Transkripsjon

Himmel-Brev

Ved en Stad og en Landsbye, skede det, en Miil fra Kjøbenhavn, at en Engel kom til en Mand som hede Just, og havde to Gange talt med ham tilforn. Den første og anden Gang var han i Bondeklæder og havde ingen Knapper i sin Kjortel, og han sagde: Gak hen til Præsten, og siig til ham, at Gud kan ikke have Ro i Himmelen for de Fattiges Suk og Raab. Der Præsten det hørte, sagde han, at det var et Spøgelse. Saa kom han tredie Gang, og sagde til ham, at han var en Guds Engel, og slog sin Kjortel tilside, da var han saa klar som en Ildslue; men Manden kunde ikke see paa ham for Klarheds Skyld, og Manden blev bange for hannem, og Engelen sagde til hannem: Du tør ikke frygte dig, jeg skal vel forsvare dig og forsørge dig. Men Engelen sagde: Du skal atter gaae til Præsten, og sige til ham, at Gud kan ikke have Ro for de Fattiges Suk og og Raab. De skal betale Jorden, som de skulle ligge udi, og for eders store Synder, som gaaer i Svang, og den store Hoffærdighed, som Menneskene medbringer; og han sagde ydermere, at Kjøbenhavns Bye er den syndigste Stad i hele Christenheden: og dette Brev, som Gud paa samme Sted haver nedsendt, skrevet med store forgyldte Bogstaver, som herefter følger:

Giv Agt paa dette Brev:

Hvo som om Søndagen eller helligdagen arbeider, han er forbandet og fordømt. Han selv siger ved sin Engel Michael: Saa forbyder jeg Eder, at I ingen Søndag eller Helligdag arbeider, hverken stort eller lidet, men gaaer flittigt til Kirken at høre Guds Ord og bevare det. I skulle ikke smykke eders Ansigt eller forvende eders Haar til Stolthed eller Hoffærdighed; I skal dele eders Rigdom med de Fattige. Og Jeg, Jesus Christus, haver dette Brev med min egen guddommelige Haand selv skrevet. I haver sex Dage at arbeide paa, Søndagen skal I holde Hvile. I skal gaae til Kirke at høre Guds Ord; dersom I det ikke gjør, da vil jeg straffe Enhver for sine Synder og Misgjerninger, som de haver bedrevet, saa at de maa forlades Eder. Begjerer hverken Guld eller Sølv, og driv intet Ondt i mit Navn; thi jeg haver skabt Eder af Intet, og kan gjøre Eder til Intet igjen. I skal ikke slaae hverandre ihiel, hverken med Tanker, Ord eller Gjerninger, ei heller med Bagtalelse eller Forraadelse mod den Fattige. Ærer Fader og Moder, ærer ogsaa Eder selv, gjører ingen falsk Vidnesbyrd. Og dette gives Eder tilkjende i Sandhed : Hver den, som ikke troer dette Brev, han er fordømt, men hvo som troer det, han skal have Velsignelse. Jeg, Jesus Christus, selv haver skrevet dette Brev med min egen guddommelige Finger; og hvo som haver dette Brev, skal den e[n]e efter den anden lade udskrive, omendskiøndt han haver bedrevet saa mange Synder som Sand i Havet, Græs paa Jorden og Stierner paa Himmelen, skal de dog forlades hannem. Hvo, som ikke troer, han skal døe; omvender I Eder ikke, da er I forbandet. Jeg vil tilspørge Eder paa den yderste Dag, og I skulle ikke kunne svare mig Et til Tusinde for eders Synders Skyld. Forglem ikke at ære eders Næste og Naboer; og hvo som haver dette Brev i sit Huus eller paa sig bær, da skal Ild og Vand aldrig skade ham, han skal vederfares alt godt; holder alle mine Bud og mit Brev som jeg sender Eder ved min Engel Michael, I Mennesker paa Jorden. Ærer Sacramenterne, aflægger eders Hoffærdighed og Guds Bespottelse, og den Rige sin Karghed mod den [F]attige. Og havde de Fattiges Suk ikke været til, da havde der ikke kommet Grøde paa Jorden i 3 Aar ; og dersom de ikke omvender sig, da skal Verden ikke staae i 9 Aar ; og der skal blive saa stor Krig, at den ene skal kives med den anden ; der skal blive saa stor Sygdom og Pestilentze, at den som lægger sig frisk om Aftenen, skal være død om Morgenen : der skal blive saa stor Elendighed, at Menneskene skal raabe af Jammer. Omvender I Eder og bliver bedre, da skal I fornemme, at tusinde Aar ville ikke regnes mere end et Aars Alder; Eders Næring skal formeres, Eders Sorrig skal formindskes, og alt Folk skal have Lyst til Eder. Og hver den som dølger dette Brev skal være forbandet, men hvo som forkynder dette Brev, han skal blomstre af Velsignelse.

Jesus af Nazareth
er mit Navn, som lader dette Brev tilsyne.

[Med blått blekk nede til høyre står det skrevet for hånd «Thea Andersen».]

Translation:

LETTER FROM THE HEAVENS

By a city and a village, it happened a mile away from Copenhagen that an angel came to a man called Just and spoke with him in two occasions in the past. The first and second time he was in peasant’s clothes and had no buttons in his shirt, and he said: Go to the priest and say to him that God cannot have peace in Heaven because of the poor men’s sickness and cries. When the priest heard that, he said that this was a ghost. So, he came a third time and said to him that he was an angel of God, and opened his shirt, and he was as shining as a flame. But the man could not see him because of the shining, and the man got afraid of him, and the Angel said to him: You should not be scared, for I will defend you and take care of you. But (sic) the angel said: You will go again to the Priest and say to him that God cannot have peace because of the poor men’s sickness and cries. They will pay for the earth, in which they will be buried, and for their great sins that go wild and the great haughtiness that men carry with them. And in the he said that the city of Copenhagen is the most sinful place in all Christianity. And this letter that God has sent down to that place, written with gilded letters, is the one that follows hereby:

Pay attention to this Letter:

Whoever works on Sundays or Holy days, he is cursed and condemned. He says that himself through his Angel Michael: So, I forbid you all, that you work in no Sundays nor Holy days, neither big nor small, but go eagerly to the church to hear the Word of God and preserve it. You should not decorate your face nor show forth your hair for pride and haughtiness. You shall share your riches with the poor. And I, Jesus Christus, I have written this letter with my own divine hand. You have 6 days to work, on Sundays you will rest. You will go to the church to hear the Word of God. If you do not do this, then I will punish each one for his sins and misdoings, as they have committed, so that they must be forgiven. Do not love in excess neither gold nor silver, and do no evil in my name. For I have created you from nothing, and I can make you into nothing again. You will not beat to death each other, neither with thoughts, words nor deeds, and not even with slander or betrayal against the poor. Honor Father and Mother, honor also yourselves, do not give false witness. And this is given to you who acknowledge the truth: whoever does not believe this letter, he is cursed, but whoever believes, he will have blessing. I, Jesus Christus, myself have written this letter with my own divine finger. Whoever has this Letter, will one after the other let it be copied, and even if he has committed so many sins as sand in the sea, grass on earth, and stars in the sky, they will be forgiven to him. Whoever does not believe, he will die. If you do not convert, then you are cursed. I will ask for you on the last day and you will not be able to reply on one of a thousand for the sake of your own sins. Do not neglect to honor your relatives and neighbors, and whoever has this letter in his house or carries it on him, then shall no fire or water harm him, he will be given all good. Hold all my commandments and my letter that I send to you with my Angel Michael, you all humans on earth. Honor the Sacraments, avoid your pride and the blasphemy against God, and the rich his parsimony against the poor. And if the poor men’s sickness had not been, then there wouldn’t have come growth on earth for 3 years. And if you do not convert, then the world will not stand in 9 years. And there will be such a great war, that the one will quarrel with the other. There will be so great sickness and pestilence, that the one who lies in bed healthy in the evening, will be dead in the morning. So greatly horrible things will come to pass, that the humans will cry from pity. But convert yourselves and become better, then you will realize that a thousand years would not count more than one year’s age. Your business shall be formed, your sorrow/mourning will be reduced, and all the people will love you – Whoever hides this letter, will be cursed, but whoever preaches this letter, he will bloom from blessing.

Jesus of Nazareth
is my name, who let this letter appear

[With blue ink on the lower right, a handwritten note: “Thea Andersen”]