The Odes of Solomon

The Odes of Solomon

late 1st–2nd century

Forty-one of the forty-two Odes (the second is lost) in the Harris and Mingana translation from the Syriac. Most are hymns of the believer’s joy in the Lord, the crown of truth, baptism and the Spirit. The first Ode is known only from a quotation in the Coptic Pistis Sophia.

Ode 1

1 The Lord is upon my head like a crown; And I shall not be without Him. 2 The crown of truth was woven for me; And it caused thy branches to bud in me; 3 For it is not like a withered crown that buddeth not: 4 But thou livest upon my head; And thou hast blossomed upon my head: 5 Thy fruits are full-grown and perfect; They are full of thy salvation. (Hallelujah.)

Ode 3

1 I clothe (them) with: 2 And (His) members are with Him, And on them do I hang; and He loves me. 3 For I should not have known how to love the Lord, If He had not loved me. 4 For who is able to distinguish love, Except one that is loved? 5 I love the Beloved, and my soul loves Him. And where His rest is, there also am I. 6 And I shall be no stranger (there); For with the Lord Most High and Merciful, there is no grudging. 7 I have been united (to Him), for the lover has found the Beloved: In order that I may love Him that is the Son, I shall become a son. 8 For he that is joined to Him that is immortal, Will himself also become immortal. 9 And He that hath pleasure in the Living One, Will become living.

10 This is the Spirit of the Lord, which doth not lie, Which teacheth the sons of men to know His ways. 11 Be wise and understanding and vigilant. Hallelujah.

Ode 4

1 No man, O my God, changeth thy holy place; Nor is (one able) to change it, and put it in another place. 2a Because he hath no power over it; 2b For thy sanctuary Thou designedst before thou didst make places: 3a That which is the elder shall not be changed by those that are younger than itself: 3b Thou hast given thy heart, O Lord, to thy believers. 4 Thou wilt never fail, Nor wilt Thou be without fruits: 5 For one hour of thy Faith Is more precious than all days and years. 6 For who is there that shall put on thy grace, and be injured? 7 For thy seal is known: And thy creatures are known to it. 8 And the hosts possess it: And the elect archangels are clad with it. 9 Thou hast given us thy fellowship: It was not that thou wast in need of us;

But that we are in need of thee. 10 Distil thy dews upon us; And open thy rich fountains that pour forth to us milk and honey. 11 For there is no repentance with thee: That thou shouldest repent of anything that thou hast promised. 12 And the end was known to thee: 13 For what thou gavest, thou gavest freely: So that thou mayest not draw back and take them again. 14 For all was known to thee as God; And set in order from the beginning before thee: 15 And thou, O Lord, hast made all things. Hallelujah.

Ode 5

1 I will give thanks unto thee, O Lord; Because I love thee: 2 O Most High, do not thou forsake me, For thou art my hope. 3 Freely I have received thy grace; I shall live thereby. 4 My persecutors will come but let them not see me. 5 Let a cloud of darkness fall on their eyes, And let an air of thick gloom darken them. 6 And let them have no light to see, That they may take hold upon me. 7 Let their counsel become thick darkness: And what they have cunningly devised, let it return upon their own heads. 8 For they have devised a counsel, And it has come to nought. (Powerful as they were, they were overcome). 9 They have prepared themselves maliciously, And were found to be ineffective. 10 For my hope is upon the Lord; And I will not fear: 11 And because the Lord is my salvation, I will not fear.

12 And He is as a garland on my head, And I shall not be moved; 13 Even if everything should be shaken, I stand firm: 14 And if (all) things visible should perish, I shall not die; 15 Because the Lord is with me, And I am with Him. Hallelujah.

Ode 6

2 So speaks in my members the Spirit of the Lord, And I speak by His love. 3 For He destroys what is foreign, And everything is of the Lord. 4 For thus He was from the beginning, And (shall be) to the end. 5 That nothing should be His adversary, And nothing should stand up against Him. 6 The Lord has multiplied His knowledge; And was zealous that those things should be known which by His grace have been given to us. 7 And the praise of His name He gave us: Our spirits praise His holy Spirit. 8 For there went forth a stream, And became a river great and broad: It swept away everything, and broke up and carried away the Temple. 9 And the restraints (made) by men were not able to restrain it, Nor the arts of those whose (business it is to) restrain water.

10 For it spread over the face of the whole earth, And it filled everything. 11 All the thirsty upon earth were given to drink (of it): And thirst was done away and quenched: 12 For from the Most High the draught was given. 13 Blessed then are the ministers of that draught, Who have been entrusted with that water of His: 14 They have assuaged the dry lips, And the will that had fainted they have raised up: 15 And souls that were near departing They have held back from death: 16 And limbs that had fallen They have straightened and set up: 17 They gave strength to their coming And light to their eyes. 18 For everyone knew them in the Lord, And they lived by the water an eternal life. John iv. 14. Hallelujah.

Ode 7

1 As is the motion of anger over evil, So is the motion of joy over the Beloved, And brings in of its fruits without restraint. 2 My joy is the Lord, and my motion is towards Him: This path of mine is excellent. 3 For I have a Helper, to the Lord. He hath shown Himself to me without grudging in His simplicity; Because His kindness has minished His greatness. 4 He became like me that I might receive Him. In similitude was He reckoned like me, that I might put Him on. 5 And I trembled not when I saw Him; Because He was gracious to me. 6 Like my nature He became, that I might learn Him. And like my form, that I might not turn back from Him. 7 The Father of Knowledge Is the Word of Knowledge: 8 He who created Wisdom Is wiser than His works:

9 And He who created me when yet I was not Knew what I should do when I came into being: 10 Wherefore He pitied me in His abundant grace And granted me to ask from Him and to receive from His sacrifice; 11 For He it is that is incorrupt; The perfection of the worlds and the Father of them. 12 He hath given Him to appear to them that are His; That they may recognize Him that made them; And that they might not suppose that they came of themselves. 13 For it is to Knowledge He hath appointed His way; He hath widened it and extended it and brought it to all perfection. 14 And He set over it the traces of His light; And it proceeded therein even from the beginning to the end. 15 For by Him He was served, And He was pleased with the Son;

16 And because of His salvation He will take possession of everything; And the Most High shall be known in His saints: 17 To announce to those that have songs of the coming of the Lord That they may go forth to meet Him and may sing to Him, With joy and with the harp of many tones. 18 The Seers shall go before Him, And they shall be seen before Him; 19 And they shall praise the Lord in His love; Because He is near and seëth; 20 And hatred shall be taken from the earth; And along with jealousy it shall be drowned: 21 For ignorance hath been destroyed; Because the knowledge of the Lord hath arrived. 22 Let the Singers sing the grace of the Lord Most High; And let them bring their songs; 23a And let their heart be like the day, And like the excellent beauty of the Lord, their harmonies;

23b And let there be nothing without life, Nor without knowledge, nor dumb. 24 For (the Lord) hath given a mouth to His creation, To open the voice of the mouth towards Him; and to praise Him; 25 Confess ye His power; And show forth His grace. Hallelujah.

Ode 8

1 Open ye, open ye your hearts to the exultation of the Lord: And let your love abound from the heart, and even to the lips: 2, Heb. xiii. 15. 2 To bring forth fruits to the Lord, a holy life, And to talk watchfully in His light. 3 Rise up and stand erect, Ye who were sometimes brought low; 4 Ye who were in silence, speak out, (Now) that your mouth hath been opened. 5 Ye who were despised, be lifted up; Now that your righteousness has been lifted up; 6 For the right hand of the Lord is with you; And He will be your helper. 7 And peace hath been prepared for you, Before ever your war happened. (Christ speaks.) 8 Hear the word of truth, And receive the knowledge of the Most High 9 Your flesh does not know what I am saying to you; Nor your raiment what I am showing to you;

10 Keep my secret, ye who are kept by it; 11 Keep my faith, ye who are kept by it. 12 And understand my knowledge, Ye who know me in truth: 13 Love me with affection, Ye who love: 14 For I do not turn away my face from them that are mine; For I know them. 15 Before they came into being, I took knowledge of them, And on their faces I set my seal. 16 I fashioned their members; My own breasts I prepared for them; That they might drink my holy milk and live thereby. VIII] 17 I took pleasure in them, And I am not ashamed of them. 18 For my workmanship are they, And the strength of my thoughts: 19 Who then shall stand up against my handywork? Or who is there that is not subject to them? 20 I willed, and fashioned mind and heart; And they are mine. And by my own right hand I set my elect ones.

21 And my righteousness goeth before them; And they shall not be detached from my name: For it is with them. (The Odist.) 22 Pray and abide continually in the love of the Lord; Ye beloved ones, in the Beloved; And ye who are kept, in Him that lived (again); And ye that are saved, in Him that was saved. 23 And ye shall be found incorrupt in all ages, To the name of your Father. Hallelujah.

Ode 9

1 Open your ears; And I will speak to you. 2 Give me your souls; That I may also give you my soul. 3 The Word of the Lord and His good pleasures, The holy thought that He has thought concerning His Messiah. 4 For in the will of the Lord is your life; And His intention is (your) everlasting life; And your end is incorruptible. 5a Be enriched in God the Father, And receive the intention of the Most High; 5b Be strong and be redeemed by His grace. 6 For I announce peace, to you His saints; That none of those who hear may fall in war. 7 And that those who have known Him may not perish, And that those who receive (Him) may not be ashamed. 8 An everlasting crown is Truth; Blessed are they who set it on their heads: 9 A stone of great price (it is); And the wars were on account of the crown.

10 And righteousness hath taken it, And hath given it to you. 11 Put on the crown in the true covenant of the Lord; And all those who have conquered shall be inscribed in His book. 12 For their inscription is the victory, which is yours; And she (Victory) sees you before her, and wills that you shall be saved. Hallelujah.

Ode 10

1 The Lord hath directed my mouth by His Word; And He hath opened my heart by His Light. 2 And He hath caused to dwell in me His deathless life; And gave me to speak the fruit of His peace: 3 To convert the souls of those who are willing to come to Him; 18. And to lead captive a good captivity for freedom. (Christ speaks.) 4 I was strengthened and made mighty and took the world captive; And (the captivity) became to me for the praise of the Most High and of God my Father. 5 And the Gentiles were gathered together who had been scattered abroad: And I was unpolluted by my love (for them), Because they confessed me in high places. 6 And the traces of the light were set upon their hearts; And they walked in my life and were saved, And they became my people for ever and ever.

Hallelujah.

Ode 11

1 My heart was cloven and its flower appeared; And grace sprang up in it; And it brought forth fruit to the Lord. 2 For the Most High clave (my heart) by His Holy Spirit, And exposed towards Him my affection. And filled me with His love. 3 And His cleaving of (my heart) became my salvation, And I ran in the way, in His peace, In the way of truth. 4 From the beginning and even to the end I received His knowledge. 5 And I was established upon the rock of truth, Where He had set me up. 6 And speaking waters drew near my lips From the fountain of the Lord plenteously. 7 And I drank and was inebriated With the living water that doth not die; Cf. E hes. v. 17, 18. 8a And my inebriation was not one without knowledge, 8b But I forsook vanity: 9 And I turned to the Most High my God, And I was enriched by His bounty; 10 And I forsook the folly cast away over the earth; And I stripped it off and cast it from me.

2. 11 And the Lord renewed me in His raiment, And possessed me by His light; 12 And from above He gave me rest without corruption; And I became like the land which blossoms and rejoices in its fruits: 13 And the Lord (was) like the sun (shining) upon the face of the land; 14 My eyes were enlightened, And my face received the dew: XI] 15 And my nostrils had the pleasure Of the pleasant odour of the Lord. 16 And He carried me into His Paradise, Where is the abundance of the pleasure of the Lord; 17 And I worshipped the Lord on account of His glory; 18 And I said, Blessed, O Lord, are they That are planted in thy land, And that have a place in thy Paradise, 19 And that grow in the growth of thy trees; And have changed from darkness to light. Cf. Ps. Sol xiv. 2.

20 Behold! all thy servants are fair, They who do good works, And turn away from wickedness to thy pleasantness. 21 And they have turned away from themselves the bitterness of the trees, When they were planted in thy land. Cf. Ephr. (R.E. iii. 588). 22 And everything became like a remembrance of thyself, And a memorial for ever of thy faithful servants. 23 For there is abundant room in thy Paradise; And nothing is useless therein: But everything is filled with fruit; Ephr. (R.E. iii. 584). 24 Glory be to thee, O Lord, the delight of Paradise for ever. Hallelujah.

Critical Notes.

'for there is nothing there that is vain (or useless)'; he was speaking of Paradise, and the quotation is unmistakable. As it stands we must translate: 'Glory to thee, O God, the delight of Paradise for ever.' If, however, we imagine to have dropped after we have: 'Glory to thee, O God; with thee is the delight of Paradise for ever.' This is very near to the Targum of Psalm xvi. 11: 'In thy right hand is delight for ever.'

Ode 12

1 He hath filled me with words of truth, That I may speak the same. 2 And like the flow of waters, flows truth from my mouth, And my lips showed forth its fruits. 3 And it has caused its knowledge to abound in me, Because the mouth of the Lord is the true Word, And the door of His light; 4 And the Most High hath given Him to His Worlds. (Worlds) which are the interpreters of His own beauty. And the repeaters of His praise, And the confessors of His thought, And the heralds of His mind, And the instructors of His works. 5 For the swiftness of the Word is inexpressible (?) And like His expression (?) is His swiftness and His sharpness: And His course has no limit. 6 Never (doth the Word) fall, but ever it standeth; His descent and His way are incomprehensible. 7 For as His work is, so is His limit; For He is the light and the dawn of thought.

8 And by Him the worlds spake one to the other: And those that were silent acquired speech. 9 And from Him came love and concord; And they spake one to the other what they had (to tell). 10 And they were stimulated by the Word, And they knew Him that made them, Because they came into concord. 11 For the mouth of the Most High spake to them; And the interpretation of Himself had its course by Him. 12 For the dwelling-place of the Word is man, And His truth is love. 13 Blessed are they who by it have comprehended everything, And who have known the Lord by His truth. Hallelujah.

Ode 13

1 Behold! the Lord is our mirror: Open your eyes and see them in Him. 2 And learn the manner of your face; And tell forth praises to His Spirit: 3 And wipe off the filth from your face; And love His holiness and clothe yourselves therewith: 4 And you will be without stain at all times with Him. Hallelujah.

Ode 14

1 As the eyes of a son to his father, So are my eyes at all time towards thee, O Lord. 2 For with thee are my consolations and my delights. 3 Turn not away thy mercy from me, O Lord: And take not thy kindness from me. 4 Stretch out to me, my Lord, at all times, thy right hand; And be my guide even to the end, according to thy good pleasure. 5 Let me be well-pleasing before thee, because of thy glory: And because of thy name let me be saved from the Evil One. 6 And let thy gentleness, O Lord, abide with me, And the fruits of thy love. 7 Teach me the Odes of thy truth That I may bring forth fruit in thee. 8 And open to me the harp of thy Holy Spirit, That with all (its) notes I may praise thee, O Lord.

9 And according to the multitude of thy mercies So shalt thou give to me: And hasten to grant our petitions. 10 And thou art able for all our needs. Hallelujah.

Ode 15

1 As the sun is the joy to them that seek for its daybreak So is my joy the Lord: 2 Because He is my Sun, and His rays have lifted me up; And His light hath dispelled all darkness from my face. 3 In Him I have acquired eyes, And have seen His holy day: 4 Ears I have acquired, And I have heard His truth. 5 The thought of knowledge I have acquired, And I have been delighted by Him. 6 The way of error I have left and I went towards Him, And I have received Salvation from Him abundantly. 7 And according to His bounty He hath given to me: And according to His excellent beauty He hath made me. 8 I have put on incorruption through His name, 1 Cor. xv. 54. And I have put off corruption by His grace. 9 Death hath been destroyed before my face; And Sheol hath been abolished by my word. 1 Cor. xv. 55.

10 And there hath gone up deathless life in the Lord's land; And it hath been made known to His faithful ones; And hath been given without stint to all those that trust in Him. Hallelujah.

Ode 16

1 As the work of the husbandman is the ploughshare; And the work of the steersman is the guidance of the ship; So also my work is the Psalm of the Lord in His praises; 2 My craft and my occupation are in His praises; Because His love hath nourished my heart, And even to my lips His fruits He poured out. 3 For my love is the Lord And therefore I will sing unto Him. 4 For I am made strong in His praise, And I have faith in Him. 5 I will open my mouth, And His spirit will utter in me The glory of the Lord and His beauty; 6 The work of His hands And the fabric of His fingers; 7 For the multitude of His mercies, And the strength of His Word. 8 For the Word of the Lord searches out the unseen thing, And scrutinizes His thought.

9 For the eye sees His works, And the ear hears His thought. 10 It is He who spread out the earth, And settled the waters in the sea: 11 He expanded the heavens, And fixed the stars; 12 And He fixed the creation and set it up: And He rested from His works. 13 And created things run in their courses, And work their works: And they know not how to stand (still) and to be idle. 14 And the hosts are subject to His Word. 15 The treasury of the light is the sun, And the treasury of the darkness is the night. 16 And He made the sun for the day that it might be bright; But night brings darkness over the face of the earth: 17 And (by) their reception one from the other They speak the beauty of God. 18 And there is nothing that is without the Lord; For He was before anything came into being.

19 And the Worlds were made by His Word, And by the thought of His heart. (Doxology.) 20 Glory and Honour to His name. Hallelujah.

Ode 17

1 I was crowned by my God; And my crown is living: 2 And I was justified by my Lord; And my salvation is incorruptible. 3 I was loosed from vanities, And I am not condemned. The choking bonds were cut off by His hand; 4 I received the face and the fashion of a new person; And I walked in Him and was redeemed. 5 And the thought of truth led me; And I walked after it and did not wander. [xvii (Christ speaks.) 6 And all that have seen me were amazed; And I was supposed by them to be a strange person. 7a And He who knew and brought me up, Is the Most High in all His perfection: 7b And He glorified me by His kindness, And raised my thought to the height of Truth. 8 And from thence He gave me the way of His steps; And I opened the doors that were closed:

9 And I broke in pieces the bars of iron: But my own iron (bonds) melted and dissolved before me. 10 And nothing appeared closed to me; Because I was the opening of everything. 11 And I went towards all the bondsmen to loose them; That I might not leave any man bound and binding; 12 And I imparted my knowledge without grudging; And their request to me with my love. 13 And I sowed my fruits in hearts, And transformed them through myself: 14 And they received my blessing and lived; And they were gathered to me and were saved. 15 Because they became to me as my own members; And I was their head. (Doxology.) 16 Glory to thee our Head, the Lord Messiah. Hallelujah. XVII]

Ode 18

1 My heart was lifted up and enriched in the love of the Most High; That I might praise Him by my name. 2 My members were strengthened That they might not fall from His power. 3 Sickness removed from my body, And it stood for the Lord by His will; For His Kingdom is firm. 4 O Lord, for the sake of them that are deficient, Do not deprive me of thy word: 5 Nor, for the sake of their works, Do thou restrain from me thy perfection. 6 Let not the luminary be conquered by the darkness; Nor let truth flee away from falsehood. 7 Let thy right hand bring our salvation to victory, And receive from all quarters, And preserve whomsoever is affected by ills. 8 Falsehood and Death are not in thy mouth, my God; But thy will is perfection. 9 And vanity thou knowest not, For neither doth it know thee.

10 And error thou knowest not, For neither doth it know thee. 11 And ignorance appeared like dust, And like the scum of the sea: 12 And vain people supposed that it was (something) great; And they came to resemble it and became vain: 13 And the wise understood and meditated (thereon), And were unpolluted in their meditations; For such were in the mind of the Lord. 14 And they mocked at those who were walking in error: 15 And on their part they spake truth, From the inspiration which the Most High breathed into them. (Doxology.) 16 Praise and great comeliness to His name. Hallelujah.

Ode 19

1 A cup of milk was offered to me; And I drank it in the sweetness of the delight of the Lord. 2 The Son is the cup, And He who was milked is the Father; And He who milked Him is the Holy Spirit. 3 Because His breasts were full; And it was not desirable that His milk should be spilt to no purpose. 4 And the Holy Spirit opened His bosom And mingled the milk of the two breasts of the Father, 5 And gave the mixture to the world without their knowing: And those who take (it) are in the fulness of the right hand. 6 The womb of the Virgin took (it) And she received conception and brought forth: 7 And the Virgin became a mother with great mercy; 8a And she travailed and brought forth a Son without incurring pain: 8b For it did not happen without purpose; 9 And she had not required a midwife, For He delivered her. 10 And she brought forth, as a man, by (God's) will: And she brought (Him) forth with demonstration And acquired (Him) with great dignity; 11 And loved (Him) in redemption; And guarded (Him) kindly; And showed (Him) in majesty. Hallelujah.

Ode 20

2 And to Him I offer the offering of His thought. 3 For His thought is not like (the thought of) the world, Nor (like the thought of) the flesh; Nor like them that serve carnally. 4 The offering of the Lord is righteousness; And purity of heart and lips, 5 Offer your reins (before Him) blamelessly; And let not thy heart do violence to heart; Nor thy soul do violence to soul. 6 Thou shalt not acquire a stranger...; Neither shalt thou seek to deal guilefully with thy neighbour; Neither shalt thou deprive him of the covering of his nakedness. 7 But put on the grace of the Lord without stint; And come into His Paradise and make thee a garland from and His tree; Apoc. ii. 7. 8 And put it on thy head and be glad; And recline on His rest; 9 And His glory shall go before thee;

And thou shalt receive of His kindness and His grace: And thou shalt be fat in truth in the praise of His holiness. (Doxology.) 10 Praise and honour to His name. Hallelujah.

Critical Notes.

vv. 1, 2. The Semitisms should be noted.

Ode 21

1 My arms I lifted up on high; Even to the grace of the Lord: 2 Because He had cast off my bonds from me; And my Helper had lifted me up to His grace and His salvation. 3 And I put off darkness, And clothed myself with light: 4 And my soul acquired members Free from sorrow, Or affliction or pain. 5 And increasingly helpful to me was the thought of the Lord; And His incorruptible fellowship. 6 And I was lifted up in the light, And I passed before Him; Sap. Sol. vi. 19; 6; and Koran iii. 40. 7 And I became near to Him, Praising and confessing Him. 8 He made my heart overflow; and it was found in my mouth; And it shone upon my lips. 9 And upon my face the exultation of the Lord increased, And His praise likewise. Hallelujah.

Ode 22

1 He who brings me down from on high; And brings me up from the regions below; 2 And who gathers the things that are betwixt, And throws them to me; 3 He who scattered my enemies And my adversaries; 4 He who gave me authority over bonds, That I might loose them; 5 He that overthrew by my hands the dragon with seven heads, And set me at his roots that I might destroy his seed— 6 Thou wast there and didst help me; And in every place Thy name was round about me. 7 Thy right hand destroyed his wicked venom; And thy hand levelled the way for those who believe in thee; 8 And it chose them from the graves, And separated them from the dead. 9 It took dead bones, And covered them with bodies; 10 And they were motionless, And it gave (them) energy for life.

11 Thy way was without corruption and thy face; Thou didst bring thy world to corruption; That everything might be dissolved and renewed, 12 And that the foundation for everything might be thy rock; And on it thou didst build thy Kingdom; And thou becamest the dwelling-place of the saints. Hallelujah.

Ode 23

1 Joy is of the saints! And who shall put it on but they alone? 2 Grace is of the elect! And who shall receive it but they who trust in it from the beginning? 3 Love is of the elect! And who shall put it on, but those who have possessed it from the beginning? 4 Walk ye in the knowledge of the Most High; And ye shall know the grace of the Lord without grudging; To His exultation and to the perfection of His knowledge. 5 And His thought was like a letter, And His will descended from on high; 6 And it was sent like an arrow Which is violently shot from the bow; 7 And many hands rushed to the letter, To seize it and to take it and to read it. 8 And it escaped from their fingers, And they were affrighted at it and at the seal that was on it.

9 For it was not permitted to them to loose the seal; For the power that was over the seal was greater than they. 10 But those who saw it went after the letter, That they might know where it would alight, And who should read it, And who should hear it. 11 But a wheel received it, And (the letter) came over it; 12 And there was with it a sign Of the kingdom and of the government. 13 And everything which was moving the wheel It mowed and cut down; 14 And it destroyed many things that were adverse; And it spanned the rivers: 15 And crossed over and rooted up many forests, And made a broad path. 16 The head went down to the feet; For down to the feet ran the wheel; And that which had come upon it. 17 The letter was one of recommendation; For there were included in it all districts:

18 And there was seen at its head, a head which was revealed Even the Son of Truth from the Most High Father; 19 And he inherited and took possession of everything; And the thought of the many was brought to naught, 20 And all the apostates became bold and fled away, And the persecutors became extinct and were blotted out. 21 And the letter became a great tablet, Which was wholly written by the finger of God; 22 And the name of the Father was upon it; And of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, To rule for ever and ever. Hallelujah.

Ode 24

1 The Dove flew over the head of our Lord the Messiah, Because He was her head; 2 And she sang over Him, And her voice was heard: 3 And the inhabitants were afraid, And the sojourners trembled; 4 The birds took to flight, And all creeping things died in their holes. 5 And the abysses were opened and closed; And they were seeking for the Lord, like (women) in travail: 6 And He was not given to them for food Because He did not belong to them: 7 And the abysses were submerged in the submersion of the Lord: And they perished in the thought which they had existed in from the beginning. 8 For they travailed from the beginning, And the end of their travail was life. 9 And every one of them that was defective perished; For it was not permitted to them to make a defence for themselves that they might remain:

10 And the Lord destroyed the imaginations Of all them that had not the truth with them; H, over the Messiah. 11 For they were defective in wisdom, They who were lifted up in their hearts. 12 And they were rejected, Because the truth was not with them. 13 For the Lord disclosed His way, And spread abroad His grace; 14 And those who understood it Know His holiness. Hallelujah.

Ode 25

1 I was rescued from my bonds; And unto thee, my God, I fled. 2 For thou wast the right hand of my salvation, And my helper. 3 Thou hast restrained them that rise up against me, And they were seen no more: 4 Because thy face was with me, Which saved me by thy grace. 5 But I was despised and rejected in the eyes of many: And I was in their eyes like lead; 6 And I acquired strength from thyself, And help. 7 Thou didst set me a lamp at my right hand and at my left, That in me there may be nothing that is not bright; 8 And I was covered with the covering of thy spirit; And I removed from me the raiment of skins. 9 For thy right hand lifted me up, And removed sickness from me. 10 And I became mighty in thy truth, And holy by thy righteousness;

11 And all my adversaries were afraid of me: And I became the Lord's by the name of the Lord: 12 And I was justified by His gentleness, And His rest is for ever and ever. Hallelujah.

Ode 26

1 I poured out praise to the Lord; For I am His: 2 And I will speak His holy song, For my heart is with Him. 3 For His Harp is in my hands, And the Odes of His Rest shall not be silent. 4 I will cry unto Him from my whole heart; I will praise and exalt Him with all my members. 5 For from the East and even to the West Is His praise: 6 And from the South and even to the North Is His confession: 7 And from the top of the hills to their utmost bound Is His perfection. 8 Who can write the Odes of the Lord, Or who read them! 9 Or who can train his soul for life, That his soul may be saved? 10 Or who can rest on the Most High, That from His mouth he may speak? 11 Who is able to interpret the wonders of the Lord? For he who interprets would be dissolved, And that which was interpreted will remain.

12 For it suffices to know and to rest; For in the rest the singers stand; 13 Like a river which has an abundant fountain, And flows to the help of them that seek it. Hallelujah.

Ode 27

1 I expanded my hands: and I sanctified (them) to my Lord: For the expansion of my hands is His sign. 2 And my expansion Is the upright wood.

Ode 28

1 As the wings of doves over their nestlings, And the mouths of their nestlings towards their mouths; So also are the wings of the Spirit over my heart. 2 My heart is delighted and leaps up, Like the babe who leaps up in the womb of his mother: 3 I believed; therefore I was at rest: For faithful is He in whom I have believed. 4a He has richly blessed me; And my head is with Him. 4b And the sword shall not divide me from Him, Nor the scimitar. 5 For I was ready before destruction came; And I have been set on His immortal pinions; 6 And deathless life embraced me And kissed me. 7 And from that (life) is the Spirit within me; And it cannot die, for it lives. (Christ speaks.) 8 They who saw me marvelled at me, Because I was persecuted; 9 And they supposed that I was swallowed up; For I seemed to them as one of the lost.

10 But my oppression Became my salvation. 11 And I was their scorn, Because there was no wrath in me. 12 Because I did good to every man I was hated; 13 And they come round me like mad dogs; Who ignorantly attack their masters. 14 For their thought is corrupt And their understanding perverted. 15 But I was carrying water in my right hand, And their bitterness I endured by my sweetness. 16 And I did not perish, for I was not their brother, Nor was my birth like theirs. 17 And they sought for my death and could not (accomplish it); For I was older than the memorial of them; And vainly did they cast lots against me. 18 And those who came after me Sought without cause to destroy the memorial of him who was before them. 19 For the thought of the Most High cannot be anticipated; And His heart is superior to all wisdom. Hallelujah.

Ode 29

1 The Lord is my hope: In Him I shall not be confounded. 2 For according to His praise He made me, And according to His goodness even so He gave unto me. 3 And according to His mercies He exalted me; And according to His excellent beauty He set me on high. 4 And He brought me up out of the depths of Sheol; And from the mouth of death He drew me. 5 And I laid my enemies low; And He justified me by His grace. 6 For I believed in the Lord's Messiah; And He appeared to me that He is the Lord. 7 And He showed me His sign, And led me by His light; 8 And He gave me the rod of His power; That I might subdue the imaginations of the people: And to bring down the power of the men of might. 9 To make war by His Word;

And to take victory by His power. 10 And the Lord overthrew my enemy by His Word; And he became like the stubble which the wind carries away. Ps. i. 4. 11 And I gave praise to the Most High; Because He exalted His servant and the Son of His Ps. cxv. (cxvi.) 16. handmaid. Hallelujah.

Ode 30

1 Fill ye water for yourselves from the living fountain of the Lord: For it has been opened to you: 2 And come all ye thirsty and take a draught; And rest by the fountain of the Lord. 3 For fair it is and pure; And it gives rest to the soul. 4 Much sweeter is its water than honey; And the honeycomb of bees is not to be compared with it. 5 For it flows from the lips of the Lord, And from the heart of the Lord is its name. 6 And it came unlimited and invisible; And until it was set in the midst they did not know it. 7 Blessed are they who have drunk therefrom; And rested thereby. Hallelujah.

Ode 31

1 The abysses were dissolved before the Lord; And darkness was destroyed by His appearance. 2a Error went astray And disappeared from Him, 2b And (as for) Falsehood, I gave it no path, And it was submerged by the truth of the Lord. 3 He opened His mouth and spake grace and joy; And He spake a new (song of) praise to His name. 4 And He lifted up His voice to the Most High, And offered to Him the sons that were in His hands. 5 And His face was justified; For thus His Holy Father had given to Him. (Christ speaks.) 6 Come forth, ye that have been afflicted, And receive joy. 7 And possess your souls by grace; And take to you immortal life, 8 And they condemned me when I rose up; Me who had not been condemned. 9 And they divided my spoil, Though nothing was due to them.

10 But I endured and held my peace and was silent, That I might not be moved by them. 11 But I stood unshaken like a firm rock, That is beaten by the waves and endures. 12 And I bore their bitterness for humility's sake; That I might redeem my people and inherit it. 13 And that I might not make void the promises to the patriarchs To whom I was promised for the salvation of their seed. Hallelujah.

Ode 32

1 To the blessed the joy is from their hearts, And light from Him that dwells in them; 2 And the Word from the Truth who is self-originate. 3 For He hath been strengthened by the Holy Power of the Most High, And He is unperturbed for ever and ever. Hallelujah.

Ode 33

1 Grace again ran and left the Corruptor And came down upon him to bring him to naught: 2 And he made utter destruction from before him And devastated all his array: 3 And he stood on a lofty summit and cried aloud From one end of the earth to the other; 4 And drew to him all those who obeyed him: And he did not appear as an evil person; 5 But a perfect virgin stood Who was proclaiming and crying and saying: (Wisdom speaks.) 6 O ye sons of men, return ye; And ye their daughters, come ye; 7 And leave the ways of that Corruptor, And draw near unto me; 8 And I will enter into you And bring you forth from destruction; And I will make you wise in the ways of truth. 9 Be not destroyed; Nor perish. 10 Hear ye me and be saved; For the grace of God I am telling among you:

11 And by my means you shall be redeemed and become blessed: I am your judge; 12 And they who have put me on shall not be injured: But they shall possess incorruption in the new world. 13 My chosen ones have walked in me, And my ways I will make known to them that seek me; And I will make them to trust in my name. Hallelujah.

Ode 34

1 There is no hard way where there is a simple heart; Nor is there any barrier where the thoughts are upright: 2 Nor is there any storm in the depth of the illuminated thought 3 The one who is surrounded on every side by open country, Is freed from doubts. Moses Bar-Kepha (B.M. Add. 2121, f. 51 b). 4 The likeness of that which is below Is that which is above; 5 For everything is above; And below there is nothing, but it is believed to be by the ignorant. 6 Grace has been revealed for your salvation: Believe and live and be saved. Hallelujah.

Ode 35

1 The dew of the Lord distilled rest upon me, And a cloud of peace it caused to rise over my head; 2 That it might guard me continually; And it became salvation to me: 3 Everybody was shaken and affrighted; And there came forth from them a smoke and a judgement: 4 But I was keeping quiet in the ranks of the Lord; More than shadow was He to me, and more than support: 5 And I was carried like a child by its mother; Aud He gave me milk, the dew of the Lord. 6 And I grew great by His bounty: And I rested in His perfection: 7 And I spread out my hands in the lifting up of my soul; And I directed myself towards the Most High, And I was redeemed with Him: Hallelujah.

Ode 36

1 I rested on the Spirit of the Lord; And (the Spirit) raised me on high: 2 And made me to stand on my feet in the high place of the Lord; Before His perfection and His glory; While I was praising (Him) by the composition of His odes. [xxxvi (Christ speaks) 3 (The Spirit) brought me forth before the face of the Lord. And although a Son of Man, I was named the Luminary, the Son of God: 4 While I was the most glorified among the glorious ones; And the greatest among the great ones. 5 For according to the greatness of the Most High, so she made me; And like His own newness He renewed me: Koran iii. 40. 6 And He anointed me from His own perfection; And I became one of those that are near to Him; 7 And my mouth was opened like a cloud of dew; And my heart gushed out, as it were, a gush of righteousness;

8 And my access (to Him) was in peace: And I was established in the Spirit of Providence. Hallelujah.

Ode 37

1 I stretched out my hands to the Lord; And to the Most High I lifted my voice; 2 And I spake with the lips of my heart; And He heard me when my voice reached Him. 3 His Word came to me, And gave me the fruits of my labours: 4 And gave me rest by the grace of the Lord. Hallelujah. Critical Note.

Ode 38

1 I went up into the Light of Truth as into a chariot: And the Truth led me and brought me: 2 And carried me across hollows and gulfs, And from the cliffs and reefs it preserved me; 3 And became to me a Haven of Salvation; And set me on the arms of immortal life. 4 And it went with me and made me rest and suffered me not to err; Because it was and is the Truth; 5 And I ran no risk because I walked with Him; And I made no error in anything, because I obeyed Him. 6 For Error fled away from Him: And would not meet Him: 7 But Truth was proceeding in the right way; And whatever I did not know He made clear to me: 8 All the drugs of Error and the plagues of death which are considered to be sweet (beverage).

9 And I saw the Destroyer of the Corruptor when the Bride who was being corrupted was adorned, Along with the Bridegroom who corrupts and is corrupted. 10 And I asked the Truth, Who are these? and He said to me: This is the Deceiver and the Error: 11 And they imitate the Beloved and His Bride: And they lead astray and corrupt the world. 12 And they invite many to the Banquet, And give them to drink of the wine of their intoxication; 13 And they make them vomit up their wisdom and intelligence; And they deprive them of understanding; 14a And then they leave them; And so these go about like madmen and corrupt; 14b Since they are without heart; And do not seek after it. 15 And I was made wise so as not to fall into the hands of the Deceiver; And I congratulated myself that the Truth had gone with me;

16 And I was established and lived and was redeemed; And my foundations were laid by the Lord; For He planted me. 17 For He set the root: And watered it and fixed it and blessed it: And its fruits will be for ever. 18 It struck deep and sprang up and spread wide, And it was full and was enlarged. 19 And the Lord alone was glorified, In His planting and His husbandry: 20 In His care and in the blessing of His lips; In the beautiful planting of His right hand. 21 And in the splendour of His planting, And in the thought of His mind. Hallelujah.

Ode 39

1 Mighty rivers are the power of the Lord; Which carry headlong Those that despise Him: 2 And entangle their paths, And sweep away their fords: 3 And carry off their bodies And destroy their souls. 4 For they are more swift than lightning, And more rapid: 5 But those who cross them in faith Shall not be moved; 6 And those who walk on them without blemish Shall not be afraid. 7 For the sign in them is the Lord; And the sign becomes the way of those who cross in the name of the Lord. 8 Put on, therefore, the name of the Most High and know Him: And you shall cross without danger, While the rivers shall be subject to you. 9 The Lord has bridged them by His word; And He walked and crossed them on foot; 10 And His footsteps stand (firm) on the waters, and were not erased; They are as a beam that is firmly fixed.

11 And the waves were lifted up on this side and on that; And the footsteps of our Lord Messiah stand (firm), 12 And are not obliterated, And are not defaced. 13 And a way has been appointed for those who cross after Him, And for those who agree to the course of His faith; And who adore His name, Hallelujah.

Ode 40

1 As the honey distils from the comb of the bees, And the milk flows from the woman that loves her children, So also is my hope on thee, my God. 2 As the fountain gushes out its water, So my heart gushes out the praise of the Lord, And my lips utter praises to Him. 3 And my tongue is sweet in His intimate converse And my limbs are made fat by the sweetness of His Odes. 4 And my face is glad with His exultation; And my spirit exults in His love; And my soul shines in Him; 5 And the fearful one shall confide in Him; And redemption shall in Him stand assured; 6 And his gain is immortal life; And those who participate in it are incorruptible. Hallelujah.

Ode 41

1 Let all the Lord's bairns praise Him, And let us appropriate the truth of His faith. 2a And His children shall be acknowledged by Him; 2b Therefore let us sing in His love: 3 We live in the Lord by His grace; And life we receive in His Messiah. 4 For a great day has shined upon us; And marvellous is He who hath given us of His glory. 5 Let us, therefore, all of us unite together in the name of the Lord: And let us honour Him in His goodness: 6 And let our faces shine in His light; And let our hearts meditate in His love, By night and by day. 7 Let us exult with the joy of the Lord. (Christ speaks.) 8 All those that see me will be astonished; For from another race am I. 9 For the Father of Truth remembered me; He who possessed me from the beginning.

10 For his riches begat me, And the thought of His heart: (The Odist speaks.) 11 And His Word is with us in all our way, The Saviour who makes alive and does not reject our souls: 12 The man who was humbled, And was exalted by His own righteousness; 13 The Son of the Most High appeared In the perfection of His Father; 14 And light dawned from the Word That was beforetime in Him;

Ode 42

1 I stretched out my hands and approached my Lord; For the stretching out of my hands is His sign; 2 And my expansion is the outspread wood That was set up on the way of the Righteous One. (Christ speaks.) 3 And I became of no use to those who knew me: For I shall hide myself from those who did not take hold of me: 4 But I will be with those Who love me. 5 All my persecutors have died; And they sought after me who proclaimed about me; Because I am alive. 6 And I rose up and am with them; And I will speak by their mouths. 7a For they have despised those who persecute them. 7b And I threw over them the yoke of my love: 8 Like the arm of the bridegroom over the bride, So is my yoke over those that know me.

9 And as the couch that is spread in the chambers of the bridegroom and the bride, So is my love over those that believe in me. 10 I was not rejected, though I was reckoned to be so; And I did not perish though they thought it of me. 11 Sheol saw me and was in distress; Death cast me up and many along with me: 12 I have been gall and bitterness to it, And I went down with it to the extreme of its depth. 13 And the feet and the head it let go, For it was not able to endure my face: 14 And I made a congregation of living men amongst his dead men; And I spake with them by living lips: In order that my word may not be void. 15 And those who had died ran towards me; And they cried and said, Son of God, have pity on us;

16 And do with us according to thy kindness; And bring us out from the bonds of darkness: 17 And open to us the door By which we shall come out to thee; For we perceive that our death does not touch thee. 18 Let us also be saved with thee; For thou art our Saviour. 19 And I heard their voice, And I laid up their faith in my heart; 20 And I set my name upon their heads: For they are free men and they are mine. Hallelujah.