“Hepoa went before Pharaoh, and there, in the midst of his court, he denounced him. These were the words issuing from the mouth of Hepoa, as set down by the attending scribe: “O great and mighty Pharaoh, where once the stormwind raged, there is now a gentle breeze. Where once the diligent shepherd stood, now a musician sits and idly plays. The land is no more as it was, and no man remains content within his dwelling. The northwind has ceased to enter the land, and the south wind eats it up. A heavy hand lies on the hearts of men, and their limbs are sluggish; they are languid and move no longer, as once they did. Wherefore has all this come about, the people ask, and I answer them truly, it is because the protective power has departed from the blood of the Pharaoh; it is because of the iniquity in the palace. This is a time of woe. These things I have spoken before the eyes and ears of Pharaoh, beyond the palace gates. Yet, it is not in me to leave them unsaid before the face of the king himself. Where is the great one, who sets goodness in the place of wickedness? Where is he, who replaces injustice with justice, who hears the cry of the lowly? Who causes right to prevail in the land? Where is He? I look, and I look in vain. I see only one, who has defiled the protective treasures, the glory of Egypt, with iniquity. I see only one, who has polluted the pure stream with the sewage of evil, who has
succumbed to the ultimate in wickedness. This I see, as all men see it, but I am one, who sees more. I see an Egypt gone down into dust. I see plague and death stalking the streets. I see the fertile, black waters turned back on themselves. I see the black land buried beneath the sand. I see grim-faced men coming from out of the East to stamp the land flat in blood. I see the dread things of the past recurring. I see desolation spread out on every side. Woe to you, great Pharaoh; woe to the land of Egypt! Goodness lies dying beneath the triumphant foot of evil. Virtue is betrayed into the foul hands of
loathsome lust, her despairing cry unanswered by any coming to her aid. Wickedness walks unhampered through the cities, and wrongdoing is seen on every side. Woeful are these days, and doomed are those who endure them. What does the great light shining forth from the palace conceal, sacred mysteries or secret sins?” Then, the arm of Pharaoh stretched forth to stop the mouth of Hepoa, and it was stopped. He was led forth, and whips were laid on his back, and he was placed within a dungeon.”
-the Kolbrin Bible(34:63)
Hepoa Denounced the Pharaoh
We are not told who Hepoa is, but from his actions, we can assume that he is a high priest or leader of a spiritual temple. What he says to the Pharaoh sounds mild by today’s standards, but it is obvious that the Pharaoh didn’t see it that way. When Hepoa says, “ where once the stormwind raged, there is now a gentle breeze,” he is saying that the once strong pharaoh has become weak, at least in his handling of the wickedness spreading throughout Egypt. As a shepherd, the Pharaoh was the caretaker of the people, but when Hepoa says “ now a musician sits and idly plays,” he is saying that the Pharaoh is not doing his job as caretaker of the people.
The Land has Changed
It is not stated how the land has changed, but this whole section of the Kolbrin Bible is about the spiritual leaders and mystery schools leaving Egypt for another land. The land itself is not changing, but the people are. It is curious that the author of the quote seems to equate a north wind with good things and a south wind with evil. Again today we now say that things have gone south when they are headed in the wrong direction.
Inequity in the Palace
A good pharaoh treats all people with equality. This pharaoh is no longer doing that. We can assume he is favoring the rich and powerful, something we see a lot of today. Hepoa asks, “ Where is he, who replaces injustice with justice?” He is accusing the pharaoh of not ruling with justice and fairness. He says this to the pharaoh himself.
The Sewage of Evil
Here, Hepoa is saying that because the pharaoh has opened the door for evil to enter the land, as a result, there is death and disease everywhere. The waters are polluted, and the fertile black soil has been buried in sand. In short, evil spreads everywhere like a plague.
Whipped and Jailed
As might be expected, the pharaoh was not happy with this criticism, and he had Hepoa whipped and thrown into a dungeon. Hepoa probably expected that to happen, yet he felt he had no choice but to speak up against the evil. We could use more people like Hepoa today.
