly will I make this peace if God will say these words to me."

    ' "Now depart from me,"  I said,  "O cursed one for thou art the wicked author of all injustice and sin,  but God is just and without any sin.'

    'Satan departed shrieking, and said: "It is not so, O Jesus, but thou tellest a lie to please God.'

    'Now consider,' said Jesus to his disciples, 'how he will find mercy.'

They answered: 'Never, Lord, because he is impenitent. Speak to us now of the judgment of God.'