This translation is committed to the public domain and may be freely copied and used, in whole or in part, for any purpose. For a list of textual variants and explanations of our translation choices, see The Odes of Solomon: The Nuhra Version (2021) Annotations. This work is also available as a PDF document.

Please cite as: Samuel Zinner and Mark M. Mattison, The Odes of Solomon: The Nuhra Version (2021) (Aulla, Italy/Grand Rapids, Michigan, 2020). Online: https://www.nuhra.net/nuhra-2021/

Dedication

With his kind approval, the authors are privileged and pleased to dedicate The Odes of Solomon: The Nuhra Version (2021) to Elliot R. Wolfson (Marsha and Jay Glazer Endowed Chair in Jewish Studies Professor, University of California Santa Barbara).

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( ) Explanatory Gloss

The Odes of Solomon:
The Nuhra Version (2021)

Translation from the syriac by samuel zinner

translations from the coptic and greek by mark m. mattison

Book I: Trees, Temple, and Truth

From the Coptic

Ode 1
For It Is Not Like a Dry Wreath

1 The Lord is upon my head like a wreath,
and I will not be removed.
2 Braided for me was the wreath of truth,
and it caused your branches to bloom within me.
3 For it is not like a dry wreath that blooms not,
4 but you live upon my head
and have bloomed upon me.
5 Your fruits are full and ripe;
they are full of your healing.

A hypothetical reconstruction from the Greek
(From Ode 11:16c-h, 22b)

Ode 2
Immortal Land

1 I saw trees beautiful and fruitful,
and self-grown was their wreath.
2 Their timber flourishes, and their fruits rejoiced.
Their roots were from immortal land,
3 and the river of joy watered them,
even around the land of their eternal life.
4 Blessed are those who <see> your waters.

From the Syriac

Ode 3
And God’s Limbs Are With Me

1 [My limbs with light]
I am covering.
2 And his limbs are with <me>,
and to them I cling,
and he loves me.
3 For I could not have known how to love the Lord,
if he had not loved me.
4 Who is able to understand love
except one who is loved?
5 I love the beloved
and my soul loves him.
And where his rest is,
there, too, am I.
6 Nor will I be a stranger,
because with the Lord Most High, the Merciful, there is no envy.
7 I have been united (with the Most High)
because the lover has found the beloved,
because I love him who is a son
so that I, too, will become a son.
8 For he who cleaves to him who is immortal
will become immortal as well;
9 and one who delights in life
will become living.
10 This is the spirit of the Lord, who is not false,
who teaches humans to know his ways.
11 Be wise and knowing, and be watchful.
Hallelujah!

Ode 4
And the Elect Archangels are Clothed With Your Seal

1 No one changes your (celestial) Holy Place, my God,
and no one can change it and put it in another place,
2 because there is no authority over it.
For your (celestial) Sanctuary you designed
before you made (earthly) places.
3 What is older will not be changed
by those that are younger.
You have given your heart, O Lord, to your faithful ones.
4 Never will you stop, nor be without fruits.
5 For a single hour of your faithfulness
is more than all days and years.
6 For after putting on your goodness, who is there
who will be condemned?
7 Because your seal is known,
and your creatures are known to it:
8 And your hosts have it
and the elect archangels are clothed with it.
9 You gave us your partnership in intimate union;
it is not that you need us,
but that we need you.
10 Sprinkle upon us your dew,
and open your abundant fountains
that pour forth milk and honey to us.
11 For there is no regret with you
that you should regret anything that you have promised.
12 And the ending was clear to you.
13 For what you gave,
you gave freely,
so that you will not remove
and take away the things you gave.
14 For all was clear to you as God,
and arranged in your view from in the beginning.
15 And you, O Lord, have made all things.
Hallelujah!

Ode 5
For They Have Devised a Scheme

1 I give you thanks, O Lord,
because I love you.
2 O Most High, do not forsake me,
because you are my hope.
3 Freely have I received your steadfast love;
I will live by it.
4 When my persecutors come,
let [even] them not see me.
5 A cloud of darkness will fall on their eyes,
and a murky mist will darken them.
6 And they will have no light to see
to take hold of me.
7 Let their plan wax <weak>,
and let what they have cunningly devised return upon their own heads.
8 For though they have devised a plan,
even it did not succeed for them.
9 Though they readied themselves with wickedness,
even while they were found to be in vain.
10 For my hope is in the Lord,
and I will not fear.
11 And because the Lord is my salvation,
I will not fear.
12 And he is like a wreath on my head,
and I will not be removed.
13 Even if everything should be shaken,
I will stand firm.
14 And if everything visible should perish,
I would not die,
15 because the Lord is with me,
and because I am with him.
Hallelujah!

From the Coptic

Ode 5
For They Have Devised a Scheme

1 I will thank you, O Lord,
because you are my God.
2 Do not forsake me, O Lord,
because you are my hope.
3 You gave me your justice freely,
and I was saved by you.
4 Let my persecutors fall,
and let them not see me.
5 Let a cloud of darkness cover their eyes,
and a murky mist darken them.
6 And let them not see the (light of) day,
lest they take hold of me.
7 Let their plans prove powerless,
and let what they have planned come down upon them.
8 They have devised a plan,
and it has not succeeded for them.
And they have been defeated, (though) they have power.
9 And what they readied (with) wickedness
has fallen down on them.
10 My hope is in the Lord,
and I will not fear.
11 For you are my God, my Savior.
12 The Lord has been a wreath for my head,
and I will not be removed;
13 and if everything should be shaken,
nevertheless I will not be shaken.
14 And if everything visible should perish,
nevertheless I will not perish,
15 because the Lord is with me,
and I also am with the Lord.

From the Syriac

Ode 6
And the Restrainers Could Not Restrain It

1 As the wind moves through the lyre,
making the strings speak,
2 so the spirit of the Lord speaks throughout my limbs,
making me speak by his love.
3 For he destroys alienation,
and everything is of the Lord.
4 For thus it was from in the beginning
and will be to the end,
5 so that nothing should oppose him,
and nothing stand against him.
6 The Lord has multiplied knowledge of himself,
and is eager that those things given to us
by his goodness should be known.
7 And he gave to us his praise on account of his name;
our spirits praise on account of his holy spirit.
8 For there went forth a stream, and it became a river great and broad;
it flooded everything, and it covered and carried the Temple.
9 And those who are restrainers among people could not restrain it,
nor the skills of those who restrain waters.
10 For it went over the face of the whole earth, and it fulfilled everything.
11 And all the thirsty upon earth drank,
and their thirst was relieved and quenched,
12 for from the Most High the drink was given.
13 Blessed, then, are the ministers of that drink,
those who have been entrusted with it.
14 They have refreshed parched lips,
and they have raised up the will that had fainted.
15 And souls that nearly departed they have held back from death.
16 And limbs that had fallen, they straightened and set upright.
17 They gave strength for their coming and light to their eyes,
18 so that everyone recognized them in the Lord.
And they lived by the water that lives forever.
Hallelujah!

From the Coptic

Ode 6
And the Restrainers Could Not Restrain It

8 A stream went forth, (and) it became a river great and broad.
It swept away everything along with it and turned toward the Temple.
9 They could not restrain it by the dams and the places they built,
nor were those who restrain water able to restrain it by their skills.
10 It was brought over the whole earth, and it encompassed everything.
11 Those who were on the dry sand drank;
their thirst was relieved and quenched
12 when they were given the drink from the Most High.
13 Blessed are the ministers of that drink,
those who have been entrusted with the Lord’s water.
14 They have refreshed parched lips,
and those who were weak received heartfelt joy.
15 They have held back souls that had breathed their last so they would not die.
16 They have set upright limbs that had fallen.
17 They have given strength to their <coming> and light to their eyes.
18 For all of them have known themselves in the Lord,
and they were saved by water of eternal life.

From the Syriac

Ode 7
And So God Was Merciful to Me

1 Like the impulse of <love> over <infancy>,
so is the impulse of joy over the beloved,
who brings in joy’s fruits unhindered.
2 My joy is the Lord, and my impulse is toward him.
This my path is good,
3 for to me it is a help because of the Lord.
He has caused me to know him in his simplicity without envy,
diminishing his greatness with his kindness.
4 He became like me, so that I could receive him.
He appeared to have a likeness like mine, so that I could put him on.
5 And I trembled not when I saw him.
Because of who he is, he was gracious to me.
6 Like my nature he became, so that I could learn to know him,
and like my form, so that I could avoid turning away from him.
7 <From> the Father of knowledge is the utterance of knowledge.
8 The one who created Wisdom
is wiser than his works.
9 And the one who created me when I did not yet exist,
knew what I would do after I came into being.
10 And so he was merciful to me in his abundant mercy,
and granted me to ask from him and to receive from his offering.
11 Because of who he is, he is imperishable,
the fulfillment of the ages and their Father.
12 He granted that he would be seen by those who are his,
so that they can recognize the one who made them,
and so that they might not suppose that they were from themselves.
13 For he laid out his path towards knowledge;
he widened (knowledge) and lengthened it, and brought it over all the fullness.
14 And he set over (the fullness) the footprints of his light,
and (the light) reached from in the beginning to the end.
15 For by (the path) was (the light) served,
and (the light) rested in a son.
16 And because of his salvation he will take hold of everything,
and the Most High will be known in his saints,
17 to announce to those who have songs of the coming of the Lord,
that they may go out to meet him, and may sing to him with joy
and with the lyre of many tones.
18 They will go before him, those who see,
and they will be seen in front of him.
19 And they will praise the Lord in his love,
because he is near and sees.
20 And hatred will be lifted from off the earth,
and together with envy it will be drowned,
21 for what is not knowledge has been destroyed,
because the knowledge of the Lord has come.
22 The singers will sing the goodness of the Lord, the Most High,
and they will bring their songs,
23 and their heart will be like the day,
and their sound like the majesty of the Lord’s beauty.
And nothing that has breath will be without knowledge or without speech,
24 for he has given a mouth to his creation,
to open the voice of the mouth to him,
and to praise him.
25 Praise his power,
and tell his goodness.
Hallelujah!

Ode 8
For I Do Not Turn Away My Face from My Own

1 Open, open your hearts to exultation in the Lord,
and your love will grow from the heart to the lips,
2 to bring forth fruits to the Lord, a holy life,
and to speak with awareness in his light.
3 Rise and stand upright, you who once were brought low!
4 You who were in silence, speak,
for your mouth has now been opened.
5 You who were despised, from now on be lifted up,
because your vindication has been raised.
6 For the right hand of the Lord is with you,
and he became your helper.
7 And peace was prepared for you,
before your war ever was.
8 Hear the utterance of truth,
and receive the knowledge of the Most High.
9 Your flesh will not know what I say to you,
nor will your garment know what I show to you.
10 Observe my secret, you who are kept by it!
11 Observe my faithfulness, you who are kept by it!
12 And know my knowledge, you who know me in truth!
13 Love me with (fervent) love, you who love!
14 For I do not turn away my face from my own,
because I know them.
15 And before they came into being
I understood them,
and their persons I sealed.
16 I fashioned their limbs,
and my own breasts I prepared for them,
that they might drink my holy milk and live by it.
17 I was well pleased in them and I am not ashamed of them.
18 For they exist as my work and (by) the power of my thoughts.
19 Who then will stand against my work,
or who is there that will not submit to them?
20 I willed and formed mind and heart,
and they are mine.
And near my own right hand I set my chosen ones.
21 And my righteousness goes before them,
and they will not separate themselves from my name,
because it is with them.
22 Seek much
and abide in the love of the Lord,
as beloved in beloved,
and as those who are kept in the one who lives,
and as the redeemed in the one who was redeemed.
23 And you will be found imperishable
through all ages,
for the sake of your Father’s name.
Hallelujah!

Ode 9
That Those Who Have Known God May Not Perish

1 Open your ears and I will speak to you.
2 Give me your soul, so that I may also give you my soul.
3 The utterance of the Lord and his desires
are the holy thought he thought about his anointed one.
4 For by the will of the Lord is your life,
and (the intention of) his mind is eternal life,
and your end is immortality.
5 Be enriched in God the Father,
and receive the (intention of the) mind of the Most High!
Be strong and be redeemed as his favor!
6 For I proclaim peace to you, his saints,
so that none of those who hear may fall in the war,
7 and that also those who have known him may not perish,
and that those who will receive will not be ashamed.
8 The eternal wreath is truth
– blessed are they who put it on their head –
9 a stone of great price.
For there have been wars because of the wreath,
10 and Victory took (the wreath) and gave it to you.
11 Put on the wreath in the steadfast covenant of the Lord!
And all those who have conquered will be written in his book,
12 for their inscription is your victory.
And Victory sees you in front of her,
and she desires that you be redeemed.
Hallelujah!

Ode 10
And I Took the Age Captive

1 The Lord directed my mouth by his speech,
and opened my heart by his light.
2 And he caused his deathless life to dwell in me,
and granted me to speak the fruit of his peace.
3 To convert the souls of those wanting to come to him
and to lead captive a good captivity for freedom,
4 I was made powerful and became strong and took the age captive,
and for me it was to the glory of the Most High, even to God my Father.
5 And the peoples who had been scattered were gathered together,
and I was not defiled by their sins against me.
Because they had praised me in high places,
6 the footprints of light were laid on their heart.
And they lived by my halakhah and were redeemed,
and they became my people forever and ever.
Hallelujah!

Ode 11
Like the Land That Flourishes

1 My heart was circumcised, and its flower appeared,
and steadfast love sprang up in it,
and it brought forth fruits for the Lord.
2 For the Most High circumcised my heart by his holy spirit,
and laid bare my hidden self to him,
and filled me with his love.
3 And his circumcision of me became my salvation,
and I ran on the path in his peace in the way of truth,
4 from the beginning even to the end I received knowledge of him.
5 And I was firmly established upon the rock of truth,
where he had set me.
6 And speaking waters reached my lips
from the fountain of the Lord who is without envy.
7 And I drank and became drunk with the living water that dies not,
8 and my drunkenness was not without knowledge,
but I forsook vanities,
9 and returned to the Most High, my God,
and was enriched by his gift.
10 And I left folly behind, cast to the ground,
and I stripped it off and cast it from me.
11 And the Lord renewed me with his garment
and gained me by his light,
12 and from above he gave me rest in imperishability.
And I became like the land that flourishes and laughs in its fruits,
13 and the Lord was as Sun shining on the face of the land.
14 My eyes shone,
and my face received the dew,
15 and my breath rejoiced in the sweet fragrance of the Lord.
16 And he conveyed me to his paradise,
where is the wealth of the Lord’s joyful pleasure.
17 And I worshipped the Lord because of his glory.
18 And I said, Blessed, O Lord, are they who are planted in your land,
and who have a place in your paradise,
19 and grow in the growth of your trees.
And they have passed from darkness to light.
20 Behold, all your workers do well,
who work good works,
21 and who turn away from wickedness to your sweet gentleness.
And they have turned back the bitterness of trees from them
when they were planted in your land.
22 And everything became like your remnant,
and like an eternal memorial of your faithful servants.
23 For the place of your paradise has plentiful room,
and nothing lies fallow in it,
but everything is filled with fruits.
24 Glory to you, O God,
the eternal delight in paradise!
Hallelujah!

From the Greek

Ode 11
Like the Land That Flourishes

1 My heart was circumcised, and its flower appeared.
Grace sprang up in it
and brought forth fruit for God.
2 The Most High circumcised me by his holy spirit,
and laid bare my hidden self to him,
and filled me with his love.
3 His circumcision became my salvation.
I ran the way of truth in his peace;
4 from the beginning to the end I received knowledge of him.
5 By setting me on a firm rock where he set me,
I was firmly established.
6 And the speaking water reached my lips
from the lavish Lord’s fountain of life.
7 I drank and became drunk with the immortal water,
and my drunkenness wasn’t senseless.
8 But I turned back from vanities
9 to the Most High, my God,
and was enriched by his gracious gift.
10 I left folly lying on the ground;
I stripped it off and cast it from me.
11 The Lord renewed me with his garment,
and regained me by his light,
12 and recalled me to life by his imperishability.
I became like the land that flourishes and laughs in its fruits,
13 and the Lord became to me as Sun on the face of the land.
14 My eyes shone,
and my face received the dew.
15 My breath was gladdened by the fragrance of the Lord’s goodness.
16 He led me into his paradise,
to the fullness of the Lord’s joy.
I saw trees beautiful and fruitful,
and self-grown was their wreath.
Their timber flourishes, and their fruits laughed.
Their roots were from immortal land,
and the river of joy watered them,
even around the land of their eternal life.
17 I worshipped the Lord because of his glory
18 and said, Lord, blessed are they who are planted in the land,
those who have a place in your paradise
19 and grow in the growth of your trees,
turned from darkness to the light.
20 Behold, your workers are good;
they work good changes
21 from wickedness to kindness.
The bitterness of the plants is changed in your land,
22 and everything is according to your will.
Blessed are <those who see> your waters
and the eternal memorials of your faithful servants.
23 The place of your paradise has plentiful room,
and is not fallow,
but even fruitful.
24 Glory to you, O God,
by the eternal delight of your paradise.
Hallelujah!

From the Syriac

Ode 12
And It Knows Neither Its Descent nor Its Course

1 He has filled me with utterances of truth,
so that I could speak it.
2 And like the flowing of water,
truth flowed from my mouth,
and my lips declared its fruits.
3 And he caused his (or: truth’s) knowledge to abound in me,
because the mouth of the Lord is the truthful utterance,
and the opening of his light.
4 And the Most High gave the message to his ages,
the interpreters of his splendor,
and the narrators of his glory,
and the praisers of his thought,
and the proclaimers of his mind,
and the explainers of his works.
5 For the utterance’s fluent eloquence is beyond expression,
and like its expression, so are its swiftness and sharpness,
and its course is endless.
6 And never does it fall, but it remains standing,
and it knows neither its descent nor its course.
7 For like its work, so is its hope,
for it is the light and the dawning of thought.
8 And by (the utterance) the ages spoke to one another,
and those who were silent acquired speech.
9 And from it came love and harmony,
and they spoke to each other the message they had.
10 And they were urged on by the utterance,
and they knew him who had made them, because they were in harmony.
11 Because the mouth of the Most High spoke to them,
and by it his interpretation flowed quickly.
12 For the Tabernacle of the utterance is the bar nasha,
and (the utterance’s) truth is love.
13 Blessed are they who by means of it have understood everything,
and have known the Lord in his truth.
Hallelujah!

Ode 13
And Declare Praises on Account of God’s Spirit!

1 Look, the Lord is our mirror!
Open the eyes and see them in him,
2 and learn the nature of your face!
And declare praises on account of his spirit!
3 And wipe off the <eyeshadow> from your face,
and love his holiness, and put it on (instead)!
4 And you will be without blemish at all times with him.
Hallelujah!

Ode 14
Because of Your Glory

1 As the eyes of a son towards his father,
so are my eyes, O Lord, always towards you.
2 Because with you are my breasts (for milk) and my delight.
3 Do not turn away your love from me, O Lord,
and take not your sweetness from me.
4 Stretch out to me, O Lord, your right hand at all times,
and be my guide until the end, according to your will.
5 Let me be beautiful before you, because of your glory,
and because of your name let me be saved from evil.
6 And your repose, O Lord, let it abide with me,
and also the fruits of your love.
7 Teach me the odes of your truth,
that I may produce fruits in you.
8 And open to me the lyre of your holy spirit,
so that with all its notes I may praise you, O Lord.
9 And according to the abundance of your mercies,
so will you grant it to me.
And hasten to grant our petitions;
10 and you are capable of providing all our needs.
Hallelujah!

Book II: Rest, Revival, and Wreaths

Ode 15
And I Received Salvation from God

1 As Sun is a joy for those who seek his day,
so is my joy the Lord,
2 because he is my Sun.
And his rays awakened me,
and his light dispelled all darkness from my face.
3 By him I acquired eyes
and saw his holy day.
4 I had ears,
and I heard his truth.
5 The thought of knowledge has been mine,
and I have lived fully in delight through him.
6 The way of Error I have forsaken, and have walked towards him,
and have received salvation from him without envy.
7 And according to his generosity he gave to me,
and according to the magnificence of his beauty he made me.
8 I put on imperishability by his name,
and took off perishability by his steadfast love.
9 Death was destroyed before my face,
and Sheol was abolished by my speaking.
10 And deathless life rose in the Lord’s land,
and immortality became known to his faithful ones,
and it was given without any loss to all those who trust in him.
Hallelujah!

Ode 16
God Spread Out the Earth and Settled the Waters in the Sea

1 As the ploughman’s work is the ploughshare,
and as the helmsman’s work is ship-steering,
so also is my work the praise of the Lord by his psalms.
2 My occupation and my craft are in his hymns,
because his love has nourished my heart,
and he made his fruits to bubble up even to my lips.
3 For my love is the Lord,
and therefore I will sing to him.
4 For I am made strong in his hymns,
and in him I have confidence.
5 I will open my mouth, and his spirit will speak through me
the glory of the Lord and his beauty,
6 the work of his hands and the labor of his fingers,
7 for the sake of his mercies’ abundance and of his speech’s strength.
8 For the speech of the Lord searches what is concealed,
and his thought (searches) what is revealed.
9 For the eye sees his works
and the ear hears his thought.
10 He spread out the earth and settled the waters in the sea,
11 stretched out the heavens and fixed the stars,
12 and put in order the creation and established it,
and he rested from his works.
13 And created things run in their courses,
and fulfill their tasks,
and they know not how to stop and be still.
14 And his hosts are subject to his speech.
15 The storehouse of the light is the sun,
and the storehouse of the darkness is the night.
16 And the sun makes the day to be bright,
and night brings darkness over the face of the earth.
17 And their welcoming each other completes the beauty of God.
18 And there is nothing apart from the Lord,
because he was before anything came into being.
19 And the ages are by his speech,
and by the thought of his heart.
20 Glory and honor to his name!
Hallelujah!

Ode 17
And I Opened the Gates That Were Closed

1 I was then crowned by my God,
and my wreath is living.
2 And I was justified by my Lord,
and my salvation is imperishable.
3 I was loosed from vanities,
and I was not condemned.
4 With her hands she cut off my bonds.
I received the face and the likeness of a new person,
and I walked in it and was redeemed.
5 And the thought of truth led me on,
and I followed after it and did not go astray from it.
6 And all who saw me were amazed,
and I seemed to them like a stranger.
7 And the one who knew and magnified me
is the Most High in all his fullness.
And he glorified me by his kindness,
and raised my knowledge to the height of truth.
8 And from there he gave me the way of his halakhot,
and I opened the gates that were closed,
9 and broke in pieces the iron bars.
My own iron dissolved and melted before me.
10 And nothing to be seen was closed to me,
because I was the gate for everything.
11 And I went to all my prisoners to free them,
that I might not leave anyone bound or who binds.
12 And I gave my knowledge without envy,
and I gave my study through my love.
13 And I sowed my fruits in hearts,
and transfigured them by me.
14 And they received my blessing and lived,
and they were gathered to me and were redeemed,
15 because they became my members,
and I became their leader.
16 Praise to you, our leader, anointed master.
Hallelujah!

Ode 18
For Your Will Is Perfection

1 My heart was lifted up in the love of the Most High and expanded,
that I might praise him on account of <his> name.
2 My limbs were strengthened
that they might not fall from his power.
3 Infirmities removed themselves from my body,
and they ceased by the Lord according to his will,
because his kingdom is firm.
4 O Lord, because of those who are lacking,
do not deprive me of your utterance!
5 Nor, because of their works,
withhold from me your perfection!
6 Let not the light be conquered by the darkness,
nor let truth flee because of falsehood.
7 Let your right hand appoint victory for our salvation,
and from every place receive
and protect everyone from getting held fast by misfortunes.
8 You are my God; falsehood and death are not in your mouth,
for your will is perfection.
9 And vanity you do not know,
because neither does it know you.
10 And error you do not know,
because neither does it know you.
11 And ignorance appeared like ocean spray,
and like the stench of the sea.
12 And the vain people thought that it was something great,
and they became like its likeness and grew futile.
13 And they knew, those who know
and meditate, and they were not defiled by their thoughts,
14 because they were in the mind of the Most High.
And they derided those who were walking with Error,
15 and they instead spoke the truth
from the breath that the Most High breathed into them.
16 Glory and sublime majesty to his name!
Hallelujah!

Ode 19
Those Who Receive Are of the Right Hand of God

1 A cup of milk was offered to me,
and I drank it with the sweet taste of the Lord’s sweetness.
2 The son is the cup,
and he who was milked is the Father,
and she who milked him is the holy spirit,
3 because his breasts were full.
And because it was unfitting that his milk should be released in vain,
4 the holy spirit opened her womb
and mixed the milk of the Father’s two breasts.
5 And she gave the mixture to the age,
without their knowing,
and those who receive it in its fullness are of (God’s) right hand.
6 The young woman’s womb (like a bird net) caught it,
and she received conception and gave birth.
7 And the young woman became a mother through abundant mercies,
and she was in labor and bore a son.
And she felt no pain,
8 because (the labor) was not in vain.
9 And she did not need a midwife
because like a strong man he sustained her life.
10 <And> she brought forth because of will,
and she brought forth because of declaration,
and she acquired because of abundant majesty,
11 and loved because of redemption,
and guarded because of kindness,
and declared because of grandeur.
Hallelujah!

Ode 20
Do Not Kill Your Own Soul

1 I am a priest of the Lord,
and to him I serve as a priest,
2 and to him I offer the sacrifice of his thought.
3 For his thought is not like the thought of the age,
nor like the thought of the flesh,
nor like those who serve according to the flesh.
4 The sacrifice of the Lord is justice,
and purity of heart and lips.
5 Sacrifice your mind without blemish,
and let not your feelings oppress another’s feelings,
nor let your soul oppress another’s soul.
6 Do not kill your own soul by owning a foreigner,
nor seek to defraud your neighbor,
nor deprive him of the covering of his nakedness.
7 But cover yourself with the Lord’s steadfast love without envy,
and come into his paradise
and make a wreath for yourself from his tree,
8 and set it on your head and rejoice,
and lean on his resting place.
9 And his glory will go before you,
and you will receive of his kindness and of his steadfast love,
and with truth your health will flourish in the glory of his holiness.
10 Glory and honor to his name!
Hallelujah!

Ode 21
A Medicine and a Helper for Me

1 My arms I lifted up
on account of the compassion of the Lord,
2 because he had cast off my bonds from me.
And my helper had lifted me up
on account of his compassion and of his salvation.
3 And I put off darkness
and clothed myself with light.
4 And my soul acquired limbs
free from pain,
or sickness or suffering.
5 And instead a medicine and helper for me
was the thought of the Lord
and his partnership of intimate union in imperishability.
6 And I was lifted up in his light
and I passed before his face.
7 And I was near him,
praising and thanking him.
8 My heart overflowed
and was found in my mouth,
and luminously dawned upon my lips.
9 And on my face increased
the exultation of the Lord in praise of him.
Hallelujah!

Ode 22
Your Name Surrounded Me

1 The one who brought me down from on high,
he also brought me up from the depths below.
2 And the one who gathers together those who are in the middle,
he is also the one who proclaimed and cast them down for me.
3 The one who scattered my enemies and my foes,
4 he who gave me authority over bonds,
that I might loose them,
5 he who overthrew the seven-headed dragon by my hands,
it is you, even you who set me over its roots
that I might destroy its offspring.
6 You were there and helped me,
and in every place your name surrounded me.
7 Your right hand destroyed the evil one’s venom,
and your hand leveled the way for your faithful ones,
8 and selected them from the graves,
and separated them from the dead.
9 You took bones of the dead
and over them you stretched bodies.
10 And they were motionless,
and you gave them energy for life.
11 Your way was imperishable,
and you brought your face into the age, even into (the realm of) destruction,
so that everything might be dissolved and (then) renewed,
12 and your rock become the foundation for everything.
And on it you built your kingdom,
and it became the House of Abode for the holy ones.
Hallelujah!

From the Coptic

Ode 22
Your Name Surrounded Me

1 The one who has brought me down from on high,
he also brought me up from the depths below.
2 The one who has taken those in the middle,
he also taught <me> about them.
3 The one who has scattered my enemies and my foes,
4 he who has given me the authority over bonds,
that I might loose them,
5 he who has smitten the seven-headed serpent by my hands,
he also has set me over its root,
that I might destroy its offspring.
6 And you were with me, helping me.
In every place your name surrounded me.
7 Your right hand has destroyed the slanderer’s venom.
Your hand has leveled the way for your faithful ones.
8 You have redeemed them from the graves,
and removed them from the midst of the dead.
9 You have taken dead bones
and clothed them with a body.
10 And they who were motionless,
you gave them energy for life.
11 Your way has become imperishable, and your face.
You have brought your age to destruction,
so that everything might be dissolved and made new,
12 and that your light might be a foundation for everything.
You have built your wealth upon them,
and they have become a holy dwelling.

From the Syriac

Ode 23
And Who Would Hear It

1 Joy belongs to the holy ones,
and who will put her on but they alone?
2 Steadfast love belongs to the chosen ones,
and who will receive her
but those who have trusted in her from in the beginning?
3 Love belongs to the chosen ones,
and who will put him on
but those who have had him from in the beginning?
4 Walk in the knowledge of the Lord whose generosity is without envy,
and you will know the steadfast love of the Lord,
exultation in him, and the perfection of his knowledge.
5 And his thought became a Decree,
and his Will descended from on high.
6 And it was sent like an arrow
that is shot from the bow with force.
7 And many hands rushed at the Decree,
to steal it and to take it and to read it aloud,
8 and it evaded their fingers.
And they became afraid of it and of the seal upon it
9 because they were not permitted to break its seal,
for the seal’s authority was greater than that of their own.
10 Then those who saw the Decree followed it
that they might learn where it would settle,
and who would read it aloud,
and who would hear it.
11 But an (angelic) Wheel received the Decree,
and the letter of decree settled upon the Wheel.
12 And there was with the Wheel
a sign of the kingdom and of the government.
13 And everything that tried to disturb the Wheel,
it mowed down and cut up in pieces.
14 And the Wheel made a heap of a crowd standing in the way,
and the wheel filled in rivers,
15 and it ploughed through and uprooted many forests
and made a wide path.
16 Heads fell to the ground,
because the Wheel and the Decree that had come upon the Wheel
had rolled as far as to their feet.
17 The Decree contained commandments.
And because all places were gathered together (by the Decree),
18 at the Decree’s head there appeared the head that revealed itself,
even the son of the truth that is from the Father, the Most High.
19 And he received and inherited everything.
And the scheming of many was extinguished.
20 And all those who had led astray hardened themselves in their obstinacy and fled,
and all the persecutors were erased and blotted out.
21 And the Decree became a large tablet,
wholly written by the finger of God.
22 And (the tablet) was backed up with the authority of the Father,
and of the son and of the spirit of holiness,
for them to rule (as king) forever and ever.
Hallelujah!

Ode 24
The Thought Which Made Them from of Old

1 The dove fluttered onto the anointed one,
because his head belonged to her.
2 And she cooed (psalms) about him,
and her voice was heard.
3 And the inhabitants were afraid,
and the sojourners were shaken.
4 The bird flew, forsook its wing,
and every creeping thing died in its hole.
5 And the depths were opened, even those that had been covered.
And they sought the Lord like women about to deliver.
6 And no food was given to them by him,
because it did not belong to them.
7 And the depths were submerged with the Lord’s submersion,
and they perished in accord with the thought
by which they had been made from of old.
8 For they were subject to perishability from in the beginning,
and the end of their perishability was life.
9 And everyone who was lacking perished because of the depths,
because they could not give the answer that would let them remain.
10 And the Lord destroyed the thoughts
of all who did not have the truth.
11 For the arrogant in heart
lacked wisdom,
12 and so they were rejected,
because the truth was not with them.
13 Because the Lord showed his way
and spread abroad his steadfast love.
14 And those who came to know it,
they know his sanctity.
Hallelujah!

Ode 25
You Set a Lamp at My Right and at My Left

1 I was rescued from my bonds
and fled to you, O my God,
2 because you were the right hand of my salvation
and my helper.
3 You have restrained those who rise against me,
and they were no more to be seen,
4 because your face was with me,
which saved me by your steadfast love.
5 But I was despised and rejected in the eyes of many,
and I was like worthless lead in their eyes.
6 And from you was my strength and help;
7 you set a lamp at my right and at my left,
so that all around me there will be nothing without light.
8 And I was clothed with the covering of your spirit,
and she removed from me my garments of skin.
9 Because your right hand lifted me up,
and you took away sickness from me.
10 And I grew strong in your truth,
and holy by your righteousness.
11 And all my enemies grew afraid of me,
and I became the Lord’s by the Lord’s name,
12 and I was justified by his kindness,
and his rest is forever and ever.
Hallelujah!

From the Coptic

Ode 25
You Set a Lamp at My Right and at My Left

1 I was rescued from my bonds;
I fled to you, O Lord.
2 For you have been a right hand for me, saving me,
and saving me, and helping me.
3 You stopped those who rise against me
and they did not appear,
4 because your face was with me,
saving me by your favor.
5 I was despised before many, and they cast me out;
I became like worthless lead before them.
6 Your strength came to me, to help me.
7 For you have set lamps at my right and at my left,
so that no side of me would be without light.
8 You have sheltered me under the shadow of your mercy,
and I rose above the garments of skin.
9 Your right hand is what lifted me up,
and you have taken sickness away from me.
10 I became strong in your truth,
holy by your righteousness.
11 Those who rise against me were driven far from me,
12 and I was justified by your kindness,
because your rest is forever and ever.

From the Syriac

Ode 26
Who Can Compose the Odes of the Lord?

1 I poured out praise to the Lord,
because I am his.
2 And I will recite his Kedushah ode,
because my heart is with him.
3 For his lyre is in my hands,
and the odes of his repose will never cease in silence.
4 I will call to him with all my heart;
I will praise and exalt him with all my limbs.
5 For from the east to the west is his hymn,
6 and from the south to the north is his thanksgiving,
7 and from the top of the hills to their farthest reach is his fullness.
8 Who can compose the odes of the Lord,
or who recite them?
9 Or who can teach (the Lord’s) soul to live,
so that they would redeem (the Lord’s) soul?
10 Or what person could impose upon the Most High,
so that with their mouth (the Most High) might speak?
11 Who is able to interpret the Lord’s Wonders?
For because to interpret would be to interpret away oneself,
and (the Lord’s Wonders) that had been interpreted would remain.
12 For it is enough to know and to rest,
for in rest the psalmists remain in existence,
13 like a river that has a richly abundant spring,
and that keeps flowing for the help of those who study it.
Hallelujah!

Ode 27
The Extension of My Hands

1 I stretched out my hands, honoring as holy my Lord,
2 because the spreading out of my hands is his sign,
3 and my outward-stretching (course) is the level wood (bridge).
Hallelujah!

Ode 28
I Seemed to Them Like One of the Lost

1 As the wings of doves over their nestlings,
and as the beaks of their nestlings towards their beaks,
so also are the wings of the spirit over my heart.
2 My heart is delighted and rejoices,
like the embryo who exalts in its mother’s womb.
3 I trusted; therefore I was also at rest,
because trustworthy is the one in whom I trusted.
4 He richly blessed me,
and my head rests upon him.
And the war blade will not separate me from him,
nor the sword,
5 because I prepared myself before destruction came.
And I was set firmly on the imperishable bosom of his wings,
6 and deathless life embraced and kissed me.
7 And from that life is the spirit within me,
and she cannot die,
because she is life.
8 They who saw me were amazed,
because I was persecuted.
9 And they supposed that I had been swallowed up,
because I seemed to them like one of the lost.
10 And (their) unrighteousness (against) me became my salvation;
11 and I was their abomination.
Because there was no envy in me,
12 because I did good to everyone,
I was hated.
13 And they surrounded me like mad dogs
who ignorantly attack their masters.
14 Because their thinking is corrupt
and their sense perverted.
15 But I, I held waters in my right hand,
and I endured their bitterness by my sweetness.
16 And I did not perish,
because I was not their brother,
for my birth was not like theirs.
17 And they sought my death, but were unable,
because I was older than their memory.
And in vain they cast lots over me.
18 And those who came into existence later than I had,
they sought in vain to destroy the memory of the one who had come into existence before they had.
19 For the thought of the Most High is beyond finding out,
and his mind surpasses all wisdom.
Hallelujah!

Book III: Fight, Flight, and Freedom

Ode 29
And He Appeared to Me, the One Who Is the Lord

1 The Lord is my hope,
in whom I will not be ashamed.
2 For by his glory he made me,
and by his goodness he gave to me,
3 and by his love he lifted me up,
and by his majestic beauty he exalted me.
4 And he caused me to ascend out of the depths of Sheol,
and from the mouth of Death he drew me.
5 And I laid low my enemies,
and he vindicated me in his steadfast love,
6 for I trusted in the Lord’s anointed.
And he appeared to me, the one who is the Lord,
7 and showed him his sign,
and led me by his light,
8 and gave me the rod of his power,
that I might subdue the peoples’ schemes,
and lay low the greatness of the powerful,
9 to wage war by his speech,
and to seize the victory by his power.
10 And the Lord cast down my enemy by his speech,
and he became like the chaff that the wind carries away.
11 And I gave praise to the Most High,
because he magnified his servant,
even the son of his handmaid.
Hallelujah!

Ode 30
And the Honeycomb of Bees

1 Draw water for yourselves from the living fountain of the Lord,
because it has been opened for you.
2 And come, all you who are thirsty, and take a drink,
and rest beside the fountain of the Lord,
3 because it is beautiful and bright and gives rest to the soul.
4 For much sweeter are its waters than honey,
and the honeycomb of bees is not to be compared with it,
5 because it goes forth from the lips of the Lord,
and from his heart; the Lord is his name.
6 And it came, boundless and unseen,
and until it was set in the middle they did not know it.
7 Blessed are those who have drunk from it and have found rest by it.
Hallelujah!

Ode 31
And Take Immortal Life for Yourselves

1 The depths were dissolved before the Lord,
and darkness was destroyed by his appearance.
2 Error went astray and perished because of him,
and Contempt could find no path to walk on,
because the Lord’s truth had submerged it.
3 He opened his mouth and spoke steadfast love and joy,
and he recited a new song of praise to his name,
4 and he lifted up his voice to the Most High,
and offered to him those who came to be children through his hands.
5 And his person was vindicated,
because thus his holy Father had granted to him.
6 Come forth, you who have been oppressed, and receive joy,
7 and gain your souls by his steadfast love;
and take immortal life for yourselves.
8 And they condemned me when I stood up,
I who had not been condemned.
9 And they divided my spoils, though nothing was owed to them.
10 But I endured and was silent and kept quiet,
that I might not be moved by them.
11 But I stood unmoved like a solid rock
that is beaten by the breakers and endures.
12 And I bore their bitterness for humility’s sake,
so that I might redeem my people and inherit them,
13 and that I might not make void the promises to the patriarchs,
those to whom I had been promised for their descendants’ redemption.
Hallelujah!

Ode 32
The Truth Who Is Self-Existent

1 For the blessed is joy from their hearts,
and light from him who dwells in them,
2 even the utterance from the Truth who is self-existent.
3 Because he was strengthened by the holy power of the Most High,
he is also unshaken forever and ever.
Hallelujah!

Ode 33
And Forsake the Ways of This Destruction

1 And Steadfast Love, she ran, returning to release Destruction,
and she descended into him to reduce him to nothing,
2 and he destroyed Abbadon before him,
and made all his work to perish.
3 And he stood on a lofty peak and sent out his voice
from one end of the earth to the other.
4 And he drew to himself all those who obeyed him,
making sure his appearance was not that of the evil one.
5 But a mature young woman stood up,
proclaiming and calling and saying in command,
6 O you sons of humanity, repent, and you their daughters, convert,
7 and forsake the ways of this Destruction,
and come near to me,
8 and I will enter into you,
and bring you forth from Abbadon
and make you wise in the ways of truth.
9 Do not perish and do not be destroyed!
10 Listen to me and be redeemed!
For among you I proclaim the steadfast love of God,
11 and by me you will be redeemed and blessed.
I am your judge,
12 and those who put me on will not be rejected,
but they will gain imperishability in the new age.
13 My chosen ones, keep my halakhah,
and my ways I will make known to those who study me,
and I will cause them to trust in my name.
Hallelujah!

Ode 34
Nothing Within the Good Person Is Divided

1 No way is hard
where the heart is single,
nor will any blow strike
where thoughts are clear,
2 nor is there any storm in the depth of the illuminated mind.
3 When surrounded on every side (by light),
nothing within the good person is divided.
4 The likeness of what is below
is what is above.
5 For everything that exists is above,
and nothing exists below
except the illusion of those who are without knowledge.
6 Steadfast Love was revealed for your salvation.
Trust, and live, and be saved.
Hallelujah!

Ode 35
And It Was More Than a Shelter to Me

1 The fine rain of the Lord overshadowed me in serenity,
and he set a cloud of peace above my head,
2 which kept me continually,
and it became salvation for me.
3 All things were shaken and moved with fear,
and there went forth from them a smoke and a judgment.
4 But I was calm in the decree of the Lord,
and it was more than a shelter to me,
and more than a foundation.
5 And I was carried like a child by its mother,
and the decree gave me milk, the dew of the Lord.
6 And I grew through his gift,
and found rest in his fullness.
7 And I spread out my hands in the ascent of my soul,
and I erected myself towards the Most High,
and I was conveyed to his Presence.
Hallelujah!

Ode 36
I Was Great Among the Great Ones

1 The spirit of the Lord rested upon me,
and she raised me on high
2 and made me stand on my feet in the height of the Lord,
before his fullness and his glory.
While I was praising him by the composition of his odes,
3 she gave birth to me before the face of the Lord, even while being the bar nasha.
I was named the enlightened son of God
4 while I was glorious among the glorious ones,
and great among the great ones.
5 For like the greatness of the Most High, so she made me,
and according to his renewing he renewed me.
6 And he anointed me from his fullness,
and I became one of those near to him.
7 And my mouth was opened like a cloud of dew,
and my heart gushed out a flood of righteousness.
8 And a peace offering was mine,
and I was established in the spirit of governance.
Hallelujah!

Ode 37
When My Voice Reached God

1 I stretched out my hands to the Lord,
and to the Most High I lifted up my voice,
2 and I spoke with the lips of my heart,
and he heard me when my voice reached him.
3 His answer came in response to me,
which gave me the fruits of my labors,
4 and gave me rest in the Lord’s steadfast love.
Hallelujah!

Ode 38
These are Deceiver and Error

1 I went up into the light of Truth as into a chariot.
And Truth led me and carried me
2 and made me cross gaping chasms and valleys,
and rescued me from cliffs and waves.
3 And he became for me a haven of salvation,
and placed me on the ladder of immortal life.
4 And he went with me and brought me rest, and did not let me err
because he was and is Truth.
5 And I was in no danger,
because I walked with him.
And I did not stray at all,
because I obeyed him.
6 For Error fled from him
and would not meet him.
7 But Truth went along the level path,
and whatever I did not know, he showed me,
8 even all the poisons of Error,
and the scourges that people think to be Death’s sweetness.
9 And I saw his destroyer, who is Destruction,
I saw the bride who is destroyed while she was being adorned,
and the bridegroom who destroys and is destroyed.
10 And I asked Truth: Who are these?
And he said to me: These are Deceiver and Error,
11 and they mimic the beloved and his bride,
and they lead astray and destroy the whole age.
12 And they invite everyone to the wedding feast,
and give them to drink the wine of their intoxication.
13 And they make them vomit their wisdoms and thoughts,
and make them senseless.
14 And then they throw them out.
And then they go about
while insane, destroying,
while there is no mind in them;
for they do not even look for it.
15 And as for me, I was made wise so that I did not fall into the hands of the deceivers.
And I was glad because Truth had gone with me.
16 And then I was firmly established, and lived, and was redeemed,
and my foundations were laid by the hand of the Lord,
because he planted me.
17 For he set the root
and watered it, and fixed it and blessed it,
and its fruits are forever.
18 It struck deep and grew up and spread out,
and became full and large.
19 And the Lord alone was glorified
for his planting and his cultivation,
20 for his care and for the blessing of his lips,
for the beautiful planting of his right hand,
21 and for the presence of his planting,
and for the understanding of his mind.
Hallelujah!

Ode 39
Then You Will Cross Without Danger

1 Raging rivers are the power of the Lord
that send upside-down the heads of those who despise him,
2 and entangle their steps and sweep away their crossings,
3 and snatch their bodies and destroy their souls.
4 For they are more sudden than lightning, and swifter,
5 but those who cross them firmly will not be shaken,
6 and those who walk in them without blemish will not be agitated.
7 Because the sign in the rivers is “the LORD,”
and the sign becomes the path of those who cross in the name that is “the LORD.”
8 Put on, therefore, the name of the Most High, and know him;
then you will cross without danger,
for the rivers will obey you.
9 The Lord has made a bridge over the rivers by his speech,
and walked and crossed (over the rivers) on foot,
10 and his footprints remained (suspended) above the waters, and did not fade away,
but (the footprints) became like firmly fixed (planks of a) wood (bridge).
11 And the waves were lifted up on this side and on that,
but the footprints of our anointed master remain,
12 and are not washed away and are not lost.
13 And a path has been made for those who cross after him,
even for those who follow his trustworthy halakhah and who venerate his name.
Hallelujah!

Ode 40
And My Lips Bring Forth a Song of Praise

1 As the honey drips from the honeycomb of bees,
and milk flows from the woman who loves her children,
so also is my hope in you, my God.
2 As a spring gushes out its waters,
so my heart gushes out praises of the Lord,
and my lips bring forth a song of praise to him.
3 And my tongue is sweet in his songs,
and my limbs are fattened with his odes,
4 and my face rejoices with exultation in him,
and my spirit exults in his love,
and my soul shines in him.
5 And reverence will trust in him,
and redemption will be made firm in him.
6 And the inheritance (of redemption) is deathless life,
and those who receive (deathless life) are imperishable.
Hallelujah!

Ode 41
For the Father of Truth Remembered Me

1 All the infants of the Lord will praise him,
and will welcome the firmness of his faithfulness,
2 and his children will be known to him.
So let us sing in his love!
3 We live in the Lord by his steadfast love,
and life we receive by his anointed one.
4 For a great day has shone upon us,
and wonderful is he who has given to us of his glory.
5 Let us, therefore, all agree together in the name of the Lord,
and let us honor him in his goodness.
6 And may our faces shine in his light,
and let our minds study his Love, reading it in a low voice by night and by day.
7 Let us exult in the exultation of the Lord!
8 All those will be amazed who see me,
because I am of another kind.
9 For the Father of truth remembered me,
he who gained me from in the beginning.
10 For his wealth conceived me,
and the thought of his heart,
11 and his speech, she who is with us in all our way,
the savior who makes alive and does not reject our souls.
12 The man who was humbled and exalted by his own righteousness,
13 the son of the Most High has appeared in the fullness of his Father,
14 and light dawned from that speech which was in (the Father) from of old.
15 The messiah is one with the Truth,
and he was known from before the foundation of the age.
16 To make souls live forever by the truth of his name,
a new hymn to the Lord from those who love him!
Hallelujah!

Ode 42
And Death Vomited Me Up

1 I stretched out my hands and drew near to my Lord,
for the spreading out of my hands is his sign,
2 and my outward-stretching (course) is the plain wood (bridge)
that was suspended over his level way.
3 And I became worthless even to those who knew me,
so that I had to disappear from those who were not able to keep me in their clutches.
5a All my persecutors died,
4 and I will remain with those who love me.
5b And those who proclaimed concerning me studied about me,
5c because I am alive,
6 and I stood up and will be with them.
And I will speak by their mouths,
7 for they have rejected those who persecute them.
And I placed on them the yoke of my love.
8 Like the arm of the bridegroom on the bride,
so is my yoke on those who know me.
9 And like the marriage tent spread out in the married couple’s house,
so is my love over those who are faithful to me.
10 And I was not rejected, although I was thought to be,
and I did not perish, although they supposed it of me.
11 Sheol saw me and was in misery,
and Death vomited me up and many together with me.
12 To Death I was vinegar and bitterness,
and I descended as far as his lowest depth.
13 And he let his feet and head weaken,
because he was not able to endure my presence.
14 And I made a synagogue of the living among Death’s dead,
and I spoke to them with living lips,
so that my utterance would not prove void.
15 And those who had died ran to me,
and they called out and said,
Son of God, have pity on us!
16 And treat us according to your kindness,
and bring us out from the bonds of darkness,
17 and open the gate for us, so that by it we can come out with you,
for we see that our death has not touched you.
18 May we also be saved with you,
because you are our savior.
19 And I heard their voice
and set their faithfulness on my heart,
20 and I set my name on their head,
because they are the free children,
and they are mine.
Hallelujah!