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 I said unto the shepherd; Sir, why is not the building of the tower finished? Because it cannot, said he, be finished until its Lord comes, and approves of the building; that if he shall find any stones in it that are not good they may be changed; for this tower is built according to his will.

43 Sir, said I, I would know what the building of this tower signifies; as also I would be informed concerning this rock, and this gate;

44 And concerning the mountains, and the virgins, and the stones that did rise out of the deep, and were not cut, but put into the building just as they came forth; and why the ten stones were first laid in the foundation; then the twenty-five, then thirty- five; then forty?

45 Also concerning those stones that were put into the building, and again taken out, and carried back into their places? Fulfil, I pray, the desire of my soul as to all these things, and manifest all unto me.

46 And he said unto me; If thou shalt not be dull, thou shall know all, and shall see all the other things that are about to happen in this, tower: and shall understand diligently all these similitudes.

47 And after a few days we came into the same place where we had sat before; and he said unto me, Let us go unto the tower; for the Lord of it will come and examine it.

48 So we came thither, and found none but those virgins there. And he asked them whether the Lord of that tower was come thither? And they replied, that he would be there presently to examine the building.

49 After a very little while I saw a great multitude of men coming, and in the middle of them a man so tall, that he surpassed the tower in height.

50 About him were those six, who before commanded in the building, and all the rest of those who had built that tower, and many others of great dignity: and the virgins that kept the tower ran to meet him, and kissed him, and began to walk near unto him.

51 But he examined the building with so much care, that he handled every stone; and struck every one with a rod which he held in his hand:

52 Of which some being so struck turned black as soot; others were rough; some looked as if they had cracks in them; others seemed maimed; some neither black nor white; some looked sharp, and agreed not with the other stones, and others were full of spots.

53 These were the several kinds of those stones which were not found proper in the building; all which the Lord commanded to be taken out of the tower, and laid near it, and other stones to be brought and put in their places.

54 And they that built, asked him from which of the mountains he would have stones brought to put in the place of those that were laid aside. But he forbad them to bring any from the mountains, and commanded that they should take them out of a certain field that was near.

55 So they digged in the field, and found many bright square stones, and some also that were round. Howbeit, all that were found in that field were taken away, and carried through the gate by those virgins; and those of them that were square were fitted and put into the places of those that were pulled out.

56 But the round ones were not put into the building, because they were hard, and it would have required too much time to cut them but they were placed about the tower, as if they should hereafter be cut square, and put into the