The Testament of Abraham

And Abraham said to the Archistrategos, "My Lord Archistrategos, the soul that the angel held in his hand, how was it condemned to the middle?"

And the Archistrategos said, "Listen, righteous Abraham; because the judge found her sins and righteous deeds to be equal, and he delivered her neither to judgment nor to salvation, until the Judge of all comes."

And Abraham said to the Archistrategos, "And what else remains for the soul to be saved?"

And the Archistrategos said, "If she acquires one righteous deed above her sins, she comes to salvation."

And Abraham said to the Archistrategos, "Come, Michael Archistrategos, let us offer a prayer for this soul, and let us see if God will hear us." And the Archistrategos said, "Amen, may it be so."

And they made supplication and prayer for the soul; and God heard them, and when they rose from prayer, they did not see the soul standing there.

And Abraham said to the angel, "Where is the soul that you kept in the middle?"

And the angel said, "She has been saved through your righteous prayer, and behold, a light-bearing angel took her and brought her up into Paradise."

And Abraham said, "I glorify the name of the Most High God and his immeasurable mercy."

And Abraham said to the Archistrategos, "I beg you, Archangel, hear my supplication, and let us again entreat the Lord and fall before his mercies,

and let us ask his mercy for the souls of the sinners whom I once, in my evil thinking, cursed and destroyed, whom the earth swallowed up and whom the beasts divided, and whom the fire consumed because of my words.

Now I know that I have sinned before the Lord our God. Come, Michael, Archistrategos of the heavenly powers, come, let us entreat God with tears, so that he may forgive my sin and pardon them for my sake."

And the Archistrategos heard him, and they made supplication before God; and as they were entreating for a long time, a voice came from heaven, saying,

"Abraham, Abraham, I have heard your voice and your supplication, and I forgive you the sin, and those whom you think I destroyed, I have recalled them and brought them to life out of extreme goodness.

For for a time I delivered them up for judgment. But those whom I destroy alive on earth, I will not deliver up in death."