Pahlavi Texts, Part II (SBE18), E.W. West, tr. [1882], at sacred-texts.com
1. As to the forty-first question and reply, that which you ask is thus: As to him who remains in the good religion of the Mazda-worshippers, whom men shall make the protection and assistance of the good religion 4, who shall save men from a foreign faith and irreligion (akdînôîh), and then holds back some of those who have the idea that they should go over to a foreign faith and irreligion, and they do not go over to the foreign faith, but become steadfast in the religion of the Mazda-worshippers, what is then 5 the
nature of the decision of the angels about him, and what is the nature of their (the men's) good works and sin?
2. The reply is this, that he is much extolled, happy, exalted, of great good works and abundant recompense, and the path to the best existence, prepared (frârâstŏ) by his righteousness, is wide 1; the delight of his soul becomes complete, and its hope 2 is great. 3. And every good work that is manifested in the good religion by those who are transferred by him from a foreign faith and irreligion, and which they shall do thereafter--when, through the perseverance and praise exercised by him who is protected by the religion, they are saved from irreligion--becomes his as much as though it had been set going by him himself, and he has the same praise and the same good works with them. 4. Of the extent (sâmânŏ) and amount of such good works there is no writing a second time, unless his acquaintance with the full computation of the good works due to their number is continuous 3; but when in the same way they are practising and steadfast in sin it shall not be assigned to him 4. 5. Then his position in
righteousness 1 is very grand, and in the world he has himself great eminence, applause, and dignity.
6. And as much as that which is an improper law and a law worthy of death is a punishing of the soul, and the disconnected 2 words and perversion (vastakîh), due also to the perfidy (rangisnŏ) of the fiend who has come, are such that in his time the religious rites (dînô) performed are rites of grievous vexation and fear, so that which is a proper law, like the great glorification in spirit and the connected words of the high-priests, is the arrival of the good spirit as much as a virtue worthy of recompense and full of hope. 7. Even as that which is said thus: 'Of men who are practisers of good deeds the manifestation is then in their children.'
139:4 Some one placed in authority, such as a high-priest or judge, is evidently meant.
139:5 Reading êdînas, 'then of him,' instead of ayûf, 'or;' the p. 140 two words being alike in Pahlavi except in the latter part of the last letter.
140:1 That is, his path to heaven over the Kinvad bridge is rendered wide and easy by his good deeds (see Chap. XXI, 5).
140:2 Reading aîmêd; M14 has khîm, 'disposition,' and K35 has khimâd, which suggests 'shall be greatly celebrated' as a possible translation.
140:3 The meaning appears to be that their good works are imputed to him only so long as he continues to exercise some control over them.
140:4 That is, their sins will not be imputed to him in the same way as their good works.
141:1 Or, perhaps, aharûbŏîh may here mean 'the righteous existence' or heaven.
141:2 Reading apadvand, instead of va padvand.