1 Sedrach said to God, “Lord, you alone are without sin and very merciful, showing pity and grace to sinners, but your divinity said, ‘I did not come to call the righteous but sinners to repentance.’ ”
2 And the Lord said to Sedrach, “Do you not know, Sedrach, that after changing his mind the robber was saved in one instant?
3 Do you not know that even my apostle and evangelist was saved in an instant? [. . . but sinners are not saved] because their hearts are like decayed stone; they are those who walk along impious paths and who perish with the Antichrist.”
4 Sedrach said, “My Lord, you also said, ‘My divine spirit entered the nations which though having no law yet do the things of the law.’
5 However, as the robber and the apostle and evangelist and the rest who have stumbled (are) in your kingdom, my Lord, in the same manner forgive those who in recent days? have sinned against you, Lord, because life is full of toil and (is) obdurate.”