Manasija
СРEN
← Literature

Despot Stefan Lazarević

The Life and Deeds of the Ever-Remembered Despot Stefan

Page 1 of 50

The Life and Deeds of the ever-remembered, glorious and most pious lord Despot Stefan, written at the command and request of the most holy Patriarch of the Serbian land, Kyr Nikon, and of the dignitaries of the court, and by the vision of the thrice-holy revelation, (and) the illustrious one (Despot Stefan) himself ordained that this be composed

Bless, Father!

.а. I am, said He1 who speaks from the bush, preparing thee as leader of My people; by My essence I am not able to tell thee My names, but, as thou dost promise Me with all-seeing eyes, I shall draw near to thee; and when I draw near to thee (as it is) pleasing to thee, (I shall draw near) to those who are like thee, My servant. For whosoever lifts himself up to Me - having kept, as in an ark, a pure body from the drowning waters of unbelief - him too shall I go out to meet, pouring upon him the water of My Spirit, lifting him up to the things on high. And now, having gone to those who said to thee: "Who made thee a prince and a judge over us?"2 - and who did not whisper into Pharaoh's ears, as Joseph did to his mighty ones concerning the dying of the children of Jacob, but spoke to his face - before all who were mighty in arms and (before) all of Egypt; through My mouth he commanded that My much-beloved firstborn Son (and) all of Israel be lifted up; and that they not remain, as in Jacob's time, in Egypt with the beasts and with the rest, but (that they take) the blind sheep and the lame cattle, and all the most beautiful goods of Egypt (and carry them away with them).3 If they do not hearken to thee, (smite) them with their plagues, even unto the firstborn. In place of the honor shown to Joseph in the land of Canaan, even until his return, Pharaoh with all his host shall await thee beside the Red Sea. And not until My appearing from the bush, that is, until My coming into the world through the Virgin (Mary), but until the second and dread (coming) with the angelic hosts and the powers of heaven; that I may take vengeance on those who have ever resisted My commandments, as Enoch, the seventh (from Adam), prophesied.

.в. Openly shall I speak with thee upon this mountain, so that (by means of) what is heard with the ear and with the face (bowed) to the ground (it may be possible) to know My chosen one and the Ten Commandments of God which he shall receive from (thy) hands; and thou shalt make for Me both image and likeness after the pattern of heaven.

.г. They tell of this one who saw God (Moses) that water saved him, and therefore (he received the name Moses), which means water.4 And for all those who are saved by spiritual water from

  1. He who speaks from the bush - He, that is, God, who appeared to Moses from the burning bramble bush (see Exodus 3:4: "And when the Lord saw that he turned aside to see, God called unto him out of the midst of the bush, and said, Moses, Moses. And he said, Here am I"). Quotations from Holy Scripture are given according to the translations of Đ. Daničić and V. Stef. Karadžić.
  2. Exodus 2:14.
  3. Exodus 12:32.
  4. Exodus 2:10: "And the child grew, and she brought him unto Pharaoh's daughter, and he became her son. And she called his name