122. What good is it that the glory of the Most High will protect those who have conducted themselves decently, but we have conducted ourselves indecently?
123. What good is it that paradise will be revealed, whose fruit remains uncorrupted, in which there is plenty and healing,
124. but we won’t enter it, for we have visited unseemly places?
125. What good is it that the faces of those who practiced abstinence will shine brighter than stars when our faces are blacker than darkness?
126. While we were alive and doing evil, we didn’t think about what we would suffer after death."
127. He answered: "These are the rules for the contest in which everyone born on earth takes part:
128. Those who are defeated will suffer what you said, but those who conquer will receive what I say.
129. This is the path that Moses declared when he was alive, speaking to the people, Choose life for yourself… so that you may live.
130. But they didn’t believe him or the prophets who came after him. They didn’t even believe me when I spoke to them.
131. There won’t be sadness over their destruction, as there will be joy over those for whom salvation is sure."
132. I answered: "I know, Lord, that the Most High is now called merciful, since he has mercy on those who haven’t yet come into the world. He is called
133. gracious, since he has mercy on those who convert to his Law,
134. and patient, because he shows patience to those who have sinned, since they are his own creation.